Old Time Religion
By Tom Ponchak |
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The August edition of Next-Wave featured Spencer Burke’s new book, Heretic’s Guide to Eternity. I’ll confess up front that I haven’t actually read the book, and this essay really isn’t intended to be a critique of the book or of Spencer’s beliefs. It is a response to something Scot McKnight quoted in his review of the book featured on Next-Wave. McKnight cites some of Burke’s suggestions:
- 1. We need to get beyond religion. The problem today is “religion” – institutionalization of the Christian faith, focus on propositional creeds, driven by Sunday morning services, and propped up by the economy of the church that keeps people coming back and the staff fully paid.
- 2. We need to get beyond religion to find a spirituality.
- 3. We need to discover that following the way of Jesus can get us beyond religion to find this spirituality.
- 4. What we will find beyond religion is grace.
- 5. People who will take us into that grace, where we find the “sacred beyond religion,” are heretics. Jesus was the “original heretic.”
- 6. Panentheism is reality: we are all “in God”. This is not the same as “pantheism” which contends in one way or another that all is god.
Reading these suggestions got me thinking, or rethinking, about the subject of religion. In particular, I’ve been thinking about my attitude and the attitudes of others within the emerging church towards religion. For the most part religion has gotten a very bad rap within most corners of the EC and I have been no exception. The attitudes and presuppositions put forth by Burke are not all that foreign to many people I’ve met. I’m just not so sure that this attitude is the right one to have.
The common assumption is that “religion” is always a bad thing, that it can only result in legalism, division and strife. We also assume that religion is a man-made, human effort often reeking of vain efforts to gain God’s favor. After all, religion is merely man’s attempt to reach up to God, while grace is God’s act of reaching down to us. Religion starts with man, grace starts with God, and one is the enemy of the other. Therefore, what we really need to do is learn to be spiritual by freeing ourselves from the bonds of religion.
The problem with this way of thinking is that it is biblically shortsighted. We become enamored by catchy verses in the Gospels or Paul’s letters that seem to imply that God is not a big fan of religion. Unfortunately, these verses are often taken out of their own context, favoring eisegesis and hermeneutics over exegesis, and outside of the grander context of the whole of salvation history. We start with the assumption that religion is bad and focus on those verses that seem to back us up.
Once we step back and take an objective look at the scriptures a different image emerges. Far from being opposed to religion and religious practices, God is the initiator of the religion of the Jews. Nobody likes reading Leviticus, and maybe that’s why we forget that it was God’s idea to institute many of the religious practices of the Jews including their system of sacrifices, order of worship, feast days, and moral code. These practices did not simply fade away after Pentecost. The Apostles and first Christians continued to observe many of the religious practices of the Jews. They did not see all aspects of religion as opposed to grace, but continued to embrace many of them as means of grace.
The problem is not with religion in itself. The problem lies within us. Jesus and Paul joined the Old Testament prophets in speaking out against empty religion, heartless, spiritless, dead actions. They weren’t condemning the religious practices themselves, but were challenging the people to engage God through these practices with faith. The attitude of the heart is what makes all the difference. Spirit-filled, faithful engagement with God through religion is a powerful means of receiving, experiencing, and growing in grace. Jesus himself declared that he did not come to destroy the Law and the prophets, but to fulfill them.
Christian history is full of inspiring examples of men and women who faithfully encounter God through religion & religious practices, not in spite of them. Their examples make it clear that spiritual depth and growth comes from allowing the Holy Spirit to infuse our religion and religious practices his presence, his grace. Religion is a God-given tool to create times and places for us to encounter him. Liturgy provides a skeletal structure for our worship. Fixed hour prayer reclaims and redeems our time throughout the day. Sacraments incarnate grace and remind us that our flesh is being redeemed along with all creation. Creeds, born out of baptismal rites of the early church, show us the basis of our unity despite our differences.
It is clear that God is not opposed to religion, just our poor, half-hearted attempts at it.
 Tom Ponchak lives in Lakeland, FL, with his wife, Lisa, and their three daughters. Tom & Lisa planted and pastor Matthew’s House Vineyard. He still can’t rationally discuss the idea that Jesus should be considered a heretic. |
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I understand your point but remember what was the reason for God to give the law and all rituals that went with it. He did it not because it was His original desire but because Israel didn't want to have personal relationship with Him, they were slaves of sin therfore they couldn't approach God directly, they needed mediators, priests, levites and sacrifices until Jesus came and fulfilled the Law therfore there is no need for mediators any longer, we don't need religion, we just need to be born of His Spirit and follow Him. Church was never intended to be religious institution ran by clergy but the living body made out of living stones, Church leadership was intended to be a group of servants who help to bring less mature believers into maturity and not rulers of the "lay" people who get between them and God. The book of hebrews makes it crystal clear and I think that we are seeing the final move of The Holy Spirit who restores universal body of Christ to and beyond her former glory in preparation for His soon return.
See my thoughts on your article on my blog.
Tom, This is a powerful and desperately needed article. The key sentance here is sort of lost in everything else though so I want to highlight and expand on it
"The attitude of the heart is what makes all the difference."
This is such a critical statement for understanding what the EC is attempting to do I think. It is not that us PoMo Gen X'rs want or should want pure mysticism detached from Creed/liturgy/fixed ways of worship but rather it is that we desire and are striving for the "meaning" which should fill and overflow the empty cup which the former provide.
Unfortunately I do not think it is just the heart. I will admit that I am not sure of how to define what is lacking here but it seems to me that it must be heart, soul and mind. In other words the entirety of the being who worships.
Thanks for the incredible insight
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"The attitude of the heart is what makes all the difference."
This is such a critical statement for understanding what the EC is attempting to do I think. It is not that us PoMo Gen X'rs want or should want pure mysticism detached from Creed/liturgy/fixed ways of worship but rather it is that we desire and are striving for the "meaning" which should fill and overflow the empty cup which the former provide.
Unfortunately I do not think it is just the heart. I will admit that I am not sure of how to define what is lacking here but it seems to me that it must be heart, soul and mind. In other words the entirety of the being who worships.
Thanks for the incredible insight