Is there a problem in Christendom?
Clearly there is a problem in Christendom that cannot be blamed on the secularization of our culture. Within religion God's kingdom is not portrayed as the "pearl of great price", nor is the visible fruit of religious activities indicative of an intimate love relationship with Jesus. People within religion who are brave enough to express themselves regarding this, are often marginalized as rebellious or unsubmitted and in fact may be disciplined, and all for simply desiring a deeper relationship with Jesus. Even the people outside of religion are seeing through the facade and selfishness of such religiosity.
Many people who have rejected local religious institutions are not doing so because they've rejected Jesus, but recognize that the culture of religion is actually diminishing their relationship with Jesus, not enhancing it. Some leaders are frustrated because, in trying to help people follow Jesus, they have come to the realization that their own office may be at odds with God's greatest passion, that of loving. "Church" has become a hindrance to building a love relationship with God and loving relationships with others.
People initially came to Christ desiring a relationship with God but instead, were handed a religion of doctrines they had to believe to belong to the "church", rituals they had to observe to be considered spiritual, obligations they had to meet in order to be accepted and a code of conduct to follow to be considered as righteous. While these may be noble objectives, many people are finding that their attempts to follow them did not produce either the life of Jesus it promised, nor the reality of true, caring communities of loving people.
We have traded the simplicity of the Gospel of Grace for a religion based on human effort. We were invited to have a relationship but were sold a host of irrelevant doctrines and burdensome obligations. Fortunately people are waking up from this spiritual apathy with a fresh hunger to shed the dictates of religion and embrace the wonder and power of a love-filled relationship with the living God that extends to a love-filled relationship with people.
Many people who have rejected local religious institutions are not doing so because they've rejected Jesus, but recognize that the culture of religion is actually diminishing their relationship with Jesus, not enhancing it. Some leaders are frustrated because, in trying to help people follow Jesus, they have come to the realization that their own office may be at odds with God's greatest passion, that of loving. "Church" has become a hindrance to building a love relationship with God and loving relationships with others.
People initially came to Christ desiring a relationship with God but instead, were handed a religion of doctrines they had to believe to belong to the "church", rituals they had to observe to be considered spiritual, obligations they had to meet in order to be accepted and a code of conduct to follow to be considered as righteous. While these may be noble objectives, many people are finding that their attempts to follow them did not produce either the life of Jesus it promised, nor the reality of true, caring communities of loving people.
We have traded the simplicity of the Gospel of Grace for a religion based on human effort. We were invited to have a relationship but were sold a host of irrelevant doctrines and burdensome obligations. Fortunately people are waking up from this spiritual apathy with a fresh hunger to shed the dictates of religion and embrace the wonder and power of a love-filled relationship with the living God that extends to a love-filled relationship with people.
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