Just Say No to Religion

Been workin' on my "sayin". Next thing I know...here come the Rule Keepers. They always like to show up when you're having a good time...or about to have a good time.

Call 'em Pharisee's. Call 'em Sadducees. Call 'em demons who try to disguise themselves as godly. Whatever way they come, they're nothing more than religious spirits. And you know what? They are seriously annoying.

Jesus really thought so. There are more than a few instances of him givin' these guys a run for their money. He even called them names. Brood of vipers. Hypocrites. Blind.

They'd show up when He'd heal someone on the Sabbath and claim he was sinning because he wasn't "resting". They'd set up rules for other people to measure up to, but they couldn't follow through themselves. They hated Jesus, so they tried to follow him around and stir up trouble. Mainly with their man-made rules.

Don't get me wrong. Rules have their place. They keep us safe, and they give us boundaries. They also are guidelines to encourage righteous living. Those kind of rules, I'm ok with. But the Pharisee kind of rules, the controlling and condemning kind, they've gotta go.

Sad thing, though, is the way many of us entertain these kind of rules and then masquerade them as Truth. I admit, I've done it. I've had my Pharisee days and my Sadducee ones. And boy was I miserable. And you know who else was miserable? All those people around me.

And not only that, you know what else I was? Sick. Remember that forgiveness dance? Yea, desperately needed one of those around that time. My body was weak and my mind even weaker. Why? Because there is no freedom in religion. What?? Sarah, I thought you were a Christian. Why yes. I certainly am. I love Jesus, the man who died, who took my place, who offered me grace instead of death. Him, I love. But religion, I do not. Because religion is control, it's rules, it's constricting, and it's life-sucking. No thanks.

Those religious days left me spiraling around constantly trying to do everything "right", keeping my to do list loaded up with good deeds for the day, and keeping me bound to none other than the endless cycle of "ministry mentality". And all the while, I was missing God.

Don't get me wrong. Deep down, my intentions were good. I wanted to help, to be compassionate, and to live a full life. But what I needed first...was some serious therapy. You might think I'm joking, but I'm not. Cause you know where those religious spirits flourish? In a heart that has not known Love.

So, in our effort to feel Loved, we try to either 1. to love and/or to fix everyone else without really knowing what Love is (which, might I add, leads to exhaustion) or 2. we judge other people who are living Life because we're jealous or 3. both.

Seems like a common problem. I know a lot of church folk who mean well but who don't do well. And for those of you who've encountered them (most likely all of us), I'm sorry. We all know not what we do.

So, I've decided something. Let's start a new trend. The old one is obviously not working. It's actually making things worse.

This new trend will be a peacemaker, with ourselves and with others. It will be birthed out of humility of spirit and out of honor for others. It will encourage the down-trodden and give life to the broken. It will speak joy into the hopeless heart, and it will make the bearer feel undoubtedly alive. And it will involve dancing, lots and lots of dancing.

And with the dancing, parties. Lots and lots of celebration.

Celebration over what Love has done.

And joyful anticipation over what it will do...

"I've come so that they might have Life, and have it to the Full." --John 10:10

(corresponding song: Early in the Morning by Gap Band)