A memorable moment that comes to mind often of a trip to Israel in 2019 is standing at the archeological remains of the synagogue of ancient Capernaum. Capernaum was known as Jesus’ hometown, his ministry base. Capernaum would likely only have one synagogue in the first century. So, this ancient synagogue on the Sea of Galilee is believed to be where Jesus went to church.
The idea that Jesus went to church is perplexing to me. Imagine being the God of the universe that slipped into human flesh to walk among men. Would you go to church if you were God on earth? Modern Christians would try to argue that Christianity is all about the relationship with Jesus and following Him. They would say that true faith doesn’t need a building or a religious format. Relationship with Jesus should not be a religion.
The truth is that Jesus was a religious person.
The belief that practicing religious rituals and habits means that your religion is empty, shallow, or delusional is a logical fallacy of modern American sentiment. Some say that Christianity isn’t a religion, it’s a relationship. I concede the intended thought of the saying. But it isn’t true. Not only is Christianity one of the most prevalent religions in the world, but Christianity as a religion has many times affected the course of human history in powerful ways.
Jesus lived a religious life. He read and taught scripture in the synagogue, went to Temple, participated in feasts and festivals. Jesus observed the rites and rituals of his faith family. He fasted and prayed to God as was the custom of the religion that He practiced. At no time would anyone suggest that Jesus didn’t have a genuine relationship with God because of his religious practices.
Think of Jesus as a religious person with whom you want to have a relationship. If you’re going to follow Jesus, you’ll have to follow Him to a gathering of worshippers. Whether that gathering is in a church building or a coffee shop or an old warehouse, the gathering of believers is where Jesus would be.
If you are going to follow Jesus, you’ll have to get comfortable with religion. The religious practices that you observe will depend on what you believe. Faith is what makes religious practice meaningful. If you believe that it honors Christ to observe communion once a week, then do it. If you believe that observing Advent and Lent prepares your heart of meet with God, then practice those seasons. If you believe that you dishonor God by eating or drinking certain things, then refrain. If you don’t know what you believe about religious practices, today is a good day to begin your investigation.
How Do You Know if Your Religious Practice is Meaningful?
Religious practice is healthy and meaningful when:
1. My religion should serve to help me love and honor God.
Jesus said that the greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, mind, and soul (Matthew 22:36). A good question to ask is am I serving my religion or is my religion serving to help me to love and honor God? Religious practice becomes unhelpful when we are trying to earn the approval of God and others. Religious practice is healthy when the practice originates from the desire to know God and love Him. Our religious practices should originate from a desire to love God.
2. Genuine religion combines what you believe with what you do.
You believe that God is ever-present and active in the world, so you pray continually.
You believe that God is kind and generous, so you give and share with others.
You believe that all good things come from God, so you give thanks for everything with gratitude.
You believe that you are a sinner, saved by the blood of Jesus Christ, so you confess your sins, accept forgiveness, and live a life willing to repent of the things that need to change.
3. Religious practice that is helpful is a framework for behavior and self-discipline that strengthens and supports what you believe. What you believe determines how meaningful your religious behavior is. What you do (or don’t do) as a religious person says more about what you believe than any sermon ever could.
You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. James 2:24
Conclusion
By itself, religion is neither good nor bad. Religious practice is a natural part of being human. We were designed to crave a connection with the divine. Religious practice is merely a platform of belief and behavior to help us find connection with God.
As with anything in life handled by human hands, the religious life can get messy. Human pride, a craving for power and popularity, or a lack of the Holy Spirit’s presence in our hearts can cause us to turn religious practice into something harmful or hurtful. We lose sight of the love for God that is intended to be the whole point of the practice.
Fortunately, for those in the Christian religion, we believe in a merciful God and a loving Savior. Our confession of wrong and heartfelt repentance is met with loving grace. May we each offer confession, repentance, and thanksgiving as part of our regular religious practice. And may the God of all mercy hear our prayers.
“Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.” The Book of Common Prayer, p. 316.
Question: what religious practices do you observe? What Christian practices are helpful in the spiritual life? Let’s talk about that next time!
Copyright @ TA Boland 2024
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