More than Religion 1: "Rituals"
Scripture Reading: Matthew 15: 8 - 11 (NIV)
“ ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’ ” Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”
Message: More than Religion Series (Part 1) - Rituals
More than Religion
When you fill out your sensus form later this year, you will be asked to indicate your religion
In the 2021 sensus, 60,3% of West Grey residents indicated that they are Christian
34,6% indicated that they have no religious affiliation
60% of a population of 13000 is roughly just below 8000!
Yet we don’t we don’t see 8000 people go to church on a regular basis
For those who do go to church, there must be more to it than just religious affiliation…
And yet, I know there are many in this area that would say that they are spiritual, but not religious…
Meaning that they have a spiritual belief or faith, but that they are not actively practicing religion (they might the Christian box on the sensus form, but they do not neccarily belong to a church)
It gives you a sense that there is more than just formal religion in people’s lives
Might it be that there is a form of faith that does not per se subscribe to all that is religious?
This series wants to explore this space - the space between religion and faith
When you talk to an atheist or an agnostic, many of the arguments they would have would be against religion…
They would be quick to point out all the negative things that came into this world as a result of religion…
Imperialism, many forms of abuse, war, exclusivism, and many more…
I know that people lose their faith over the autrocities that religion is associated with - residential schools and sexual abuse by priests
There is even anger… we saw that when we advertised a service last year on Facebook… we have been called horrible names
Even though it is tough to hear these reactions, I can understand some of it
I also know that there are many who have a deeply rooted faith in God, but has nothing to do with religion
I think there are many of the 60% Christians in our town, who have an opinion about what happens in a church without knowing what really goes on
The church has also changed over time - I believe that we have a lot to offer to people who wants to grow in their faith
I guess this series about exploring how church today can be more than just religous practice - I invite you to join me in exploring how church is more than just religion and how my relationship with God can grow through going to church
Heart and Mouth
In the Scripture reading this morning, Jesus is highlighting the contrast between lips and hearts
He says if your worship is just lip-service, it is all in vain… meaning that is has no impact
Instead, He points out how worship from the heart truly meaningful
It is not about complying with a set of rules
It is about a heart connecting to God
It is not about performing a bunch of religious acts to achieve a sense of accomplisment
It is about faith that grows in a space of connection with God
It is about seeking God through being present in a church where my life is impaceted by Spirit of God
Rituals
The sacraments and rituals of our religion can help us with our connection to God
Batism - today we witnessed how God is declaring his love for a little boy and how God is saying that He wants include him in his grace… it not just a formal ritual of obtaining membership… we are all touched by the meaning of it and we are reminded that God loves us deeply and wants us to be part of his family
Communion - when we sit down at table of Communion, we actively accept the gift of Jesus’ sacrifice for us… we allow ourselves to be moved by what He has done for us and we are reminded that we are free because of Him
Funerals - when we come together for a funeral, it not just to remember a loved one, it is also to remind ourselves that we do not grieve without hope and that there is more than just this earthly life and that we have eternal life through Christ.
Christmas and Easter are not just familiy events where we go to church to feel a warm sense of togetherness, it is also celebrations of our faith - the coming of Jesus to this world… Emmanuel, God with us and with Easter that Jesus did not just die for us, but that He is also risen and that He is alive… we don’t worship a dead idol, we worship a risen Lord…
Invitation
Join us for the next 3 Sundays as we explore how church is more than just religion
At DPC want to focus on coming together and going forward in faith!
Next week, we will look at our thoughts - how can our thoughts be renewed through our faith
But for today, it is my prayer that your faith was moved by being here for the baptism of Maverick this morning
It is my prayer that your faith will be moved by the rituals you take part in
Because it’s way more that religion, it’s also about faith!
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