Southwood Lutheran Church: Act 23

God or Religion?

The events of 9-11 were a stark reminder, especially for Americans, of the destructive power of religious fanaticism. As fresh as it is for us, religious fanaticism is really nothing new. It led to the crucifixion of Jesus, the stoning of Stephen, and in Acts 23, it leads a group of 40 men to plan a way to ambush and kill Paul. Read all of Acts 23 here. (And lest those of us who live in glass churches throw stones, don’t forget about the Crusades.)

All of these examples have some basic commonalities:

People isolate themselves from others
Plans are shrouded in secrecy
Commonly held ethical principles are violated (don't lie; don't kill)

Although the examples are extreme, they illustrate the twisted-in-on-itself nature of choosing “religion” over “following God.” In more subtle ways, we make choices between religion and God every day. It's usually easier to call it out in others than it is to see it in ourselves, but we all do it. Here are some more common examples:

When being Lutheran or Methodist or Catholic (insert your denomination of choice) is more important than being Christian
When being Christian is more important than being a disciple of Christ (they’re not always synonymous)
When we're insiders and others are outsiders
When we place a higher value on being right than on loving people
When we territorially protect the institution at the expense of caring for the individual

In Acts 23, one of the Pharisees in the Council accusing Paul asks a good question, "What if it turns out we're fighting against God?" It's a question I want to ask myself as I make decisions as a leader in the church. Am I following God or just maintaining the religious institution? It's a serious question....but here's a light-hearted look at what the difference between "being religious" vs. "following God" might look like today.

Kim

This 28 part blog will post each Tuesday through Friday from April 1 through May 16. We'll post on one chapter of Acts each day. Be sure to join us in reading this entire book. We'll learn about Jesus, about his disciples, and about how we can become more fully devoted followers of Christ.