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Religion: The Practice of Relationship

A popular idea that has made its way through many a pulpit, blog, and TV ministry is: Christianity is not about religion, it is about relationship.  And for the most part I agree.  I do believe Jesus Christ reveals more than anything else that God is about relationships.  In fact the Trinity is an eternal relationship: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit dwelling in loving relationship.

However, they do not go their separate ways.  Imagine. Son to Father, “Dad, I’m moving out.  I’m tired of all your rules.”  The Father, “Fine, the Spirit and I will be glad to not clean up your wood shavings in the garage all the time!”  The Spirit to the Father, “Actually, I’ve been unfulfilled in our relationship for years.  Maybe this isn’t the best time to tell you, but I’ve met someone else and I’m leaving you.”

Imagine.

The word religion has gotten a lot of negative press over the last several years.  It has come to mean judgmental, dead, and irrelevant.  It’s not hard to understand why those opinions have been formed.  Religious institutions are guilty of all of it.  But let’s not throw the baby out with the bath water (got to come up with a new saying).

The word religion most likely comes from the Latin root ligare- to connect, like a ligament.  Ligaments connect the body and hold it together.  Add the prefix “re” to it and you have- to reconnect.  Religion then in its most basic form is a way to reconnect the fractured relationship between humanity and God and humans with other humans. It’s a practice of relationship.

Relationship does not come natural.  It take practice.  LOTS of practice.

Religion at its very core is about learning how to have relationship.  And religion today at its best is about the very same thing. It’s about restoring and building relationship with God and others.  We live in a world that is so very fractured.  We break relationship and head for the door anytime we are hurt or challenged.  Relationship requires commitment and it requires boundaries and rules.  Did any of us grow up in a household with no rules or commitment?

Above all things it requires forgiveness, over and over again.

The church as well as the synagogue, the mosque, the temple, and the meeting place offers a community of committed relationship.  Yes, there are rules of the house.  There are boundaries that you should not cross. Relationship requires sacrifice.  To have a committed relationship with anyone is to make some else’s needs and wants at least as important as your own.  Sacrifice.  Narcissism only requires a mirror.

Consider getting some religion: reconnect with God and others, and begin a regularly scheduled practice of relationship.

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Keep following those nudges, people!

chadisliving's avatarOne Thousand Risks

[Risk No. 166] Costco is always sampling something – most of the time it’s those health bars that just taste like pure chewy grains or some form of low-sugar lemonade. No thanks. Looking past the sample is a person standing on their feet for hours on end – serving people who rarely thank them or ask their name. I asked Linda her name and shared a simple encouragement. As usual, she smiled. I continued on my way when I sensed the Holy Spirit wanting me to double-back and pray for her. By grace I did and she was 100% receptive. Thank You, Lord, for Linda. Praise be to God for the way You are working in her life.

Note: I also asked her if she had any pain. She didn’t. Once a conversation/prayer/introduction has happened it’s always worth asking if someone is in pain – regardless of whether God gives…

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Prayer: A Suprasubstantial Encounter (Includes a hip-hop-styled explanation)

One of the most influential things I read during my seminary education was John Calvin’s description of the Lord’s Supper. Calvin believed that, although it is physically impossible for the body of Jesus to be literally present on altars across the world, Christ is indeed truly present in the meal.

Calvin believed that, by the power of the Holy Spirit, those with faith are lifted into the presence of Jesus Christ, who resides in heaven at the right hand of the Father. Like on Star Trek, our spirits are beamed up before the Lord, who feeds us with grace by his own hand.  It is called suprasubstantiation. Let’s say it together: Supra-Sub-Stanc-Ee-A-Shun:)  Supra meaning above or beyond and substantiation meaning embody or to give material form.  Above and beyond material form.  The Lord’s Supper is a suprasubstantial encounter with Christ, all those in the world participating, and all the saints in heaven.  Imagine that for a moment.  Wow.  A truly heavenly meal.

For an excellent, lyrical explanation of suprasubstantiation listen to hip hop artist Through Hymn:

Suprasubstantiation (Reformed) by Through Hymn

It is my belief that the same thing happens when we pray: the Spirit transports our spirits before Christ in heaven. Prayer beams us up to Christ. When we pray, we are very much being lifted in spirit into the presence of our God.  Prayer is a suprasubstantial encounter with Christ and all those praying on earth and in heaven.  Whoa. A heavenly encounter.

This encounter can change us forever.

If prayer is the way we encounter Christ, then it can also be a way we can share a heavenly, suprasubstantial encounter with Christ with others. Rather than talking to others about the God we know through Christ and what he can do for their lives, why not take them directly to Christ through prayer?

Haven’t you had a day when you wanted more than anything to be airlifted right out of this world? Your body hurts, your heart hurts, your head hurts, you need grace, comfort, mercy, love.  Pray.  Then recognize that everybody else on this earth needs the same thing. Pray with them.

 

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Question: How do you pray?

I would love to hear the way other people tend pray on a regular basis.  Cry for help?  Thanks?  Praise?  Lifting others?  Meditation?  Using scripture?  Centering prayer with a mantra?  Breathing?  Alone? With others?  In the car?  On your knees?  Working out?  In church?  In the subway?  Eyes open? Head up? Fetal position?

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My Family Got a LOT Bigger Last Week

The Friday before last it became clear to me that our nine-month old son had an infection that warranted a trip to the doctor.  Saturday we brought him in and he was given antibiotics with the instructions to bring him back if he had not improved in forty-eight hours.  It got worse Sunday and Monday we got him back in.  The doctor sent us to the ER at Children’s.

The day before in the very hospital a fourteen-year old boy whose grandmother attends our church had died of a similar infection.  People around the world had been praying for this young man. Needless to say, I was worried. You do not always get what you want in prayer.  I know that all too well.

My wife and I usually end our day by praying together with our son.  We end with the Lord’s Prayer. Praying together gives me a great sense of togetherness.  Recently I attended a church led by a friend of mine and he introduced the Lord’s Prayer by saying, “Now let us join together by praying our family prayer, ‘Our Father who are in heaven….'” It made me feel very welcome. This night, though, I felt so alone as I walked into our house after a scary day of watching our son being poked and prodded. My wife stayed with him at the hospital.

Many of my Facebook friends have put out calls for prayer and I have prayed, but I had never been on the other side of the table. I updated my Facebook status with a request to pray for my family. I needed it.  We needed it.

Even before the responses began to vibrate on my phone, I felt like warm water was being poured over my head.  I felt my family being lifted up.  With each response I felt assurance and love and power from beyond.  Church members prayed, family members prayed, high school classmates, former coworkers, and fellow pastors prayed.  The request was forwarded to churches all over the area.  I didn’t feel so alone anymore.  I felt surrounded by family. Family prayer got a lot bigger that night.

The next morning all was well.  A sense of relief poured through me.  Our son would go home later that day, Tuesday, with a foul-tasting oral antibiotic.  He hates it.  I do not blame him, it tastes like concentrated bile.

On Wednesday we took him back to daycare and I went after lunch and administered the dreaded medication.  Afterward I swung by the house to walk the dog.  I checked Facebook and saw a report that white smoke had emitted from the conclave of cardinals in the Vatican City.  I flipped on the TV and began to watch history unfold.

For whatever reason I had a great sense of expectation, like anything could happen.  The traditional announcement was made introducing the new Pope, but then tradition stepped aside for something new: a Latino, a Jesuit, a Francis. He spoke almost casually to the throng, but with great humility.

Then a remarkable thing happened.  The Pope asked the crowd, which beyond those present must have been tens of millions if not hundreds of millions watching worldwide, to pray for him before he gave the traditional prayer for the Church.  He bowed his head before the people.  The most powerful silence came over the crowd and I felt like I was there.  I prayed, we prayed for this man who had just been given the most awesome responsibility of any human being alive.  He needed it. We needed it.

The Church poured out prayer upon him and I felt as if we were all lifted into the highest heavens together with Father, Son, Holy Ghost, and all the saints in heaven, including a fourteen-year old boy who had just arrived.  My family prayer got a LOT bigger that moment.

Then Papa Francisco (Pope Francis) lifted his head and led us in our family prayer, “Our Father…”

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