You know who you are
Spirituality vs Religion
Off the top of my head, religion speaks of commitment to a religious identity and a system of faith and worship. Spirituality describes an awareness the people are in conversation with something sacred. At very least it means connecting with some meaning greater than ourselves.
Is religion just static observance of rules? Is spirituality just a spineless avoidance of taking a stand somewhere? Are Christ following people religious? Spiritual? Both? Something else all together?
I know that my use of the word spiritual is due to the fact that it is at present a "sexy" word. But my use of it is subversive. I start there because it seems to suggest that someone might be open to meeting the "One" at the other end of the conversation. But I recognize that it could just be someone who is intentionally hiding from a life that makes a difference in the world. I start with "spirituality" but it is not where I'm hoping to end up. Religion is not the destination either. So, where are we going with it?
Relationship.
What do you think?
Tags: religion, spirituality
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Rich Merritt on -
I have been away from the "M" for a bit. I glanced at this when I first saw it back in the day. However, I read through it and the comments today. Kind of funny - I just started reading a book that someone recommended to me just today before I read this. It is called: Conformed to his Image - Biblical and Practical approaches to Spiritual Formation, by Kenneth Boa. I just started to look at this today, so.., really not sure of the full content as of yet. However, one interesting thing about the way he breaks this book down is as follows:
#1 - Relational Spirituality - Loving Completely, Ourselves Correctly, and Others Compassionately
#2 - Paradigm Spirituality - Cultivating an Eternal versus a Temporal Perspective
#3 - Disciplined Spirituality - Engaging in the Historical Disciplines
#4 - Exchanged Life Spirituality - Grasping our True Identity in Christ
#5 - Motivated Spirituality - A set of Biblical Incentives
#6 - Devotional Spirituality - Falling in Love with God
#7 - Holistic Spirituality - Every Component of Life under the Lordship of Christ
#8 - Process Spirituality - Process versus Product, Being versus Doing
#9 - Spirit-Filed Spirituality - Walking in the Power of the Spirit
#10 - Warfare Spiritulity - The World, the Flesh, and the Devil
#11 - Nurturing Spirituality - A Lifestyle of Evangelism and Discipleship
#12 - Corporate Spirituality - Encouragement, Accountability, and Worship
Each Facet above has various subcategories. However, at first glance this tends to reflect much of what Jaymes states above, which I totally agree with. Much of the above can and does require creativity, improvisation, the Arts; but more imporatntly a desire and hunger for yes - Relationship. Both with He who loves us unconditionally and forever; and with those whom He has placed in our path along the way. As I read more into this over the next few weeks; I hope to share more.
Richie
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Permalink Reply by Rich Merritt on
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The other thing that came to my mind was both of these passages:
Matthew 22:36-40: "36"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 37Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'[b] 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[c] 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
and,
James 1:26-27: "26If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. 27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."
One speaks of both Spirituality (Loving a God who we cannot see) and relationship with both He and the Humans He has put in our path. Then James clearly states what he feels religions is all about. So.. Spirituality or relationship (Loving God and Loving People) spew forth a by-product called action or religion.
Simplistic? Maybe, but it appears to me, that all three intermingle - Love/Relationship/Religion (or action).
Just some more ramblings from a felow-wanderer. :-)
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