Religious but not spiritual

In my sermon on June 13, 2010, I talked about how two characters in the Gospel story saw things differently - one from a religious point of view and one from a spiritual point of view. They saw the same event, and interpreted it very differently because of their difference in viewpoint. I want to explore that notion a little more in this blog post.

In my opinion, religion is supposed to be the template in which we learn about spiritual realities. It's like the house that becomes a home as you decorate it in keeping with your tastes; share meals with friends and family; laugh and cry; crank up the stereo; sleep deeply and pace the floors. A house becomes a home as it's lived in and loved in. Religion is very much the same - it becomes a special part of our lives as we experience spiritual things because of it. Religion gives us a framework in which to explore prayer, sacred music, baptism, communion, discussing sacred texts, etc. For some, however, religion becomes a substitute for spirituality instead of a springboard into it.

Being religious but not very spiritual is a really safe way to go in life. If you follow the rules, you rarely get in trouble. If you're worried about a judging God, then following the rules is a safe path to follow. I'm wondering, though, if safe is the way we're supposed to take life. Many years ago, a supervising denominational representative sent me a bumper sticker that said "Faith takes risk." Stepping out in faith, waiting on God to reveal the next step, praying - all these things involve a certain amount of risk. Will God say "yes" or "no?" Will the way be made clear? And what happens if I've got it wrong? Will God forgive me and let me try again? Being religious is safe - being spiritual means taking risks.

Many years ago, a soloist at church sang a song of which I only remember one line: "Ships are safe within the harbor, but is that what ships are for?" The ship of religion is meant to take us out into deep water, to new ports, on adventures, and to deliver good news to those in other ports. The house of religion is meant to become the home of spirituality as we develop relationships with God, ourselves and the people around us. To be religious without being very spiritual is to be a house that sits staged and ready for purchase, but not lived in; a ship waiting patiently at the dock and never getting to go out to sea.

So, is it better to be spiritual but not very religious? I don't think so. I truly believe that a community of faith is important for our development. To be sure, we need to do our own individual prayer and devotions. I just think it's important to have both public worship and public acts of kindness, justice, service, etc. as well. If we follow the analogy of religion being like a home, I have to ask this: who wants to be spiritually homeless? Not me! I don't want to substitute religion for spirituality and neither do I want to reject religion as useless, empty, safe but unfulfilling. I want to let religion anchor me enough to take a risk spiritually, knowing I've got a bed to come home to at the end of the adventure.