Last Sunday, Paul led a wonderful conversation at our Forum hour on what we think of we we hear the words 'church,' 'religion,' and 'spirituality.' It wasn't surprising that folks had a lot of negative associations with 'church' and 'religion.' The authority of the Church has been used so many times throughout history to harm instead of heal. So many people experience religious practice, and religious community, as a closed fist rather than an open hand.
That's why I was so encouraged by Friday's reflection on James 1:27 in Forward Day by Day app: 'Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.'
The author writes, 'So often we automatically associate the term with an insincerity of faith. But in truth, religion is merely the mechanism of faith. It’s the mode by which we express and walk out what we believe. In reality, we are all religious—and should gladly claim the word...the remedy for insincerity is intentionality. What we get out of faith and practice is ultimately what we put into it. We must strive to live deliberately.'
How is God calling you to live deliberately and intentionally today?
P.S. On this Veterans' Day weekend, we give thanks for all those who have served our country, in peacetime and in war, on the front lines of combat and in the many support roles that make military technologies and operations possible. We remember as well the Armistice that ended the First World War on November 11, 1918 and those who gave their lives in that horrific conflict. I ask your prayers especially for those veterans who struggle with the aftermath of war, and for those who care for them.