Posted by Friend of Bill on September 07, 2012 at 09:37:54
In Reply to: Re: Question #1 posted by Extreme on September 06, 2012 at 19:58:44:
For me, following Jesus isn't so much about religion--the do's and don'ts of behavior and the external expressions of piety. It's more about growing in a relationship of love and trust with the Lord. Because it is a deeply personal relationship, it's hard to talk about without feeling vulnerable and open to attack. I belong to a church where I've learned to respect the way other people who say they want to follow Jesus talk about their relationship with God--and each other. I got to the point I could join this particular church fellowship in large part through specific individuals in cult recovery I met on the exer boards. Not everyone who has left the cult is in recovery, and not everyone who's in recovery listens to their better angels 100% of the time.
I don't swallow everything that's said in my faith community without questioning, and I flat-out disagree with certain positions leadership has taken on social issues. But I can still trust people in my church, particularly the pastors, because they listen and support me when I question them and voice my concerns and disagreement. They're more interested in building a relationship of love and trust with me than they are in proving they're right and I'm wrong. When someone is open to just being a fellow human being with me on the journey of faith, I tend to believe they are following same Way I have learned from the Teacher who said, "My yoke is easy and the burden I give you is light."
Something that's been happening in my personal walk with the Lord for some time is the need to dial things back and not be heavily engaged in any form of obvious ministry. From all external appearances, I look pretty lukewarm. This is what I think the Lord is teaching me (and it's not an easy lesson!): What matters most is how I AM in this world, not what I DO. If I am abiding in Christ, then whatever I do is an act of worship and potentially an act of lovingkindness and mercy. That "abiding in Christ" thingy takes a lot more faith and grace than I truly possess. So I am learning to be patient with my limitations and the human condition. I don't know about the theology of this, but I think being "saved" or "redeemed" is about as much about self acceptance as it is about accepting Christ.