RESTORE WHAT, OR WHAT IS RELIGION ALL ABOUT

Work is hectic this morning.
We have a maintenance planner school later today and job aids are screaming to be written. But, at least we are past this cycle of machine outages. It is too hot to be inside a paper machine.

Please, let me skip past some of the banter about our role in “benevolence”; and whether it is us, or God, or us & God(?!) Let me go back to some earlier comments about the “main thing .. to seek and save the lost”, the “everlasting quality … obedience”, the twin responsibilities of evangelism and discipling new believers.

I heard sermons growing up about the big three: evangelism, benevolence, and edification. Somewhere along the line I heard this expanded some:

3 - Evangelism , Edification , Benevolence
7 - Evangelism, Service, Worship, Education, Discipleship, Fellowship, Holiness
8 - Evangelism, Discipleship, Stewardship, Bible knowledge, Sanctification, Prayer, Fellowship, Worship

I am always running around inside my head and began to question if there should be some order, some causal relationships, some hierarchy. Somehow, shouldn’t LOVE be on this chart, overtly and obviously?

And, I would also wonder about Jesus’ motives being more than just confirmation of his ministry. The word “compassion” keeps coming up! Jesus did good for reasons of compassion (and confirmation).

I guess, my question is (my wife made me boil-down my turmoil to this one question), “what is religion really all about?” (please do not pick on the word “religion”; use a different one if you must). What should we be trying to restore is simply another way of asking this question, in my mind. Is it all about obedience? Contemplation? Service? Mortification? Worship? Is there some BALANCE to be struck?

“He has showed you, O man, what is good …” “ the great commandment is …” “pure and undefiled religion is …” – such verses resound in my head. The judgement scene in Mt. 25 is about helping those in need; but there is something about watchfulness and stewardship.

Maybe, it is a right-brain/left-brain thing? Maybe it is a Eastern vs. Western difference of approach. (sometimes I listen to Ravi Z. and he has little use for Eastern thinking) Have you ever watched “What Dreams May Come” or “The Fountain”? It will stretch your mind on the after-life.

“But, Jerry, just stick with the Book” someone would surely be quick to suggest, and rightly so. But, you know, I have seen some paradigm shifts in my own head and wondered what else is not so sure. For example, the eschatological mental paradigm construct that is so common in Evangelical thought, dispensationalism. Most of the people in the fellowship I know are quick to dismiss this. But, many sincere believers are absolutely convinced of this whole framework (or, some version of it [pre-trib, post-trib, mid-trib….]). Closer to home, what of the “Pearl of great price” and the merchant? Who is the merchant and what is the pearl?! (be careful) And, also, what is the role of “law”? Is it a road to God, or more like a reagent to reveal? (yes, even the “new law”)

I once had a lengthy discussion with a Sephardic Jew who was looking for the Messiah in his life-time! After reading the NT, he thoughtfully asked, “what if…?” (he had a paradigm shift to make!) Some Jews are looking for a movement, not a man as the “messiah”.

Maybe, another way of putting all this, is, is it more musical or mathematical? (I know some musicians mechanically read the notes and painfully move through; and some mathematicians see visions of numbers in color) I once heard a sermon about the different walks with God: heart people, soul people, mind people, strength people. (you know the reference) The comment was made that problem is that most church leaders are “mind people” working like engineers or managers.

What is religion really all about?