We were asked to write an essay called “This I Believe” about what really matters to us, as preparation for this world missions adventure called the World Race.
Growing up in Wisconsin, religion consisted of Lutherans and Catholics. God was laid on display with all the other cast iron. My parents did their darndest to get us to church the first 12 years of my life, but to no avail. Whether due to us labeling them hypocrites or them to us, heathens, we left. But the one true God did not leave.
In fact, after much time away from Sunday sermons, His presence was so ‘thick’ that one night an
image of a small red Bible appeared in my mind. Strangely enough I knew what to do. I found the small red Bible. That was the night the Lord led me to His Word, the first time I read it and began taking it in like food. I hungered for this God I didn’t know. This experience has shaped everything I could possibly talk about regarding my life.
This was the point when I began to recognize the difference between religion and God. I had so far to go in understanding, but I began to see that religion was a set of guidelines that you followed in this existence to keep the peace with the esteem of being a good person. And to be honest, I didn’t care about being a good person. I cared about Truth, reality. Whatever that meant and whatever that entailed. And He entered history as a God man, came to declare the hope of man — the reality of my Redeemer, Christ Jesus.
I believe that He is the only source of eternal life.
I believe that we’re called to fellowship within the church to walk well with God.
I believe that the day you lose everything, you find Him bringing the only love that satisfies.
I believe that religion as we know it is dead and that pure or living religion happens through the Holy Spirit and the action taken when you hear the call. This can happen within church walls and outside of them. I don’t believe it is one or the other.
From 400B.C. (or whatever ancient age) to this present time, we’re asking the same questions and exploring the answers — nothing really is new under the sun. Taken from the 1950s, here’s a great synopsis of what I think ‘dead religion vs. living religion’ looks like: http://www.thisibelieve.org/dsp_ShowEssay.php?uid=16544&newessay=False&themelist=faith,religion&yval=2&start=0
