DAILY DOSE OF HOPE – BLOG – NAIMA LETT
Spiritual, But Not Religious
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“I’m spiritual, but not religious.”
Have you heard this phrase? I have.
Especially on cross-country flights when my answer to the infamous “What do you do?” is “Actor, Producer, Pastor”. It’s as if people want to let me know upfront, “Hey, don’t you start preaching at me… I’m spiritual, but not religious.”
Well, this morning, I came across The New York Salon director Alan Miller’s bold post, “‘I’m spiritual but not religious’ is a cop out.” According to the NY Salon’s site, they aim to provide a distinct environment where ideas and matters of value and principle are robustly debated.
In his article, Miller highlights a recent study that reveals a generation of Millennials drifting away from formal religious institutions and choosing an independent, individual relationship to “some concept of ‘higher power’, energy, oneness or something-or-other”.
He observes that, “The boom in megachurches merely reflect this sidelining of serious religious study for networking, drop-in centers and positive feelings. Those that identify themselves, in our multi-cultural, hyphenated-American world often go for a smorgasbord of pick-and-mix choices…a bit of Yoga here, a Zen idea there, a quote from Taoism and a Kabbalah class, a bit of Sufism and maybe some Feing Shui…”
Miller concludes that the spiritual-but-not-religious attitude is one of indecision, an “unwillingness to take a real position”. He asks, “What is spiritual? What is believed? What is practiced?” He challenges young people to “take a stand,” and make a choice: either “a belief in God and Scripture or a commitment to the Enlightenment ideal of human-based knowledge, reason and action.”
If I could sit down with Miller, I’d express that most folks I’ve met who consider themselves spiritual-but-not-religious don’t see their indecision. Many believe that they are just fed up with the church and its ‘seeming’ lack of effectiveness in ministry. When we can turn on Christian networks at any time of day and see preacher after preacher in thousand dollar suits asking for more and more money, it’s disheartening. People want more. They want God.
Yesterday, like every Sunday, at H0PE IN THE HILLS, we reminded ourselves of our vision of a church that looks like heaven (diverse), sounds like heaven (worship-filled), loves like God loves (sacrificially) and lives like Christ lives (radically). That radical living like Christ lives is the hardest, isn’t it? When Jesus shows up during the 1st century and says ‘The kingdom of God is at hand’, shifts happen. People who encounter Him face change. There’s little room for indecision. He is loved or hated.
I’m reminded of Jesus’ Revelation to John, Chapter 3, Verses 14-22 describing the church in Laodicea, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.”
Jesus says we don’t have the luxury of indecision. The lukewarm, soggy thing doesn’t work. Hot or cold, Fam?
I know this is a little dicey for a Monday morning, but oh well. Let’s kick off the week with a bang! Hope your Sunday was awesome. We had a good service. I’m still hyped at what the Lord is doing in the lives of a small group of dream chasers and dream makers in Beverly Hills.
If you know someone or consider yourself spiritual-but-not-religious, please do not take offense. Join the dialogue. That’s what blogs are for. :=)
Naima
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