Sunday 20th November Front Page
Australia has finally made it!!! Australians can now join with millions of other around the world worshipping the religion of soccer as they take part in next year’s World Cup.
One commentator at the match last Wednesday night referred to soccer as his ‘religion’ and urged all others of like mind to ‘pray’ for an Australian victory.
To see the 83,000 fans worshipping at the match and to think of the millions doing likewise at home makes us understand that religion can be anything that you become devoted to. You are so engrossed in the ‘religion’ that it “consumes your consciousness” (Oxford Dictionary).
So many today see Christianity that way, they see a religion that engrosses them, but like soccer our religion must have an object. A football follower while knowing the rules is more interested in the game being played on the ground. It would be pretty dull if all he does is study the rules of the game and doesn’t see any game in action. The same applies for the Christian, our religion, or faith, has an object, our Lord Jesus Christ. For us it would be very dull if all we did was to study religious rules and laws rather than pursue and embrace a personal relationship with the object of our religion. Rules while necessary and relevant can draw us away from the real purpose God has for us and that is relationship. Christianity is a ‘religion’ of relationship, relationship with God and with each other. That was Jesus’ command to us, love God and love each other.
How is your relationship with Jesus today? Is that the most important facet of your religious experience?
May we all be encouraged today to make sure we worship the purpose of our religion, not the religion itself. Blair
One commentator at the match last Wednesday night referred to soccer as his ‘religion’ and urged all others of like mind to ‘pray’ for an Australian victory.
To see the 83,000 fans worshipping at the match and to think of the millions doing likewise at home makes us understand that religion can be anything that you become devoted to. You are so engrossed in the ‘religion’ that it “consumes your consciousness” (Oxford Dictionary).
So many today see Christianity that way, they see a religion that engrosses them, but like soccer our religion must have an object. A football follower while knowing the rules is more interested in the game being played on the ground. It would be pretty dull if all he does is study the rules of the game and doesn’t see any game in action. The same applies for the Christian, our religion, or faith, has an object, our Lord Jesus Christ. For us it would be very dull if all we did was to study religious rules and laws rather than pursue and embrace a personal relationship with the object of our religion. Rules while necessary and relevant can draw us away from the real purpose God has for us and that is relationship. Christianity is a ‘religion’ of relationship, relationship with God and with each other. That was Jesus’ command to us, love God and love each other.
How is your relationship with Jesus today? Is that the most important facet of your religious experience?
May we all be encouraged today to make sure we worship the purpose of our religion, not the religion itself. Blair
posted by Pastor's Pen at 2:10 PM
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