So I don't have much time today....this will be a brief post.
Here's what my mom always says when trying to get me to go to church. She says "Honey, it's about being with a community, plain and simple. It's not so much about what is said in the pulpit or in the bible. Lord knows I don't believe everything that is preached. Some days only 20% of what is said I agree with, some days more. What matters is a shared experience with others."
Well this just drives me up a wall. You spend an hour each Sunday nodding obediently when you don't believe it? Church is the ONE time you are calling out to a greater spirit. You are trying to connect with what moves you, with what moves all of us. You are trying to listen to the chord your heart is playing. This is the time when 20% or even 95% does not cut it. It is just ridiculous to me that you would offer up yourself, your mind, your heart to something which you don't fully believe in. Which leaves you guessing or doubting. I think it is lazy to settle for less than 100% resonance of what you believe. You must not settle! Make your own faith, the faith that you believe 100%. There is something out there for you that perfectly aligns with that chord in your heart. Don't accept less than that. We all are in a pattern of accepting less than that, much less than that, and we wonder why we are unhappy and stressed and depressed. When my mom tells me that, she basically admits that she has given up. She admits that she has set the bar low for herself, so that 20% is enough most days. You know that if you plan on failing, you will fail.
Plan on succeeding. Plan on finding a faith that sends shivers down your spine and answers all of your questions and lets you be the best you can be, better than the best.
I will not settle. I do not attend church anymore because I refuse to settle. Because I have found 100% and I am not going back to less than that. You are the very best, you are perfect, do not let yourself down, do not be complacent. Expect 100% from your spiritual moments....100% is out there for all of us, and you deserve it.
I think what you mom is getting at is that there are a variety of interpretation of the bible and you will not agree with every ones. What makes the experience great is that you are doing it with others. You are not traveling the journey alone. Its not that you don't believe it as much as your understanding is not always the same as everyone else.
ReplyDeleteThe bigger problem is most people want to limit their faith experience to one hour on Sunday and think that is enough. Building faith is like building muscles. You have to go to the gym or live our your faith every day. Otherwise atrophy sets in.
I agree with you that in issues of faith no one should except 20%, we should all give 100%. I say this because I believe God gives us 100% we just give to each other 20%.