religiousness

Luke 14

One Sabbath day Jesus went to eat dinner in the home of a leader of the Pharisees, and the people were watching him closely. ² There was a man there whose arms and legs were swollen. ³ Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in religious law, "Is it permitted in the law to heal people on the Sabbath day, or not?" ⁴ When they refused to answer, Jesus touched the sick man and healed him and sent him away. ⁵ Then he turned to them and said, "Which of you doesn't work on the Sabbath? If your son or your cow falls into a pit, don't you rush to get him out?" ⁶ Again they could not answer.

Why were they so religious?  Why did they care more about their made up rules instead of hurt people.

I was just thinking on Sunday how irrational it seems to me now that we used to dress up every Sunday morning to go to church.  How did those three hours each week become so much more important than all of the other hours?  Was God supposed to like me better by me dressing up?  I've heard arguments that dressing up shows your reverence for God.  But I thought God was with us all of the time, so shouldn't we be dressed up all of the time?  I wonder how many more people would have become involved in our church throughout the years if everyone had not been so stiff and formal. 

I also think it is ridiculous that a couple of my previous pastors thought that you weren't as devoted of a church member if you stayed home and watched the Super Bowl on Sunday evening.  Almost boils my blood now. 

I wonder how many more disciples of Christ would have been brought into the Church if so many Baptists weren't so Sunday religious.  Makes me wonder how many of them are actually disciples of Christ.  I remember one "revival" preacher saying, "If you spit in to hell, you would hit a Baptist right on top of the head."  Makes me wonder.

Makes me wonder how I am still so religious and don't even see it because I'm so religious.

Heavenly Father, please deliver me from religion.  Lord Jesus, I want to serve you and follow you.  I want to work for your Kingdom.  Holy Spirit, please help me pay attention to people who are hurting and actually minister to people instead of getting caught up in a religious routine.  I love you, Lord, and I pray in the name of Jesus.