Smoodock's Blog

Over forty years ago I had come out of a church that told me how to live in just about every circumstance of life. Suddenly Upon leaving, I found myself in a kind of wilderness where there were no neatly defined paths. It was the first time in my life that I really felt “on my own” so to speak. Yet, looking back, I understand that I was never really on my own. I am sure just about every Christian has read the poem “Footprints in the Sand.” God is there—he is always there, sometimes it is very evident, but often he works behind the scenes helping his children find their way through this wilderness experience.

I realize today that the Lord had led me to read a number of books back then and one of them is entitled “How to be a Christian Without Being Religious!” by Fritz Ridenour. I have to admit it was the title that caught my eye, but when I began to read a random page, I got hooked. I knew that I must read the whole book, and I did several times. I even loaned it out and years later it found its way back to me. I hope it helped my friend as it did me, but we lost touch and haven’t seen each other in years. Anyway, I thought I would give it a read again, but this time, I will write my thoughts about it in this blog. I’ve never done anything like this before, so I am not certain how it will go. Maybe I’ll turn to something else instead, because I don’t think it is fruitful enough, but hey, unless I try, I’ll never know for certain if God will use this read to help still more people.

It has about sixteen chapters, including the introduction and conclusion. So, I guess there will be at least 16 blogs (probably more) concerning the book, that is, if all things go well, and I am happy with how things are going, as far as making a blog about the book is concerned. The book is about Paul’s letter to the Romans, which he wrote perhaps about 55 CE. Fritz begins his book by defining the word religion according to Webster: “…a religion is a system of faith and worship; a service to and adoration of God expressed in forms of worship. Fritz concludes (and I agree) that Christianity is all of that …but also more. You see, most religions seek to reach, find, or please God through their own efforts, and true Christianity is not that way.

Christianity is about God finding us, and this idea scares a lot of people. The fact is, most people prefer to be in control. I find myself still struggling with this desire. I love to be in control of things. When I am playing a game, I like to win and win well, not just get by with the skin of my teeth, so to speak. I like to control the game from beginning to end, but life is not a game, and God has not left our relationship with him up to us. He came to us and found us—like the good Shepherd who sought out the lost lamb.

Nevertheless, many people prefer to deal with God on their own terms, keeping themselves in control. They feel good about being religious, even when being religious is so difficult. Some churches put us on a religious treadmill serving God through methods, ritual, rules and other systems thought up by men. It is a system whereby one can measure his own goodness, a kind of rating system. However, when we think about relationships, how are they measured by these things? How can faith be measured by rules of any kind? If I trust someone is good and kind but others speak against him, even if I have no proof against what they say, trust will keep me from damaging our relationship. This is true with my relationship with God as well. Faith cannot be explained in terms of duty, rules, methods or other systematic works on our part that are meant to keep us close to God. Rules—laws of any kind—and methods of men will fail at some point, but faith continues on. It is one of the three things that Paul concludes in his Corinthian letter that will never fail.

God will not allow me to keep him at arm’s length. When he comes into my life, he demands all of me, not merely what I do, but the whole man. Christianity is not me serving God. Christianity is me being God’s own. Is there a way of being God’s own possession without being what some term “overly” religious? Well, Fritz Ridenour concludes there is. Paul said it first, I suppose, and he took 16 chapters to tell us who we are, why we are living, and how we can get the most out of life. What do you think? Do you want to take this journey with me? How could I be a real Christian without appearing to others (and myself) as being religious?