Radical Salvation: Saved from Religion

The phrase "saved from religion" may sound silly to some but to 
me it makes perfect sense. In fact it wasn't until I was liberated 
from religion that I found God, or opened myself up to the possibility 
of finding Him. Here's the stage... Christian home, Christian school, 
Christian upbringing... and yes growing up I had fine role models. I 
knew the rules early on, had a solid understanding of the bible and 
could dutifully recite parts of the Heidelberg catechism, tell you the 
issues behind the Reformation, talk about Martin Luther, John Calvin 
and the other more specific church history. Religion also met 
tradition in some confusing ways. For example we sang psalms from the 
Geneva Psalter, the way they were originally written. A small group of 
hymns were also acceptable but the ratio of psalms to hymns had to be  3:2. 

Every service was the same... we all stood, prayed, sang, gave an 
offering and listened to a sermon at the same time every week. 
Religion dictated what the bible said to us. That means everything was 
read through the filter of the church. Every sermon was given to back 
up a church teaching with scripture.
For years that was my reality. I believed in God in the way you 
believe the water is down there when you stand on the diving board. My 
church life was like a large group of people who talk about the water 
all the time, but stand on the diving board while we do it. Nobody 
actually gets wet, so nobody really has to experience anything. 
Religion kept me dry, but gave me a full knowledge of the water that 
was around me... so I thought.
Religion and I parted ways at some point, and I thought that meant God 
and I had parted ways. Years later, as I again began to read the 
bible, and go to Seeds I realized that God was right there all the 
time. It wasn't religion's fault that I didn’t find God, but it didn't 
help me either. I found God because I read His word. Because for the 
first time in my life I not only prayed but I listened. I finally 
prayed to God and not just at Him.
And God answers. He speaks in so many ways. And I don't really think 
God cares about what club we belong to on earth as long as our focus 
is on Him.
God saved me from a lot of things, and one of the biggest was religion.
I may not have as many answers as when I was standing on the diving 
board, but I'd rather be splashing around in the pool feeling and 
living in Him.

Greg Vandermeulen