Letters From Leavers

Looking back, I now see that the Father was leading me away from the religion of church years ago, but I wrestled with these suspicions because ignorance prevented me from trusting that the Father’s Holy Spirit would guide me to know and understand his word and will. It was my hunger to know God and the truth of Christ’s teachings that led me to truly seek, so I embarked on an intense and committed study of his Word (including studies toward a M-Div degree), which continues. The more I pursued, the more He revealed and this revelation was not just the hearing of his Word, but a heartfelt understanding. I was shown that the Father does not want me to follow the religion of man which is bounded by his traditions, rituals, and incomplete understanding, but trust and follow the way of His Spirit which can give true wisdom. To follow the Spirit does not require the mediation of man - I was not to follow priests, pastors, or religious fathers for each of us are made priests with access to the Father by the Spirit.

But even knowing this, I continued to attend “church” even though I increasingly felt out of place and uneasy with the religiosity of worship. The worship in which I was engaging on Sundays was not the true worship of which Christ spoke; rote performance done on cue during “service” was not the “life of worship” that Christ lived and expected his disciples (followers, students) to imitate. These weekly rituals were the religion (part of the elements) that Christ had placed under his feet, and as a spiritually-restored child of God, my glorification of the Father comes from my life as a reflection of his nature and character, love.

I know that fellowship remains important, for the unity of the body (in love) is a responsibility of all Christians, and it is one that is not to be taken lightly. I was seeking a fellowship among Christians that would find expressions in works of mercy and love to others - I never found this. It became apparent that the few hours shared during the Sunday rituals and again on Wednesdays was the extent of the fellowship. Religion has displaced true worship, and Sundays had become little more than religious entertainment.

I stopped attending church following a service in which the minister first admonished the congregation that they “…should do what your pastor tells you.” This was later followed by a statement that the obviously only the minister thought was profound as he declared, “If you can’t get on your feet and shout to that something is wrong with you!” The whole church obediently stood and shouted at his prompting - and I’d had enough.

My heart and my commitment is to serve God. I seek others means to fellowship with disciples of Christ. I feel that it is time for the true church to emerge, one that is free of the fallacy of religion and the impositions of the mediation of man. I pray for the true church as I now trust the guidance of the Spirit in my walk with God.