We’ve been attending a non-denominational church as a family. I think it’s good for us to worship together on a Sunday, but I’m not sure how long it will last. My husband doesn’t like church services, any of them, and I will always prefer the Catholic liturgical services. This does not bode well for longevity anywhere. But our kids are almost grown and gone — two already are, and the other two are on their way. We only have a few short years left to go to church with the almost-adults still left in our care.
The pastor at the church we’ve been attending is hung up on the idea of not being religious, not worshipping by rote. I find this a strange sentiment for a pastor; after all, his church meets at codified times and follows an ordered service before ending in an altar call and prescriptive prayer. By “prescriptive,” I mean it is word-for-word the same every week.
Protestants often pit religion against relationship, but the very idea of Christianity as a religion involves a relationship with God through his son Jesus. There is no division between these two ideals; they are simply trying to mesh the tangible with the intangible. This is admittedly difficult, but I can guarantee you it will not be achieved without some manner of rote practice. If you want to encounter the divine, you have to show up for the experience even when you don’t feel inspired to do so. Showing up in a codified manner for Jesus will naturally lead to a good life habit.
I’ve said before that living a life filled with good habits is ultimately rewarding. Sometimes writing is dull. Sometimes I don’t want to exercise or study my languages or play my accordion. But when I show up for the daily practice, I am rewarded by my accomplishments. I finish books and learn new songs and new vocabulary. How much more will a rote daily practice of prayer and Bible reading do for me?
There are habits upon habits that can be formed in life. I once wrote about my first confession in the Catholic church. Confession itself is a rote religious practice — I’m certain this Protestant pastor would eschew it, even though I’ve heard him preach about accountability in the Christian life. Accountability has been coded into the Catholic model, and as mortifying as it is to admit your sins to your pastor of all people — on a regular basis! — it does incredible work for the soul.
But that first confession was a bit odd. The thing about rote religious practice is that it is a religious practice. And when we show up to meet God, which is the basis of why humans practice religion, he will surprise us. He will shake us up, change us. (No, I don’t consider all religions the same, except that they are all about humans seeking the divine. If I didn’t believe Christianity was the one, true religion and path to the divine, I wouldn’t practice it at all.) So, I was both surprised and not surprised during that first confession to find an unfamiliar, elderly priest who listened to my faith crisis, and then told me to talk to Jesus. He said it was a necessary practice. He then reiterated this message about regularly talking to Jesus in the Saturday Mass.
I will always remember that first confession because it wasn’t what I thought it was going to be like. I didn’t expect the advice he gave me. And frankly, I was moved by it. It was so simple and yet so right. It was what I needed to hear. Of course, I obeyed. I went straight to the perpetual adoration chapel and talked to Jesus.
Did you catch the name of the chapel? Catholics have those because they aren’t afraid of rote religion. Rote religion is what sustains them. Remember, this is the oldest version of the Christian church around. (I’m not going to get in arguments with EOs right now; they both have a claim. I’ll just leave it at that.) They might have figured some things out in all those centuries, e.g. that showing up for God is necessary to be a Christian. It is a good habit, a right practice.
Do you know what happens when you don’t develop good habits? Yes, you do, but just in case you forgot: bad habits. Some bad habits will just get us in tight corners with our jobs or destroy our physical health. But those sin habits — they can destroy our relationship with God.
The answer, then, to my title is yes. I want both. I want both from the core of my being.
Jill Domschot 
Most complaints about “religion” from evango-nerds boils down to a preference for responses. Religion is simply what we do in response to convictions placed there by God. There’s not a reason to think one religious practice is better than another if it’s birthed from conviction. The question we should ask is: “what does God require of me in worship?” not : “how is my particular style better than someone else’s?”
I don’t know why I have to say it, but I will. This applies to religious practices in God’s name, not anything pagan. I know some joker will come across this and comment “aRe YOu SaYIng PaGaN WOrsHIp iZ GooD?” because the Internet has trained us to ignore context.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I had to make that same caveat, lest people think I’m a polytheist, or whatever the word is for cafeteria religion.
LikeLike
Good post, Jill. My husband is the same, doesn’t really like church services, any of them.
I think I agree with you. I also like the ritual, the routine, the creeds. Knowing some things by rote has served me well. “Religion” connects me back to tradition, to all those who came before me. It brings in context and history, it makes us part of a really big family.
Many protestant churches actually do “do religion,” but they often don’t recognize it in themselves. I’m laughing here, but try to mess with the ship lap in the background, or the worship team in skinny jeans, or dare to move a chair, and you’ll find out just how religious they really are! 🙂
Usually when people lament religion and promote relationship instead, they are speaking about a religious spirit, more like a pharisee who just goes through the motions, who polishes the outside of the cup but never really changes their heart.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I understand not wanting to have a pharisaical attitude. Swinging too far the opposite direction seems to be a thing people do. E.g. declaring that we can’t have communion more than once a month lest it become a rote religious practice is its own kind of pharisaism. People from all walks love their rules, I guess.
LikeLiked by 1 person