Intended for More than Relief

Last updated on: April 23, 2013 at 11:30 pm by Sean Graham

Intended for More than Relief 2013-04-23T23:30:33-05:00 Sean Graham

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

What if the reasons we go to church actually perpetuates problems and doesn’t really help us get better?

Studies have found most people go to church for a couple of reasons: they always have and it’s a habit based on an obligatory belief that somehow going to church is the right thing to do and somehow pleases God, others go because they are facing problems and are told that God will help them. I’m sure there are a myriad of other reasons – some noble, some less – as to why people go to church. Please notice I’m using the words “go to” church.

I have come to believe a common motivation for why people go to church is that it brings some form of relief. It is in some way a relief of conscience, or it is a relief like an oasis is a relief in the desert. It’s a relief in that, like with any habit, when you perpetuate the habitual action, there is a relief in the action of the habit. But what if going to church was never meant to be a relief? Or if it was to be a relief, it would be a residual side effect as opposed to a motivator. I’m not against the experience of relief, I just feel going to church should be so much more than that.

Going to church should shake us to the core and lift us up to incredible heights. I think going to church should help us recognise our true realities and the depths of both our sorrow and joy in them. But in a relief-orientated culture, which I think we live in, we are only content hearing the sad news if it’s bookended with the good news. We are only willing to be marginally touched by our own stories so long as I am reminded that God is going to take care of it.

I am concerned that church doesn’t connect us with the ultimate realities of life, and God, as much as we hoped it would; but rather has us singing “always look on the bright side of life” just as they did in the parity of Jesus life in Monty Python’s “Life of Brian” (view it here).

In the scene I am referring to there is a giant disconnect from reality; that somehow singing “always look on the bright side of life” makes the crucifixion – or let’s make it personal, our own experience of dying to __________ (whatever it is fill in the blank) makes it less real, less painful. It’s just classic denial in the form of religious relief.

What would going to church look like where relief was a side effect as opposed to a purpose? I believe going to that church would bring us face-to-face with what is most true in us as opposed to looking for relief from that truth, but rather bring us to hope, that even this, would not be wasted. That God has interest – but not in our relief – rather in our transformation; and the tools of His transformation is not our beliefs about Him, or our dogmas, or our practices; but rather the intersection of the actual God with our actual lives – resulting most likely in a beautiful collision.

I want to be part of a church like that. I hope the church I lead continues to become that. This is not a commentary on your church. I hope you are part of a great one. This is just honestly a question for real reflection: why do you go? I’m not saying don’t go… I’m asking, “Why do you go?”

Previous Post

April 19, 2013

How Collective Communal Preaching Keeps People From Being Cheated

Next Post

April 24, 2013 State of Emergent

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Addiction Advent Atheism Authority Bible Cartoons Christian Year Christmas church church planting Civil Rights Community Contemplative Spirituality Culture emerging church Empire Eschatology Evangelism Events Gender Healing Humanism Islam Justice Kingdom Lent Movement Building Multi-Faith Music mysticism New Wave Emergence origins Personal Poetry politics Prayer Preaching Privilege Racism Religious naturalism Resurrection salvation SKEPTIMERGENT Theology Trauma Uncategorized

Select a Month December 2017 November 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who saw a vision of a pot boiling toward the north?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Habakkuk Isaiah Zechariah Jeremiah