Spirituality/Spiritual Secrets/Religion

How I Moved From Being Religious Into Being Spiritual

“The word ‘religion’ has acquired a very bad name among those who really love truth, justice, charity. It also exhales the musty odour of sanctimony and falsehood.” Luther Burbank

Photo by nikohoshi on Unsplash

I was brought up by my grandparents, who were devoted to The Methodist Church. In the house, there were morning and evening prayers, Sunday School, and Choir practices two days a week. All these I must attend, so naturally, it is so easy to see the reason I grow up to be religious. What I love most about my Methodist Church upbringing are hymns. Up till today, hymns are still part of my personal quiet time.

In Sunday school, deep topics of faith were taught, those ones that really strengthened you in times of crises, which must come for every person in life. For it is in this life that evil and good co-exist, and only by experiencing can one learn the triumph of good over evil.

‘’Forever and ever, evil and darkness will rescind before Light’’ The Grail Message.

As time pass, we see trends and development of modern Evangelical Churches with huge auditoriums, huge orchestra bands, preachers emphasizing prosperity, the goodness of the Lord is to make you rich, the blessings are meant for you, etc. There is no longer room for preaching the hazardous journey of Christian Faith, the truth of the Gospel of Christ is seriously compromised. As John Hagee once put it, ‘Jesus Christ did not die so that you can live in a $5m house, drive a $500k car’. The love of money has overtaken the Christian Churches.

The Prosperity Preachers

The Evangelica trends of Prosperity Preachers are now infiltrating into the orthodox churches, of which The Methodist Church is one. I believe it is because the orthodox churches see that they are losing members, so they have to follow suit with what the Evangelicals are doing.

“…I mistrust folk who are always bringing God or Christ into their conversations. If it is not an actual blasphemy it is at least a presumption. It smacks of self-conceit, doesn’t it?” Winston Graham.

The trust has gone from members to each other. Every area now is religionized, calling Christ in every conversation whether it warrants it or not. It gets to a stage that I no longer look forward to going to church services. But one thing remains strong, my personal quiet time continues as before, which I have now come to value more than the church services. I see personal quiet time as more refreshing and invigorating, and it develops me all the more.

In looking for answers in group service, I explore other places of worship, stayed there for a while, and ended up disillusioned. I have to continue developing my spirituality personally, reading uplifting books, continue with my hymns, and generally upbuilding myself. I subscribed to journals of other faiths, which I have not had time to explore before. I particularly enjoyed ‘’Shanti Sadan’’, and some others.

Lessons Learnt In My Quest For Spirituality

Each day, I learned lessons of faith that developed my faith in the Love, Goodness, and Grace of God, which is always available to help us out of all situations. Indeed, I learned and was able to utilize the undermentioned quote which I found out to be very true.

‘When the need is greatest, God’s Love is nearest’’ The Grail Message

I learned the huge difference between religion and spirituality, that spirituality transcends religion. Religion being organized doctrines according to specific groups of people, while spirituality is more of an individual way, connecting directly to the Sense of Being, your own way and direction in life is unique and as individual as you.

‘When the student is ready, the teacher will appear’’ Chinese Proverb.

I was ready for the arduous task ahead because I was searching, and those who search will find. Adam Brady, in his blog highlighting the difference, wrote:

Religion: By definition, religion is a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices; the service and worship of God or the supernatural.

Spirituality: Spirituality, on the other hand, connotes an experience of connection to something larger than you; living everyday life in a reverent and sacred manner. Or as Christina Puchalski, MD (leader in trying to incorporate spirituality into healthcare), puts it, “Spirituality is the aspect of humanity that refers to the way individuals seek and express meaning and purpose and the way they experience their connectedness to the moment, to self, to others, to nature, and to the significant or sacred.”

People Are In An Individual Journey

We all have our demons to fight. Our journey is different, so will be the challenges each has to face to learn that important lesson of why we are here in the first instance. So as the adage says, ‘To thy own self be true’’. The important thing is that whatever lesson we need to learn, the modalities will be provided for us. So the problem is how awake are we in taking in the lessons that life has thrown at us? And help will always be available, for those who want to avail themselves of that Grace.

‘’When God calls a man or woman, what they will eat, what they will use and everything they need for their journey will be provided abundantly by God.“ — T. B. Joshua Nigerian Christian leader 1963

We all have a score to settle, and this earth, where evil co-exists with good is a perfect planet to learn, experience, first-hand, and also have the opportunity to triumph.

The Takeaways

God did not create man with any religion, or temple, although there are teachers of men, those evolved beings sent to regions and areas to further explain the path to God according to their culture. Nevertheless,

‘’For what are they all in their high conceit, When a man in the bush with God may meet?“ — Ralph Waldo Emerson

‘’Bask in it. In spite of what the monks say, you can meet God without getting up early. You can meet God lounging in the pew.’’ Jeanette Winterson.

Humility is very important in the true worship of God. One must recognize that talents are God-given, and one must be humble as pride and conceit were the original sins of man.

‘’Of all trees, I observe God hath chosen the vine, a low plant that creeps upon the helpful wall; of all beasts, the soft and patient lamb; of all fowls, the mild and guileless dove. Christ is the rose of the field and the lily of the valley. When God appeared to Moses, it was not in the lofty cedar nor the sturdy oak nor the spreading palm; but in a bush, a humble, slender, abject shrub; as if He would, by these elections, check the conceited arrogance of man.’’ — Owen Feltham English writer 1602–1668.

Thank you, Darshak Rana, for today’s Spiritual Secret prompt, ‘An idea or suggestion that plays a significant part in your improvement’’