Forgetting and Forsaking

Through centuries of worshipping the Lord God, the story is told of times when the worship of the Lord was forgotten by certain groups of people. Such forgetfulness was attributed to the lack of memory and a lack of connection to those Spirit-led leaders provided by God to guide his people.

Such a time followed the generation after Joshua in the accounts of the Old Testament. The story unfolded simply enough. A generation came that forgot or never knew of the mighty acts of God in delivering the people and calling them to relationship.

Similar accounts can be cited in much more recent history. Entire communities that once exercised vibrant Christian faith and practice were followed by those who never knew such faith and practice as their own experience. Too often the pattern is preceded, not so much by an intentional disregard for worship, but by a period in which meaning and understanding of worship become disconnected and ritual and patterns of community are held to, not for their intended purpose, but out of a form of superstitious behavior and thinking. In early American history, churches that practiced infant baptism often reported the discovery of unregenerate members, who held to a form of religion, but without a commitment of heart and life to following Jesus Christ. They were those who by baptism had “assumed” an association with the church, but never went beyond that act of their parents. Moving past that to another generation that baptized their infants to “church” them, with no real comprehension of Christian faith and practice in actions and relationships led to a destitute body of individuals who claimed “Christianity” without claiming Christ-following as a practice and pattern for life.

Today, in our Baptist context, we can find the same challenges. As we have neglected bible study and discipling ministries to which the church is called, we have seen many who adopt “unprincipled or superstitious religion” as their pattern, to the sad neglect of a growing faith relationship.

Characteristics of such “superstitious” forms of religious practice include those who
adopt “naturalist” religion. They cite their ability to worship God on the lake, or at the golf course, or while fishing, as a satisfactory and certainly equivalent exercise of religion. Others adopt a “groupie” religion, assuming that the ultimate benefit for their Christian development is to become a follower of a particular preacher or evangelist or Christian music group in order to become a more effective Christian. Still others cite a
“historical-genealogical” Christian experience that equates their parent’s or grandparent’s religious practice as sufficient to “cover them,” thus giving their generation a “break” from all that church stuff. Still others practice an “every man for themselves” religious attitude that says, “We let our children decide what they want to believe” or “We don’t make our children go to church, because we resented being told we needed to go when we were that age.” Still others practice an “any other gods” religion, citing the idea that there are lots of ways to worship and have a relationship to God and saying, “We don’t believe anyone has a right to tell anyone else who they should worship.”

All of these forms neglect to give attention to the covenant relationship that God establishes with his people. All of these “superstitious” forms choose human substitutes over God. To abandon the worship of God is easy when we have no heart engaged in worship in the first place. To abandon the worship of God is easy when we have no understanding of accountability before God and no comprehension of sin against God and our fellow man. To abandon the intentional, purposeful, thoughtful worship of God in favor of community practices that allow for our presence without our real engagement with God and His word to us will easily lead to a host of people “not knowing” and “not remembering” what such relationship is all about.

Soul liberty is a principle among Baptists that links our personal obligation to choose faith with our freedom to not choose faith. At the same time, that principle is grounded not in religious neglect and ignorance of the Gospel, but in a purposeful seeking after God and his instruction for life. Soul liberty is discovered in relationship with God, not apart from Him. In Christ we find true freedom for fulfilling the purpose for which we have been created and called into relationship by God.

Religious behavior indeed takes many forms…authentic and fulfilling in relationship to God and otherwise. We must not assume that forgetting or abandoning the mission of the church moves us toward the future God intends. His word to us speaks otherwise.

“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20 NRSV