Removing Religion From Our Relationship with God - a podcast by David K Payne

Removing Religion from Our Relationships with God

Despite my uncertainty about my future and my place in the world, I persist in seeking knowledge and contemplating my beliefs concerning God. Much of the criticism against belief in God within secular and academic circles is directed at the apparent irrationality found in various belief systems. While I may explore this idea further in the future, for now, I want to emphasize that the irrationality lies in the religious frameworks that attempt to explain or understand God, rather than directly questioning the existence of a supreme being.

 Reflecting one morning, I recalled accounts of individuals being raised from the dead. In both instances, Jesus and Elijah ensured a degree of privacy during the miracles. I do not believe this was to stage some deceptive act, for no trick can restore life to the dead. Instead, I believe it was done to minimize the influence of religious thinking and eliminate doubts that might arise from the opinions and interpretations of others. By removing religious formalities and the doubts stemming from ingrained beliefs, both God and those seeking Him can engage in a genuine, unhindered manner, without wasting thoughts on what others may think about their actions.

As someone who has served as a pastor and preacher for over thirty years, I am well acquainted with the battles one must fight to overcome or ignore the judgments and expectations of others, as well as the concern over their perceptions. These passages illustrate how both Jesus and Elijah sought to minimize distractions before seeking God's intervention for a miracle.

 The account of Jesus raising Jairus's daughter can be found in the New Testament, specifically in the Gospel of Mark 5:35-43 (also mentioned in Matthew 9:18-26 and Luke 8:49-56). Upon arriving at Jairus's house, where his daughter had already passed away, Jesus allowed only Peter, James, John, and the girl's parents to accompany Him. Jesus addressed the mourners, questioning their commotion and stating that the child was merely sleeping. Taking her by the hand, He commanded her to rise, and she was restored to life.

The event of Elijah raising the widow's son is recorded in the Old Testament, in the First Book of Kings (1 Kings) 17:17-24. Elijah was staying with a widow and her son in Zarephath when the son fell ill and died, causing the widow to express her grief to Elijah. In response, Elijah took the boy to his upper room, where he was residing, and fervently prayed to the Lord, beseeching Him to restore the child's life. After pleading three times, God heard Elijah's prayer, and the boy was revived.

These instances highlight the similarity in approach adopted by both Jesus and Elijah, as they sought privacy or limited the number of witnesses before performing these miracles. I argue that if we desire to witness God's power exalted and manifest in our lives for our benefit, we must shed as much religious thought and doubt arising from religious conditioning as possible.

Another example of this line of thinking can be observed in the incident of Jesus cleansing the temple. After driving out the money changers from the temple premises, the Bible highlights a distinct shift in events. It states that people then brought their sick to Jesus, and he proceeded to heal them all.

 The biblical reference for this account can be found in the New Testament, specifically in the Gospel of Matthew 21:12-14. Here's the passage:

"And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, 'It is written, "My house shall be called a house of prayer," but you make it a den of robbers.' And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them." (Matthew 21:12-14, ESV)

This incident demonstrates how, after purging the temple of commercial activities that were not aligned with its intended purpose, Jesus extended his healing ministry to those in need, specifically healing the blind and the lame. 

God… help me get religion out of my relationship with you.

Best,

David K Payne

May 22, 2023

Permalink

Further episodes of "the DKP Word"

Further podcasts by David K Payne

Website of David K Payne