What is wrong with Churchian rules? Most of them are not bad things—don't drink, don't smoke, don't swear, go to church...not bad rules to follow, right? So what's the problem with the rules?
I'm glad you asked.
One problem with the rules is that we Churchians tend to substitute following them for a real relationship with God. I, personally, am sick to death of accepting church as a substitute for serving God (what, those two aren't synonymous?). I know how to keep busy doing the right churchie things and saying the right churchie words, and it's easy to lose sight of what the point of it all is. And as long as I stand up, sit down, raise my hands and praise the Lord at the appropriate times, I can look, even to myself, like I am serving God.
And since I feel like I'm doing everything right, there's no need to look deeper and find out what God is actually asking of me.
Somehow, keeping busy following the rules and being a good Churchian actually gets in the way of my relationship with God. Weird.
So, now what?
Am I supposed to abandon all of the rules? I don't know. Some of them have become super-sensitive issues to church people, and as a pastor's wife, I have to care at least a little what church people think. Right? Right?
And yet...following some of these rules has started to feel hypocritical. I feel like I'm endorsing the idea of creating rules that Jesus didn't create. Reinforcing to those who are new to Christianity that following the rules is what it's all about. For that matter, reinforcing to long-time Churchians like myself that following the rules is what it's all about.
At the moment I have more questions than answers, but I've decided to concentrate more on following Jesus than on following the rules.
The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. Romans 14:22 (NASB)
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