Religion Worth Losing

James 1:19-27

You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness. Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.

But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act--they will be blessed in their doing.

If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

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Oh, life is bigger
It's bigger than you
And you are not me

"Losing My Religion" by Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, Michael Stipe from the REM album "Out of Time"

The question, what's the difference between religion and faith? Is there a difference? Yes, there is a difference, and it's bigger than it might seem. Perhaps one simple way to put this is that religion is how we practice our faith. Religion helps define the theology and liturgies and priorities of how we frame faith in God. If faith is a suit, religion is a hanger. Then again, if faith is a suit that's trouble. It should be tougher to remove our faith than it is to take off a suit.

The book of James tells us about faith and warns us about being religious. James calls us to take our faith and be active with it. We are to be doers of the word, not just hearers. It's like having a key; it's great, but if it isn't used to open the door or unlock the chains it's useless. So too is religion that doesn't put faith into action. Sitting in church on Sunday morning isn't a bad thing, but if that is the extent of faith, it's not that good either.

It is especially bad when religion takes its cues from anger. The faithful are called to be quick to listen and slow to anger because anger does not lead to righteousness. If anger causes the tongue to lose its bridle, then the religion is useless. Useless religion is religion worth losing.

It is important to remember that God is bigger than we are. God is bigger than our religion yet or faith should reach toward that bigness. People create religion, hopefully as empowered by the Holy Spirit. Still, religion is a human endeavor, thus laden with the sin of all human creation. Faith must be bigger.

God is bigger than we are so faith must be bigger than we are. I can imagine God singing to creation and to religion, "life is bigger than you and you are not me." When we fail to open our faith to the greater things of God then our religion is worthless. When we are quick to anger then our religion is worthless. God is bigger. Faith should be bigger. When religion limits this truth, we have created a religion worth losing.