This chapter discusses the cage of routine. Typically Christians attend church every Sunday. With that, we often go to church and then that's really all that happens. We sing some songs, hear a message from a pastor, tithe some money, pray, and go home. This attendance might include a Sunday school class, a small group, etc. Other than Sunday, many don't take time to reflect on their relationship with Christ, assuming that they actually have a relationship with Christ (there are those who claim to be a Christian and those who truly have that relationship with Christ). This is an area that I found myself guilty. I would attend church and church functions and that was that. Now I realize that being a Christian involves more than simply attendance and involvement.
In regards to the "cage of routine: we often find ourselves getting bored with church, bored with our faith, and ultimately bored with God. Routines are important, but they will typically end up losing their meaning. We get focused on the routine rather than the purpose of the routine. Now I believe routines are an important part of our lives. I highly recommend people go to church (and invite others) because it is important to praise God in fellowship with others. It gets problematic when attending church becomes more of a social event rather than a time for us to praise God. This is where I begin to view religion as an interesting entity.
I know that different religions have their routines, such as how many times to pray daily, how to pray, etc. These routines can lose their meaning unless there is some disruption in their activity. I think it is important to change these routines which can readjust our focus on God. Of course our focus should be on God rather than just saying a bunch of words. I could go on an on about prayer, but will not.
Now it's time to take a weird turn....
I was watching a show on National Geographic channel that discussed holy places in Jerusalem. I am easily confused as to why these places are holy. Humans are in not holy, so nothing we construct can be holy. Only God is holy and those in heaven are holy. The only holiness on earth came, died, and was resurrected. Now God created the world, so there is holiness in His creation, but man cannot declare what is and what is not holy. During this show, I learned more about areas of Jerusalem that are viewed holy by different groups. People often go to these places to pray to God and simply by being in these places, they are closer to God.
Here is my response to that: they are not holy places. A long time ago, a man by the name of Moses was out and about his usual day of work. Then God spoke to him via a burning bush. Now God asked Moses to remove his shoes because Moses was standing on holy ground. God declared that area to be holy. If you are in the presence of God, it's probably a holy place. Since the world was created by God, all places have the potential to be declared holy but can only be declared to be holy by God. Now if I were to visit these "holy places" I would observe the customs because I would not want to offend anyone, so I would remove my shoes, put on a hat, wash my hands, whatever.
To summarize what I say: nothing is holy unless God declares it to be. By accepting Christ into your heart, you are setting yourself to be holy through the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ.
Now Jesus came to being people closer to God (which is Jesus). He wanted people to realize that following the laws was important, but the relationship with God was more important. I want to leave this question: Are we repeating history by focusing on the tradition of going to church rather than our relationship with Jesus Christ?
God bless!
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