The Message of the Good News
“So Jesus went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message of the Good News in their synagogues and casting out demons.” — Mark 1:39.
Those who study religious trends in American society have come up with a new set of initials to describe what they think is going on in one specific segment of our life together. Perhaps some of you have heard this description. SBNR— Spiritual But Not Religious. There is a segment of the American population who claims to be just that— spiritual but not religious.
There is even an SBNR web site:
The paradox of spiritual but not religious is obvious. Spiritual— a word which had once been used to describe a faithful people— a group— has become a way some use to describe an individual as a person of faith. At the same time, it seems an individual, making some kind of claim to be spiritual, has no intent about integrating into a group— a people of faith.
The irony is also obvious. A word— religious— which had once been used to describe a people of faith has become a way some use to describe others as unfaithful people.
However, these terms— spiritual and religious— especially when used together, are, at best, simply and only cultural terms, having nothing to do with either spirituality or religion. Why? How? Do me a favor: define— define meaning not your personal definition but some kind of broad, universal definition which would work for most everyone— define these words: spiritual, religious. (Slight pause.)
I’ll use a conspicuous example: it would be hard to say Mother Theresa was not spiritual. But it would be equally hard to say Mother Theresa was not religious.
Indeed, it would be hard to say Mahatma Gandhi was not spiritual. But it would be equally hard to say Mahatma Gandhi was not religious.
It would be hard to say the Dalai Lama is not spiritual. But it would be equally hard to say Dalai Lama is not religious.
O.K. Let’s state the obvious: it would be hard to say Jesus was not spiritual. It would be equally hard to say Jesus was not religious. So why is that kind of thing said so often today?
Well, a number of books have already been published on the topic and the titles explain why. The most popular two of these books are: Spiritual But Not Religious: Understanding Unchurched America by Robert C. Fuller and Spiritual But Not Religious: A Call To Religious Revolution In America by Sven E. Erlandson. You notice I’m sure, both of these, just in their titles, concentrate on American culture, American society.
The very existence of these studies calls attention to the obvious— SBNR— spiritual but not religious— has nothing to do with spirituality or religion. Spiritual but not religious is a cultural branding, a branding which is, therefore, neither spiritual nor religious. So, perhaps rather than buying into these descriptions that people use— spiritual and religious— it would be fruitful to come grips with what the terms spiritual and religious might really mean. (Slight pause.)
And these words are from the Gospel we have come to call Mark: “So Jesus went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message of the Good News in their synagogues and casting out demons.” (Slight pause.)
It seems to me a place to start exploring what spiritual and religious might mean is by taking a quick look at why I’ve just labeled these terms cultural. Part of that has to do with the cultural limits people often place on the current definitions.
Spiritual is often used to mean simply a feeling about God or an awareness of God experienced by an individual. Religious is often used to mean paying strict attention to a set of rules or dogmas. Equally and however... a lot of people miss this one... equally and however people who self identify with the word ‘religious’ tend to addressing individualism.
You see, it was not that long ago a lot of people who labeled themselves as religious said this a lot: “It’s just me and Jesus.” Well, if it’s just you and Jesus, what happened to all your neighbors Jesus so often talks about.
But equally, my experience of the claim to be spiritual, not religious would be this: “It’s just me and God.” So, perhaps the central issue, as I see it at least, is both sides insist on the primacy of ‘I,’ a position which ignores ‘we.’
That brings us back to the question: how can we best describe what is spiritual and what is religious? (Slight pause.) I hope this seems obvious: spiritual and religious are inseparable. And I think that is the example Jesus offers in this reading.
Jesus goes about (quote): “...proclaiming the message of the Good News...” And what is the Good News Jesus proclaims? The Good News Jesus proclaims is that the dominion of God, the realm of God, the reality of God has drawn near and is tangible.
The Prophet Isaiah explains the reality of God this way (quote) “...but those who wait for Yahweh, God, / shall renew their strength, / they shall mount up, soar with / wings like eagles, / they shall run and not be weary, / they shall walk and never tire.” (Slight pause.) You know what that is? That is a proclamation about the spiritual— a sense of the real presence of God, a sense of the reality of God.
Indeed, for Jesus God is personal, a real presence. After all, Jesus calls God Abba. And, as I am sure many of you know, Abba is not Father. Abba is Daddy— Daddy God— a close, personal, spiritual presence.
And Jesus also tends to neighbors. Jesus feels the presence of God and understands, therefore, the need for first the proclamation of that presence. But, because of that presence, Jesus heals the mother-in-law of Simon. Jesus casts out demons.
And, just to be clear, we take that word ‘demons’ too literally by far. How so? We are still casting out demons today. These demons are called hunger, poverty, violence, injustice, neglect.
We need to understand Jesus was dealing with those same demons. And hunger, poverty, violence, injustice, neglect are no less vile than any kind of demonic possession we can imagine and probably more so. (Our brains conjure up these images when the reality of injustice stands in front of us.)
So, this brings us back again to spiritual and religious. What does it mean to be spiritual? What does it mean to be religious?
Let me put it simply. To be spiritual can mean loving God. To be religious can mean loving neighbor. I also need you to notice that loving God and loving neighbor are intertwined throughout Scripture. I also need you to notice that loving God and loving neighbor are not separate entities in Scripture.
All of which is to say to insist if one is spiritual but not religious one is making a cultural statement. The two— spiritual and religious— cannot be thought of separately. Why? They are simply two aspects of the great commandment: love God; love neighbor. Amen.
02/05/2012
United Church of Christ, First Congregational, Norwich, New York
ENDPIECE: It is the practice of the Pastor to speak after the Closing Hymn, but before the Choral Response and Benediction. This is an précis of what was said: “It is often a surprise to me that the left and the right mirror each other so precisely. “It’s just me and Jesus” and “Spiritual but not religious” say exactly the same thing. Perhaps they gain traction because one side thinks it has slapped down the other by figuring out something clever to say. Believe me, nothing has ever been more cleverly said or said better than when Jesus said, ‘Love God; love neighbor. On these hang all the law and the prophets.’”
BENEDICTION: Surely God will empower our ministry; surely God will supply for our needs when we are about the work of God; may this God, the God who formed the universe, bless us with the courage, the knowledge, the wisdom and the fortitude to serve the Gospel of Christ, empowered by the Spirit, this day and forever more. Amen.
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