What about my Faith/Religion?
Do I have to give it up?
I grew up in a church that my grandparents attended and supported. I am very close to everyone who goes there. They are my neighbors and family.
FOUNDER’S ANSWER
No…you do not have to give it up. Aren’t you interested to know if who God is…is exactly what you’ve been taught. There are a lot of different religions out there…very different religions and they all claim to teach what God is about.
So what do you do? You continue to attend and support your religion…but you also go to God and as that direct and personal relationship develops you will be guided by God to have an impact of his will on that church…through you. You can be a blessing to your church that you weren’t able to be before. If it comes to exposing unloving actions or self-interest by the church leaders that cause some degradation of the church’s stated mission then you would find yourself in the position to follow God or follow the religion you were raised in……since your church may respond that your are a heretic…and then what? Sound familiar? Yet like Yeshua you would be doing the work of God.
As to faith. The claim that “I have faith” needs clarification. If the person means they practice and belong to a specific religion that is not the kind of faith we are addressing here. A Walker uses the word faith to mean “what do you rely on”…trust…have faith in whatever results from your faith you relied and depended upon. Relying on the precepts/teachings of a religion implies you trust the sources (sacred manuscripts/learned church leaders) as to what they teach and approve of. Your faith, as defined, indicates you rely on a church congregation who approves or disapproves of what you do, more or less. Your membership in the group requires you do.
A Walker’s faith as nothing to do with being a participant in a group of folks following some religious precepts. A Walker directly relies on God. That’s where his faith lies. That’s who he trusts. That’s who he can lay all concerns…all questions…at the “foot” of. That’s who he waits on but waits in a different way. He’s able to go on with the demands of his day – with God. As he needs God…God is there…under any circumstance. Complete trust……never doubted. Being guided in an instant as what you are to do. Receiving information when you don’t know. How can a group of believers provide that kind of immediacy and clarity??
The founder has a very fond affection and love for the followers of a particular religion. When he was just beginning his relationship with God he attempted to attend and discover if God opened some door of association or participation with a church group. After attending several different christian denominations there was no motivation to participate. He usually attended once never to return. But he did come across a church he could walk to. The folks there do not call it a church, they call the building where they meet a “meeting house”. They consider themselves as the “church”. He attended and kept attending. Why? He saw their behavior and practices as sincere attempts to know God and keep a true distance between man’s world and a spirit seeking/led life. It was that sincere intent that likened to what he was experiencing. IF he joined a religious group he would join this group. But sadly….very sadly he can’t. He said as much to a group of elders of the church that he had already given his heart/allegiance/trust…..faith….to God; he cannot give to the group. But he still loves to attend their services and have some association with them. They are the meek who it’s said will inherit the earth.