The Bland Lie
I was raised in a religious tradition that was anything but exciting. “Worship” was dull repetitious ritual, “learning” was rote memorization, and “success” was determined by unquestioning submission. To a bright child filled with curiosity and energy, that was hell. I went into my teen years rejecting all of it, along with the God it claimed to represent.
Our wildly merciful and creative Creator began revealing Himself to me quite outside of the trappings of religion. His chosen initial revelator to me was a tree. The truth of function and beauty, combined with the mystery of life, hit me like a swift uppercut. And then I began to realize how insanely cool it is that I am able to appreciate this glory. Almost 50 years later, that awakening continues, and my awe of our Creator deepens.
That awe is worship. That awakening and deepening is learning. Success is the privilege of being in a personal relationship with this Creator, who revealed Himself in Jesus the Messiah. Through Jesus, we all may come to know Him.
Psalm 19, among others, describes how all of creation proclaims the glory of God. Raising children to believe that He is only to be approached through bland, sterile, unquestioning ritual is a lie that serves the enemy well. We were created to be awed by HIs glory, and if we fail in this then the very rocks will praise Him. (Luke 19:40)
My experience was similar, except that the Congregational United Church of Christ blend of Bushnell in Detroit had no particular interest in theology. I was able to learn about sex, drugs, alcohol, scams and deceit with the homosexual youth leaders. They helped me steal stuff. Like the “official” Democrat Party, it was an assembly with a venerable history, and bright minds directed toward nihilism and evil.