The End of Religion?
August 24, 2014 | Patrick Preheim

I confess that the title of Bruxy Cavey’s book initially put me off.  For me the word “religion” has been synonymous with church, and church has worked for me.  Sure, I have had my frustrations with church people and politics, but by and large the church has been a significant part of my salvation.  It introduced me to Jesus.  It’s teachings on Jesus have given me a moral framework.  I have been given a language to talk about the deeper mysteries of life.   I can not imagine and would not want to imagine a world without the institutional church.  And yet many of my generation have found it relatively easy to forgo participation in a religious organization.  For them the church has not worked.  The title of his book would, no doubt, appeal more to them than to me.  And there are more of them than me, so from a marketing point of view his title makes dollars and cents.  As I began to read The End of Religion, however, the title began making sense in a supplemental way.  Cavey’s affirmations of faith and critiques of institutional Christianity were not so different than some of mine.

Jesus needs to be the centre of our faith and our living of faith.  Family and friendship circles at church are not the centre of our faith (tribalism).  Celebration of Mennonite history and ethnicity is not the centre of our faith (tradition).  Ascent to the Apostolic Creed or a Confession is not the centre of our faith (Torah).  It is Jesus who is our centre.  Jesus is our truth.  And this “[t]ruth is a person to be known, not a collection of disembodied facts to be studied” (Cavey, The End of Religion, 175).   God has come to us in Christ to show us his love, save us from sin, share his life, and shut down those things that get in the way (Cavey, Shifting States Leaders Forum, (May 20, 2014) in Saskatoon).   Jesus offers security, salvation, meaning, and direction in life.  Meditation on Jesus, relationship with him, has the power to transform our lives.  “Rituals...institutions and organizations, may be used by people as meaningful expressions of genuine faith, but they are not to be confused with the substance of faith” (Cavey, The End of Religion, 196-197).  Religion is a tool of faith, not faith itself.  And as I think back to the congregations of my youth too many of us were introduced to the routines, institutions and organizations of faith, but we were not regularly introduced to Jesus in all his divinity and humanity and complexity.  In my work with youth, no doubt, I have been guilty of this as well.

Why do I call myself both spiritual and religious?  My testimony, the reason I am still in church, includes an episode from grade 11.   A presenter at our youth gathering invited us to read a chapter of the bible a day through the summer.  I took his challenge and started with Matthew’s gospels.  I found myself thinking about the parables, teachings, and miracles during my days on the swather.  As I made hay the living Christ worked on me through the biblical encounters of Jesus I had read the night before.  Healing stories made me think about healing.  Hypocrisy stories made me think of my short-comings.  The teachings of Jesus seemed a better ethical option than a self serving hedonism, nationalism, or a godless humanism.  My initial experience was made possible because, for whatever reason, I chose to trust our speaker in allowing the Jesus story authority in my life.  And by authority I mean a guiding light, a North Star, a trusted source of wisdom—not the judgemental coach constantly harping on the team.  Our speaker was a credible source for me, and so I tried something he had found helpful.  We, in turn, make recommendations to others.   And if we have credibility with people they are more likely to trust those things we trust.   This takes me to a primary way in which credibility is built and a second major theme in The End of Religion.

Practice:  faith, Cavey would say, must be lived.  He wrote, “Reading, studying, and understanding the Bible is not the goal of a Christ-follower.  Bible knowledge is just a first step toward the goal of following Jesus” (Ibid, 182).  If all Christians more closely imitated Christ, books like The End of Religion wouldn’t be necessary.  Our practice of faith includes on-going meditation of Christ, efforts to imitate him in our daily living, and confession of our failures.  We may not be drawn to the idea of confession, but discipleship of Jesus without confession inevitably leads to hypocrisy.  And even with confession hypocrisy still haunts us.

Jesus and the practice of Jesus are central in The End of Religion, but I found scant positive references toreligious communities.  At the end of the book I was almost left thinking that a person can do this faith thing without church, and that made me kind of sad.   I don’t think Cavey actually believes all religious institutions should close shop, but a redemptive treatment of faith communities was missing.  Church is important for me, and not just because it pays the mortgage.   So as a rebuttal, or an expansion on Cavey’s book, I offer a few reasons I need and want church.

• I need a place outside of me where my guiding light, my North Star, my trusted source of Wisdom—Jesus Christ—can speak to me.  Yes Jesus does speak within me in my times of meditation, but sometimes I need perspective from beyond me.  Group conversations, sermons, experiences from others—all these allow space for Jesus Christ to guide me.  But maybe I could get this from pod-casts or t.v. preachers or listening to scripture on tape, so let me continue.
• I need a religious community for belonging.  Friends are good and praying friends are even better.  Prayers make a difference, and they are even beginning to document this following a scientific method (see Larry Dossey’s Healing Words).  We pray for people with whom we are in relationship; like in a congregation.    Hard choices to follow Jesus are made easier when supported by a people.  All in all I benefit from a place where mutual support happens.
• I need a religious community to challenge me.  I am more likely to serve the common good than tear it down on account of experiences I have with people here.  Simply put, Church shapes my ethics.  And that challenge is good for me.

Psalm 15 was intoned by pilgrims prior to entry into the Temple at great religious festivals.  I am guessing not everyone had walked blamelessly or spoken truth from their heart, and still they were reminded of these values as they entered the Temple to worship.  We all benefit from the reminder of those actions which build up rather than tear down, a community of support, and a place where Jesus Christ can continue speaking to us from beyond us.  Religion which does this is a good thing.   And religion which does not do this, probably should come to an end.   Amen.

- Patrick Preheim, co-pastor Nutana Park Mennonite Church

Psalm 15 read responsively