Group Involvement and the Spiritual Path (Part 2)
In Part 1 of this message, I focused on business and community groups. If you didn’t get a chance to read Part 1 you can find it at http://www.YourSpiritualJourney.net .
Let’s talk about religious affiliations now. If you are part of a house of worship or congregation, how do you feel about your membership in that congregation? Do you feel that all members are welcomed and loved without judgment? Do you feel pressure to adopt beliefs or practices that you don’t believe are spiritually sound?
Note: I am fully aware that many leaders of congregations would explain that certain beliefs and practices are “non-negotiable,” that they are an integral part of the religion and that you don’t get to pick and choose the beliefs and practices you wish to follow. This is an area where you must form your own conclusions.
I also recognize that we can benefit from a group even if the group is not “perfect.” There may be a few things that we don’t like about the group, yet the advantages far outweigh the things we don’t like. This is especially true when considering our membership in a congregation or worship group. The services and fellowship that the congregation offers may help us to grow spiritually.
On the other hand, we must be honest and identify those practices or beliefs exhibited by the group that are not enhancing our spiritual connection. This is not an “all or nothing” evaluation. We may give a 95% positive rating to our congregation. In that case, we are deriving substantial spiritual sustenance from that group. But if we gave a positive rating of 50%, then we’d be recognizing that there is a lot going on in the congregation that is not feeding our spirit.
Here’s a good test to assess your current feelings about your affiliation with a congregation or worship group. Let’s assume a family is moving into your neighborhood and will be living on your street. This new family is of the same religion as you. On the day they move in, the husband and wife walk over to you and start discussing things about the neighborhood.
They ask you if you attend religious services. You tell them where you belong. They reply, “We are considering being part of that same congregation. We wanted to hear from someone who attends services there what they think of that congregation. Is it an uplifting congregation where you can always feel God’s love? Is there a lot of judgment and gossip? What can you tell us about the leadership? We’d appreciate hearing your honest feelings about this congregation.”
How would you respond if you were going to tell them exactly what you feel in your heart about your congregation? Would the majority of your comments be uplifting as you tell them all the wonderful benefits you derive from being in this congregation? Or, would a considerable portion of the discussion focus on what you find “wrong” with this congregation?
Do you feel the leadership and the congregants are shining examples of the tenets of your religion, or do you feel their behavior actually conflicts with the principles of your religion? Congregations and worship groups are led by humans, so we can’t expect perfection. Your heart knows what level of imperfection is acceptable.
Depending on your religion and your geographical location, you may not have alternatives when it comes to selecting a place of worship. But in many instances, you do have a choice. You could join another group or another congregation. Only you can make a decision as to what is best for you and your family.
We need to face the fact that religious organizations, like business organizations, involve politics, power struggles and a clash of egos. If these are kept to a minimum, you can still derive enormous benefits by being part of the congregation. However when the conduct gets “out of hand” it is time to stop kidding yourself and to realize that the group may be doing more harm than good when it comes to your spiritual development.
I continue to believe that our deepest spiritual growth and understanding must come from our personal relationship with God. Groups can serve a vital role in nurturing that evolving relationship. They provide structure and offer us spiritual nourishment on a regular basis. When we connect with others who have tremendous faith, we feel the power and presence of God.
However, it is important that we resist the temptation to conform to all group beliefs and practices, when our hearts clearly tell us some of these beliefs and practices are not spiritually sound.
Following your own heart requires courage. The spiritual path demands nothing less.
– Jeff Keller
© 2008