Welcome to episode 32 of The UnSunday Show. Let's talk about the clutter that gets in between us and Jesus that ends up giving us a smaller version of Jesus. Institutional religion works hard at convincing us that Jesus alone really isn't enough. It puts obstacles between us and Jesus that we're told need to be there in order to be complete and remain acceptable to God. Sometimes it's sub-mediators as we're told we need Jesus and the pastor, priest, or leader to guide and direct us. At other times it's things like religious obligation, accountability, service, tithing, works, or religious duty that we're told must be consistent in our lives in order to keep peace with God.
But at the end of the day, these burdens are placed on us to keep the institution strong and when we embrace the thought that we need Jesus plus these other things, we're settling for something smaller than Jesus. When we come alive to the reality of the life of God in us, the freedom from religious bondage that we experience makes us an instant threat to religious institutions because we realize we don't need those institutions and in fact, they're in the way and they're forcing a smaller version of Jesus on us. Let's talk about it....
