The Tradition of the Elders

There was some conflict in the Sunday church service for me.  It happened in this fashion.  The sermon was about how the "tradition of the elders" often put aside what the real heart of the commandment of God was intended to be, and that it was so easy to be doing religious things while totally missing the mind and will of God.  All well and good, but the opening prayer spoke of what the will of God was, and, according to the pray-er for the day, that was to fill up the church with people every Sunday and wasn't it great that the church was pretty full today.  And that's where the disconnect came in for me.  We speak (our pulpits speak) of what God requires of us in spirit and truth, but the average person in the pew seems to have a much different idea of what church is all about.  Attendance and tithing seem to be the measures of our spiritual maturity rather than sacrificial and humble service.  And how does that come to pass?  As evangelicals, lovers of the gospel, we have allowed the traditions of our elders to inform our spirituality rather than the Holy Spirit of God.  We substitute right doctrine, witnessing, cheerful giving, scripture reading, attendance at church, participation in church committees, and a thousand other good things to eclipse our relationship to the living God.  And this is what bugs me most.  I can see that transition clearly, but I don't have a clue how to turn it around and have it take hold of a church congregation in body and soul.

What does God require of us?  To do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with our God.  That has nothing to do with attendance at church or any other tradition or practice that we may have picked up along our journey.  In fact the practice of those examples of spirituality is more apt to occur in our lives outside the church rather than in one of our church gatherings.  Until then it seems as if our congregations will continue to emphasize things that are not necessarily bad, but things that just keep our focus away from things that could work eternal good in us.  Inherited Christianity can be a strong foundation upon which to build, or a cage that keeps us from liberty in Christ.  It's something I need to consider further before I can hope to have any answers.