{ im religiously unmoved }

Can You show me something new

Can You show me what is true

I need more than just religion

Cause I'm religiously unmoved

And the weight of it all is pulling me under

And the weight of it all is making me wonder

How can we know so much

Yet still be so out of touch?

And how can we miss the point

When its all about, all about love

Does anybody feel this way

Does anybody feel like they don't belong

Does anybody see this

Does anybody see this way

Does anybody see this way is wrong

I just want something real

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These are lyrics from one of my favourite artists, Shawn McDonald. I have been listening to his new album “Closer” non stop lately. His music gets me every time. I don’t even know how to explain it, but the lyrics are so powerful. My favourite part of the song [“Something Real”] is when he says, I need more than just religion, ‘Cause i’m religiously unmoved. When people ask me what religion i am, i say that its not a religion, its a faith. It’s not about the religiosity but about the relationship. I find that often times my faith becomes a routine and ultimately i get no where with my relationship with God. Going to church every sunday, youth group on fridays and praying before meals is all routine for me. Don’t get me wrong, these are great things, but when these are the only things I do, my growth is stunted and I no longer am growing closer to God. Overtime, I grow farther and farther apart from Him. Prayer is a vital part of this amazing relationship with the Creator. I pray like I’m talking to a friend- just a conversation between me and Him. Willingly reading my Bible and being interested in it is another vital part. My relationship with God has its ups and downs..and that is OK! It is inevitable, just like any other relationship.

For me, the thought of having a set of fixed rules about when and how I should pray, and stuff like that, makes me cringe. That’s not what Christianity is about and I think sometimes it gets a bad rap because people think it is. “Christian” and “Christianity”. Those words are just titles. Its the relationship that truly matters!

Another part of that song that gets to me is, How can we know so much? Yet still be so out of touch. I have grown up in a loving, Christian family. So God has always been a huge part of my life. Because of this I know..well a bit about Christ. [I could study the Bible and God for my entire life and still only know a little bit about Him. That is how vast He is, and I love that about Him.] But we have all this knowledge, yet we are still so far away from God. So close, yet so far away- that’s how i would put it.

Does anybody feel like they don't belong..does anybody see this...d

oes anybody see this way is wrong.

I just want something real. I feel like our worldliness interferes with our faith. For me, the worldliness that i have in my heart keeps me from having a raw, REAL relationship with God. And i don’t deny the fact that i let the things of this world get in the way of it. I put my needs ahead of what my Heavenly Father wants. I strive each day to have that raw, barbaric relationship with God that i do so desire. I do not want to lead a life of a fake Christian - that in which i act like a Christian but my heart is cold toward God. Its not about what other people think, its about what HE thinks. I feel like being a Christian has become this thing where you want everyone to think your perfect on the outside - like its only about face and keeping that good image in society. But i’m just gunna say i think that is total BS. That is NOT what it should be about. We are imperfect, we are no better than any other human being. And for someone to think they are better, well that infuriates me to no extent.

Having a raw, real relationship with Christ is being honest with Him and yourself. Its ignoring what the world around us is saying, its silencing and humbling ourselves in front of God and surrendering our lives. Living for HIS glory, and His glory only.

with love, peace and happiness,

rachel