The Ministry Team of St Mary the Virgin, Cowes and Holy Trinity, Cowes. Left to Right: Revd Canon Richard Emblin, Vicar; Revd. Kirsteen Morris, Assistant Priest; Revd David Hinks {since Jan. 2012 Associate vicar in the Greater Alton Project}; Mrs Gillian Murray, Reader.
February 2012 : Richard writes...
Religion: a Safe Bet?
Are you driven by faith or religion? That’s a question we can only answer for ourselves.
Religion can be a safe bet, for we know exactly what we have to do and when we have to do it. Every believer requires religion, that’s the space or area in which we live out our faith. Faith however is what we put into our religion.
You may have a nice new car in the garage, with sleek lines and the latest gizmos, but unless you turn the key you wont be going anywhere! Same with Christianity; you may have a nicely tailored religion with well rehearsed observances. But unless it’s sparked by the Holy Spirit and becomes a faith it’s not going take you very far!
Religion itself doesn’t trouble us too much; we just get on with it. Religion is man made rather than divinely inspired.
Whereas faith is the bedrock and content of religion and the Holy Spirit crowns our faith. Makes us followers of faith and not simply slaves to religion.
In Baptism we ask.’ Do you believe in the Holy Spirit who gives life to the people of God? ’The Holy Spirit is not an optional extra rather the essence of a living church and essential ingredient.
Faith will not always follow the well-known tramlines of religion and faith’s spontaneity can be unnerving and yet rewarding for us.
Remember;
It was religion that chastised Jesus for healing on the Sabbath
It was faith that opened the eyes of the blind.
It was religion that drove Jesus from Nazareth
It was faith the addressed him as ‘Master’
Richard