The Difference Between Spirituality and Religion: Finding a Happy Medium
You can have Spirituality without Religion.
You can have Religion without Spirituality.
Or you can have both Spirituality and Religion– double your pleasure, double your fun, synergistically.
What is the difference?
Spirituality
What is the difference between the two? Let’s look at Spirituality. It comes from within you. It generally includes your thoughts and emotions, and can even be a physical experience such as chills, tears, or that warm comfortable feeling. The well-used phrase is , “Mind, Body, Spirit.”
For me, it began with a sense that I was not alone in this life. You know that feeling people have when they are being watched or followed? I have had that sense as long as I have been alive. I also could tell when it was present or absent in other people. Even as a young child I was aware of a difference in people who seemed to experience a deeper level of love and connection spiritually. I also could not turn off my curiosity. I always seemed to be searching. That quest is a constant within me. It is as if an internal beacon of light is constantly “on” in a pursuit for something that is mostly mysterious.
Religion
Religion, strictly speaking, is an organization with a purpose and mission. It is made up of people who provide an opportunity for those who want to worship together. Because this organization is made up of people, it is subject to the quality and character of the people who make it up. You might have caring, trusting, and loving people make up a religion, or you might have power hungry, self-interested, unbalanced people make up a religion. For those of us searching for the former, it needs to be a careful search with much attention paid to asking important questions and listening for the answers that satisfy our needs. Choosing the right type of spiritual practice or religion is something that takes much thought and consideration.
I like church, some church that is. What I get from it is the comfort of knowing people who are like-minded in their faith journey and social justice concerns. I see them weekly or more, and that becomes a bind that keeps deepening our connection. I see church as an extension of my relationship with the Divine. It can be fun and silly, and in difficult times it forms the caring strength to help make it through. I have found spiritual teachers in church – people who are far on their journeys who can teach by example. I am, however, very careful of organizations in general.
Whether you feel more connected to the God of your understanding walking in the woods by yourself or in a huge church filled with shouts of joy, it may be interesting to ask yourself some questions about religion and spirituality. Is your faith an outgrowth of your religion, or is your religion an outgrowth of your faith? What part does your religion play in your spiritual journey, and what part does your spiritual journey play in your religion?
Conclusion
Author’s note: I am excited to share some news that relates to the topic of this blog.
With much success from my first spiritual book, I am now currently writing my next book. The working title is, “Church Shopping.” It proposes 10 questions that might be asked to assist in choosing a religion. It will be for those searching for a good fit whether they were looking for the first time, or for something different than what they currently have. Be on the lookout this spring for news of publication.
For more information or help with understanding more about the difference between religion and spirituality , contact me or pick up your copy of PRESENCE Recognizing the Divine in Your Everyday Life.