“Spiritual Insights from....” Eugene Peterson - (Intro. to 'HEBREWS' Message translation)

“It seems odd to have to say so, but too much religion is a bad thing. We can't get too much of God, can't get too much faith and obedience, can't get too much love and worship. But 'religion' – the well-intentioned efforts we make to 'get it all together' for God - can very well get in the way of what God is doing for us. The main and central action everywhere and always is 'what God has done, is doing and will do for us'. 

 JESUS is the revelation of that action. Our main and central task is to live in responsive obedience to God's action revealed in Jesus. Our part in the action is the act of faith.

But more often than not we become impatiently self-important along the way and decide to improve matters with our two cents worth. We add on, we supplement, we embellish. But instead of improving on the purity and simplicity of Jesus, we dilute the purity, clutter the simplicity. We become fussily religious, or anxiously religious. We get in the way.

That's the time to read and pray our way through the letter to the Hebrews again....”