God didn't want a religion in Jesus Christ. God wanted a kingdom, a nation of priests, a family, the children of God. It is this that underlies the teachings of the New Testament.
Christianity is a faith, a way of life, an identity, that has a religion. Different branches of the body of Christ have religions, but the truth is not our religion. In Christ we are given the "power to be children of God." We are born into that kingdom in our baptism.
I give credit in the sermon to Dr. Myles Munroe, but I wanted to give him specific credit for the statement that Jesus identifies himself with David and not Abraham and for the litany that I reference that God didn't want a religion, he wanted a kingdom, a family, not members of a church. I don't quote it directly, but I do say something similar. Also, he has served as an ambassador for the Bahamas, not the United States.
This teaching around the kingdom, or reign, or rule of God is revolutionary in a world where our history and hierarchies are encrusted with age and entrusted with truth. We must be careful to return to the words of the Word and to the way of Christ.
Finally I love our Episcopal way of being Christian. But I am profoundly reminded in Paul and most especially by our Lord that we are all one Body. As we say at every Baptism:
There is one Body and one Spirit;
There is one hope in God’s call to us;
One Lord, one Faith, one Baptism;
One God and Father of all.
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