There is an old story about a fella illustrating the difference between spirituality and religion. He used the picture of a hand pointing to the moon. He said spirituality is the pointing to the moon where religion is more concerned with the hand. How is the hand pointing? What finger is being used? What color is the hand? Is it a male or female hand?
Religion seems so much more concerned with who has the power, who is doing it right or more importantly who is doing it wrong. All the while missing the point – the moon itself.
It seems to me I have spent a great deal of my life more focused on the hand than the moon, more concerned about how to be and do church than the reason I do/am church at all. I agree that healthy thinking about God produces healthy actions. I believe that some ideas are better than others, but I am also aware of my propensity to make mountains out of the position of a pinkie finger.