Going Through The Motions
from St Mark Sermons Hosted by St Mark Coptic Orthodox Church
The sermon, titled "Going Through the Motions," is a call to spiritual renewal rather than routine religious observance. Fr Thomas opens with the idea that Christians often "grow older" in faith without truly "growing up," treating prayer, fasting, and church attendance as habitual tasks rather than transformative acts. He connects this to the Gospel passage where the Pharisees question Jesus about fasting, and where Jesus calls Levi the tax collector to follow Him, declaring He came to call sinners, not the righteous. The message isn't that religious practices are wrong, but that motivation matters more than mechanical observance; true fasting and prayer should train the heart and open us to the Holy Spirit. Drawing on Hebrews 10:20 and Jesus's parable of new wine in old wineskins, he explains that Christ calls believers into a fresh, intentional relationship with God rather than clinging to comfortable, hardened habits. He shares personal reflections, including humbling lessons about examining one's true motives behind religious actions. The sermon closes with encouragement rather than condemnation: acknowledging our sinfulness isn't shameful but honest, since Christ came specifically for sinners, urging the congregation not to despair over past failures but to rise up with hope.
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