Waiting is not grinding. It IS boring as all hell though. Waiting hours on end for a mere chance at progressing only not to be able to progress is frustrating and feels like a waste of time. Relics are many things, but certainly not for casual players who want to feel like they're genuinely progressing.

You'd be better off doing pick-up raids in Duty Finder if you want a sense of accomplishment within a 2 hour time frame.