Practice, Practice, Practice

This blog has existed in cyberspace for about five years. When I first started it, I had the intention of writing about the ancient practices of the church, and how we can use those practices in innovative ways to renew and revitalize the church. I used to write regularly, but then I got out of the habit. Then, I set my New Year's resolution for 2010 - that I would attempt to blog once a week for the entire year.

I did really well, and then I traveled to Ghana to adopt my children. I tried...I really, really did. I blogged while in Ghana...then I blogged when I got home...but somehow, the regular rhythm of blogging on Fridays as part of my Sabbath has no longer become a rhythm. I have children to raise, I need to be a husband, a church to pastor, students to teach, lawns to mow, laundry to be washed, a house to be clean, meals to cook...and...and...and...they're all good reasons, but they quickly become an excuse. If we want something to become a practice and a rhythm in our lives, we actually have to practice it, on a regular basis. If I want to blog weekly, I need to practice doing that.

The ancient practices of the church are the same. If you look at Acts chapter 2, verses 42-47, you see the ancient practices listed; John Wesley's listing of works of piety and works of mercy includes all of the ancient practices - like reading and studying Scripture; praying; worshiping; receiving communion; caring for the stranger; visiting the sick and imprisoned, and more. If you don't practice those "works" regularly, then you do not have a rhythm of spiritual life.

I marvel at persons and churches (and pastors) who do not regularly practice a spiritual life; and for United Methodists, how we can not regularly practice works of piety and mercy. Just this week, I was with a group of clergy, and I was pushing them to move beyond spending our meetings in fellowship to Christian conferencing about community ministry, and about doing hands-on mission work. I met with some resistance, and I was not surprised. Authentic Christian community delves deeper than fellowship and surface relationships. If we, as clergy, cannot delve deeper and practice works of piety and mercy on a regular basis, how can we expect people in our churches to do the same? The simple answer is that we can't.

I believe that the renewal of the present church will come when congregational leaders (clergy and lay), and every layperson engages regularly in ancient practices of faith, in works of piety and mercy. My expectation, if we do so, is that, although numerical growth may take time, we will see people regularly being saved because they see that we live our lives as though our faith transforms us.

Get Out Your Labelmaker

My wife was out with our youngest son today, and stopped on her way home from worship with him to pick up some medicine. While at the store, she saw a man staring at her and my son - repeatedly. Suffice it to say, by the time they left the store and got in the car, the man was in his car and followed them. He pulled up next to them at a stoplight, rolled down his window, and started referring to my son as a "n" word.

Frankly, we expected that there would be racial tension because of our extended family; but until the label was spewed out of this man's mouth, we did not understand the full extent of a label.

We use labels all the time in our society: conservative, liberal, Democrat, Republican, left, right, racist, homophobic, right, wrong, selfish...and so on. While labels may identify us, they do so at the peril of dividing us. It is painful and speaks of our human condition. We spend too much time focused on our differences, rather than what brings us together. There is unity in diversity.

If I had to get out my labelmaker today, I would only type in and print one label: follower of Jesus Christ. No matter where we are in the church, where we fall on the spectrum of politics, religion, or any other issue, what brings us together is our common faith in Jesus Christ. The other labels don't matter. Jesus is stronger than any label...which reminds me - I need to pray for the guy who referred to my son by the "n" word...because he needs Jesus, just as much as I do!

Labor Day

Tomorrow is Labor Day...the first Monday in September every year is a holiday (notice how that's a mashed-together word made up of "holy" and "day") to celebrate those who labor and give them rest. I find this concept ironic for a number of reasons. One reason is simply that, as I looked at the advertisements in today's newspaper, almost every insert had a special "Labor Day" sale, with savings for shoppers. While I'm not about to complain about saving some cash, if Labor Day is a day about celebrating those who labor and give them rest, then why are there people waiting on me if I go out to a store or a restaurant tomorrow? Really - give it a rest!

...which brings me to my main point. Labor Day - a day of rest - one day a year...really? God commands us a day of rest each week. It's called Sabbath. While hard to understand, and even more difficult to put into practice, Sabbath is an ancient practice that we Christians are called to live into weekly. I don't need a government holiday (which looks nothing like the sabbath, with parades and shopping and barbeques and...) to live into Sabbath. What I need (and what Christians need) is a regular day each week in which to rest in God. That rest looks different for each person. Personally, I've found Receiving the Day from the Jossey-Bass series, Keeping the Sabbath Wholly, by Marva Dawn, and Sabbath from the "Ancient Practices" series to be most helpful in shaping how I practice Sabbath.

I was most refreshed by Sabbath when I was finishing seminary. I had just read Marva Dawn's book the previous summer, and decided that I wanted to put her ideas into practice. Basically, she offers for areas of focus: worship, eating, care for the body, and rest. Each Sunday (because in those days, Sunday was my Sabbath), I would "work" by carrying out my job on staff at a local United Methodist church. When I arrived home, I would cook a healthy lunch (for me in those days, that meant that I cooked an entire well-balanced meal, which was different than a granola bar or frozen pizza). After lunch, I would do some Bible study, spiritual reading, and pray. I would then take a nap, wake up, and take a walk outside. I might work on homework for some portion of the early evening, eat again, and then head to Compline at a local Episcopal church for an additional worship opportunity (where I was not responsible for worship leadership). While the day was full, it was focused on God for all 24 hours - in resting, in eating the fruits God had given, by caring for the body God gave me, and by focusing on God.

I long for those days. Now, the Sabbath (Friday) is often full of errands, taking kids to school and picking them up, or housework. I still, though, try to at least focus on God for some portion of the day. I try to continue my devotional life (Bible study, prayer, spiritual reading), and I also tend to write this blog on Fridays. Sabbath looks different for me now than it did five years ago - but it is still Sabbath. Sabbath is regular - it is a part of the rhythm of my week.

I need more than a Labor Day. I need regular Sabbath that honors God.