Practicing in Lent to Be What We Pray to Become in God

“Do you not know that in a race the runner all compete, but only one receives the prize?

Run in such a way that you may win it.” (I Cor. 9:24 NRSV)

I have heard it said that no athletic competition is won on the day of the event. Rather, athletic competitions are won – or lost – in the place of practice, or lack thereof.

The same might be said of firefighters. No fire is easily extinguished for which the firefighters haven’t properly trained and readied themselves . . .

So it is, too, that no abundant harvest is harvested without plenty of time spent planning and preparing before ever a seed is planted . . .

Or for builders, before a practiced hand puts hammer to nail . . .

Or for teachers, before time is spent learning the art and discipline of teaching . . . 

And so it goes for all of us. For the Apostle Paul, to run in such a way that you may accomplish Kingdom living means that our lives must be a constant preparation and practice for that which is before us. Achieving the Kingdom is not a competition, thanks be to God and God’s grace! Yet, for the Kingdom to shine in us, for the faith of God through Christ to live in us, we are encouraged to live each day in the presence of the Spirit, saying and doing that which brings life to God’s people and God’s creation. Faith takes practice.

It is that simple.

The runner dedicates themselves to a disciplined regimen, the firefighters to practicing for the fire, the farmer to honing their skills and preparing equipment to plant, the builder to learning the trade of building, the teacher to advancing in their vocation of teaching. . . but what of the Christian and their faith? What of you?

Few are the ones who can be less than single-minded about their focus and priority, thus there are very, very few multi-competition athletes who excel, much less ‘win’ their sport. Most are singularly-minded about their workout regimen, diet, sleep patterns, and participation in the wider community beyond that for which they are striving. Can the same be said of you and me in our living for the Living Christ? Or is Jesus the one left out, last chosen, or even given a nod while we prioritize everything else in our lives? What did Jesus mean when He said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself”?  Was that just a suggestion or an imperative for training in the way of Christ?

The practice of the St. Paul UCC faith family during Lent is to include an ‘extra training session’, a special mid-week service each Wednesday evening to assist the ‘team’ to be ready in receiving the Good News of the Kingdom on Easter morning. These extra training sessions begin at 6:30 p.m. each Wednesday evening throughout Lent and you are encouraged to attend as we will be exploring the Training Theme of “Covenant: God’s Bridge Across Every Chasm” . . . including the chasm of our proclivity for ignoring or putting off God for ‘more important things’, as though implying, ‘See you at the empty tomb, Jesus, and not before!’

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” (Mark 1.15 NRSV) is how Jesus begins His ministry . . . and the rest of His life on this earth is spent revealing what that Good News is and how it is to be embodied. For the ones who listen, this is a call to focused intentional living in the ways of Christ. How about you?

Not everyone who stands on the track is running the race, not everyone who goes to a fire is trying to put it out, not everyone who is in the field is planting, not everyone on the construction site is building, not everyone who walks into a classroom is teaching, and not everyone sitting in worship is practicing their faith . . . but just as true is this: if you rarely, if ever, stand on the track, go to the fire, are found to be in the field, are swinging a hammer, are in the classroom or are to be found in worship (to paraphrase Paul) you’ll never be ready to win, to achieve, to do. Come, join us in preparing with everything that we have and are.

See you at Lenten Practice!

Christianity By Indifference

Christianity by indifference. It may not be for everyone, but it is for many: Christianity by indifference.

'Do I have to go to church today?' asks the child. 'You make up your own mind.' says the parent.

'Do I have to go to youth group?' asks the child. 'I'll let it up to you, I guess.' says the parent.

'Do I have to help with the mission project?' asks the child. 'Whatever you want.' says the parent.

'Do I have to go to Sunday School?' asks the child. 'Not if you don't really want to.' says the parent.

Which somewhere down the road turns into . . .

'God, I'll get to worship soon.' or 'It's been awhile since I've done anything at church. I'll have to volunteer sometime soon.' or 'It's Sunday, which is a day of rest and I'm going to rest at home.' or 'I've done pretty good all along being a Christian without ever having to go to church, why should I start now?' or 'All the church wants from me is my time and my money, I don't need that.'

Which somewhere down the road turns into . . . 

Christianity by indifference.

Somewhere along the line faith, whatever that faith might be or might have been, has been lain upon the altar of a busy world, getting ahead, parental indecision, and fitting it into all the other activities. Like the lettuce section of the local grocery, people select the church they want, the frequency with which they will participate, the amount of leading parents will give children, the amount of time they have for faith or . . . or whether they will have lettuce on their family table at all.

Sometimes life is easier without lettuce on the table. Then you don't have to choose what dressing you want, what condiments you desire with your lettuce, and whether or not to serve the lettuce on its' own plate or just on the dinner plate. Life without lettuce is just life without one more decision to make. 

Forget that lettuce is important for a healthy diet. Forget that different kinds of lettuce are pleasing to the pallet and aid in digestion. Forget that fresh lettuce, just from the garden, has the sweetest flavor and is likely to remind us that we are from the earth, just as the lettuce. Rather, ignore the lettuce. Order out for pizza. Save time on making dinner altogether. Don't even sit at the same table if you don't want. Go to your own room, fire up your laptop or tablet or cell phone and connect with the 'real' world so you won't have to deal with the people with whom you share blood. Or, if you want, just go out somewhere else. Your choice. Your choice.

Christianity by indifference.

Meanwhile, savvy church leaders are constantly coming up with clever new ways to market the church, to promote Christ, and to save your indifferent soul. Coffee shops in the churches with Bible study classes at the tables, self-contained libraries of recommended books selected for the discerning Christian to easily inform their life, extra-large digital screens near non-descript stages so you can see larger-than-life praise bands and preachers extolling your virtues before the all-accepting, understanding God, and few signs of Christian identity to make anyone squirm or think you are anything but hip with Jesus, our best new Love-Buddy.

If they can get you through the front doors, you will be welcomed by the local church version of the Wal-Mart greeter, directed to the correct aisle for your shopping ease, given a map of the mega-plex offerings of the day, reminded that you are a child of God and loved - even if there are just a few itsy-bitsy things you might need to address (but you can address those things when you have a bit more time and have pondered how you might be generous with the church's ministries first), and sent off to gather with the other worshipers who have slipped in for their anonymous experience with an Omnipotent God, pay their dues and walk out guilt free and ready to pick up with the rest of what is considered 'real life'.

Christianity by indifference.

Somewhere in here we have become deaf to the words Jesus speaks, "If anyone would come after me let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." (Matt. 16.24) No, there will be no denying our insatiable hunger for sports 24/7, there will be no denying our unending hunger for 'more' technology, more progress, more clothes, more cars, more houses, more . . . No, sorry Jesus, we are all into You, but you will have to wait your turn for our life and time until we get everything done. And, about that 'taking up my cross and following you' thing? Well, isn't that why you call certain people to be pastors? Let them deny themselves. Heck, we'll deny them whatever will help you, Lord, to make sure they are being faithful, but don't ask that of us regular types. We're just not into that. Besides, our kids would never buy that. Not sure why . . . maybe because we don't, but that's their business. They can do with faith whatever they want. We are, after all, progressive parents.

Christianity by indifference.

By such Jesus is tried. By such Jesus is crucified. By such Jesus is buried . . . day after day after day. The Resurrection stuff? Well, that's not up to us. That is up to God - and God is always faithful, especially to those who dare to walk as Jesus walked. Jesus will always be raised on the third day. I wonder if you ever knew that is why Christians gather on Sunday? I mean, because that is the third day, the day on which Jesus was raised. Christians gather to celebrate God's power and love - thanking God for overcoming even death.

Those who know it, do. Those who don't, don't. Christianity by indifference.

The Good News is that God is not indifferent towards you. I pray the same can be said of you towards God.

Something to ponder on the Lenten journey.