Fundamental Acts...

I was listening to NPR this weekend...People's Pharmacy...crying as I listened.  Strange.  But the guy was a doctor who used poetry in his practice.  He writes.  He helps others write.  And every time he read a poem...I cried.

So aside from feeling totally stupid crying at People's Pharmacy, for goodness sake, I did write down a phrase that he said.  I used to teach writing and have said this a million times to my students (and their freaking-out parents because I required their kids to write): "The fundamental act of writing is putting words on paper."  You cannot write until you are willing to sit down and commit words to paper.  Then, you have something to work with.  You cannot say it is writing until someone else can read it.  You cannot work with your writing until it is written.  And writing well is the art of re-writing...and re-writing...and re-writing.  It is never the act of putting the first words on paper.

So, if the fundamental act of writing is putting words on paper, what is the fundamental act of faith?  Baptism?  Don't think so.  It is easy to be baptized and how many baptized people do you know who would readily admit they have no faith...don't know how to have faith...and perhaps have no interest in seeking faith.  The very thing about faith is the impossibility of defining one specific "fundamental."  In our culture, if we could define that fundamental, we'd have far more response.  Do "A", get "B."  We really like those equations and the message of our time is that it is possible.  The definition of a commercial/billboard/advertisement is "Do 'A', get 'B'."  We think that's how it should work.  I'd be one rich, famous, church professional if I could define "A" and "B" and tell you how to use them.

So having said that, I'll tell you what I think the fundamental is.  "Practice."  For thousands of years as the human race has developed its relationship with the God that created them to be in relationship with God, the "practices" of faith have gotten them there.

I had a conversation years ago with the mother of an early teen in my office asking me what to do to get her daughter involved in and committed to church. I suggested regular attendance at Sunday school and youth fellowship.  The mother explained that the family wasn't committed to coming regularly.  They needed to rest on Sundays and they often used Sundays to catch up on chores at home or to--well--you know--just relax.

OK...but if you don't commit the words to paper...if you don't commit the life to practice...you don't get the writing...you don't get a life of faith.

No parent whose child was on a sports team would even consider skipping practice because everyone was "tired."  Everyone I know easily skips church for fatigue, "mental health days," "insert your excuse here."

There is NO question that church can be boring.  There is no question that we need to rethink how we schedule, what we do, who we are in the "practice" of our faith.  But we are missing step one--the commitment to practice regularly--without excuse.

"The church" is us.  If it needs to be changed, WE must be there and actively work to change it.  Faith is not magic.  It doesn't appear from nowhere to suit us when we need it.  It must be cultivated in an environment in which we submit our wants to a practice of putting God first. Faith will not grow outside of the Christian community...never has...never will.  It might be discovered in a private experience...but it will not grow and develop until we are in that community which requires from us forgiveness, humility, and servant leadership... and which gives to us an embodied grace of God.

Everyone tells me how important faith is in their lives and how they want it for their kids.  Just remember, "The fundamental act of writing is putting words on paper."  The fundamental act of faith is committing to the regular practice in community.  Just saying...