The Basic Christian Life
A man I know once said he didn’t want his sons baptized because he wanted them to make up their own minds. My reply was “I got news for you, by the time they’re eighteen, they’ll make up their own minds anyway. Your job is to train them spiritually, give them a framework to help them decide.” This particular man intensely disliked a certain denomination. I told him about another man who intensely disliked the same denomination. This second man’s sons were raised without religion in their lives. When one of them grew up he met and married a girl from that denomination, converting in the process, much to his father’s chagrin. The boy had no point of reference to guide his thinking.
God has given us a pattern of weekly worship for our spiritual growth. At baptism we hear the question ‘Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of the bread, and the prayers?” We answer “I will with God’s help.”
The basic rule of Christian life is to attend worship once a week. Modern people often resist rules, and then we go on a search for spiritual meaning. There is no need to reinvent the wheel. Weekly participation in Holy Communion helps our “spiritual formation.” We are formed again and again week to week. One-time attendance at church may be a powerful transcendent experience. But deep fundamental transformation (change) results from continuous and regular participation. Habits shape the unconscious. The things we do on Sunday help us grow spiritually: the prayers, hymns, hearing God’s word, Holy Communion. Think how very small children who are in church every Sunday quickly learn some basic things just by participation. They love to share the peace, learn to say “amen,” and stick out their hand for communion. They figure out we are all sharing something that is important to us.
Weekly worship develops our spiritual instinct, intuition, and reaction. As a result our reactions to the things we experience during the week are helped by our spiritual life. The community of faith can be our teacher, safeguard, support, and solace.
Some psychologists teach that it takes 21 days to change a habit. If we miss church for three Sundays, then we have a new habit, a new routine whatever that is: coffee shop, golf course, lake, and etc.
Weekly worship is a well when we are dry. Do not absent yourself from this well in the heat of summer.
Charles+ |
