Practice
May 2007
I’m a person of repetition. To be successful I need to practice and repeat a motion over and over again before it ever becomes a skill. Recently, I was asked to sub for a fast pitch baseball team, and while the church league softball team can get pretty competitive, it does nothing to prepare you for real baseball! I stepped onto the field, and for the next 6 hours (we played a double-header) I was as awkward as a new puppy. I fielded some grounders, made a couple of outs, and even made contact at the plate. Nothing spectacular, but not a failure either. At the end of the day, what bothered me most was how uncomfortable I felt, not with the team, but with my own skill. I quickly realized that if I were ever going to make the big leagues, I would need considerable practice to reach any level of comfort.
Practicing your faith is a lot like practicing medicine - at what point do you actually get in the game? Maybe we practice our faith because we never really get it right. It’s always growing, changing, evolving. At least it should be. This brings us to our question. How do we practice our faith? I will never be skillful at baseball, golf or anything else if I do it occasionally. Even if I practice once a week, I might only reach a small level of comfort. To reach my full potential, practice must be a constant and never-ending commitment.
Now the question becomes, are you happy where you're at? If your level of maturity is satisfying then this issue is irrelevant. However, I'm willing to bet we all desire a deeper relationship, a deeper level of comfort. I can hear it now because I've said it, “If I had the time to be a professional golfer, better parent, husband, or movie star, I would.” We have all been lectured enough about priorities. So this is not going to be a “put God first” lesson. Instead, I hope to share with you the importance of creating habits in your normal routine that can help further your faith.
Put aside your fears of technology and embrace it. Some technology will do as promised and actually make your life easier. To feel connected, I have to saturate myself in the things that ignite my soul. Sunday is not enough, as this renovation project requires a lot more effort! That being said, there is a wonderful thing called podcasting, and I suggest you try it out. A podcast can be anything. A radio show, TV show, book review, or sermon, all online and ready to download to your mp3 player. If you subscribe, broadcasts are sent directly to your computer like a magazine to your mailbox. I subscribe to several pastors and hear sermons from all over the country. If you are a frequent reader of the
Rec Connection, then you know how I love to run, and sermons on podcast have replaced my music. My wife has even bought in and when you see her on the elliptical, she is listening to a sermon. Our very own Christ Church is in the podcasting business and months worth of sermons are online, ready for download. I am always in Full Court, and to stay connected to sanctuary worship, I use the podcast. This way I know what the rest of the congregation is learning and can stay up to speed.
If this isn't your thing, that's fine. It just an example of a system I have built to keep me saturated. This is just one way I practice my faith. I challenge you to look for new and creative ways to practice yours. Stop “subbing in” as a Christian and embrace the rich, full life God desires for each of us.

Chris Jones
Director of Recreational Ministries
Playing with a Purpose