The Practices of Faith

The FLC staff finally were all together in one place after a summer of vacation, retreats, and mission trips. We sat around the table and realized that it was great to be all together AND that it was a sign that the program year was just about to commence. Here in this congregation that means September 9 is what we call Rally Sunday. It is a day when we return to two worship services (8:30 and 11:00 am), begin our all ages Sunday School program, and at 12:30pm meet up at Blyth Park for our annual all church picnic. It is a celebratory time, a time to jump back into the regular rhythms of life.

When we talk about the regular rhythms of life, we need to remember that includes practicing our faith. Too often we forget that faith is a "practice." Many mistakenly think of faith as something that you possess or try to hold onto. But it is not like that. Faith is active. Faith is a practice. Faith is something we have to work on for ourselves. Faith is something we have to be in training for, much like an athlete or a musician. There are many drills we must do to hone our faith, to become more acquainted with it, like a musical instrument.

The beginning of the program year is a great way to jump back into these practices: Regular worship attendance, attending to our prayer life, and daily reading of scripture.. These are just a few of the drills we can participate in to strengthen our faith.

Another aspect of our communal faith life is a regular checking in with each other about how we feel God is calling us into the world. We are beginning a visioning process this fall to do just that. It is a faith practice to gather together to listen for the Holy Spirit in our midst. We hope that you will choose to participate when asked. We need to hear your voice.

When Susan and I were camping on the South Fork of the Sauk River, we were reminded of the power of the faith practice of waiting for the Holy Spirit in silence. We sat by that river that spoke its own language and just listened. It was a holy time for us. When we engage with God and practice our faith it is amazing how we feel ready to face the challenges of life. May God be made known to you in the breaking of the bread, in the prayers of the people, and more importantly in your practice of your faith.