Practice, Pratice, Practice
Dear friends,
There is a story about a businessman who was checking out new office space in a high rise building with floor-to-ceiling windows. He asked the realtor if the windows were secure. In response, the real estate agent backed to the far side of the room and running at full speed slammed into the glass. It held, and the businessman took the space.
I thought of this story as I was reading yesterday's gospel lesson from the daily lectionary. The opening sentences, Luke 8:16-18, are as follows
16 "No one after lighting a lamp hides it under a jar, or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a lamp stand, so that those who enter may see the light. 17 For nothing is hidden that will not be disclosed, nor is anything secret that will not become known and come to light. 18 Then pay attention to how you listen; for to those who have, more will be given; and from those who do not have, even what they seem to have will be taken away."
On the surface this seems terribly unfair. After all, it seems as though we ought to give to those who have little or nothing -- if anything, those who have more stuff ought to lose some of it. Of course, this is not what Jesus means at all. Certainly He wants us to give to those in need, but this passage is about putting your light on a lamp stand, right out there in front for everyone to see.
The realtor in the story lived with an incredible confidence in his "product." It is obvious that he had studied that office building carefully; he knew without equivocation that the window glass would withstand the full force of his running body. Imagine how hard he had to work to know his properties that well. Because he did his homework every day, he made the leasing of office space look easy!
Isn't it like that with anything in life? When you watch the NBA playoffs and see those huge guys fly through the air so effortlessly, you have to know how many hours a day they trained themselves and practiced their sport. Likewise, Vijay Singh stretches his muscles for an hour every morning, does weight training for another hour, and then hits a thousand golf balls on days he is not playing in tournaments. Is it any wonder why golf looks like such an easy game when you watch it on television?
These days I am showing remarkable progress in my physical therapy and rehabilitation. Having said this, I need to repeat how very difficult this process has been from the beginning. Not only had my muscles atrophied from disuse, they have had to establish an entirely new relationship with my spinal cord. Even today, as far as I have come, it is still very difficult to get around because I have to think about every step in the process; it makes me so tired I am ready to drop by 8 p.m. in the evening.
Having said this, I am not ready to give up on practicing and training because I have seen such incredible results. For example, I am having physical therapy three times a week for an hour and a half each session. This by itself is enough to make anybody weary. I am doing significant upper body training including "triceps extensions" using a stiff "theraband." This is very difficult; especially when you consider that my triceps were almost completely "gone," physiologically speaking. The result of all this athletic training and practice is that yesterday morning I put on my pants, shirt and jacket without assistance. This may not sound like much to you, for me -- it is huge!
Also, I spend the last 30 minutes of our sessions on my feet moving back and forth across the therapy gym in a variety of balance and strength exercises. Most of the time, my therapist stands in front of me with her palms held upward and my hands facing downward. Sometimes we barely touch; mostly she is there for balance. When we finish these exercises my legs are like rubber, but they have that wonderful, warm sensation of having run 3-5 miles on a beautiful spring morning.
Once again, all these exercises have very practical benefits. They enabled me to really push my limits last weekend. On Friday evening, Carole and I joined the Eastminster session and Calhoun officers (elders and deacons) for dinner. After dinner I joined the Eastminster session in the Lydia Cottage where I gave a keynote talk to open their retreat. Because of my faithful and diligent practice, I was able to stand for 15 minutes or so. Awesome!
On Saturday we went back out to the Retreat Center to meet with the Calhoun officers for a communion service, lunch, and conversation about what is going on in the church's mission and future plans. In the middle we had lunch, again together with the two church groups.
On Sunday we worshiped with the Calvary congregation and I was the preacher. Because of all my good exercise and practice, I was able to preach a full-length sermon -- standing up, for the first time since April 11, 2004. I was quite tired when I finished the sermon, but remained standing for the Apostles' Creed, and still had the strength to get down three steps for the benediction and out to the narthex to greet worshipers. Did I mention that I was tired? Of course I was -- but wonderfully so!
There is one last thing: Carole and I went to Heritage church Monday evening for Sid Bowman's Memorial Service. It was a wonderful, uplifting, Christ-honoring service in every respect. The music was beautiful, and Sid Gunter lead us both to appreciate more fully our brother, Sid, and to love more fully our Lord Jesus Christ. Once again, I was able to walk and to stand in line -- coming in and going out. I could not have done it without many months of practice.
What is God calling you to do today? What has God brought into your life that is extremely hard to bear? What is God calling your church to do today? What has God brought into your church's life that is extremely hard to bear? These are particularly good questions for all of us, because on any given day each of us must answer them. If such questions terrify you, then you probably need to work at practicing your faith a bit harder and with more regularity.
On our Presbytery web site you will find some "Assumptions as we continue the Journey." I offer these to you as a set of missional questions to help keep you focused on the kinds of things you need to be thinking about as you carry out Christ's work in your particular part of God's work in Cherokee Presbytery.
It is these six assumptions that should be helping us frame the question about what God is calling us to do as church families. Likewise, the second question about what God has brought into your church's life that is hard to bear forms a particular frame around your missional planning. Please remember, one size never fits all -- or, another way of putting it, one size fits all -- badly!
I hope you would use these questions to help frame and form your church's programs and practices: that is, worship, Christian nurture, fellowship, education for service, and, last but certainly not least, service throughout your community and the world in Christ's name. This is a brave challenging journey on a good day. Without regular discipline and holy practice, it is very scary. Without any discipline and holy practice, it is impossible!
I will close with another great story from Opera Anecdotes by Ethan Mordden. Speaking as a tenor, I quote for you with my legs shaking -- It's Every Tenor's Nightmare
Making his operatic debut in January of 1906 at Savona, Italy, in the title role of Mascagni's "L'Amico Fritz" and billed as Giovanni Foli, John McCormack reached the middle of his big aria in Act Three when he realized that he was not going to make the high B-flat that climaxes the number. It's an exposed note; the aria may be said to lead up to it as a prayer leads up to "Amen," and it could not possibly be ducked.
McCormack hit upon a daring solution, based on the, to him, loud orchestra (All opera singers think the orchestra plays too loud). Comes the B-flat, he will open his mouth as wide as possible, throw out his arms in a pose suggestive of Tenor Doing a High Note, and let the orchestra sing the note for him.
He does it.
And the audience is so thrilled it demands an encore.
Gasp! There is no substitute for regular practice.
The light of Easter still shines brightly!
Jim
There is a story about a businessman who was checking out new office space in a high rise building with floor-to-ceiling windows. He asked the realtor if the windows were secure. In response, the real estate agent backed to the far side of the room and running at full speed slammed into the glass. It held, and the businessman took the space.
I thought of this story as I was reading yesterday's gospel lesson from the daily lectionary. The opening sentences, Luke 8:16-18, are as follows
16 "No one after lighting a lamp hides it under a jar, or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a lamp stand, so that those who enter may see the light. 17 For nothing is hidden that will not be disclosed, nor is anything secret that will not become known and come to light. 18 Then pay attention to how you listen; for to those who have, more will be given; and from those who do not have, even what they seem to have will be taken away."
On the surface this seems terribly unfair. After all, it seems as though we ought to give to those who have little or nothing -- if anything, those who have more stuff ought to lose some of it. Of course, this is not what Jesus means at all. Certainly He wants us to give to those in need, but this passage is about putting your light on a lamp stand, right out there in front for everyone to see.
The realtor in the story lived with an incredible confidence in his "product." It is obvious that he had studied that office building carefully; he knew without equivocation that the window glass would withstand the full force of his running body. Imagine how hard he had to work to know his properties that well. Because he did his homework every day, he made the leasing of office space look easy!
Isn't it like that with anything in life? When you watch the NBA playoffs and see those huge guys fly through the air so effortlessly, you have to know how many hours a day they trained themselves and practiced their sport. Likewise, Vijay Singh stretches his muscles for an hour every morning, does weight training for another hour, and then hits a thousand golf balls on days he is not playing in tournaments. Is it any wonder why golf looks like such an easy game when you watch it on television?
These days I am showing remarkable progress in my physical therapy and rehabilitation. Having said this, I need to repeat how very difficult this process has been from the beginning. Not only had my muscles atrophied from disuse, they have had to establish an entirely new relationship with my spinal cord. Even today, as far as I have come, it is still very difficult to get around because I have to think about every step in the process; it makes me so tired I am ready to drop by 8 p.m. in the evening.
Having said this, I am not ready to give up on practicing and training because I have seen such incredible results. For example, I am having physical therapy three times a week for an hour and a half each session. This by itself is enough to make anybody weary. I am doing significant upper body training including "triceps extensions" using a stiff "theraband." This is very difficult; especially when you consider that my triceps were almost completely "gone," physiologically speaking. The result of all this athletic training and practice is that yesterday morning I put on my pants, shirt and jacket without assistance. This may not sound like much to you, for me -- it is huge!
Also, I spend the last 30 minutes of our sessions on my feet moving back and forth across the therapy gym in a variety of balance and strength exercises. Most of the time, my therapist stands in front of me with her palms held upward and my hands facing downward. Sometimes we barely touch; mostly she is there for balance. When we finish these exercises my legs are like rubber, but they have that wonderful, warm sensation of having run 3-5 miles on a beautiful spring morning.
Once again, all these exercises have very practical benefits. They enabled me to really push my limits last weekend. On Friday evening, Carole and I joined the Eastminster session and Calhoun officers (elders and deacons) for dinner. After dinner I joined the Eastminster session in the Lydia Cottage where I gave a keynote talk to open their retreat. Because of my faithful and diligent practice, I was able to stand for 15 minutes or so. Awesome!
On Saturday we went back out to the Retreat Center to meet with the Calhoun officers for a communion service, lunch, and conversation about what is going on in the church's mission and future plans. In the middle we had lunch, again together with the two church groups.
On Sunday we worshiped with the Calvary congregation and I was the preacher. Because of all my good exercise and practice, I was able to preach a full-length sermon -- standing up, for the first time since April 11, 2004. I was quite tired when I finished the sermon, but remained standing for the Apostles' Creed, and still had the strength to get down three steps for the benediction and out to the narthex to greet worshipers. Did I mention that I was tired? Of course I was -- but wonderfully so!
There is one last thing: Carole and I went to Heritage church Monday evening for Sid Bowman's Memorial Service. It was a wonderful, uplifting, Christ-honoring service in every respect. The music was beautiful, and Sid Gunter lead us both to appreciate more fully our brother, Sid, and to love more fully our Lord Jesus Christ. Once again, I was able to walk and to stand in line -- coming in and going out. I could not have done it without many months of practice.
What is God calling you to do today? What has God brought into your life that is extremely hard to bear? What is God calling your church to do today? What has God brought into your church's life that is extremely hard to bear? These are particularly good questions for all of us, because on any given day each of us must answer them. If such questions terrify you, then you probably need to work at practicing your faith a bit harder and with more regularity.
On our Presbytery web site you will find some "Assumptions as we continue the Journey." I offer these to you as a set of missional questions to help keep you focused on the kinds of things you need to be thinking about as you carry out Christ's work in your particular part of God's work in Cherokee Presbytery.
It is these six assumptions that should be helping us frame the question about what God is calling us to do as church families. Likewise, the second question about what God has brought into your church's life that is hard to bear forms a particular frame around your missional planning. Please remember, one size never fits all -- or, another way of putting it, one size fits all -- badly!
I hope you would use these questions to help frame and form your church's programs and practices: that is, worship, Christian nurture, fellowship, education for service, and, last but certainly not least, service throughout your community and the world in Christ's name. This is a brave challenging journey on a good day. Without regular discipline and holy practice, it is very scary. Without any discipline and holy practice, it is impossible!
I will close with another great story from Opera Anecdotes by Ethan Mordden. Speaking as a tenor, I quote for you with my legs shaking -- It's Every Tenor's Nightmare
Making his operatic debut in January of 1906 at Savona, Italy, in the title role of Mascagni's "L'Amico Fritz" and billed as Giovanni Foli, John McCormack reached the middle of his big aria in Act Three when he realized that he was not going to make the high B-flat that climaxes the number. It's an exposed note; the aria may be said to lead up to it as a prayer leads up to "Amen," and it could not possibly be ducked.
McCormack hit upon a daring solution, based on the, to him, loud orchestra (All opera singers think the orchestra plays too loud). Comes the B-flat, he will open his mouth as wide as possible, throw out his arms in a pose suggestive of Tenor Doing a High Note, and let the orchestra sing the note for him.
He does it.
And the audience is so thrilled it demands an encore.
Gasp! There is no substitute for regular practice.
The light of Easter still shines brightly!
Jim
posted by Pierce | 8:00 AM
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