Newsbrief: Habits of Faith

We are off and running.

Last Sunday we kicked off the “Habits of Faith” worship series. All through the Season of Lent we are seeking to grow in the faith by developing particular habits

You see, developing habits is how we can make new/important/different things become second nature (remember: it is second nature because it isn't something that comes naturally, but when we work at it and develop it then it becomes just as much a part of us as our heart beat or our lungs filling up with air).

The key to developing a new habit is to start small and do it every single day. You need both elements. You start small so that you can build your way up to your final goal. In my sermon last Sunday I mentioned that instead of starting off with the finished product (in my case, working out 30-minutes a day) I worked my way slowly up to it. I started small (working out for 5-minutes a day the first week) so that achieving my initial goal would be easy (and it was!) and then built up from there. I added 5-more minutes the second week, then 5-more minutes the week after that, then 5-more minutes the week after that until eventually I was working out for 30-minutes a day AND I had been practicing carving out the time I needed to work out every day. Now, over a year later it is completely second nature. I structure my evenings differently and I can’t imagine missing a workout.

We are trying to follow that same process with our habits of faith. We are starting small – give me 5-minutes every day this week. That’s it, just 5-minutes but make sure it is every day. Give me 5-minutes every day this week to do something that deepens your relationship with Christ, that brings you to a fuller understanding of God, that helps you to grow in the faith. It might be starting your morning with a silent meditation. It might be singing your favorite hymn. It might be spending 5-minutes each day in prayer or devotion.

For a number of people in our church they have decided to intentionally carve out time every day to read scripture. In fact, we have a new Bible Study class that will be meeting on Sunday morning at 9AM in the Arizona Room (please note the change, we’ll be in the Arizona Room) so that we can grow in the faith this Lenten Season by reading the four Gospels together. We are growing the habit of reading our Bibles and here is how: We are starting small and building our way up by reading 2 chapters every day. If you can follow that pattern, 2 chapters a day for the entire Season of Lent then by the time we get to the joyous celebration of Easter Sunday we will have finished all Four Gospels! How great is that! If you would like to join us this Sunday morning at 9AM in the Arizona Room please read through the first 14 chapters of Matthew…and trust me, if you take it a little bit at a time you’ll be amazed how far you come!

Yours in the Journey,

Rev. Brian