Reflection for October

“Be still, and know that I am God,” says Psalm 46:10. There is something about activity that forms an obstacle to spiritual growth and knowing God.

It is so easy to confuse activity with productivity. I’ve known people who weren’t satisfied unless their calendars were crammed full. “See how busy I am? I must be doing some good!” We all agree that we have to tend to business, but we’ve made a false virtue out of tending to busyness.

Jesus never made that mistake. The Gospels record that from time to time Jesus “went private,” escaping the pressing demands of his very public ministry in order to be still and stay in close communion with God.

It takes time to be holy. It takes spiritual discipline and self discipline to be still and know that God is God. Every pianist knows that virtuoso performances can’t be done by thinking about playing. It takes practice! (You know the old joke about a tourist in New York who got lost and asked a hotel doorman, “How do you get to Carnegie Hall?" And the doorman answered, “Practice, practice, practice.”)

Likewise, the Tennessee Titans have to practice their plays over and over before they dare run them during a game.

Should we expect spiritual growth to be different? John Wesley admonished the people called Methodist that we are to “move on to perfection.” This process of being perfected in Christ is called sanctification, meaning to be made holy. It’s no coincidence that our denomination’s governing book is called the Discipline. Growing in holiness takes discipline, but not that kind imposed from outside. It must come from within.

Aristotle defined virtue as excellence made habitual. Spiritual growth and maturity are like that, too. Paul wrote of our need to move from being spiritual infants to grownups. This can only happen when we make spiritual self-discipline matters of habit rather than matters of exception.
And habits, as I am sure you know, dominate how we spend our time every day. So the Scriptures admonish us to make being still to know God a matter of habit, not exception.

John Wesley said that the discipline, or habits, of Christians should fall into two broad categories: works of mercy and works of piety. The former includes witnessing and evangelism, the latter is the personal reformation within oneself by the power of the Holy Spirit. Dr. David Lowes Watson explained it this way:

Works of mercy consist of acts of compassion, which are usually private and personal, and acts of justice, which are usually public and social. Witnessing is done in both contexts.

Works of piety consist of acts of devotion, meaning private or small-group prayers and devotions, and acts of worship, meaning Sunday services and especially receiving the sacraments whenever offered.

Individuals and churches alike get out of balance spiritually when they over-emphasize one or two of these disciplines.

A church that overemphasizes piety so much that witnessing and mercy are shut out becomes insular and self-focused. Its end is the same as the old monasteries that were found everywhere in Europe by the late Middle Ages – decline and disappearance. (Quick! Name three active, growing monasteries today.) To focus mostly on piety is in fact to decide to close.

A church that overemphasizes witnessing or good-deed-doing so much that the spiritual growth and health of its people are shut out becomes fleeting and impermanent. People are brought in only eating spiritual baby food, as Paul put it, but soon hunger for spiritual meat and drink. If the church won’t help them grow in discipleship, they’ll go elsewhere.

Like so many things in life, balance is the key. I hope you will ponder what the best balance is for Sango UMC so that we may become and do all that God wishes for us.