Pastor’s Message for September 2022

     I love bowling. You may have gathered as much about me over our time together. Nothing pleases me more than to send ten pins flying off the rack and into the pit. There’s nothing flashier than a big strike!

But more often than not, I don’t get a strike. Most of the time, a pin or two is left standing after my first ball. When that happens, I have to knock down those left over pins to get the spare with my second ball. As much as I love to get a big strike, the key to getting a good bowling score is to pick up those spares. Missing a spare can be the difference between a win and a loss. Spares are a vital part of the game, but how often do you see someone at the bowling alley practicing nothing but spare shots? It’s a lot like practicing putting in golf, or foul shots in basketball. They seem like easy points, but without practice we can miss out on those easy points and cost ourselves the victory.

This reminds me of the discipline of spiritual practices: Prayer, fasting, bible-reading, worship attendance, giving, and many others. Spending time on the fundamental practices of our faith helps to form us and shape us each day so that when the tough times come we are prepared for whatever comes our way. They’re called ‘practices’ for a reason. Time spent doing the mundane, routine practices of faith prepares us to handle the highs and lows of everyday life.

How often is it that our life seems out-of-control, chaotic, and miserable? How often is it that we wonder where God is in our situation in life? When we spend time practicing our faith through the simple steps, we are prepared when life becomes difficult. Sometimes when we are wondering why we are not hearing from God, the answer is because we haven’t opened our Bible in months, or haven’t come to worship, or haven’t said a prayer in weeks. We wonder why our finances are so difficult when we haven’t practiced disciplined giving.

Practicing our faith isn’t always going to look flashy or be exciting. I’ve practiced shooting ten pins, those pins on the edge of the lane, with people bowling next to me. I’ve heard them snicker at me when my score is very low, or when I throw a gutter ball at a full rack of pins. Spending time practicing spiritual disciplines often times isn’t going to win us any “style points.” We might even be laughed at. But in the end, we’ll pick up more of those spares in life along the way.