Practice

I was a much younger man when I first heard someone use the expression, “Practicing Christian,” to describe herself. It struck me as odd at the time because I had grown up believing that either you were a Christian or you weren’t. Over the years, though, I’ve developed an appreciation for Christian practice. I’ve discovered that transformation and practice go hand in hand.

For 43 years, I’ve been a practicing guitarist. One of these days, I think, I just might get the hang of it. I started, like most players, learning basic chord shapes and strumming patterns. A little later, I learned how to use the fingers of my right hand to pick the strings. Over time, I was able to play chords away from first position (closest to the nut). One day, a kindly gentleman showed me the thumbpicking guitar style of Merle Travis, handed me a Fred Kelly Speed Pick and said, “See what you can do with this.”

Now I’m learning to play rolls. Every little bit of progress has added a new layer of skill to my playing, and at every step, I started slowly. By moving slowly between new chord shapes, I trained my fingers to land on them as comfortably as that first position C that I started with. Those rolls, the ones that, for now, are just out of reach, get played slowly while the thumb and fingers of my right hand learn to do something new. With each day and each practice session, rolls are getting closer to my grasp.

Every new skill starts slow. Practice builds comfort. A skill is accomplished when I’m no longer thinking about playing it; I’m just playing it. A new skill is settled when I can play it and carry on a conversation at the same time.

The ongoing process of developing a new skill by starting slow, repeating it and gaining proficiency has been transforming. It has transformed me from a kid with a guitar to a guitarist, and it’s a transformation that is still going on. It’s a transformation that will go on, I hope, until they lay me to rest.

So the expression, “Practicing Christian,” has started to make a whole lot more sense. Although becoming a Christian begins with conversion or the confession of faith, to some it begins with baptism, whatever the starting point, it is only the beginning. It’s like getting a guitar and learning that first position C chord.

From there on, the life of faith requires practice. Fundamentals, gifts and skills like prayer, discernment, study, teaching and such must be practiced, starting slow, repeating and gaining proficiency. It’s a transformation that, hopefully, continues until our final breath.

From time to time I get asked, “When did you become a Christian?”

I think the best answer is: “I’m still becoming a Christian.”