what is a christian practice

How can, and how do, our lives and our How can, and how do, our lives and our

life together participate in a way of life life together participate in a way of life

that reflects the Life of God, both when that reflects the Life of God, both when

we are gathered as church and when we we are gathered as church and when we

are dispersed into countless disparate are dispersed into countless disparate

circumstances? What is the shape of a circumstances? What is the shape of a

contemporary way of life that truly is life-contemporary way of life that truly is life-

giving in and for the sake of the world? giving in and for the sake of the world?

Christian practices are things Christian Christian practices are things Christian people do together over timepeople do together over time

to address fundamental needs and to address fundamental needs and

conditions of humanity and all creationconditions of humanity and all creation

in the light of and in response to God's in the light of and in response to God's active presence active presence

for the life of the world for the life of the world

in Jesus Christ.in Jesus Christ.

the practice of hospitality the practice of hospitality to strangersto strangers

An episode that stands out in your An episode that stands out in your memory, whether positive or memory, whether positive or

negative:negative:

Tell of a time when you offered Tell of a time when you offered or received hospitality.or received hospitality.

WHAT IS A CHRISTIANWHAT IS A CHRISTIAN PRACTICE?PRACTICE?

A Christian practice . . .A Christian practice . . .

addresses fundamental needs addresses fundamental needs and conditions of human beings and conditions of human beings [and all creation] through [and all creation] through practical human actspractical human acts


involves us in God's activities in involves us in God's activities in the world and reflects, in the the world and reflects, in the way we participate in the way we participate in the practice, God's grace and lovepractice, God's grace and love


is social . . . shared with others is social . . . shared with others and learned with and from and learned with and from others (though sometimes done others (though sometimes done alone)alone)


is historical . . . arising from is historical . . . arising from living tradition, having taken living tradition, having taken numerous forms in the past and numerous forms in the past and in various cultures around the in various cultures around the world . . . and able to adapt to world . . . and able to adapt to carry living tradition into new carry living tradition into new times and placestimes and places


embodies what we believe . . . embodies what we believe . . . and strengthens our beliefs by and strengthens our beliefs by grounding them in daily life grounding them in daily life experienceexperience


is thought-full . . . each practice is thought-full . . . each practice relies on and fosters certain relies on and fosters certain kinds of wisdom, knowledge, and kinds of wisdom, knowledge, and skillskill

A Christian practice . . .A Christian practice . . . is formative of the people who is formative of the people who

participate in it, who by participate in it, who by participating gain specific kinds of participating gain specific kinds of virtue, wisdom, knowledge, and skill virtue, wisdom, knowledge, and skill as individuals and in communityas individuals and in community

Note: a practice can be embraced by Note: a practice can be embraced by people of many different ages and people of many different ages and levels of expertiselevels of expertise


is important in Scripture and in is important in Scripture and in the ministry of Jesus the ministry of Jesus


can become distorted and can become distorted and corrupt, and so is open to corrupt, and so is open to criticism and reformcriticism and reform


is done within the church, in the is done within the church, in the public realm, in daily work, and public realm, in daily work, and at homeat home


comes to a focus in worshipcomes to a focus in worship


is a gift, not a taskis a gift, not a task


together with other practices, is together with other practices, is part of a way of life that part of a way of life that participates in the active Life of participates in the active Life of God for creation, for our God for creation, for our neighbors, and for ourselvesneighbors, and for ourselves



conditions of humanity and all conditions of humanity and all creationcreation




"Christian practices are not activities we "Christian practices are not activities we do to make something spiritual happen do to make something spiritual happen in in our lives. Nor are they duties we our lives. Nor are they duties we undertake to be obedient to God. undertake to be obedient to God. Rather, they are Rather, they are patterns of communal action that create patterns of communal action that create openings in our lives where the grace, openings in our lives where the grace, mercy, and presence of God may be mercy, and presence of God may be made known to us and, through us, to made known to us and, through us, to others.”others.”

Craig DykstraCraig Dykstra

SO WHAT?SO WHAT?

How does this idea of How does this idea of “practices” help us “practices” help us

think about—and live—the think about—and live—the Christian life?Christian life?

How does this idea of “practices” How does this idea of “practices” help us help us


It points beyond the It points beyond the individualism of the dominant individualism of the dominant culture while also valuing culture while also valuing unique, embodied persons. unique, embodied persons.



It helps us to understand our It helps us to understand our continuity with the (rich, continuity with the (rich, diverse, global, living) Christian diverse, global, living) Christian tradition.tradition.



It makes us think about who we It makes us think about who we truly are as the created and truly are as the created and newly created children of God. newly created children of God.



It helps us to see and strengthen It helps us to see and strengthen the connections among worship, the connections among worship, home, work, social justice, and home, work, social justice, and personal spirituality.personal spirituality.



It reminds those in ministry that It reminds those in ministry that Christian practices belong to Christian practices belong to all all Christians and orients the Christians and orients the practice of ministry toward practice of ministry toward building up a way of life in and building up a way of life in and for the world. for the world.



It calls us into the life of the It calls us into the life of the body, situating spirituality and body, situating spirituality and theology within the material theology within the material world. It sustains a sacramental world. It sustains a sacramental vision.vision.



It urges us to take time and care It urges us to take time and care to notice and craft the specific to notice and craft the specific forms each practice already forms each practice already takes and might more fully take takes and might more fully take within our own specific within our own specific circumstances.circumstances.



It reminds us of the importance It reminds us of the importance of formation over time.of formation over time.



It notices and seeks to It notices and seeks to strengthen the integrity between strengthen the integrity between what we believe and how we live.what we believe and how we live.

"Christian practices are not activities we "Christian practices are not activities we do to make something spiritual happen do to make something spiritual happen in in our lives. Nor are they duties we our lives. Nor are they duties we undertake to be obedient to God. undertake to be obedient to God. Rather, they are Rather, they are patterns of communal action that create patterns of communal action that create openings in our lives where the grace, openings in our lives where the grace, mercy, and presence of God may be mercy, and presence of God may be made known to us and, through us, to made known to us and, through us, to others.”others.”

Craig DykstraCraig Dykstra

Christian practices are things ChristianChristian practices are things Christianpeople do together over timepeople do together over time






what is a christian practice

Spiritual

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