Practitioners

Angela Melville recently forwarded to me a journal entry from a cousin, Berry Simpson. As I read it, I experienced one of those “I wish I’d said that!” moments. Parenhetically, I will add that these days I spend less time wishing I had said whatever it is, and more time simply being grateful that someone said it for me. I am very grateful to this journal-writer, and am quoting him with his permission.

Simpson wrote about listening to an NPR Weekend Edition interview with Stuart Davis, musician, writer, and comic. He recalled that Davis described himself as a Buddhist practitioner, adding, “I have followed that path for 15 years.” I heard the same interview, but missed the implication of the word, “practitioner.” Simpson got it and reflected on it. He wrote: “I wondered why we don’t use language like that about following Jesus. Why don’t I say ‘I am a Christian practitioner—I have been following the path of Jesus for 45 years’? I am comfortable to say, I believe in Jesus; why is it uncomfortable to say, I practice Jesus?”

I have said to a number of people that there are few things I regret about the process of aging—only my diminished eyesight, and before that, my ability to sing pleasantly and happily. When I mentioned the latter loss to a person who knows something about singing, the question came back: “When do you sing? How much do you sing? Do you practice?”

Oops…no good answers. Once my preaching schedule took me out of the Sanctuary Choir, I stopped singing except during worship services. I do not practice. At first I didn’t realize how the weekly choir rehearsal kept me in good voice. After a year or two, however, I realized that the time for me to sing solos was past. I thought about practicing at home, but found that I felt a little silly trying to vocalize alone. And now, sadly, I often do not like the sound of my own singing voice. I wonder how it would be if I had practiced.

Being a practitioner of medicine, the field in which we most often use that word, requires extensive training and on-the-job experience. Those who leave the field for even a short time say it takes real effort to catch up when they return. Better to keep at it!

Being a Christian takes practice. Better to keep at it! Being a Christian means practicing the presence of God through prayer, meditation, study, worship, and action. Not everyone needs exactly the same combination—our prescriptions will vary, depending on our spiritual type, situation, and time of life. And in this community of practitioners, you can get a lot of help finding your way and support for your practice.

That’s the way it is for me with singing—I don’t sound the way I used to, but when I sing with you at church, it’s not so bad. Maybe I’ll practice at home, imagining that you are with me. In music, as in Christian prayer, study, worship, and action—perhaps even meditation—there is great support in having others with us as we practice. We can help each other be practitioners of the Christian faith, following that path together.

Simpson’s journal entry cites an encounter between Jesus and Peter. He writes: “In a well-known Bible story, Jesus asked Peter, one of his closest friends and disciples, “Do you love me?” following with the specific command, “Feed my sheep.” (John 21:15-17) In other words, don’t just say you love me, do something about it. Don’t just love, act. In other words, be a practitioner.”

Thanks, Berry Simpson, for inspiring me to practice!