In a recent mentoring meeting with someone, the conversation moved to how we learn how to do 'Christian' as a way of life. How do we learn Christian spirituality, behaviour, cultural norms, prayer, habits of church attendance, singing, speech, etc. etc. etc. etc.? How did you?
The theological answer, depending on your inclination, is something like 'from church tradition' or 'from the Bible'. The practical answer is often 'from your mentors and peers'. Prayer, for example, is more often 'caught' than 'taught' - we imitate forms and fashions of prayer, rather than practice what we might read in a textbook.
That's why it's one thing to say that prayer is important and ought to happen and even preach it - and quite another to model prayerfulness and to model Scripture-soaked, wise, discerning, effective, humble, entreating, God-glorifying, Christ-centred, Spirit-impassioned prayer.
That's also why it's important to be formed both by the Scriptures and by Scripture-soaked exemplars.
What's true of the school of prayer, is true of the school of Christian living. We learn from the Bible, but we are also formed by the Christians around us. You can't have one without the other. And both are less than fully effective without the other. So I hope that those of us who are doing 'Christian' have this double commitment in our hearts and minds: to God's Word and God's people.
so cheeeem! i always knew you were a bad influence.
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