An Ounce of Practice
March 12, 2024
Lydia Mulkey
“But God said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.’ So I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.”
~2 Corinthians 12:9
This Sunday is our final week of the “Practice” sermon series. We have explored the spiritual practices of thinking, praying, doing justice, fasting, and on Sunday we will conclude with the practice of giving as we kick off our stewardship campaign.
Mahatma Gandhi said, “An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching.” I supposed it’s good we stop preaching about these things and get to practicing. If you’re anything like me, you really wish practice actually did make perfect as the old saying goes, but of course it doesn’t.
In her book “Practicing: Changing Yourself to Change the World,” Kathy Escobar says,
But when it comes to a life of practice, there are no perfect scores to shoot for, no A+’s to earn, no accolades to receive. We are going to bring our beautiful, flawed, amazing, neurotic, tired, and energized selves to play over and over again as we open our hearts and experiences to practicing, falling, learning, crawling, and trying to live a more embodied life in a fragmented world.
If you’re trying to practice your faith but feeling a little like you’re trying to waltz on black ice, just know that you’re not alone. None of us are doing this perfectly. We’re all just practicing. Grant yourself some grace and try again tomorrow.
