Consistency

Many are quite able to ask for help with a personal struggle, only some have a group they would trust with something important. Many others have trouble admitting need, though most can request assistance when the need is great. Many have heard an eloquent speaker and have been swayed by a convincing argument to an idea they would not otherwise have considered. Some can relate an instance when they have been taken in, and in some way conned, by some slippery salesman. Few, it seems, can tell of an entire group reaching consensus on a contentious issue without the aid of a charismatic leader. Why is it that group decisions are so hard to come by?

Stubbornness and its brother, pride, certainly deserve part of the blame. C. S. Lewis called this "The Great Sin" and wrote an entire chapter about it in his book, Mere Christianity. He rightly points out that no other vice is more easily recognized in another and more denied in ourselves. There are certainly other pressures that make group decisions difficult, lack of patience, hero worship, and indecisiveness among them, but devout, dedicated Christians are on guard against them and should be able to minimize their presence. And religious belief should confer an advantage, as it is driven by an innate capacity to empathize and a need to form strong relationship bonds. Still, faithful reliance on supportive group discernment is very rare.

Perhaps this is because we are not in it for the long term. The fast advance of technology and the rapid pace that one fad is replaced by another raises the expectation that all facets of life will change quickly. There is no longer room for habits that are nurtured over decades, that are passed from one generation to the next largely unaltered. Life is changing with such breakneck speed that very little is allowed to be constant. From location to vocation to pastime to spouse, even core relationships are no longer reliable, changing often for some people. In such a fluid environment, there is a strong need for a stable anchor, an unshakable foundation, a connection to bedrock that can serve as a reference point from which all else is measured.

No doubt, the church is frequently expected to be this source of stability. But that is unfortunate. For even while the core beliefs of the church are fixed, their expression must change to retain relevance, but those seeking tradition often do not allow this. Classic hymns may need to be replaced by praise songs, organs by guitars and drums, hard pews by soft chairs, stained glass by overhead projectors, dresses and ties by jeans and t-shirts, fruit punch by Starbucks. Any more, it is truly the exceptional minister that can adequately serve all ages and ethnicities. More to the point, only a congregation with exceptional focus on the Holy Spirit is free to reach out to diverse needs in the best way to meet each one.

A close look at the members of such a congregation will surely show a strong, supportive community, filled with grace, practiced in prayer, and completely reliant on the Holy Spirit. This congregation engages, challenges and encourages one another; together they have conquered the vices that separate and divide. They have achieved the goals so many set for their Lenten observances and have woven them into their dynamic lives. Moreover, they have incorporated these same practices into their communal life, infusing the business of the organization with the Living Word. In this unity of direction, individual and corporate, service to God is entwined with service to neighbor and both are strengthened.

May God show you how to turn your Lenten observances into church-wide practices.