Components of the Soil: Practices
Whenever you fly Southwest Airlines with someone else, you always hope that your boarding number is low enough that you and your traveling companion can sit together. The upside of flying Southwest is affordability. The downside is that there are no guaranteed seat assignments.
As we boarded the plane that day, we could see that there were seats together in the back of the plane. We weren’t making any connections, so we made our way to the very back of the plane to select our seats. As we walked by the flight attendant, we smiled and exchanged greetings. There were two of us. There were empty three seats in the last row. It was a long flight so we sat down, hoping that the middle seat would remain empty. The flight attendant made her way to the back next to us. As we chatted, she mentioned that there were a few empty seats on this flight and then she said, “Tell you want. I’ll stand right in front of your row. Hopefully that will encourage folks to leave your middle seat open.” Happily for us, the plan worked. Throughout the flight, we watched as the flight attendant talked with folks, shared warm smiles, and efficiently kept her passengers safe and happy. As we left the plane, we thanked the flight attendant for her generous hospitality and perhaps not surprisingly, the next time we needed to fly, we went straight to Southwest’s website to book the ticket.
At no point on that flight, did anyone on the plane mention that Southwest Airlines’ value statement is “to become the world’s most loved, most flown, and most profitable airline,” but through her actions, the flight attendant made that vision statement a reality, not just words on a piece of paper.
Practice what you preach.
Actions speak louder than words.
A picture is worth a thousand words.
Go and proclaim the Gospel. Use words if necessary.
In a world where far too many people say one thing and do something else, one way that we put our faith into action and grow in our relationship with God is through the faith practices that we undertake as individuals and as congregations.
Throughout the soil of your congregation, you will find practices that both shape who you are as a congregation and teach others about what it means to followers of Jesus. The regular practices of your congregation could include weekly worship or a helping ministry or the way you structure a meeting. Some practices are intentional, and others are learned patterns of behavior shared from one individual to the next. Some practices serve as a cornerstone to congregational life, and others are roadblocks holding the congregation from reaching its full potential.
Naming the practices that are a key part of your congregation’s soil helps you to see how your congregation’s faith in Jesus is being put into action and reflected through the way you live and interact with each other. Naming the practices that are a key part of your congregation’s soil, also gives you the opportunity to determine if those practices should be amended to bring them in line God’s call for your congregation in this time and place.
Reflection by Pastor John Wertz, Jr.
Questions for Reflection:
The following questions can help you unearth the key practices of your congregation.
- Make a list of the faith practices your congregation undertakes on a weekly or monthly basis.
- Make a list of the day-to-day activities that support your congregation’s ministry.
- In what ways do we say ‘thank you’ to those who share their gifts?
- Where does prayer and scripture study appear in our life together?