Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful… And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Col. 3: 15,17)
Living in thanksgiving, that is, living eucharistically is an acquired skill. The goal of the Christian athlete is to learn how to offer all their play and practice up to God in Jesus Christ. Paul put it this way in his letter to church of Rome, Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:1-2) Here Paul instructs us in where we are to begin so that we may accomplish such an offering of our lives. We are no longer to approach our lives, or the sport we play, in the way in which those that are not Christians do. Rather we are to learn a new pattern for living and being in this world, one that is fashioned after Jesus Christ – a life that is not based upon self-creation, and thus self-interest, but one that flows from the self-sacrificial love of God.
I believe when we come across language like “renew your mind” we are conditioned by our modern rational worldview that what Paul is referring to is some sort of information or data that we need to acquire, thus if we can just learn this information and put it into practice in our lives we will accomplish the task of “renewing our minds”. Developing a “skill”, as athletes know first hand, is much more than mastering information; it requires our whole being – body, mind, and heart. “Skills” are developed/acquired within a disciplined nexus of “practices”. (Here, the word “practices” refers to all different means through which one develops a skill; athletic practice is one of those “practices”.) For athletes these “practices” include working with a coach (or master) to learn certain habits and skills as well as over time to help with the polishing and perfecting of these skills. Acquiring skills takes time and usually a lot of repetitions, hence the hours and hours of practice an athlete endures. In addition, to acquire a skill the athlete has to be engaged in the sport, that is, playing it with and against other skilled athletes. First off, you learn through doing; and here both failure and success can become means for the greater development of a skill. Second, as the old cliché states, “iron sharpens iron!” Typically when we play with or compete against the best it has the tendency to bring out the best in us. Furthermore, it provides us a gauge to judge the development of that skill as well as to assess the process whereby we are seeking to cultivate a skill. Athletes develop and hone skills by submersing themselves within a particular nexus of “practices” – being coached, regular practice, and competing.
Learning to live eucharistically is cultivated in much the same way; it is acquired within a nexus of “practices” that make up what we Christians call the Church. Being Christian has less to do with learning certain propositions, and more about acquiring the skill of living in Christ – becoming participants of the Divine life (2 Peter 1:4). Like athlete’s, acquiring the skill of living eucharistically is greatly aided by mentors in the Church, those spiritual fathers and mothers that have themselves hard won such a way of being in the world. But above all, this skill is acquired in and through the Church’s worship. The Church’s worship is at one and the same time the “practice” and “play” of living thankfully. And just like developing a skill in sports, this one also takes time and repetition – being engaged in the regular act of corporate liturgical worship. In other words, we become eucharistic though our participation in the Eucharist worship of the Church. Living in thanksgiving arises out of our communion with God, and nowhere is this relationship more fully experienced than in the liturgical worship of the Church.
Ultimately, salvation is none other than participation in the Divine life, and thus God desires that we love and experience Him with our whole being. Therefore, God has given us “means of grace” that engage not only our audible senses (Word), but also those visual and tactile senses (Sacraments) as well. These core practices are the work of Spirit and the means through which Spirit carries its sanctifying/saving mission within the church. Performing these acts within the holy community gives the believer the opportunity to encounter the living Presence of Christ. These sacramental “acts of love” are designed to open the heart’s door and allow an individual to encounter Jesus Christ as He is. And it is this encounter with the living Christ that forms us into His image and likeness – that is, we acquire the skill of offering our lives “as a living sacrifice”.
My hope over the next several posts is to provide a road map for cultivating the skill of living eucharistically. Everything I say going forward is secondary to primary practice of liturgical corporate worship. Where do we begin (and end) to acquire the skill of living in thanksgiving? The Corporate Liturgical Eucharist Worship of the Church. As I have noted before, often times it is difficult for athletes to attend Sunday worship because they are having compete on that day. My suggestion is to find a church that offers worship at different times. There are several churches that offer Saturday or Sunday evening services. My own Anglican parish offers a 12:15pm service everyday of the week. It may take some looking around (effort) to locate something that works with your schedule, but again my encouragement is to find a place that you can regularly participate in this all important skill forming activity.