“Practice Makes Permanent”

Joel 2:1-2, 12-17;  Psalm 51:1-17; and Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21
Delivered ASH WEDNESDAY, March 5, 2014 at Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church
New York, NY

AUDIO     |     MANUSCRIPT

[audio http://mapc.bndpr.com/mp3files/2014-03-05.mp3 ]

Fred told me this week about an organist who every morning would practice his scales while reading the New York Times. Andrew Henderson remembered reaching to turn the page for another organist during a Bach concert, and discovering a hot rod magazine instead of sheet music. My favorite basketball player is famous for dribbling two balls while playing dodgeball or jumping rope while wearing weights. These people like all elite performers, practice regular, scheduled, methodical exercises every single day until the basic rhythms become instinctual and habitually faithful responses to any situation.

Regular, scheduled, methodical practice is even more important to our faithful lives. The Christian disciplines of penitence, prayer, scripture, fasting, and alms are our practice methods. They are our scales, our free throws, our vocal stretches, and even our wind sprints. We repeat them regularly, even systematically, so that when life comes at us too fast to think, our instincts will be faithful. We practice not because practice makes perfect. If you practice wrong you’ll perform wrong, but if you practice well you perform well, because practice makes permanent. PRACTICE MAKES PERMANENT…

TO READ THE REST OF “PRACTICE MAKES PERMANENT” CHECK OUT THE MANUSCRIPT.