Making a Habit of It 

Habit: noun an acquired mode of behaviour that has become nearly or completely involuntary 

Whether we admit it or not, we are all creatures of habit. Every day, there are countless tasks we perform in a routine manner, as if on autopilot. We wake up, we put the kettle on, we imbibe some caffeine and then we’re able to start the day. Have you ever noticed how there are times when you make a journey, perhaps a daily commute, and you arrive home with little or any consciousness of the process, as if it just happened? That’s the power of habit. If we had to think deliberately about every daily task our minds would soon run out of processing capacity – thank goodness, for habits and all that mental energy they save us.

We may not realise it, but habits represent one of the most powerful forces in our lives, both for good and ill. Consider some of the bad habits that any of us can fall into: the practice of scrolling on our phones late at night, right up to the point when we fall into bed with our minds still racing from the stimulation of screen time; or our tendency to always say ‘yes’, that leaves us constantly overloaded. And, if we’re not paying attention, these habits can be the harbinger of some deeper problem that needs to be resolved: that habit of reaching for a beer or glass of wine to help you unwind every night could, if unchecked, be sowing the seeds of an addiction.

These are the ways in which our characters are formed, sometimes without us realising it. As the American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson famously put it: ‘Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny.’

These are themes we’ll be exploring in our new sermon series, which begins on Sunday 4 June. Over the last 18 months, we’ve been reflecting on the values which are listed in our church statement – now we want to explore ways in which they might be embedded in our daily lives. What would it like for these values to be more than a set of terms that unite us, but also a set of behaviours that characterise how we relate to one another and how we witness to the difference Jesus makes in our lives when we spend time with our friends and neighbours?

We have agreed on our desire to be a God-centred church. What practices of prayer, study and reflection might each of us embed in our daily lives, enabling us to go deeper in our relationship with God?

We are committed to being a serving church. Would it be possible for you to build into your routine one regular act of service – to church, or to a neighbour or colleague? And how might this be a means of not just blessing others but discovering more of God’s character, the nature of our Saviour who ‘made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant’ (Phil 2:7)?

We also aspire to be a generous church. Could you make a weekly practice of giving something to someone else? This doesn’t have to be a financial gift. It could be the gift of encouragement, the gift of passing on knowledge, the gift of helping someone starting out by giving them an opportunity, the thoughtfulness of a card or letter.

The fourth value in our vision statement speaks of our desire to be a kingdom church, a community of people who help others catch a glimpse of how life is different after the arrival of Jesus who breaks down boundaries – who spent time with outcasts and who has made in himself ‘one new humanity’, creating peaceful relationships between those who were previously divided. What would it look like to each of us to grow kingdom habits in our lives? Could you commit to sharing a drink or a meal once a month with someone who has different perspectives or experiences to you, someone of a different age or background?

Our fifth value is that which speaks of being a courageous church. Are there habits you could form which could be a means of developing a braver, more audacious faith? Could you commit yourself to opening yourself to one new perspective each season or begin some new activity in church or the community that takes you out of your comfort zone?

Finally, our sixth value articulates our desire to be a contemplative church. How might you intentionally slow down the pace of life to create more times of silence and stillness when you can draw closer to God? Could you detach from technology and social media for, say, one hour per day and for a 24 hour period each week?

These are just a few suggestions about the new habits we might form over the coming months. My hope and prayer is that exploring these themes will open each of us up to the possibility of how we might grow and deepen our trust in God, both as individuals and as a church.