Always learning

I was at work the other day and I over heard a couple of tennis players chatting.  One player was clearly advanced in her ability yet she was telling the newby that she had scheduled a number of lessons with a tennis pro in Seattle.  The newer player exclaimed  "Really??? YOU still take lessons?  I'm shocked!"  The more advanced player smiled kindly and said simply  "Now I know enough to know I need guidance to play my best game.  After a couple of lessons, I find I am excited to play again.  I'm always learning."

Wow.  That spoke volumes to me.  Now I'm no tennis player, but I am a student of Christ.  A Jesus follower.  And I have been hanging out with and around Jesus followers for a while now... I gotta tell you, it's not often I hear anyone say they need to go study with someone, to get some "guidance"" so to speak, to be "on their game".  Nope.  Mostly it's just folks thinking they have the "formula" or "recipe" down pat.  We memorize scripture, we know our theology and our history.  Not to say there haven't been times when we were vibrantly alive and involved with our faith.  But for the most part the passion has settled into a comfortable routine with God.  Now maybe that's because I'm a Baptist and we are kinda big on the whole "priesthood of believers" thing... but maybe we Jesus followers just get comfortable with what we (think we) know, bad habits and all.  Me included.

So where would I go?  Who would I want to spend time with?  Well, I'm kinda a fan of "the old dead guys," so for me the first place I would go is probably Camp Bethel, toting a pile of books with writings of the Saints of old and some great music (hymns).  No phone, no television, just books, music, prayer, God and me.  Maybe after a week or two, I could feel that passion anew and have a centered focus renewed.  Ahhh, but then, I had a client tell me about a Catholic retreat center outside Tucson that you can stay for contemplative time.  The minimum stay is 30 days and you can stay up to 4 months.  Now while you might think me nuts, I am strangely attracted to it.  Not sure how long I could stay.  I imagine, like prayer, you should probably start out small, and work you way up to longer and longer times.  But I'm thinking it would probably take me a week to just clear my head and sleep. Then I might be open to what the Spirit had to say.  I have visions of a time set aside like that as being pivotal.

Perhaps as Lent moves towards Good Friday, this is all a good reminder for me to plan time to "get some guidance" and refresh my soul (my "game" so to speak).  Perhaps I need to make myself available for God to be at work in me.  Even Michelangelo at age 87 said "I am still learning".  I should be so blessed.

K