Things I Used to Do

There are some things I used to do that I don’t do anymore. Is that a bad thing? Let’s see.

My dad hunted each year with a bow. So I got a bow as well, and we would set up bales of straw in the back yard and target practice, and visit dad’s hunting partner’s family on Sunday afternoons and shoot some more. It was fun. I thought I was getting better at it, though I remember losing a lot of arrows. I still have that bow, but haven’t drawn the bow in the last twenty years. 

My father also introduced me to tennis when I was in Jr. High. I think he wanted to get me involved in a pursuit that would take away the dangers of too much idle time. I took lessons and played in high school and college. I won one trophy - just one - and actually got to play in the NAIA nationals in Kansas City, only to lose in the first round of both singles and doubles. And, I haven’t played tennis in a couple of years.

I was awarded a college scholarship in music for winning a solo brass competition. I actually got to perform in the Seattle Opera House, and then played at Brian and Inna White’s wedding in Moody Church in Chicago. My Bach trombone sits in the corner of my office, available to play at any time, though it hasn’t been touched in months. Things I used to do.

But what if someone were to say, “I used to gather with other believers on a regular basis for worship.” We commonly call this “going to church,” but since it can take so many forms, I think “gathering for worship” is better. But if it’s a “used to,” does it matter? Has anything been lost. I think so. We all worship something, and the gathering with other people who love Jesus helps steer our worship in the right paths.

Or what if someone were to say, “I used to talk to God about everything.” Prayer was counted as a privilege and a blessing that was integrated into the fabric of life. Does it matter if prayer joins the list of our “used to’s?” I think so, because if prayer is the breath of the soul, then prayerlessness in the soul of someone who claims to love Jesus indicates something akin to emphysema. 

What did you “used to do” that has been laid aside, but you would like to take up again? Would you consider the role of worship and prayer in your life? It’s September. I think it would be really interesting to see if I can pull that bow again.