Doctors and Lawyers do. But Christians?

When we encounter a doctor we ask them where they practice. 

When we meet a lawyer we ask them what sort of law do they practice. 

Christianity is not thought of as a practice. Christians talk about ourselves as "people of the Book" as "believers" as "born again", but all of these names we give ourselves imply that once you become a Christian you are compete. There is an assumption that being a Christian is just another name for being a nice moral person, and morality is (in American culture) built on utilitarianism philosophy. 

However, Christianity is not something that is easily understood. It is not something that you just "get" one day. It is not something that you believe it is something that you do. And to be "good at it" we have to practice it. Which why we have a teacher - Jesus - and a "helper" - the Holy Spirit - and a model - God. We are a people who practice the ways of love. We are a people of practice, and we (in the Wesley tradition) talk about moving on toward being made perfect in love. 

The only way to reach being made perfect in love is by practicing. 

Christianity is not a religion of virtue but of grace. Christianity is not a religion of morality but of Love. Christianity is not a way of believing but a way of being. Christianity is not mastered it is practiced. 

To all my Christian sisters and brothers I ask us all, "Where is your practice?"