Simple is NOT easy

So I begin to blog this past summer.  Four blogs then silence.  Blogging is simple.  Put thoughts on a screen and push publish.  But no blogs for several months.  

Or trying to change my life--loose weight, get organize and live abundantly.  Sounds simple.  But it's not.  

Perhaps the problem in the Church is that we are more attuned to easy rather than simple.  Simple takes time to master.  We like easy.  We like to push the easy button and magic occurs.  Simple is different.  Simple requires practice.  Ah, perhaps that's the missing word, practice.  Practice implies effort, repeatability and sustainability. 

The more I'm part of a church community, the more I'm beginning to believe that the Church is not lacking in orthodoxy as much as orthopraxis.  What the church as understood and done for centuries are the spiritual disciplines.  Wesley called the means of grace--study, pray, etc.

Disciplines require effort, repeatability and sustainability.   

This thought resonated with me earlier today.  I go to the gym to run on a treadmill for 30 minutes and 15 minutes on an elliptical walker.  I don't like to go.  However, the accountability of having to loose 5 pounds by Sunday, December 7 and weigh in front of the congregation drives me forward.  Call it shame!  It works.  I'm within 2 pounds and possibly will close the gap in the next couple days with good dieting and exercising.  Disciplines.  Simply though not easy.  

Let's shoot for simple instead of easy.