Keystone Habits

Have you ever seen a Roman arch with a keystone rock piece at the top that holds it all together? This single rock is the key to balancing the other pieces of the arch and keeping the structure intact.  

In his book The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg defines keystone habits as “small changes or habits that people introduce into their routines that unintentionally carry over into other aspects of their lives.”  

September is fresh. School starts up again. Summer begins to fade and Fall takes center stage. These seasonal changes allow us the chance to begin again. I'm always excited in the Fall to ask the question: "what do I want to do differently in this season?" 

How about you? Is there any kind of change you're looking for in this season when it comes to your walk with God? Perhaps it's growing closer to Christ. Or maybe it's learning more about the life of faith. It could be the desire to feel more connected to people, and less isolated on your journey of faith. 

Oftentimes there are "keystone" habits that have significant carryover into the rest of our spiritual life. For us those keystone habits are what we call "Rooted in Faith" practices (see this presentation for more info) – and these are Bible reading/study, worship, and prayer. In the gospels we see Jesus attending synagogue as well as reading/interpreting the Bible, and spending time in prayer. He did this both daily and weekly with his disciples and also alone! 

This rhythm of daily time with Christ and weekly time with followers of Jesus is like that cornerstone or "keystone" that brings the parts of our spiritual life together. There are many more things to think about, but these are essential. That's what makes them "keystone" habits.

As we head into the Fall, I encourage you to take stock of your habits, and particularly the ones that positively influence all of the rest. There are different opportunities and resources available to you. I know our elders and staff would also love to talk to you about how you can grow in this season. Let us know how we can support you! 

I look forward to our time on Sunday as we look at what it means for all of us to use our gifts in the community and world. We're also "blessing everything but a backpack" for the kids and we got a bunch of other fun things planned. 

Also, please be in prayer for our Leader Gathering on Sunday night as all our volunteers gather to kick off the year! 

With joy in the journey, 

Jeff