What a night we just had at the Soiled Dove Underground for another session of Finding the Groove Live!  We talked about how jazz offers an alternative to the models of the melting pot and the salad bowl when it comes to relationships, namely…

"Ensemble:  A unit of complementary parts that contribute to a sing effect.  From the French meaning, "together."  From the Latin, meaning "at the same time."

There are many characteristics to Ensemble Community, one of them is practice.  Life in Concert is made possible through practice…practice…practice!  In jazz practice takes many forms…

• Casual Apprenticships
• Jam Sessions
• Time in the "Wood Shed"

I think we are at the point in American Christianity where we need to distinguish between "cultural" Christians and "practicing" Christians.

So here are the questions:  What is a practicing Christian?  What should we expect from each other as followers of Christ?  If someone were to follow Christ and be in church for a number of years, are there certain things we should be able to count on each other for when it comes to life in concert?

To sum it up, how would you finish the following sentence:  A practicing Christian…