Habits Don’t Form By Accident

This article was written by Pastor Ted Carnahan for the Pastor’s column section of the Pilot this week:

I was perusing Facebook memories this week, and I found a picture of my then-five-year-old son, Peter, reading scripture for worship at our church in Nebraska. Monday - exactly ten years later - he confidently spoke in front of the JCC School Board. Needless to say, I'm really proud of him! So many good abilities, positive character traits, and worthwhile habits begin from a simple habit his mother and I cultivated with him: regular attendance and participation in church.

We live in a society that has deprioritized church attendance and which treats church as merely one option among many. But when we center worship and the Word of God in our families, we are not just choosing another good activity. We are providing a framework for daily living and the foundation for all of the other good activities that we pursue as a family.

Habits don't form by accident. They require regular, persistent, intentional effort. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of families discarded the habit of regular worship attendance. But that wasn't just the shedding of "yet another" activity, it has become a radical de-centering of family life.

Now is the time to rediscover the tradition of intentional family time in worship every week. In this season of Lent, we traditionally pursue the disciplines of fasting, prayer, and generosity. These are virtuous when they direct our attention to the words and promises of Jesus Christ. May you "seek the Lord while he may be found" (Isaiah 55:6) and center your life - and that of your family - in the worship of Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Peter reading scripture at our church in Nebraska on March 16, 2016.

Peter addressing the JCC School Board on March 16, 2026.