|
||||||||
| Reset | |||||||
|
It's pretty easy to become distracted in a world of so many possibilities, choices, and information at our fingertips. We have smart phones, GPS, blogs, and social media. Losing focus of our priorities is a simple mistake to make. The same thing can happen in the church. We have varying worship styles, uses for technology, and communication techniques that cater to our own theological perspectives or favorite areas of ministry. Yet it was amid all of these different voices that the task of creating a unified vision statement for the Church of the Brethren for the rest of the decade was born. A common vision? For such a diverse group? Was it possible? We were going to find out. Most of us who gathered to begin this task came with our own beliefs about what the statement should most emphasize. Evangelism and creating lively worshiping communities were musts for me, but I soon discovered that others had different priorities. Eventually the group decided that we should follow the example of the old Schwarzenau Brethren who re-examined the first century church. We decided to examine the essence of being Christian from a Church of the Brethren perspective. This process was similar to pushing a reset button on a computer. Pushing a "reset button" on our vision allowed us to talk in simple, direct terms about the heart of our faith. And when we did, we realized that we hadn't started in such different places after all. It turns out that evangelism, peace and justice, and an authentic relationship with God all grow from the same roots. It's all about how we see our role as Christians and as Brethren. We acknowledged that our vision comes through scripture. It is based on Jesus' call for us to live as courageous disciples in both word and action, surrendering to God's will and embracing one another, and expressing love for all creation. Our vision also includes discussing what all those words mean by using the accompanying study guide. Good stewardship sometimes requires throwing off entanglements and distractions in order to re-focus on the essentials of our calling. The result, I believe, can be an opportunity for the whole church to un-clutter itself and examine – as moderator Tim Harvey wisely pointed out – not where we are NOW, but where God is calling the Brethren to be. David Sollenberger is a member of Mount Wilson Church of the Brethren in Lebanon, Pa. He has produced many videos for the denomination, and each year leads the taping of Annual Conference. To find more resources, videos, and information about the Church of the Brethren Denominational Vision Statement, visit http://www.brethren.org/vision. |
|
||||||
 |
 |