The Trouble with Visions

I stayed up too late last night. My mind was thinking about the vision of this church. In our Mission study we have stated that the vision for the church for 2005-2010 is:

"Our main vision is institutional redevelopment. By the year 2010 we wish to be a viable and growing church that is an effective witness and servant to our target neighborhood."

Is that really a vision statement? I don't disagree with that statement nor mean to criticize any or all that worked on it. But is that really a vision of the future or just a wish. It seems to generic. Of course we want to be viable! Of course we want to be an effective witness. But how? Where is the vision to get us there.

Reading in Nehemiah I am struck in all the people that help complete the vision of God given to Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem. It goes on and on about the different people responsible for the different tasks in the rebuilding. Can we be a church that comes together with a long list of people that see the vision and complete it? Where does our vision come from?

As I struggle with the question of whether or not I am a visionary, it occurred to me that Nehemiah wasn't a visionary. God had the vision and gave it to Nehemiah. God has the one that gave him all that he needed to fulfill the vision. Nehemiah also experienced resistence and enemies. The road to receiving and completing the vision was littering with danger and obstacles. Are we prepare to go down that road? Are we prepare to journey with God and see the vision He has for Christ Presbyterian Church? Tough questions.

So what do we do? What is the first step in finding out the vision of God for us. Who will be the one or the people that receive the vision? I don't know, It meant not be me. However, I think the direction we need to take is to study and live in His Word together (together being key) and be in prayer together. We need more time to study and pray together. And just start living out God's will for us: LOVE GOD, LOVE NEIGHBOR, MAKING DISCIPLES. By just doing that and entering into God's will in the every day ordinary moments of our lives, I think God will give us the vision--if he hasn't already.