VISION? QUESTION OF HEARING AND DOING!

Where there is no vision, the people perish.” (KJV Proverbs 29:18) Until I reviewed this entire verse for this article, I always saw “vision” as a “hopeful dream.” Vision for us often means just that, “an object of imagination.”  And we do need to dream! We must imagine success if we are to realize success.  “The thought is the father of the deed.” Without a dream, a goal, a vision of what should be, we may soon “become weary in doing good.”  (Galatians 6: 9) Our spiritual zeal may no longer be a fire; we could grow lukewarm, or worse, completely cold.

    Visions of our greater usefulness in the church will serve to give us zeal and a zest for doing good works. Our visions help us to fulfill Paul’s exhortation: “never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.” (Romans 12:11) In the first century when a famine came to Jerusalem and Palestine, the Holy Spirit and Paul set a goal before the churches of Asia Minor and the Greek cities of Athens, Corinth, Lystra, and Derbe: Let’s give money to buy food for the poor Christians in Jerusalem!
    At that moment, there was a vision! Here was a worthy goal! They could say within themselves: We will do as Jesus has told us to do- treat others as we would like to be treated. No doubt, many sold their possessions in order to give and prayed for a great offering to be made!

    This year, as a congregation, we have three goals before us. One is a vision of a new building program. Steve has given us research data that indicate our ability to reach others in the community with the “Good News,”   can be limited or hindered by something as simple as cramped facilities, too crowded seating in the worship, no space for  doing the good works of feeding the poor, clothing the needy, and developing outreach programs that serve people’s spiritual  needs.

    But if this goal is to be realized, if the vision is to be a reality and not just a dream, then  all of us must be as Nehemiah and the Jews who rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem- “They worked with all their heart!”   (Neh., 4:6) We need to be excited about the possibility of greater evangelism
offered by a new building program.

    Each one of us should begin to talk with one another about this building program, to ask questions, to share ideas, to seek a consensus of thought  about what is needed. How much seating space is required? How will parking be accommodated? What programs  will be offered now and ten years from now? How can we plan the space now for these future projects? Do we need a completely new building lot?  Can we have one congregation and two campuses? (A novel idea.) What are your VISIONS?

— Hugh Price