Cutler Ridge United Methodist Church

The Holy Post - Sep 07 [PDF]

Dear Friends,

Recently I took a photographed copy of the Dead Sea Scroll of Isaiah to a meeting.  Even though no one else there could read it, I took it to make a point.  The first word of that ancient Hebrew manuscript of Isaiah is “Vision.”  It is the vision of Isaiah, which he saw.  God revealed these ideas to Isaiah more than 2700 years ago.  And that particular manuscript is 2100 years old.  Isaiah’s preaching had to do with the nation of Judah, its past, its present and its future.  He reminded them of God’s work among them in the past and God’s expectation of them in that moment as they looked toward the future.

Isn’t it ironic that “vision” is still so important for nations, for businesses and for churches in the 21st century.  We worked hard on our vision with Natural Church Development (NCD).  Most of our leaders are aware of that vision.  It is a good one.  However, most members of our congregation did not take part in the process of catching our vision.  Also NCD takes a snapshot of where we are and pushes us into the future.  A missing component of that process is the past, where God has been working in our congregation for nearly 50 years.  Isaiah based his vision on what God had been doing in Judah and Israel for hundreds of years.  It was on the basis of the past that he called the nation to act in the present to live into God’s vision.

ReFocus is a new program which should help involve more of us in the discussion of where we have been, where we are and where we are going.  As pastor, I believe it is crucial for any congregation, to have a clear vision of what God is calling them to do.  On the basis of our understanding, we will march together into the future with a clear mandate from our Lord about what we are to do in this community.  In this process I am convinced God will give us “serenity to accept the things we cannot change, the courage to change the things we can and the wisdom to know the difference.” (Reinhold Niebuhr)

~Sam

Read the entire newsletter online: The Holy Post - Sep 07 [PDF]