People of Vision: Loving Boldly, Serving Joyfully, Leading Courageously
“Then the Lord answered me and said,
Write a vision, and make it plain upon a tablet
so that a runner can read it.
There is still a vision for the appointed time;
It testifies to the end;
it does not deceive.
If it delays, wait for it;
for it is surely coming; it will not be late.”
Many of us have played pin the tail on the donkey as children, or perhaps we’ve taken swings at a piñata. If not either of those games, most of us have played some version of a game that challenges you to find something or reach a goal while blindfolded. We can find the fun in those games, even when we can’t see what we’re doing. However, trying to accomplish a task or reach a destination without any sense of where you are or where you’re going isn’t fun.
A lack of clarity in purpose or goals is why groups spend a lot of time talking about mission and vision. Missions make our purpose clear to everyone involved. They help clarify a group’s priority tasks. Visions help us understand what we’re trying to accomplish. A well-crafted vision statement helps a team understand how the world will be different if the group does its mission well.
In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus commissions His followers, “Jesus came near and spoke to them, ‘I’ve received all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you. Look, I myself will be with you every day until the end of this present age.” Saying yes to Christ means saying yes to His mission. The mission statement of the United Methodist Church flows from this directive from Jesus. The UMC mission statement is “to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” Recently, I shared that the Council of Bishops and Connectional Table (think of them as akin to the denominational leadership team) of the United Methodist Church put forward a new vision statement for the denomination. It reads, “The United Methodist Church forms disciples of Jesus Christ who, empowered by the Holy Spirit, love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously in local communities and worldwide connections.”
These are nice words. They are direct and clear. However, the challenge becomes, what does this mean for us as we live our lives every day? Some of us have worked in places where there was a mission statement on the wall that felt completely disconnected from what everyone was doing. That would be a problem. So, what does making a disciple really mean? Have you thought about how that might happen in your life? If you believe that you’re already loving boldly, serving joyfully, or leading courageously, you might think this conversation doesn’t apply to you.
This month, we are taking a much deeper dive into what all this means with a sermon series entitled “People of Vision.” We’ll be discussing the Biblical foundations for the different elements of love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously, as well as their practical application in our everyday lives. We’ll also explore how the vision statement of Pendleton Center UMC aligns with all of this. Both vision statements strengthen us by taking us beyond the clarity of purpose found in the mission statement to a greater focus on what United Methodist disciples do and how we do it.
We are headed to a new, exciting place as Christ leads us into His imagined future for us and our community. We are not fumbling in the dark, swinging at thin air, or randomly throwing a dart at a map. Our Lord has a purpose, plan, and principles. Making sure that what we do aligns with Him is essential. It’s not always easy or clear, but it is who He is calling us to be. Thanks be to God for direction and purpose as we work to build the Kingdom with God for God’s glory!
Pastor Scott
