Whenever Our Family Moved To A New Town Or City, ...

Whenever our family moved to a new town or city, the first few evenings were used to drive around and explore our new surroundings. We didn’t use a map or give much attention to where we were going. We had no particular destination in mind so a map held no value. We would come to an intersection (picture on powerpoint) and would have to make a choice, “Do I go left or right?” One turn would serve as well as the other. Finally, wherever we ended up we were okay with it because it was as good as any other place that we could have reached. This is a picture of living without vision, of travelling one junction at a time.

Change that scenario to Glenys and I needing to drive to another city to conduct a funeral and the process is completely different. We knew the drive would take a certain period of time. Our departure was factored on the distance and time we needed and a well-mapped plan to drive to the destination without getting off course. Along the way in the city Glenys would navigate and indicate markers and signposts that would confirm we were on route and when we should turn here or there. This picture is one of taking a journey, of living with vision and purpose. It stands in direct contrast to living one junction at a time.

Apply this to the context of the church, specifically our congregation in Owen Sound and area. There has always been a tremendous need for visionaries. The world needs a church who can speak to the Virginia Tech massacre last week; a church who can meet the terminally ill on their own road; a church who can read the needs of the community and will move to respond to where people are. These people are called visionaries.