What is a vision?

What is a vision? What is the purpose of having a vision? Every time new leadership enters a situation or a context, that new leader offers up a new vision. I did it when I first arrived at Gethsemane and again when we realized things were getting tough. Thought it is not defined perfectly, or finally for that matter, Food is our mission is a big part of the vision for Gethsemane.

Attending the Diocesan Convention this past weekend the idea of vision was bandied about like a birdie on a badminton court. I heard a vision about a school of formation, about connecting congregational resources, about flat screen TV's. I heard a vision about the Diocesan offices getting out of the way and letting congregations connect and something or other.

I left with a cold feeling in my gut, I left with deep worry about what the future holds. I left un-compelled, uninspired. I left spirit less. I had one spirit filled moment during convention, when Stephanie Spellers listed all the things that have happened at the various Triennial General Convention's held in MN. She left out the fact that the first General Convention west of the Mississippi was held in Mn, right here at Gethsemane.

Big things happen when our state hosts General Convention, but we rarely can carry out that spirit of grandeur when we are left to our own. Stephanie asked us to embrace her idea of Radical Welcome in the way we work as hosts of General Convention, but alas, her plea was lost.

Why can't we embrace larger visions, and grander dreams than the ones we have before us now? Why can't we dream of transforming the Church wholly. A transformation that would include a re framing of the Episcopate and its role in our lives. Re imagining the role of priest and deacon and even total ministry. Why can't we dream of a future where it is not just the congregations sharing resources, but each Diocese? Why can't we imagine a vision that tackles Brian McLaren's harsh criticism that we are not spiritually or theologically forming our members? Why can't we engender a vision that is rooted in love.

Mumford and Sons new album, Sigh No More has a song of the same title, and one line sings:
Love it will not betray you
Dismay or enslave you, it will set you free
Be more like the man you were made to be

There is a design, an alignment, a cry
Of my heart to see
The beauty of love as it was made to be

It seems to me that at the heart of any vision that is compelling and inspiring is an intangible, ungraspable, even unimaginable spirit that makes people do things they would not expect. Where is that spirit in our Church right now? Where is the passion for mission right now? Why are we so tired? Why are we so inflexible? Why are we so slow moving? How can we work together, to see the beauty of love as it was made to be?

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