One of the most deadly influences on a community is agenda. In my opinion, it should be enough to gather together to study the bible, pray, worship and fellowship.and suddenly I got it. Now, I might argue that what he describes is a vision, but I can see his point about agenda - as soon as someone decides what it is that the church is going to "do" there is risk of division. Perhaps I am misreading his intention, but if someone is deciding these things, rather than releasing individuals to follow their passions, then at that point we are in trouble.
My Bishop has recently written about dismounting a dead horse - and so often in Churches we see activities continuing because no one is prepared to stop them. I remember some essay writing advice:
you have to be prepared to murder your babiesand I think that the same applies to everything that a church is doing.
That said I still think that there is a place for vision in church - just not that autocratic kind.
(thinking out loud) I think the one perk of being a Vicar is being paid, not a salary to do a job, attain Smart targets, sell widgets, but a stipend to live rooted in a community, pray, show kindness to anyone (including ourselves!), reflect, delight in the mysterious beauty of the gospel. That's why it's sad to meet clergy who have given up on doing the thing they are actually there to do and are working their socks off to develop a life centred around the things they would be there to do if they were sales personnel — either that or just trying to keep everyone happy all the time.
ReplyDeleteVision that emerges from stipendiary ministry is fine. Vision that's manufactured from said pelagian targets is a waste of time. Vision is a thing. Jesus is a person, and so is my neighbour...