Several years ago, we took time to examine the foundations of our church, sort of a check-in on our mission to see if we were still on-course. We gathered leaders and long-time members of the community to parse through our beliefs and values to discuss where we have been, and what might need to shift or be reinforced in order to stay faithful to who God is calling us to be. In that time we realized what we consider our three primary Theological Values, through which everything we are and do is filtered:
Cultivating Intimacy with Father God;
Inhabiting our Identity in Christ;
Discovering our Purpose as the Spirit-Led Church.
These three values can sum up the Christian journey of faith, and correct what so often becomes an unhealthy narrative for religion: that if we behave appropriately, we can earn our identity, and perhaps eventually get to God. I like these values because they reorient us to what is truest about our faith. Atop them we can imagine a yearly vision as a thread woven into the larger tapestry of who we are becoming by honing in on one particular value for a season in such a way that, over time, we explore the possibilities contained therein.
“Vision” isn’t always about where we will end up, but the kind of people we want to be whenever we get where God is taking us.
So how do we do “vision” as a church? In the Old Testament model, the people of God required a mediator who would “go on top of the mountain” on behalf of the community to receive direction from God. Many times we still see this model implemented in church culture - the single leader whose responsibility is to do the work for everyone else. Yet one of the the more radical characteristics of the New Covenant people who gathered themselves around Jesus as the true image of what God is like is the impartation of his Spirit to guide us, both communally and individually. The task of the new people of God is to learn how to listen for the Voice, together, discerning what might arise from among the people. Our elders, staff, and leaders get together each fall to worship, pray, and then share what we feel like the Lord is saying to us about the direction of the church. My role as pastor is less Moses-on-the-mountain and more trying to find the thread that runs through the collective revelation. Which brings us to our vision statement for 2022:
From the Throne Flows a River of Renewal.
It feels like a natural progression from last year’s vision, “All Our Allegiance to King Jesus”. As we recognize Jesus as the One to whom we offer our whole selves, how might that flow out into the world, into our community, and into our individual lives?
Many of our leaders brought up words like reorientation, renewal, energy, momentum, release. In addition, two common images arose - that of the throne of God, and the river. Two passages of scripture stood out to me here:
“The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord is enthroned as King forever. The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.” (Ps. 29:10,11)
“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city.” (Rev. 22:1-2a)
In both, we see that the river flows form the throne for healing and renewal of the whole world. They offer us a cosmic vision of the enthroned King doing the work of calling all creation back into accord through his good rule. And it’s an added sweetness to recognize City Beautiful Church as a tiny icon of that heavenly city that is sustained by the river of God’s love!
The thing that excites me about this poetic vision for 2022 is that I don’t exactly know what it might look like in a year’s time. It will require all of us to continue to learn how to hear the voice of God, and to follow the Spirit of God through whatever may come. Perhaps in that willingness to follow where we are led comes the most profound challenge:
As we are renewed, so we will become part of God’s renewing work in the world around us.
Take time to pray into our vision for 2022. What is the Lord bringing to your attention? What do you anticipate “renewal” might look like, both in you and through you? Are you able to step into the awe and wonder that comes from envisioning Jesus on the throne?