Seeking a God-Sized Vision

As Kari Unrath (Lay Member of Annual Conference), Del Troutman (Kalamazoo District Missions Coordinator) and I prepare for Annual Conference at Calvin College, May 29-June 1, we have been encouraged to read Bearing Fruit: Ministry with Real Results by Lovell H. Weems, Jr. and Tom Berlin.

Tom's brother is a landscape architect. He once donated a landscaping plan for a new parsonage that Tom's congregation was building. Looking at photos of the site and the foundation of the house that was being built, his brother drew up a plan that showed trees, shrubs, and flowers. After everything was planted, Tom called him and suggested that there had been a mistake. The shrubs were too far apart. The trees should be closer to the home. The flower beds were too wide for the small greenery that they were planting. There was silence on the other end of the line and then a question, "Tom, can't you see what this will look like in five years?" (Bearing Fruit, 37)

When we don't account for the power of growth, creativity and repentance in our life together with God, we are tempted to think we can fix everything all at once; demand complete, instantaneous change in another person or in the church; or mistakenly substitute our short-term vision for God's eternal vision.

By contrast, when we focus on God's calling to us and seek God's vision:

• we learn that God is faithful and will provide what we need for the service we are asked to render.
• we discover that God is expansive, leading us to things that are often far beyond what we think is possible.
• we find that God knows exactly what will bring us the greatest joy, the greatest significance, and that God knows our limitations (Bearing Fruit, 40).

The most important thing you can do in your ministry is to discern what God is asking you to do with your life. The most important aspect of planning in your church is to ask what God''s desire is for your congregation in its setting (Bearing Fruit, 44).

Because I am drawn to the activity of daily ministry I need a call to lift up my head and look to the horizon; a reminder to take a deep breath to focus on the most important things; and encouragement to press on in the midst of difficulties. I also understand my calling as pastor to include this kind of work.

I am thankful for the long-term vision and work that God is sustaining in us, and for the memory of fruitful persons and ministry in our history.

May we remember and appreciate the long-term value of our faith journeys, and continue to seek a God-sized vision for our future.

An overview of this year's West Michigan Annual Conference is here: http://westmichiganconference.org/news/detail/2869.