Glendale Church of the Brethren

“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going.” Hebrews 11:8

Imagine gathering together on a beautiful Saturday Morning and hearing the presenter say the following:

“Okay, so the first thing we are going to do is work on vision statement, then a mission statement, and then on our one year, five year, and ten year goals.  We will work in small groups and the use the giant post it notes and sticky dots to help us discern.”

 The above scenario is my view of hell.   Do you know how many perfectly wonderful Saturdays in my life have been wasted on these exercises.   Everyone starts out with energy, but by 3pm we are all dying to get out, we put together a statement that then rots in the drawer or is placed in dusty frame in some hall way.  Somewhere in the 1980s somebody got the bright idea (I am being sarcastic) that churches are best run like corporations – like Enron, or G.M.

Yet, churches are not businesses, they are faith based communities.   Hebrews 11 is the roll call of the faithful throughout the generations, and we learn that most of the most faithful of them all did not know where they were going!   All Abraham had was a promise and a call to get going.   In verse 13 of the same chapter we will learn that faithful many times will not even live to see the promise ultimately fulfilled.

The faithful are called to believe in God’s promises, and sometimes that means that we make it up along the way.   The test of faithfulness is not in meeting goals, it is in continuing to follow and believe in the one who calls us.

Peace,

Pastor John