Vision Sunday

There's a story about a major corporation that launched a new brand of dog food. Through research, they developed the most sophisticated, most nutritious dog food to date and poured millions into marketing it.
But it didn't sell...
Out of frustration, the corporation gathered in a Chicago hotel. The national sales manager got up and said, "What's the problem? We have this nutritious product that is cheaper and better marketed than our competitors' product. Why is nobody buying it?"
There was a long, uncomfortable silence. Then, from the back of the room, a salesman from Atlanta drawled, "The dogs don't like it."

Sometimes vision is overrated. As this story reminds us, vision is no match for reality. Here's a great quote (I think):

"A vision from God goes beyond simply recognizing that change is healthy; it celebrates the ability and opportunity to change." (Anonymous)

The above quote speaks to our vision for 2009: A Quest for Authentic Christian Spirituality. I (prayerfully) decided not to teach on "Enlarging Our Soul Through Grief & Loss" this week. I want to spend some time dreaming about possibilities for this coming year. If you go back a couple of posts (or click here) you'll find a questionnaire related to uncovering your spiritual passion. If we take the time to think deeply about our God-breathed holy passions it will help us think through the many opportunities before us. It's still important that we manage ourselves within the tension of grief and hope (or vision). We've also had some pretty cool people step up and take on some ministry responsibilities in the last couple of weeks. I'd like to take the time to acknowledge them and pray for them. Also, families talk about finances, so I'd like a chance to give a macro overview of our 2009 budget. Finally, we'll have a chance to interact and dream out loud together. And then there's worship...

Also, soon there will be a couple of documents that will be downloadable from the website. One is a position paper regarding women in leadership. We have added two women to our preaching/teaching team, which can be a hot-button for some people. So, read the article and if you'd like to dialogue, I'd be happy to. The other is an article on financial stewardship. This is especially important, I think, in a down economy like ours -- as a nation we're being forced to re-think how we spend our money. Via con Dios...