Today a major snow storm is suppose to pass through the Mid-Atlantic region of the USA. This storm is likely to produce over 20 inches of snow. Now I don’t know about you but 20 inches is 20 inches more than I would like to see!
One of the women in our office called during her lunch break and said, ‘don’t go to Kliens (Kliens is a supermarket) on your lunch, everyone is here and it is insane!’. Everyone was in the supermarket stocking up on their food and supplies in case they are stuck for a few days in the house. I have a dislike for the supermarket on days like this, but it does remind me of how important it is to know what some of the future forecast will be.
Imagine if we didn’t have the weather forecast? Many of us would be totally unprepared for the day ahead. I believe a vision is a little like a forecast. The bible tells us in Proverbs 29:18, ‘where there is no vision, the people perish‘. Another way of saying this is when people can’t see what God is doing and going to do they stumble all over the place. If there was no weather forecast, this weekend there would be many people out and about stumbling all over the place. People would be unprepared!
Why is it then that must know the weather forecast, but when it comes to the vision of a church some people believe it is not ‘spiritual’ to know a direction we should head in. Many church leaders refuse to commit to a vision because they don’t want to be wrong about what they believe God is going to do. Well how often is the weatherman wrong? Yet you still listen to him or her! That is because you know how essential that piece of information is. A church without a vision is like someone walking outside in shorts and a T-Shirt totally unaware of the winter storm that is pending.
A vision helps us to prepare, to plan, to pray, to stock up, to face uncertainty, to forgive, to repent, to have fun, to make wise decisions and many more.
I’m wondering what would happen if our churches were able to clearly express a vision of God like the weatherman can communicate the forecast. I bet our communities would be just insane with a buzz of activity and life-change like a supermarket is insane the day before 20 inches of snow!
