I was blind but now I see

Last week a friend suggested – kindly I think – that I was the ‘king of spin’ as far as the church was concerned. As we approach a Federal election we are going to get a lot of spin. The government spin merchants will be busy convincing us that Mr Howard is the greatest Prime Minister in history and how could we possibly think of tossing him aside, while at the same time belittling Mr Rudd’s credibility as an alternative choice. Have no fear; the Federal Opposition will be up to the same tricks. So why take being called a spin merchant as a compliment?

I think that a gift of ministry leadership is to see things that for many other people are not there. It is a visionary part of what we do. There is any number of people ready and willing to tell you and anybody who will listen, that there is nothing to see and no sign of being able to see it either; but I still like to see hope in most things.

When I commenced ministry here I had several ‘professionals’ ask me ‘what was the vision that I would bring to the region?’ It is as if you have a little vision tool box and you dip into the box and pull out a you beaut number 2106.3c Vision just perfect for the cause and away you go. Oh that life was so easy.

I believe that one of the key things that we should be looking for in mission leaders is the ability to see things into being. It is not about holy guess work; but more about the ability to cultivate and give credibility to the everyday happenings of life and people. Believe me if you do not have this gift and you are keen to be about doing new things in church ministry, find something else to do! Without this gift you will be controlled by what your physical eyes can see and what other people tell you and doubt, despair and yes, ministry death, is not very far away.

Growing something new means that you have to bring a certainty that for sure, even if you cannot see it right now, seeds are growing. I am of the opinion that God was here in this district long before I was! Just a crazy thought perhaps? I am also of the opinion that many Christian people have prayed and continue to pray for the work of God to prosper in this place. We’re always building on somebody else’s faithful work. Seeds are in the ground and fools such as I have the task of ‘seeing’ them out into the open. They won’t always appear and sometimes we will look foolish and suffer some embarrassment. In the greater scheme of things I guess a bit of embarrassment can be coped with.

I can recall being at a church Synod meeting some years ago now where a young minister was sharing a vision with colleagues over a lunch time gathering. The problem for me was that as he was sharing the hope that he had for this audacious dream, he was in almost the same breath talking it down by telling us all how ‘the church’ would not support or understand it. Don’t let the voice of rationality or reality hold you back from seeing what others might not be able to see! The loss is theirs not yours.

In Matthew 13:31, Jesus talks about the kingdom of heaven being like a mustard seed. Jesus spoke of this seed eventually growing to be a tree so big that the birds of the air would come and perch in it. Now, a mustard seed may well break the ground and become a mustard bush. It might even grow two or three metres tall; but it ain’t going to be a tree!! No way and no how; never. Unless you have the eyes to see it and then ….. who knows?