Minister’s letter – from our June 2021 newsletter
20:20 vision?
From the Passion Translation:
When there is no clear prophetic vision, people quickly wander astray.
But when you follow the revelation of the Word, heaven’s bliss fills your soul. Prov. 29.18
Dear friends,
I recently visited the opticians and ended up with some new varifocals. I found that it took a little while to get used to them but it’s amazing how quickly one’s eyes adapt.
It was certainly nothing like the time when I got my first pair of varifocals. On that occasion I had only ever worn distance glasses and when I looked through the new varifocals it was as if someone had smeared the edges of the lenses with Vaseline! It was quite disconcerting and initially I found they gave me headaches and made me nauseous. I was sorely tempted to abandon them and return to just wearing distance glasses again. It took about a month for my brain to adjust but once it did I was very glad I had persevered.
It made me think about how we approach change. Are we the sort of people who want to stick with the comfortable and familiar? Who has hung on to an old make of car, TV, radio or washing machine (to name but a few examples) because they didn’t fancy learning new ways or new technologies? I’m sure I’m not the only one with my hand up here! Or are we the sort who accept change and are ready to adapt, even though it might cause us a bit of discomfort at first, knowing that it will be better in the end?
That’s not just a question for us as individuals but also for us as a fellowship, as a church, as we emerge from the pandemic into a different world. The Church of God is never static but is dynamic. Because the world around us changes and moves forward, so must we. Not in order to become one with society, but in order to reach out to our community in new and vibrant ways with the message of God’s love.
Part of the challenge is knowing in what ways we might need to alter, and not just to change for change’s sake. What we need is a clear vision – and not just any vision either: we need to know God’s vision for us at Sandhurst & Yateley. That will impact various aspects of what it means to be church: worship, service, fellowship and outreach. We need the guidance and discernment of the Holy Spirit as think and talk and share ideas.
So I urge you, as I did in my last letter, to pray for God’s guidance for us as a church, that we may seek His will and to know His plans for us. Then and only then will we be able to claim to have perfect 20:20 vision.
With every blessing,
Sharon