From “Kicking Habits� by Thomas Brandy
The difficulty with perceiving vision is that too often the congregation is unable to discern between an authentic calling of Jesus and its abiding addictions to past ideals, forms, and procedures. “Addictionâ€? is the right word. Just as an alcoholic, smoker, or drug abuser chronically denies the destructive impact of certain habitual behavior patterns, so also congregation simply cannot “seeâ€? that the demise of their congregational health is directly connected to their dogged and misplaced loyalty to the “sacred Cowsâ€? of former ideals, forms, or procedures. Just as an addict dimly perceives the truth, but then rationalizes that a “gradualâ€? change in the behavior pattern will “eventually” lead to freedom and health, so do many congregations only pretend to transform their church. They “play” with new missions statements, with restructuring the official board, or with experiments in worship, allowing these exercises in futility to deceive their constituency into thinking a genuinely authentic vision has replace their destructive addictions. “We’ll be really different—next year.â€?
Is your/our vision received or perceived?