|
|
To envision something is to picture it, in this case it is to picture a reality we believe Jesus is calling us to live. To envision is also to realize we are not there yet. To envision is to hope with God's hope for a future that involves transforming what now exists. Let's be honest. Following Jesus is not about adding up brownie points for our good deeds but about being changed from the inside out and from the outside in. It is the true work of the Saint James to be transformed by the power of Jesus in our lives. If we remain the same as when we first began the journey of faith, then we have been unfaithful. This is not change for the sake of change but change to be closer to who Jesus is "picturing" or envisioning us to be. Again, let us be honest. Transformation is painful. Envisioning transformation only begins the journey to the other side, the journey to an imagined, hoped-for destination, God's destination for us. The transformation requires leaving behind anything that keeps us from being God's people, it requires shedding our facades, it requires the deepest honesty, it requires hope in the face of uncertainty. In the end, living into Jesus' vision for us is an act of faith. It is an act of faith because the overwhelming nature of being "missionaries" at the "intersections" of everyday living requires more than any of us have to give and more than we can possibly do on our own. I daresay, by ourselves Jesus' vision for us is impossible. But we serve a God in whom all things are possible! |
|
Saint James United Methodist Church
|