Be Thou My Vision

I imagine we all have particular themes which recur in our preaching. At the HEBA AGM last June I looked at the oft-quoted Proverbs 29.18: “Without a vision the people perish ...” (KJV) which reads very differently in every other translation! Instead of referring to programmes the proverb is actually about people. Specifically, it observes that when God’s people forget who they are and to whom they belong they lose direction and disintegrate as a community. I keep coming back to this principle – in many different contexts.

God’s people are reminded to keep their focus on Him and walk in His ways. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus is how Hebrews 12.2 puts it. It is in doing this that we find meaning, purpose and direction.

Faced with the challenge of mission in a world which distracts us from the One who is our Vision, Christians often start with the question: “What are we going to do?”. Sometimes, it’s asked with a note of panic! The King James Version of Proverbs 29.18 is then quoted to urge a plan of action which sometimes (though not always) offers to deliver quick results – and fails to do.

I believe we need to ask the prior question: “Who are we called to be?” and allow the quality of our life together to shape our programmes. Which question poses the greater challenge do you think?

Rev'd Keith Judson, Regional Minister & Team Leader