An intentional life of sacred purpose begets a mission-driven church. ― Steven Mead People First, Then Mission You can't create a vital, transformative church until you create vital, transformed individuals. Said another way, you can't develop and maintain a mission-driven church unless you have motivated, purpose-driven people. Let me repeat that: people first, then mission―not the other way around. As Saint-Exupery reminds us, "If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people together to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.” At this Church, it is our mission to call forth the "yearning individual" first, grounding and maturing us in the spiritual practices from our Sources and focusing on those called forth in our Principles and found in our worship community. If you want your church-cup to overflow with sacred purpose, it must first be filled with people of sacred yearning and aspiration. Creating Church is collective Soul Work. An intentional life of sacred purpose begets a mission-driven church. “Don't try to rush things: for the cup to run over, it must first be filled.” ― Antonio Machado Yo the Lighthouse!
There is an apocryphal story about the brilliant Renaissance artist Michelangelo, who, when asked about the difficulties that he must have encountered in sculpting his masterpiece David, merely replied, "It is easy. You just chip away the stone that doesn’t look like David." Sometimes that story is told about carving an elephant―chip away what doesn't look like elephant. How do you make of this congregation a Lighthouse? What does that look like? It’s a similar process: together, chip away the stuff that doesn't look like a lighthouse. How often do we mistake our church for a clubhouse instead of a lighthouse? Focus on endurance rather than transformation? Forget that this congregation gathers together for sacred purpose? How do we cast "a light which shows a feast?" Perhaps it is as de Saint-Exupéry reminds us in The Little Prince, "And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” Perhaps it starts with yourself and the lighthouse within. See with your heart. 'Yo the Lighthouse! Come, open to be moved. Come, be held in mutual embrace. Come, engage the world. Come here and be made whole. See you in church. Steven Mead Interim Director of Children and Youth Ministries
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Steven Mead
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