Where There Is No Vision, People Perish

Perhaps you’ve heard the phrase, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” This saying is a sobering reminder to the Vision Team, made up of myself and Elders Milt Houghton, Sue Nelson-Brown, and Roberta Ramont. And like so many other great sayings, it’s straight from the pages of the Scriptures. The Proverbs, in fact!

This well known verse has been used by countless leaders in both the church and wider culture to communicate the need for clear goals and objectives. In fact, not long ago, Solomon’s ageless wisdom was used to call for increased governmental development of public transportation! “Without a vision, people need a ride”!?

Now, I’m all for public transportation, but that is certainly not what Solomon had in mind!

While the King James Version quoted above is the best known, the New International Version is much closer to what Solomon was getting at: “Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint.”

In other words, “Where there is no message from God, people turn from moral, ethical, and religious standards.”

Though this clearer rendition found in the New International Version doesn’t utilize the term “vision”, it further reveals the great task of the Vision Team. Indeed, we are not seeking merely a new mission statement for our letterhead, or a new vision statement to adorn the narthex wall - we are seeking to hear from God, about the needs of the community around us, about our gifts as a congregation, and about how we can best join God in his mission to our world.

The world around us needs to hear a message from God - and we do too. In fact, we need to hear His message, so we can be its faithful bearers!

I want to invite you to join me and the rest of the Vision Team at Coffee with Curtis on Sunday, June 21st at 10am in the Fireside Room to hear an updated on our work. What’s more, keep your eyes and ears peeled for a Vision Team dinner this summer where you’ll have the opportunity to provide feedback to our team, other Elders, and staff members.

Please continue to keep this process, our Elders and staff members in prayer during this time of transition! See you soon.

Pastor Curtis