So where does vision come from? Over the past couple of months we have been talking about vision as coming from the churches previous statements and from the Book of Acts (the story of the church in its infancy). While both of those sources offer us insight into what our vision ought to look like at FPC Birmingham, the larger question is where did those visions come from?
The answer to that question is that they came from the larger story contained within the Bible. I realize that even as I type out those words…the larger story contained within the Bible….many of you don't know what I am talking about. And that is OK. It is OK because the church has not been very good about helping people see that the book we call the Bible is not only a compilation of stories, sort of like a book of short stories, but that it is also one story to which all of the smaller stories contribute.
My belief is that if we understand the larger story, or as I have called it elsewhere, the meta-narrative of God's people, then all of the smaller stories will make more sense. Additionally, if we understand the larger story it will offer us a vision of who God is, who we are supposed to be and how we are to live out our lives as God's people. In other words, it will offer us a vision for our life together.
Background: The Bible and the story it contains are organized around a series of major movements (literally and figuratively) and a major theme, the blessing of God. The Old Testament story begins in Eden, moves to UR, then on to the Holy Land, then to Egypt, back to the Holy Land, then to Babylon and back to the Holy Land. Each of these moves offers us a chance to know God, God's people and God's desires for our lives in a more complete manner.
The theme of blessing begins with the opening words of the Bible (God's good creation) but becomes clearly expressed when it is given to a man named Abram (Abraham). This promise of blessing was one that was not only for Abram and his children but was to be shared with the whole world. During each move we watch as the promise of God's blessing becomes endangered by human actions but is then saved by God's faithfulness.
The New Testament story begins with the announcement of Jesus' coming, his birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension (the fulfillment of God's promised Blessing). The New Testament continues with the giving of the Holy Spirit and the spread of the church (how the promise of Blessing goes to all people). All of the letters that follow the book of Acts (from Paul, John and others) are intended to help this fledgling group of Jesus followers become people of the blessing.
The difficult part of gaining a foothold in this meta-narrative (like the way I slipped that in again?) is that it occurs in places, times and with people with which we are mostly unfamiliar. It seems very ancient and often confusing. Thus it makes it even more difficult for us to draw any coherent vision from it.
My goal over the next several weeks is to help us rediscover the story (the meta-narrative) in such a way that we can not only understand it, but that it will help us more clearly take hold of the vision God is offering us as people who are called not only to be blessed but to be a blessing to those around us.
Next week: The Story Begins in Eden
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