Many years ago I heard a story (true, I believe) of an attorney whose work required frequent travel. He was a great football fan, especially of the sport at the high school level. So any time he found himself away from home on a Friday night in the fall, he would try to take in a game at a nearby school.
On one such occasion as he watched a good schoolboy contest, his experienced eye was drawn early in the game to one particular running back. The young man was clearly blessed with both the natural athleticism and the zest for the game that made him an obvious standout on the field. Late in the contest, he came out of the backfield on one play as the intended receiver for a pass. The lawyer telling the story was not up in the stands watching, but rather down at field level, just outside the fence that surrounded the playing area. The boy scampered out on his designated pattern. But the quarterback’s pass was thrown high, requiring the back to leap high in the air in the desperate attempt to catch the ball. Catch it he did. But in the process he had twisted gracefully around, going almost full circle. He came back down to earth, landing only feet away from the attorney, and for just an instant their eyes met.
As he told the story, the lawyer recalled that in that fleeting moment, he recognized at once what was going through the young man’s mind. He had whirled about so violently that he had completely lost his bearings – unsure for an instant of even the direction of the goal line. And naturally in that heartbeat’s hesitation, he was wrestled to the ground by a quick-footed defender.
The running back’s story serves us well as a metaphor for our life together as Christ’s church. If we lose sight of our direction, our goal, we too will go down. And given the kingdom work Christ has placed before us – the very stuff of eternity – the stakes are far higher than in any football game.
God has long made this clear to His people. The ancient wisdom of Proverbs offered this sobering warning: “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (29:18 KJV). The ‘vision’ in view here is not some vague notion of an uncertain future. It's the vision available only to and through a prophet, a mouthpiece for God. Centuries after God inspired the authors of Proverbs, He guided the writer of the New Testament letter to the Hebrews to an even more specific understanding of the only path to a godly vision for the future: “Let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith” (12:1-2 NLT).
That said, we need to acknowledge that Jesus frequently (usually, it seems!) expects hard work of us if we want to correctly discern His will for us. It takes diligent prayer, faithful study of Scripture, long, thoughtful reflection and discussion. That’s true in our lives as individual believers. It’s true for us as Christ’s gathered Body.
For some months now our session has been engaged in just such a process, seeking to know the very mind of Christ with regard to our future together as His church. As I announced in worship several weeks back, one of the most visible pieces of fruit to come out of that work so far is a new purpose statement for us, a concise expression of who it is we feel God is calling us to be as Tower Church. We as your session believe that together we are:
People helping people to know Jesus Christ.
Brevity, they say, is the soul of wit. It’s also a key virtue for a good statement of purpose! If we’re to really be guided by a set of words (and if that is not the intention in developing a purpose statement, what’s the point?), we need to know them. One of the great things about that statement is the efficiency with which it packs a lot of meaning into seven short words.
Our session continues to wrestle with vital questions surrounding our identity as Christ’s church in this place, and our understanding of the mission He has in mind for us. As we seek to be faithful in that critical task, we welcome your thoughts and we covet your prayers. Let us together commit to keeping our eyes on our crucified and risen Lord!
Serving Him with you,
Pastor John