One of our readings this Sunday recounts the calling of young Samuel. The story is remarkable on many levels, but it begins with this phrase:

The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread.
 
Surely our time feels like that. While we affirm that God is not finished with us, and that God is, in the words of a UCC ad campaign, "still speaking," it sometimes feels impossible to hear the voice of God through the clutter of consumer culture.

Visions do not seem widespread; at least not visions that clarify purpose and direction.

At our annual planning retreat last weekend, CPC's session spent considerable time talking about the vision for Clarendon Presbyterian Church, and we concluded, like young Samuel, that God is not finished with us. However, also like young Samuel, we know that now is a time for several significant pieces of work that include letting go of some parts of the past and casting a clear vision for the future in order to create a more vibrant congregation at Clarendon.

We spent some time over the weekend looking at the mission statement that has guided CPC for a long time, and concluded, first, that it's guided us for too long. While none of us believe that the current statement is wrong in what is says about who we are, it doesn't say much about our purpose for being and it's not explicit enough to guide our actions as a congregation.

In other words, we say, generally, who we are but not much about our dreams and visions. More to the point, we don't say much about God's dreams and visions for us right now and in the foreseeable future.

If a vision statement defines an organization's ultimate motivation, its dreams and its image of a desired future, then we are, indeed, in a time when "visions are not widespread."

So we are going to work together, prayerfully, worshipfully, to cast a vision for a more vibrant congregation.

Session is excited and energized, but cannot and should not do this work alone. We need each and every one of you to engage a faithful conversation in the coming weeks. So join in. We'll be talking about this together as part of our worship on Sunday mornings, and we'll expand further at the congregational meeting on January 29.

We'll use every available communication tool, but the most valuable tool is simple conversation. So here's your first charge: invite a session member to lunch or coffee or tea or dinner or whatever. Our vision will grow both larger and more focused as we break bread together.

 David