Looking For the Horizon

If you've ever watched a sunset at the ocean, you've found yourself wondering "How far out is it where the sun meets the water?" Your eyes strain to focus on that distant horizon and yet to no avail. Your intuition tells you it really exists but your eyes, limited by their short-sightedness plays games with your mind.

That's how I feel right now about the dream of planting a church. It is a distant horizon. Beautiful to think about, yet hard to focus in on. My thoughts, feelings and longings shift their gaze out to the sea of "church planting" repeatedly during the day, straining to focus in on where that horizon actually is. Focus!. ..c'mon! I can't! It's too far away. Every time I get a glimpse of something concrete, something shifts, some pressing situation interrupts and the gaze is lost. Why is it so hard to find 10 minutes to look intently at this horizon? Life. It happens. It doesn't stop does it...and it tramples it's way without asking or permission into everything I do. Nevertheless, my soul tells me this horizon does exist in the mind of God, clearly and in complete focus. I need his vision. We need his vision. Our eyes are to short-sighted.

Far away to us, yet near to God always poses a dilemma for us - namely, how to move closer. God seems to work in steps and through our "working" so it always helps to place some markers that are closer, and yet in the right direction. Sort of like bouys, placed at various depths as the sea floor begins to drop off...10 feet, 25 feet, 50 feet, point of no return. That's where I want to get. The point of no return. Right now, I'm merely skimming at 3 inches on a boogie board.

In part, that is what this site is intended for. Our thoughts are those markers. They are the verbal expression of the substance God has placed within us. Substance we may not even realize is there until we try to pull it out. These God-Ideas are the precursors, preliminaries, and foundations for what will come. Now, if you are like me, it's very intimidating to even consider where to begin and what to say first?

So, may I suggest several guiding principles for our posting:

• Anything is better than nothing
• Sooner is better than later
• There is no grading involved
  
• There is no requirement for content to be time-tested & historically refined.
  
• Eagerly engage topics which you don't have a clue about...someone else may.
• Partner with God's timing:
• Share first what excites you or burdens you in your studies / reflections.
• Secondly, tackle topics that are needed but currently disinterested in.

Let me also suggest an overview of topics for consideration:

• Timeline (Rich & I discussed this last week...feasibly still 2 yrs out)
  
• Vision - How big is it...central Ohio, statewide, one church, many churches?
• Location
  
• Obstacles / Other Opportunities.
• Who we will be...what we will be about...how will we be structured?
  
• (This last area should receive most of the attention up front...lets hammer this area out, however long it takes. There is no sense in talking much about other things if we are not on the same page here.)
  

Finally, check out the links I've posted. Acts 29 is there in case you've never checked them out. Two of the others center around making technology work for the church, especially church plants. No need to reinvent the wheel. Pretty cool. I'm the type of fool who worries about not knowing how to design a website...as if I would have to do that myself, you know :)


10-4 brothers...Dan Brown is signing out.

Peace.