MVP: Intentional Focus

Make the Vision Plain: Intentional Focus

(Habakkuk 2:1-4)

10:30 am, Sun, Nov 3, 2013, Windsor UBC, J G White

It is a joyful fascination to watch a baby observe the world.  My wife, Sharon, and I, have a seven-month-old grandson: Dryden.   He gets fussy, and the bottle is readied.  He takes it… but stares at someone and turns his head.  When he does take the bottle, he gets very focused and relaxed and starts falls asleep.  Later’ he’s playing on the floor with a toy, and his Nanna speaks to him to get his attention.  His attention stays with the toy.  When he does look at Sharon, he drops the toy and it’s gone.  He can go from a frown, to laughter, to crying, to relaxing all within 20 seconds.

So little Dryden is always quite focused, on one thing or another, but his focus is always changing.  Some people grow up and the brain keeps on working like this.  It gets called ADD or somesuch.  Many of you who are like this would like to be able to focus more.  And, others who tend to be able to focus would like to be better at multitasking.  

What does it really mean to have focus in our lives.  Not just the ability to focus from moment to moment.  I wonder about the overarching themes of our lives.  What is the focus of my whole life, or what are the few main things my life is about?

Today we remember many significant people who lived in the recent past - in our own lives - and we rejoice because of all they inspire in us.  We can see in so many people the focus they had, vision that guided their lives, various themes in their personal stories.

Today we remember men such as Reg, Bob and Cecil, whose work helped with the construction of homes, and who were focused on building their own families.  We remember those who liked to travel or drive, such as Woody, Josef and Wayne.  We are grateful for those who had a quiet and paced way about them, including Roger and the two Harolds on our list.  We are inspired by women like Elva, who valued traditional ways, and Marilyn who explored many new and creative things.  Some, like Bernie and Glenda, deeply cherished the memory of their own loved ones and ancestors who were gone.  Some, like Rollie, were focused upon service in their community.  We give thanks for those, like David and Jake, who were friendly and fun-loving.  Of course, so many whose memory we honour were devoted to their families, such as Dorothy and Ermie, and devoted to the Lord Jesus, who had saved them and gave them abundant life here.

Those who call Jesus their Lord and Saviour are gathered by God - here, and in eternity -  into the fellowship of “saints.”  In this particular place and time, we who call this congregation home are getting focused and catching a vision.  Some of those whom we lit candles for today were part of this faith community.  On the shoulders of those who went before us we stand and can see farther.  Our vision for doing good things together grows out of who we have been and what the Lord has done with us.  

But any group of people, to be a group, must have focus.  A shared vision for what the whole thing is about.   If a congregation of Christians has ADD, so to speak, our activities will be all over the map and not well orchestrated.   19th century Danish philosopher and Christian, Soren Kierkegaard, said “Purity of heart is to will one thing.”   And a consultant who has been working with Windsor Baptist this fall says, “If everything you want to do is important, then nothing is important.”  There has to be focus.  Something has to be the main thing.  Other activities and purposes fall into place under a unified vision.

So we here are trying out a vision, taking it out for a spin, and seeing how we like it. Seeing if the Spirit of God likes it. We are going to be an intergenerational group focused upon young families and youth in our area: the up and coming generations.  We don’t want to be simply upset at what is going on in our world today, and think how the younger generations are failing and falling, and entering a dangerous world.  We want hope for them.

We heard a reading from the Bible earlier, from a moment in the history of the Hebrew people, about two and a half millenia ago.  A prophet was thoroughly upset at what was going on in his Jewish society and in Middle Eastern politics.  The prophet complained to God: things were totally unfair!  

Then there was hope.  The LORD answered me and said: write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so that a runner may read it.  For there is still a vision for the appointed time… if it seems to tarry, wait for it. (Hab 2:2&3)

Put the vision up in big, bold letters.  Be clear about it.

Just yesterday I entered a 5 km run - a fundraiser for a youth mission trip to Kenya.  The 5k route was through Victoria Park in Truro.  A friend who lives near there is a very good runner, and ended up leading the way, so to speak.  He ended up leading some of the faster runners right off the 5k trail and into an extended route!  Some of them must have run 6 or 7 kms instead of 5!

Part of the problem was the marking of the trail.  At an open place where we were all to turn left and go down a hill, the pink flagging tape was scarcely to be seen.  It was not clear to the runners where to go.  

Among a group of people who call themselves Disciples of Jesus, there often needs to be a clear vision for their work together.  It needs to be clear enough that, even when busy and active with many good activities, all can still focus upon the overarching vision.  Like big block letters that anyone running could read.  So this congregation’s developing vision is to know and love the younger ages of our communities.  To be God's servants to them.

Part of the vision for the people in ancient Israel in the days of prophet Habakkuk was this statement: The righteous live by their faith or faithfulness. (2:4) The right life, the good life, the just life, the complete life, comes out of having faith, having confidence in God.

Those words of a prophet got picked up by a follower of the way of Jesus, hundreds of years later.  Romans 1:16-17 in the second part of the Bible says: For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith…  to the insiders and the outsiders: everyone.  "The one who is righteous will live by faith."

The gospel is, essentially, the story of Jesus of Nazareth, and the meaning of those events.  Jesus’ life and actions and teaching, His execution by the powers of the time, and His coming back to life.  This life and death story claims to put an end to the power of evil in our lives, and the power of death too.  The Jesus event in history is the power of God to transform human lives.  All those who have faith, confidence, trust in this Saviour, get right with God.  

Just a few days ago much of the protestant Church in the world marked Reformation Day.  One for the famous reformers of Christianity, five centuries ago, was Martin Luther.  Those words of the Old Testament, quoted in the New Testament of the Bible, were of key importance to him.   The righteous will live by faith.  

As we honour the memory of folk from older generations who have gone - and most, though not all, of these candles today represent seniors - we think about the next generations.  We want them to live right; to have the best lives possible, good life.  We, of the faith community that meets here, want them to know the wonderful faith we enjoy; faith in a living Deity whom we find we can relate to, thanks to this God, not thanks to us.  

This is our renewed focus, our vision.  Perhaps it will become for us here a vision, not so much for ourselves, but a vision what can become of the people born in the 80s and 90s and 2000s and being born today.  And we are just at the beginning of getting focused, being intentional.  

Today,  we wait with a vision of a preferred future, a hope for those who are young.  Here, we have confidence in the God who makes good things possible among us.  

Thanks be to God!