I preached from Genesis 1 a few weeks ago about God being a dreamer. I talked about how God created everything in the world out of nothing. About how unique and creative God’s vision for the world must have been to do all that he did in creation. And then I asked the people at church if we had a dream and a vision for our church.
Did we have a plan to be more than we were? Did we dare think of what could be instead of what always had been? Were we willing to pray together about what God could do in our midst if we were willing to be a changed people?
And I put a box in the foyer for people to write out and place their dreams and visions for our church. And I would be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed with the response I got. For whatever reason, I’m afraid that our people just don’t know how to dream.
I don’t know if it’s because they are scared, complacent, or just unsure. But we must do something. Because God is a dreamer. And until we join him in that, we will never be all that we can be.
I’ll be honest. This scares me a lot of times. Not the dreaming for myself part but trying to join God in the way he works and dreams in this world. I (pridefully) think I know what is best for my life. This quote from a pastor here in Abilene hit me last week:
“The problem with mankind is not that we desire too much, but that we are satisfied with too little.”
Roll that one around in your head for a bit. I’m with you, Field. Do we (the church) dare to dream like God? Do I dare to look beyond my own plans to something bigger and greater? Or will I be satisfied with only a small portion of what God has in store for this world?
By: Clint Askins on April 28, 2008
at 7:10 pm
That’s a good point, Clint. We absolutely are unable to dream big enough to match God. And isn’t that amazing?!?
What kind of God would He be if we could dream and plan as well as Him?
So I think the only thing we can really do is this: gather together with open hearts and genuinely ask God to take us into the places we would never go ourselves. And then go.
By: chrisfield on April 29, 2008
at 5:27 am
“the problem with mankind is not that we desire too much, but that we are satisfied with too little.”
wow. This quote is a sermon unto itself.
This has rendered me silent. And for those that know me, that is huge.
By: sandy on May 1, 2008
at 4:55 am
Great quote Clint, but hopefully the preacher cited C. S. Lewis. I believe this is Lewis’ argument at the beginning of The Weight of Glory. Not that it’s not a great point, but lets let the man who wrote it get some credit.
Of course we cannot dream like God… Obviously the unique nihilistic materialism that runs rampant in this country and its basic goals and normative standards holds us back from considering anything other than the status quo. Unfortunately we have not seized upon the personalization of the absurd that allows one to dream large and outside the box. Much of our lives are spent as the crowd that wants to hear whatever we believe and go on affirmed…
By: Davin on May 7, 2008
at 8:54 pm