Write to clarify, they said. Well, it works.
Welcome to these musings.
Major meetings coming up and while we’re underway to updating our systems, starting with our organization charts, we’ve seen the need for us to clarify our mission and vision.
We’ve technically been operating without a head for the past couple of years and I think that, while I see no viable personality to take on the title of figurehead for the organization, this is why I’m pushing that we all at least need to have a common vision, a common mission.
We actually already have a vision and a mission, but it doesn’t seem like anyone is adhering to it, or even acknowledging it.
I know this because of what I believe is a Key Performance Indicator (Vision) for vision. It’s from the wise words of a mentor, and it goes as follows: A real vision brings us together.
I know that nobody’s adhering to the vision and mission already in place… because it’s really not bringing us together.
We may not have a competent leader for the moment, but we can all still be on the same boat, we can all still be on the same page. That’s very possible with a mission and a vision… No, a COMMON mission, a COMMON vision, one that we all acknowledge, agree to, and adhere to.
And with that in mind, I couldn’t really push for anyone else’s mission and vision, much less an organization, without being established with my own.
The question must be asked: What’s my personal mission? What’s my personal vision?
When Dox pushed me for a vision, I responded with minimal effort: Unity in the body of Christ, the expansion of His Kingdom, for the glory of His name. It just came out at the time, and now that time has passed and I’ve thought about it, I think I’ll stick with it. It’s probably, surely something that was in my head for the longest time, something that I’ve probably been working towards ever since, just that I didn’t know about it.
Now, my mission or means to attain said vision was what I picked up roughly around the time that I enjoyed watching Incognito live; That is, to flow, to trust God, and to thank God.
Possibly supplementing this with my own version of Philippians 1:21, that is, to live forever (to live is Christ), and to die fully (to die is gain).
Flow, trust God, thank God. Live forever, die fully. Five items in total. I don’t think that’s bad.
I believe all of this has its solid basis from Scripture; Or, in other words, all of this has the Bible as its source.
Right off the bat, sure, I see Philippians 1:21, but I also see Colossians 1:13-14 or even the entire chapter as inspiration for the vision. Here’s verse 13 and 14:
He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Now, sure, it’ll be a stretch to take the vision out of these two verses alone, but as I was going through the entire chapter, I saw how heavy it was – much so, that I think I know my next writing prompt.
But it did have its own ‘notes’ of the glory of Christ, the depth and beauty of our salvation, and a key Word concerning our unity: ‘He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.‘ (Colossians 1:17)
In Christ, all things consist – Christ is our Vision, Christ is my Vision. Oh, wow. That one song comes to mind:
Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me save that thou art.
Thou my best thought by day and by night;
Waking or sleeping, thy presence my light!
Yeah, if anything, it’s the unity and the personal cohesion that I feel takes priority, and the expansion of His Kingdom follows naturally, and His Name is automatically glorified. To that note, the verse that Pastor Oscar shared in his final years takes prominence:
But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.Acts 20:24
Of course, the so-called Great Commission comes into play as well:
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20
To clarify, I think that the overall vision I have for myself was what I mentioned a little earlier: Unity. Personal Cohesion. Harmony.
Harmony in all systems leads to thriving. Testimonies. Transformation. Expansion.
And to establish and enhance harmony… I suppose the approach is to flow with the Holy Spirit, all the while trusting in our Father, and thanking Jesus Christ through it all.
We trust in God, knowing that we shall not be put to shame. (Isaiah 28:16, Romans 9:33, Romans 10:11)
We rejoice always and give thanks in all things. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Philippians 4:6-7)
What about the flow? Do we go back to Pentecost?
When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.Acts 2:1-4
Or Peter’s words to the public, later in the chapter? Maybe both.
14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:
17 “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams;
18 even on my male servants and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. Acts 2:14-18
Seeing as the Spirit gives us utterance, the Spirit gives us visions, prophecy, revelation and dreams; Seeing, also, that the Spirit intercedes on our behalf (Romans 8 ) – all this gives us a picture of what it means to be filled and to consequently flow with the Spirit, to flow in the Spirit – it actually means to trust God, and to thank God. It all comes together that way, right?
If I was going to condense all of this into one word for a Vision and one for a Mission, it’ll be Harmony, and Testify. One word for both: Christ.
My prayer now is that this is integrated to more than 40 years comprising of my past, infused today, in the present, and established and achieved in my more than 40 years toward the future, unto forever.
May harmony be found in hindsight, insight, and in foresight.
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