Living In The Vision of God

Okay, so I'm still reading Dallas Willard's The Great Omission (and getting to read it a lot, as my kids have been in Texas for the last week!), and I came across the strangest statement. He is actually quoting Henri Nouwen, who said, "Nothing conflicts with the love of Christ like service to Christ." Wow. He goes on to explain that well-meaning service to God has a very strong tendency to undermine the kind of vision of God that fuels greatness for God on the human scene.

He explains the pattern he has seen in so many churches and organizations: Intense devotion to God by the individual or group brings substantial outward success. Outward success brings a sense of accomplishment and a sense of responsibility for what has been achieved - and for further achievement. For onlookers the outward success is the whole thing. The sense of accomplishment and responsibility reorients vision away from God to what we are doing and are to do - usually to the applause and support of sympathetic people. The mission increasingly becomes the vision. It becomes what we are focused upon. The mission and ministry is what we spend our thoughts, feelings, and strength upon. Goals occupy the place of the vision of God in the inward life, and we find ourselves caught up in a visionless pursuit of various goals. Grinding it out. This is the point at which service to Christ replaces love for Christ (95).

I think this describes what I have experienced in several churches. I'm wondering if anyone else has seen this pattern at work or has experienced it firsthand? Is it unavoidable? If not, how do we not lose the vision of God and God alone?

Crazy Days

Okay, so the last week or ten days have flown by... I finished up my quarter for school (not without many late nights working on several papers!); we started phase two of a remodeling project on our house (the whole front was ripped off and it's a mess!); I had a wonderful weekend retreat with my entire family (24 of us - only 3 were missing - the photo is above); I'm officially launching a new ministry called Breathing Space with my dear friend, Amy (which is supplemental to my work with Potter's Wheel) and we leave tomorrow morning for Florida. Whew. Payton will be competing in the National Tumbling Meet in Dayton Beach on Wednesday, and we are excited for him. Taylor is away at summer camp in Wisconsin. Life is never boring, is it? None-the-less, I've been able to enjoy some quiet moments alone, some loud joyful moments with my kids, some replenishing moments with Cam, some hot moments in my house and some cool moments riding around in my air conditioned car.

I'm reading Rob Bell's newest book, Sex God, which is fabulous and I highly recommend it. I'd love to hear if any of you have read Rob's book and what you thought of it.