Who Are We?

December 17, 2015

The Envisioning Committee

Genesis 28:10-22 - Jacob's Dream at Bethel - Jacob ... had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.
Acts 18:9 And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, "Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent”
When Jacob dreamed of his ladder, the angels were very busy going up and down, but the Bible doesn’t tell us what they were doing. It was a vision of a big picture, an overarching, grand idea of going about God’s work. Paul’s dream was much more specific: “Go, tell.” Pretty hard to misinterpret that.
As we gathered to discuss who we are on December 6, and who we have been in the past, you may have wondered what this has to do with the future. Recently I heard someone say, in reference to changing laws, “You cannot wear the same coat you wore as a child.” That is where we are as a parish: Ready to move on to a new, better, and larger coat. But it is important to look closely at the coat we have worn for so long, because it has served us well. Before we fashion a new one, we need to know the shape and texture of a coat that suits us, and use that to create the new one.
We are somewhere in between the grand big picture and the nitty gritty details of what to do with our mission work, our buildings and grounds, our worship and study space, and all the other very specific conclusions.
We know what we do well, and we know what we like doing. But what else could we do?
How would you answer fill in the blank, “I dream of a St. Augustine’s that _________________.” ?
At St. Augustine’s this list is what we do, because this is who we are. Look at that list: it is what Christ’s hands and feet are doing in this world, today, in Navarre, FL. God has a mission and the church is how He carries it out. We are the church!
The process will continue over the next year and we look at what we are doing, how we can do it better, and what we might be called to do besides all the above. It’s going to be an exciting time!
THANKS BE TO GOD!