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ELEVATE 2011 is less than 6 months away!

vi-sion-ar-y [vizh-uh-ner-ee] def. 1. Person of unusual foresight. 2. Seer of visions.

The word 'vison' has been so overused, it has become a bit threadbare. It is constantly used as a motivational tool for political leaders, business owners, high school football coaches, and yes, even pastors. With all of the “visions”, “mission statements”, and “catchy slogans” being passed around, their effect on us has been dramatically reduced. The term has degenerated from an inspired concept—to just another forgettable sound-bite.  In a world where ‘vision’ terminology has been exhausted, we don’t need more words, we need more visionaries!

In John 14, the disciples are totally flipping out. Their leader, Jesus, has just finished sharing the fact that He would be betrayed by one of them, ultimately resulting in His execution, and all this over dinner! He then proceeded to wash each of their feet, expresses His desire that they love one another—and then puts Peter on blast in front of everyone.  In the middle of all of this confusion Jesus lays out a vision to each of them…

12“…the person who trusts me will not only do what I’m doing but even greater things, because I am giving you the same work to do that I’ve been doing.  You can count on it.”

Whoah, sweet vision, right? But what often goes unnoticed is what Jesus alludes to just a few sentences later…

19 “…In just a little while the world will no longer see me, but you are going to see me because I am alive and you’re about to come alive.”

So Jesus doesn’t simply throw out another “catchy” slogan the world can simply ‘retweet’, but takes it a step further by actually calling these men to a higher standard apart from the rest of the world.  He calls them to be ‘visionaries’. We know the rest of the story—these same men would radically reshape the world as they endured serious hardship, and gave their lives for this cause.

This is what our generation needs.  Visionaries.  Let’s be honest, the vision is known. It has been spoken, written, sung, acted upon, and memorized. The ‘vision’ shows up in mission statements, manifestos, and mottos. They clutter walls, and make nice bookmarks—but alone, they can do nothing to change the world.

Our world needs real ‘Visionaries’.  People of unusual foresight.  Seers. Will you be one….??

 

Adam Friedrich