Moving the Wicker ChairI am so very proud to serve as pastor to this congregation. I write this on Monday, March 18, one day after our congregational meeting. Let me begin by explaining the subtitle to this column.
Last week I attended a continuing education event at Austin Presbyterian Seminary. One of our leaders told the story. He had been engaged to guide a congregation in redefining its mission. The initial meeting was held in the church's parlor. He moved a wicker chair to be near the newsprint easel and sat down. At the end of the meeting, one member said to another, "Charles, return the wicker chair to its proper place; be sure to set the legs in the indentations in the carpet." He thought to himself that if the rest of the congregation was as preoccupied with property as this person seemed to be, there was little chance they would be serious about their mission. They were, and he did not consider it one of his greatest consultative successes. Yesterday, March 17, we showed again that we are willing to "move the wicker chair."
During the Prayers of Intercession, those who wished were invited to jot down their prayers for the congregation and place them on the communion table. Many of you did. I have taken a quick look at them (I hope you don't mind.) Their thrust was for our unity (I believe we have achieved that), for our future as a strong congregation, for our reaching out, as locally as the Lake Highlands community and as widely as the world. Most importantly, those prayers included, and properly so, our seeking God's will for our congregation.
Here are a few of the prayers, picked almost at random and primarily for their brevity:
- "Give us the commitment to build this church, Lord"
- "I pray for the future of Lake Highlands Presbyterian Church"
- "May the love of Christ keep us strong and as one."
I have known you were praying for the church, but the opportunity to "listen" to your prayers by reviewing what you had written assures me of your courage and vision.
Speaking of courage and vision, we saw it again on March 17 in the vote to approve the sale and/or mortgage of the Plano Road Campus. (This action was necessary to meet the requirements of the PC(USA) Book of Order.) Balloting was 113 to approve; 4 to disapprove. That's 97% of those voting. I don't know how many abstained, as was their privilege. Nor do I know the reasons for the four voting not to approve; I do not need to know. This I do know: ninety-seven percent is as close as any organization, church or other, is as likely to come to unanimity.
I also understand this: you who had worked to build the Plano Road property and have had it shelter many of your passages in life must have felt pain as you voted Yes. Your vote in the affirmative shows you are focused upon mission, not property, and upon our future as the people of God.
We have seen that courage and vision before, in the action of the former Colonial congregation when they voted to sell their property. It was their decision that began our three former congregations on the road to our united church.
On March 17 we acted once more to "move the wicker chair." It was the right and proper thing to do. Churches are about witness to God's love in Jesus Christ and ministry in his name. Property is one of our tools-an important one.
In the weeks and months ahead we will become very, very busy with building and financial planning.
I ask you never to forget what we are actually about. We have said:
We are Lake Highlands Presbyterian Church.
This is our MISSION: Jesus told us, "Go…and Make Disciples."
This is our VISION: Serving God Together by
Reaching Out, Loving, Caring and
Inspiring Spiritual and Personal Growth.
You demonstrated by your prayers and action on March 17 that you understand. And I am so very proud to be a part of your journey into God's future.
-- Robert E Shelton