Paris Originals
9/01/2008
 When my daughters were little I watched a lot of Sesame Street with them. One of the games involved focusing the camera on one small portion of a photo and asking the children to guess its contents. It was usually impossible to identify who or what was in the photo by looking at it so closely. Then the camera would pull back to reveal more of the picture. Now you could make an educated guess, but you still weren’t sure what you were looking at. It was only when the camera pulled back enough to reveal the entire photo that you realized you had been looking at Big Bird or Oscar’s trash can or Mr. Hooper’s store. Looking back over my life and the ministry God has given me at FCC over the last few years, I feel as if I’ve been living in one of those Sesame Street games. For a long time I had a sense that God was at work among us, and I could see bits and pieces of the picture, but where it was all leading simply escaped me. Over time I saw the camera pull back to reveal more, but it still did not fit into a coherent whole. As I write these words, however, I feel that the picture is finally coming into focus. FaithWalk is the culmination of a lot of prayer, study, discussion, arguments, reflection, dreaming, generosity, and risk-taking by many FCC people in formal and informal settings. Check out the details on page 2 and you will see that it is a | comprehensive program designed to give you the foundations and tools you need for the journey of discipleship. A thumbnail description of FaithWalk is “the journey from membership to discipleship.” Please do not misunderstand. There is nothing wrong with being a member of a church, especially in a church as wonderful as FCC. However, in my pilgrimage with you, and with others in years gone by, I have sensed a longing for more — a deeper relationship with God and a connection to a mission greater than oneself, all set within the embrace of a loving fellowship like ours. Also, nowhere in the New Testament will you find the church conceived of in terms of members, but you will find the church described as a fellowship of disciples. There is a huge difference. Perhaps you are thinking, “Oh, here is the new buzz for fall 2008. I wonder what Paris will dream up for fall 2009.” Rest assured, I have no intention of FaithWalk being a one-shot deal. My hope and prayer is that it will be a centerpiece of our life together for years to come. Eventually, I would like for every person who calls FCC home to take this journey. The logo on this page, I think, says it all. Did you notice it is the same, but not the same, as our capital campaign logo? “Transforming Our Church ~ Brick by Brick” is crucial to the future God has given us. But it’s part of a larger picture: the call to be “Transforming Our Lives ~ Step by Step.” Won’t you be in prayer about making that journey? See you on the road. |
The United Church of Christ.