40 thoughts on “Vision”

  3. Fat? check. Weak chin? check. Comb over? check. Glasses? check. Ill fitting suit? check.

    Also, you’ve got the fake stone on the wall, and the plastic marble on the bench. Klassy.

    Where’s the nodding deacon on the chair?

  4. At my fundy church we were constantly told to get behind the vision of the mannogid. Not doing so would indicate a “heart problem”* in us.

    Of course, our mannogid’s vision involved a long series of massive building programs involving millions of dollars.

    * Another abusive fundy saying, “The heart of the matter is a matter of the heart.”

    1. It sounds as if we both once attended the same church!

      Oh wait, that’s a pretty common issue in Fundy churches.. expensive building projects. Nevermind…

    2. Of course, with the way Baptists eat, I’m surprised they don’t have more “heart problems”.

  6. As an expositor, things like this make me want to bang my head on the wall. After I recover from the flowers that were in the pulpit today! Left-overs from a wedding, and rather pungent!

    Seriously, this ‘vision’ stuff is found outside of Fundy-land too, along with allegorical sermons and other things that irritate those of us who happen to think our calling is to tell people what the bible means, not what we think it ought to mean!

  7. Translation:
    Where there is no militant loyalty to building a personal empire of ministry which can be uses to control others the people perish.

    Alternate Translation:
    “I want everyone to remember, why they need us!”

  10. As I understand it the meaning is: “Where there is no revelation, the people cast off all restraint.” Anyone else see the irony here? “I’m not restrained by what the revelation actually says; I’ll make it say what I want it to say!”

  11. Be Thou my Vision, O Man-o-my-God;
    Naught be all else to me, save my façade.
    Thou be my best man because of thy might;
    Sundays and Wednesdays, I join in thy fight.

    Be Thou my Preacher and be my true Boss;
    All people Thou hatest I count as lost;
    Thou my great Pastor, I be as none;
    Thou in Your church-house, may Your will be done.

    1. Bonus points if the theme rhymes with the year and is backed up by a verse taken out of context.

      Example:

      “Through the Open Door in 2004”

      “I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it” Revelation 3:8

      (this is a real theme from a real IFB church)

      2. Better yet “Every Door in 2004!”
        Then the house to house verse in Acts…thats solid

    2. Don’t forget that under the banner you need a list of goals: 98 baptisms in 1998, 8 new families in 1998, 298 salvations in 1998, etc.

  13. Keeping your eyes on the Vision will keep your mouth from derision. Can I get an amen!

    If you don’t catch the vision, you can only cause division.

    We’ve got to catch the Vision again in 2010!

      2. Removing the leaven isn’t quite as sinister as “Send them to heaven”… I keep getting a mental image of guys showing up to soul-winning night with shotguns…

    1. Revival might not be around the bend but I know a lot of christians who are…..

  16. This random post deserved a bad comment:

    Just watch the old Sci-Fi classic Day of the Triffids to see this theme played out.

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