And the Lord answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain
on tablets,
so he may run who reads it.”
Habakkuk 2: 2 (ESV)
Inspiration is a wonderful word. Inspiration is something that causes someone
to do something they might not normally have done.
That something is often an idea.
Often, an idea that is greater than us.
In the last several years Hilltop has been called to an
inspiring vision.
The fact it is
inspiring doesn’t make it less scary.
But it is clearly inspiring.
Your leadership has developed a vision for Hilltop to be an
incubator of new church life. The
imagery of Hilltop giving birth often comes into our discussions. Our language has led to practices that have
been prayerful, scriptural and, we hope and pray, leading all of us here to do
something we might not normally have done.
What we are doing in our conscious decision to give birth to a new church
is refreshing and bold. And after we are
refreshed from that first birth, we plan to do it again and again. We hope to be an incubator of new church life
in this fastest growing state in the United States.
What has happened here is nothing short of a call. God has called our name in the night, and we
have responded with “Here we are, send us.”
It is biblical and it is also literary. In the Lord of the Rings, the Wizard Gandalf
says to the hero Frodo, "you have been chosen, and you must therefore use
such strength and hearts and wits as you have."
Hilltop must use all of that – wits and heart
to be sure we have the strength.
Our vision of seeing Hilltop as an incubator of future
church life also calls Hilltop to focus on our own health. The health of the church and the health of
the church child must be factors in our vision.
Health here cannot be either/or.
Health must be both/and. Hilltop
Home as mother and our refreshing child must both be healthy, as well as
Hilltop’s loving mother, the Rocky Mountain Conference.
Where we are in 2017 is exactly where Hilltop was called to
be.
Last year, your leadership urged our mother, United
Methodist leaders in Denver, to see the urgency of now rather than the tyranny of later. Mother listened and prayed, and
was compelled to act by the inspiring and inspired leadership in Sandy,
Utah.
We have spoken of this call in words that we hoped would
compel you to follow your leaders in this call. We have some work to do to
bring that call into line with insuring grandmother, mother and child are
healthy. We are going to spend some time
in February coming back to you and inspiring you with the call we are on – an
incubator of new church life while keeping Hilltop the mother healthy for
future births.
The road we are about to trod is not going to be easy. In
fact it will be scary. We must reject the negativity in our history and
continue to talk, inspire, and lean in because we are called to do so. I confess we are now at a place where we
could exercise caution when the situation calls for us to be bold and brave,
when the situation calls for us to be inspired. We must choose bold, brave and
inspired.
Let me ask: Does the world now need our witness and call
less … or more?
It is my fervent belief and hope that we can exercise a
theology and practice of passionate biblical Christianity that will continue to
push fervently ahead where the rest of the world would issue a call to pull
back.
We can do this inspired, compelling church birthing work,
and keep Hilltop a healthy parent, while continuing to keep our mother in
Wyoming, Utah and Colorado strong.
All
must be in our focus.
All of those must
be in our vision.
I encourage us to now be worthy daughters and sons of Hilltop,
of Methodism, and of the Lord.
I commented earlier that your leaders urged our mother, that
is key United Methodist leaders in Denver, to see the urgency of now rather
than be satisfied with the tyranny of waiting for later.
I pray we are inspired – now – by the example of your leaders
to go preach love, stand fast against traditional wisdom, and renew the face of
the earth. I invite you in February to
listen to your leaders, and answer their call with a faithful, inspired
response.
Selah, Pastor Dennis
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