Rev. Peter Boullata
Parish Minister
Peter's Recent Columns
| Vision |
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| Friday, January 06 2012 21:14 |
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So another calendar year begins. With each New Year, many people resolve to do something different in the upcoming twelve months. Such resolutions are notorious for going unfulfilled and abandoned, oftentimes before February 1, if not sooner. A lot has been written about how to avoid having your resolutions meet that fate! It usually involves choosing goals that are measurable and attainable, tracking your progress, and making course corrections as you approach your objective. Looking within and around one's self for what might be missing or improved and then resolving to make those changes is an important practice. Working toward one’s aspiration within a certain time frame to better one’s self is how we make our lives better. Another important aspect is having a vision of what life would be like once the weight has been lost, the money saved, the new job started. Holding in the mind’s eye a picture of what our life looks like in the “after” photograph can be a motivator as we continue on the path toward our goal. I would say, and others do too, that this vision is essential. The practices of discernment (What do I need to do or change? Who am I becoming?) and vision (What does this goal look like once it is accomplished?) are not just for individuals, but for communities, too. A church, for example, can ask: What does a congregation do well that we can continue to build on in the next several years? What are some of our “growing edges,” those places in which we can grow stronger? What do we envision for the church in the next five years? the next ten? And—just as importantly—what steps will we take together to get there? How will we track our success in achieving those goals? Your Parish Board is in the midst of a robust conversation around these queries. Strengths, weaknesses and opportunities have been identified and certain features of a vision of our future self are beginning to come into view. Your input into the conversation is being invited. The visioning work that has taken place at First Parish in the last several years has not been discarded. It is the framework for the current conversation, so rest assured, nobody will be reinventing the wheel. My hope is that we will pick up that work and carry it forward. Even if you feel like you’ve already answered the question, how do you respond when asked, "what is your vision of First Parish’s future? What do we look like in the 'after' photo?" |