A Wonderful Vision

I have begun to immerse myself in the writings of Stanley Hauerwas for a research paper I am writing for my Christianity in the Postmodern World class. I read some of Hauerwas in college and have been looking for a good excuse to dig a little deeper into his work. He is man with a vision - one that is based on the Bible and the church.

His vision of the church is a people who are called out by the story of God's redemptive narrative and transformed by the Holy Spirit. It is this community of the church that will be a witness to the world - showing it for what it really is while at the same time showing the world what it can and should be and one day will be. ( I say that because I believe in the New Heavens and the New Earth where everything in creation will be reconciled to God and be made new.)

The other night, some friends and I began to discuss Hauerwas over some pizza. During the conversation, we agreed that we love his ideals but are unsure as to how to hold them practically. How does one go about making the church what it should be so that the church, in turn, can be a witness to the world? Hauerwas does not give us step by step directions for this process.

I do think, however, that Hauerwas has given us the first step: a vision. In the book group (that is never-ending because we cannot seem to find the time to meet one last time) we have discussed this same theme in Dallas Willard's book. People need to have something to work toward. They need to have a clear vision of what the work they are doing is going to accomplish. Willard was saying it in context of discipleship, but I think it applies here too. Hauerwas is trying to give the church a vision of what it should be so that the church may provide a vision for the world.

Pretty idealistic, right? Yes. But in the words of Anne of Green Gables:

"We must have ideals and try to live up to them, even if we never quite succeed. Life would be a sorry business without them. With them it's grand and great."