A Clear Focus
by Francine Taylor-Thirus, former staff, the General Board of Discipleship

This past holiday season, I visited my three children and four grandchildren. We had a glorious time together. Because we all live and work in different states, we do not get to see one another as often as we would like. When we do get together, we take out our cameras; and the picture taking begins so that we can savor our shared moments when we are no longer in one place together.

As I started to take the much anticipated and unforgettable poses, I discovered that I could not get a clear, sharp view because the lens on my camera was dirty. Dirt or something sticky on the lens was preventing a clear, focused view. If I took pictures under those circumstances, the result would be a distorted picture. I would not be able to see everything clearly and accurately.

An obstacle can also prevent or slow down revitalization in a congregation when it keeps a person or persons from being fully and totally focused on God. Sometimes a congregation's situation can be so overwhelming that its entire focus is on the problems. Thus, people see trouble, anxieties, discouragement, or exhaustion. These obstacles, like the dirt on the lens of a camera, can distort the real concerns.

When we encounter such obstacles, we may declare with David in Psalm 3:

"O Lord, how may are my foes!
Many are rising against me;
Many are saying to me,
'There is no help for you in God.'" (Psalm 3:1-2, NRSV)

Just as I had to remove the obstacle from my camera lens, a congregation can also remove the obstacles that stand in its way. David found help when he:

Turned to God,
Looked to God,
Called out to God, and
Focused fully on God.

In Psalm 3, David continues:

"But you, O Lord are a shield around me,
My glory and the one who lifts up my head.
I cry aloud to the Lord,
And he answers me from his holy hill."
(Psalm 3:3-4, NRSV)

God responded to David by comforting him, removing his anxieties and worries, and increasing his knowledge. The good news is that when we acknowledge God, we will find all the help, strength, and comfort we need to recognize our problems clearly and to focus and act to resolve those problems.

Go out and serve!

Posted 2-11-04.