.....about a "myopic" church!

          Only because my wife has been a visual specialist in the public schools, do I even know what "myopia" means!

          It's a surprisingly short medical word for nearsightedness.

          I was watching a segment of the "Today" Show recently and a man was having contact lenses surgically attached to his eyeballs to correct his myopia.
          I didn't watch too much of it, because I get the "willies" when I see someone messing with eyeballs!
          But, while I was listening to them talk about all the things concerned with the surgery....and all the technical things about myopia, I began to think about the church.

          I was just thinkin'........if there are any churches suffering from myopia!

          Are there some churches that are nearsighted?  I mean.....are there churches that can't see much beyond their own doors?
          In the days we are living, if the church is going to have any significant impact on the 
non-Christian world.....it's going to have to be "farsighted" (the medical word is: hyperopic).
          Our vision is going to have to look beyond the walls of our churches to have any effect on the people around us.  
          I know of a church that is sitting in the middle of a very rural area near a very small town with a population of less than 1000.   The church is ancient, and the pastor (at that time) was well into his retirement years.  The town--and surrounding area--is predominately German and Catholic.  
          Yet, the little church---which was hardly running 50 on a good Sunday morning---was running well over 70 adults and children for their Wednesday night activities!
          Obviously, this little church had 20/20 vision that extended way beyond its historical, antique doors.
          When I think of the word "vision" in context with the church, I think of that verse from Proverbs that says, "Where there is no vision, the people perish." (28:19)  In the original language, the word "vision" means: mental sight, dream, revelation, prophecy.
          If the church is going to reach people, it's going to have to have "mental sight" and a "dream" that goes beyond its walls!
          The church cannot be "myopic" about God's commission to reach people.

          Is your church nearsighted.......or farsighted?

Tommy