Vision and the Possible...
I've been reading an excellent new book by W.P. Campbell (I'll post the review later for Zondervan and everyone else to see) about how to turn controversy into ministry and am struck with some thoughts on vision. Nehemiah was a man with great vision. But the question we often skip is where that vision came from! Nehemiah was broken for the city of Jerusalem and its inhabitants, which led him to prayer, fasting, and mourning. He was GREATLY leading from a long-term prayer emphasis! But how often do we (as Christians and specifically those in leadership positions) neglect prayer and instead focus on the things we "need" or "ought" to do? I mean, I know I am often busy "doing" ministry (planning events, prepping the current series for junior and senior high, running the 4 days a week programming that exists our ministry, planning worship, making/sending mailers, doing stuff for the presbytery, doing miscellaneous stuff for the church, filling in