I've been thinking about Sunday's teaching on dreams for the Kingdom. If you missed it, what I got out of it (and this is probably totally wrong) is that God gives us visions for what we'd like to see happen in the Kingdom, and that we should pursue dreams in the knowledge that God will give us the power to fulfill them.
Now, maybe I'm wrong, but when I hear dream, I think something along the lines of big accomplishment, with the dreamer at the center. Like, ending poverty in the tristate area or being the motive force behind ending slavery worldwide. So, when I was asked Sunday afternoon what my dreams were, I said that I didn't really have any.
Possibly that isn't exactly true. There are some things that I have passion for, but they are sort of nonspecific. I have a desire to worship and to aid other people in worship. I don't really have a vision for the endstate of what I want worship to be like or to become - just that I want to do it and gather more people into doing it. I love talking about the fundamentals of the faith and of helping people understand them, but I don't have a specific goal in mind with this. Do these qualify as dreams?
I don't know. I know that this isn't what Jonathan said on Sunday, but the whole idea of dreams and goals as believers smacks to me as an Americanization (or, maybe, an American Idolization) of the Gospel. It makes me feel like the church is saying something like "you can be a star, too, just in the church!"
In the New Testament we certainly have the examples of Paul and Timothy and Barnabas pursing their individual destinies in the Kingdom - but what about the thousands and thousands of other believers? Did Paul exhort them to pursue their dreams? Is saying "pursue your dreams" the same as saying "now in the Body there are many parts"? Isn't the emphasis in the epistles much more on community and not on individual accomplishment? It seems to me that what Paul emphasized was more sacrificing of the individual to the greater good.
Maybe I am reading too much into this, or misinterpreting this. I look forward to your take on this.
For me, having dreams is a lot like having goals. You know that verse in the OT that says, THe people perish for lack of vision"? Well, I know that God does have a plan/destiny/dream for my life, that literally breaks down to the specifics. But if I lose sight of that, I could end up just wandering without focus.
ReplyDeletePart of my dream was dating, marrying, being a wife--enter Drew, God's ways of bringing that dream to life. Also, writing music, playing music; musical theater, writing in general--these are more dreams of mine, that I am doing everything within my power to accomplish and the rest is up to God to open doors.
I don't think every "dream" involves being a star or even recognized. Sometimes it is raising children to love and know God; sometimes it is being a true and godly friend to others you work closely with. But I do believe we have a responsibility to link communicate with God, weigh the dreams that we have in terms of finding out if they are part of HIS dreams and then go for them.
But again, that does NOT mean being a star. It does, however, mean living up to the potential God has placed within each of us to become fully realized in every area--relationships with friends/family/spouses, career, as a shopper at the grocery store, etc. etc...
I think Kingdom dreams are about the Kingdom: how God wants to break through into our world. In this way they are little pieces of His big dream for our world. I don't think this kind of dream centers on our part in it, but I do think it draws us to work toward that dream and to envision a part in it that will bring us great joy and satisfaction. It might be a little part or a big part, and there may be a variety of assignments we get from God in bringing the dream to reality, but the size of it or whether people pat us on the back for it is irrelevant. It's the Kingdom that matters.
ReplyDeleteyeah, I agree with that too;-) very well said, anon.
ReplyDeleteSo I guess, at this point, that my dreams are only small dreams - dreams for the moment, dreams for the people immediately around me.
ReplyDeleteThe whole reason for this post is that it was very upsetting to my darling wife that I don't really have Dreams - long term, significant things that I was longing toward. If you know my wife, you probably know why this upset her.
It's been that way for a while. I'm not sure whether it is a terrible thing or not. I've tried to just accept it.
Hmm...I too have the feeling that the "dream" thing may be a bit of an Americanization of the gospel. Not that I don't believe in having a dream from God. I do. I guess I think God drops grand visions into some people...but for most of us I think it's a little more simple than that. We have things we love to do, and we pursue them. In doing so, we hopefully share God's love in our little corner of the universe.
ReplyDeleteI also think we have different dreams at different times. Right now your dream may be to work hard for the financial provision of your family as well as to make time for them when you're not working. When your children are grown and out on their own, perhaps God will release some grand dream to you. Or not.
I think God gives us plenty of clues in the Bible to know what His dreams are and how we can participate in them.
There seems to be an assumption that an "americanization of the gospel" would be a bad thing for sure. I would question that. Every culture could have a "take" on the gospel that could be TOTALLY awesome, emphasizing different parts of this great big cool thing we call a religion.
ReplyDeleteDreams are cool. They may be American (and, uh, there would be reasons, good reasons, for that being so, based on America's history of being a place where people immigrate to, at great personal sacrifice, for specific reasons, which takes a lot of guts, if you think about it) but that doesn't make them any less cool, in my opinion.
Mixing up cools, good, things from cultures with the gospel is a good thing, in my opinion.
ps. PJ of course you have dreams. They don't have to be HUGE to be dreams.
An Americanization of the Gospel is bad insofar as we bring the worldview of our culture to the Gospel and allow the culture to influence what we consider to be "good" and "right" and "normal", instead of allowing the Gospel to inform and alter the culture. If the culture adds an idea that can be good, but we shouldn't insist that our culture's ideas must be followed. In the current example, if you bring the concept of a dream of destiny to the Gospel and say "if you have dreams, they should be dreams for the Kingdom," then I think that is good. If, instead, you say "everyone must have a dream (which I think is an American idea), and so if you are a Christian God will give you a dream" then I think that you are conforming the Gospel to the culture.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the discussion here is partly based on my failure to comunicate succinctly. I like the term "dream of destiny", which I think is an American concept - the idea that every person has a cause, a single purpose, something that will look great carved into a headstone after they die. It is the assumption of a dream of destiny that fights against the idea that a person can be just a good employee, or a decent friend, or a good mother, or provide well for their family and that this is emough in God's eyes. And if you say "well, of course it can be your dream to be a good employee or husband," then I think that you are stretching the concept of what is a dream.
the idea that every person has a cause, a single purpose, something that will look great carved into a headstone after they die. It is the assumption of a dream of destiny that fights against the idea that a person can be just a good employee, or a decent friend, or a good mother, or provide well for their family and that this is emough in God's eyes.
ReplyDeleteI think a film like "It's a Wonderful Life" shows the fallacy in believing that everyone needs a Dream of Destiny...
I think a dream, for me personally, is anything that doesn't come easily, that you desire fervently, and that you have to set your mind on achieving, while also having a great deal of faith and hope along the way.
ReplyDeleteGood employee, decent friend, good mother, good provider... those all qualify as far as I'm concerned!
Leave it to Jase to come up with a film analogy. But, even though many people love that film, I think that films like Rocky or The Rookie or The Matrix or Die Hard resonate with Americans more.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting - I don't so much fervently want to succeed at being a good employee, decent friend, good provider, etc. as I want to avoid failing at these things. Maybe it is a result of my generally passive attitude, but I don't feel so much that I have a vision of success for this things as I have an anxiety of not doing them well. Does that count as a dream?
American movies that are the most popular and enduring over time more often than not have to do with freedom, and escaping from some kind of trap. The achievement of a dream can be important to, but that's kind of a subgenre of films that rarely stands the test of time (though I admit, I'm a sucker for them).
ReplyDeleteLook at the top 10 movies of all time on imdb:
http://www.imdb.com/chart/top
None of them are about a person achieving their dream. Often, in a really good film, a person's dream will change midway through the movie, and they will realize what they wanted wasn't enough / wasn't right and their goal changes, which signifies how their character has changed. Often this is change for the better, but sometimes not.
By the way, it's a wonderful life is 31 on that list, and the matrix is 29th. But I'd argue the Matrix is more about freedom than chasing a dream. Was it Neo's dream to be the One? Or did he become the One to help set people free?
Yes, not failing would be a dream. And hopefully an attainable one! But I think that failure is part of success... so I think avoiding ultimate, irredeemable failure would be my twist on that dream.
My point about the Matrix wasn't so much that it was Neo's dream to be the One, but that it is the idea of being the One that resonates with Americans, as opposed to the idea of being the successful, everyday, quiet worker who nevertheless has an enormous influence on others, as George Bailey did.
ReplyDeleteBut on reflection, I can see that criticizing movies for focusing on the remarkable achievements of a single individual is kind of like criticizing a bicycle for requiring me to lean into turns (like that analogy?). It is the nature of the genre that it lends itself to the portrayal of a single, remarkable protagonist.
I guess it comes down to a discussion of "what is a dream."
Wow. You guys have been busy! Taking a few steps backward…I agree that we can be enriched by what different cultures bring to the gospel -- different ways to worship, a different understanding, different approaches to God. That can all be good. But I also think that the Americanization (or the anythingization) of the gospel is a problem when it “adds” to the gospel (as it usually does), making people feel that to follow Jesus is also to do this and that and the other thing. Then, when people fail at this or that or the other thing, they feel they have failed God, or are unworthy of Him, or maybe that God has failed them. In this case, as PJ said, it’s a problem if people feel that to follow Jesus also means they must have a dream.
ReplyDeleteI understand what you’re saying, PJ, about not wanting to fail. I guess I feel like certain things are so important (in my case, being a good wife, mother, and friend, as well as being effective in my career) that to fail is not an option. But failure is definitely a possibility in the things in my life that I would classify more as “dreams.”
As for movies...it makes sense to me that the most enduring movies are those that have to do with finding freedom, or escaping from a trap. I'll have to check out the list and see if they're anything close to my top 10 movies...
I basically agree with both of your points, Nina and PJ. And yes, I liked the bike analogy.
ReplyDeleteI have some more thoughts and movies and heroes and dreams, but I'll save them for my own blog at some point when I'm feeling verbose!
was this a rare moment when you WEREN'T feeling verbose?!?!
ReplyDeletej/k
besides, I would most certainly be the pot calling the kettle verbose...
Hey, hey, fight nice, now! ;-)
ReplyDelete