Do you enjoy a mess? Let me rephrase: do you see through the mess to what could be? I’ve chosen Engage the Mess as my theme for this year. Life and ministry in our ever-changing and complex world can be very messy. When we see a mess, we have several options. We can ignore it and hope it will go away (hint: it rarely does). We can ponder why the mess is there, who created it, and decide how we navigate around it while not doing anything about it other than complain. We can circle the wagons and shut out the mess; after all, we know that a mess only grows! Or we can engage the mess and deal with it, clean it up, fix it, or restore it.

In his book “Canoeing the Mountains: Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory” Tod Bolsinger stated, “The world in front of you is nothing like the world behind you . . . Christian leader: you were trained for a world that is disappearing.” For example, I once heard a software engineer sadly declare that by the time most laptop computers come off the assembly line, they will already be outdated. Now, before you email me accusing me of calling you out of date, let me explain. The speed at which new technology is emerging demands better adaptation to existing systems that make that new out-of-date laptop valuable and useful to the user. In the same way, we, as Christian leaders, and those of us sitting in the pew, need to develop a posture of life-long learning to meet new challenges. We need to build a solid foundation to strengthen our ability to effectively engage the mess of people's lives amidst the changing cultural contexts as we remain a relevant Gospel witness. We need clarity on Scriptural truth; not diminishing the authority of the Word of God or allowing shifting cultural values to weaken our posture, as we intentionally reach into the mess.

Developing a better vision begins when we see people as Jesus saw them: hungry, displaced, naked, suffering, sheep without a shepherd. As you read the Gospels, note how often you see the phrase, “Jesus had compassion for them” and note the absence of judgment. Engaging the mess is not about developing better ministry strategies for evangelism and increasing church attendance. Developing a better vision is not about a compelling strategy to draw others to the cause. Quite simply, it is an inward reflection of our values measured against the way Jesus dealt with people as we engage the mess with boldness, love, and compassion! Jesus helped the disciples develop a better vision when He washed their feet at the last supper and said, “For I have given you an example that you should also do just as I have done to you” (John 13:15).

I think that Jesus was telling the disciples, and us, to engage the mess!

Rev. Bill Allan
AGC President

Join the Journey: Engage the Mess: Developing a Better Vision