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We are often asked about the Ad Fontes
”vision” and are to some extent
criticized for not being sufficiently
clear in this area. In reality, we have
consciously been careful not to
establish “our” vision too definitely,
since this could limit God’s liberty to
act among us.
Our highest calling is a calling to God
himself. In the Bible it says that we
are called into fellowship with the
Father and his son, Jesus Christ. “Be
thou my vision” is a striking expression
in an Irish hymn we like to quote. In
several historic documents from church
history (among them the Westminster
Confession) the highest aim of human
beings is described as “to worship God
and enjoy him forever”. When we are
called to God himself, we also discover
a new fellowship with each other. The
German priest and martyr, Dietrich
Bonhoeffer, said that when encountering
your brother you should imagine yourself
to be “eternally joined to him in
Christ”.
What is more, the Christian church does
not choose its vision. It is once and
for all given by God himself and has
been the same for all Christians in all
centuries. In order to help us fulfil
this calling in our time, the Holy
Spirit has been given as our guide. In
our walk with him and with each other,
we can from time to time become aware of
certain emphases on certain issues, as
the “Spirit speaks to the church”. God’s
will, expressed in general terms in the
Bible, is in this way specified through
concrete expressions in each time, so
that our obedience and preparedness to
follow him is tested on a practical
level.
We hesitate to make use of the methods
of the world, in establishing business
plans and activity goals in short and
long perspectives. The moment we choose
our own goals, our openness is limited
to the visions we have ourselves
established. Visions can inspire and
motivate, but they can also weigh down
and limit, especially if you try to
realize someone else’s vision.
A few points
that
we have jointly perceived to be
emphasized by the Holy Spirit in our
fellowship are the following:
“A home for the homeless.”
Our church should be a home for the
spiritually homeless.
“Turn the hearts of the parents to the
children.”
We believe that a trusting fellowship
between different generations, in faith
as well as on a natural level, is a
matter close to the heart of God. At the
moment, we therefore miss the elderly
and the children in our fellowship.
“Openness to the Spirit – faithfulness
to the Word of God.”
In our confused time, it is more
important than ever to make use of the
sign-posts
that
God has given. Those are to be found in
the Word and are specified by the
Spirit, who is the helper we so
desperately need. Therefore, we want to
show respect to God’s Word and honour
the presence of the Spirit in our
fellowship.
“Widen your hearts, stretch out
the
tent-ropes.”
The great mistake of the Pharisees was
that they could not receive Christ
because he was not like one of them. In
our time, everything has to be profiled
and niched. “Socialize with your own
kind, if you want to be successful. Turn
to those who are like you.” We believe
that God has called us to enter another
path,
and want to be able to recognize Jesus
when he visits us in the form of people
and expressions strange to ourselves and
our own preferences. |
