I’m awake early today. 5:30 am is a time in my life that is reserved normally for fishing trips, early departures for long journeys, and medical emergencies.
Today is a little different. I’ve had one of those dreams that wakes you up. We’ve all had them. But this one is a little different. I woke up from it, not because it was so disturbing, but because what I dreamed of demands our response.
I dreamed that we were a nation of castles, a little king in every one. And in a nation was besieged, the kings were busy defending their castles. I found myself in the turret of one of these castles, looking out at the horizon where the next castle stood.
Immediately, two things became clear to me at once. First, the neighboring castle would fall before the onslaught against it. And second, my castle was next in line.
Now, I should mention that I’ve been paying attention to dreams for a long time now. Plagued by nightmares as a boy, I read every book that I could get my hands on. I’ve even had some success with lucid dreaming.
While not every dream has a clear message, this one got my attention without delay. When churches become too concerned with their own existence and the defense of their own castles, its only a matter of time before they are picked off one by one. Sure, it will be the smallest churches first. And there are even some who say that the small ones should go.
That isn’t my point, though it bears considering. My point is that no castle should be so concerned with its own defense that its ruler should ignore the plight of his or her neighbors. And no church should be so wrapped up in its own existence that it ignores the shared mission of the greater Church.
The Calloway County Cluster of the United Methodist Church is sponsoring Holy Week services at churches across the county. I think its time we visited some of the other castles in the county. In learning from each other, we might just find a way to improve our own defenses–and learn to work together at the same time.
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