The Culture of Possibility

"21-25 year olds are busy creating a culture of possibility" 

- Dear Church: Letters from a Disillusioned Generation by Sarah Cunningham

A culture of possibility. The idea that the future isn't set in stone, things are changing and we are growing along the way. The belief that we truly can change the world.

I find a deep affinity with the mission statement of the United Methodist Church to "make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world." As I was teaching an adult membership class today I shared that John Wesley and generations of his followers truly believe that the Church can transform the world. I could feel myself smiling as I said it. I love that the United Methodist Church still believes in the culture of possibility.

At least in its vision statement. Grant it, sometimes we get stuck in the execution. We've become experts at shooting down ideas and giving excuses as to why we can't follow through. We dismiss ideas that would require us to work too hard without even praying to see if the dream is God's. Because possibility scares us as an institution.

And perhaps that's why as an institution we look around and see a whole generation - the generation of dreams in the possible - missing. We proclaim that we believe the world can be transformed, but we don't live it out in our discussions and actions. 

I don't know about you, but I want to return to the culture of possibility. The culture where we dare to dream God's dreams. Dare to believe that disciples of Jesus Christ can transform the world. What would it take to get us there?