Charlie Brown and Lucy are on a cruise ship.
Some people take their deck chairs to the front of the ship so they can see where they are going.
Other people take their deck chairs to the back of the ship so they can see where they've been. I began my report to General Synod last month with this story, for it speaks to many of our congregations and much of our life as a denomination. It is time we open our deck chairs-free ourselves from internal preoccupations and look outside ourselves to see where we've been and to envision where God is beckoning us. General Synod led us in this direction by adopting a statement of mission and vision for the future ministry of the Reformed Church in America. It is about who we are and who we are called by God to become.