Remembering God's Dream

A profound Christian teacher, speaker, author and leader died on September 1. Verna Dozier inspired and challenged people to not simply worship Jesus but to follow him. Many of my spiritual mentors were influenced by Verna Dozier and while I never personally met her or heard her speak, Dozier's books have nurtured and supported my journey. Please read more about Verna Dozier, be inspired by her theology and seek, as she did, to be committed to the dream of God.

Here's a quote from Verna Dozier that was shared recently through the Church of the Savior's Inward/Outward daily e-mail newsletter:

"We have lost the capacity to dream great dreams. We reduce God to the personal, private, ’spiritual’ sphere of our lives, and ministry to personal, private, ’spiritual’ acts - a good deed here, a good deed there, a cup of cold water here, a loaf of freshly baked bread there, a prison visit here, a hospital call there, a night in a shelter here, a time with a troubled friend there. We see no need to challenge the systems that make these ‘ministries’ necessary.
The call to ministry is the call to be a citizen of the kingdom of God in a new way, the daring, free, accepting, compassionate way Jesus modeled. It means being bound by no yesterday, fearing no tomorrow, drawing no lines between friend and foe, the acceptable ones and the outcasts. Ministry is commitment to the dream of God."
Source: The Dream of God

For more on this inspiring person please visit the Episcopal Diocese of Washington's blog where you will find links to numerous articles about Dozier and quotes from many who have been influenced by her life and faith.