n e w c h u r c h l i f e : j u ly / au g u s t 2 0 1 3
to the General Church. And to this day it is the Academy to which the General
Church owes its vitality and continuance. The two institutions are as closely
conjoined and interdependent as the soul and body of a person.
But it is more than just a vision: it is a vision combined with a practical use,
namely, the work of education, and all the particular uses that work involves.
Without a mission – without a tangible, down-to-earth use to perform – a
vision accomplishes nothing. On the other hand, if the vision is ever lost, the
mission will certainly fail.
For the Academy to continue, we need to be very clear, and united, about
what its vision is and what its mission is. The Academy’s vision is the vision of
the Lord and His kingdom that we are given in the Heavenly Doctrine of the
New Jerusalem. The Academy’s mission is to educate students in such a way as
to transmit that vision, along with the sense of mission it inspires, to each new
generation of the Church.
The vision and mission of the Academy are unique in all the world. No
other institution, no other school, serves the use the Academy serves, and it is
an absolutely vital use.
Our challenge is to continue working to realize the vision, to put flesh and
bones on it, and yet not become so caught up in organizational matters that we
lose sight of the truth that gave birth to this institution in the first place, and
which has preserved its integrity and guided its orderly growth for 136 years.
(WEO)
new church virtues: introspection
Introspection, the ability to look within ourselves and examine our thoughts
and feelings, is a universal human faculty. It is also a distinctively New Church
virtue because the teachings of the Church so strongly encourage us to engage
in it, and explain how essential it is to our spiritual development.
Although all adult, rational human beings are capable of introspection,
there are various obstacles that must be overcome, including the many
distractions of modern life, and even certain erroneous religious teachings –
such as “original sin,” “instantaneous salvation” and “salvation by faith alone.”
Why bother reflecting on your spiritual condition with a view to becoming
a better person if Adam and Eve’s sin is what stands between you and heaven?
Why bother monitoring your thoughts in order to get on a better spiritual path
if the goal of your journey can be reached in an instant by having faith?
Regeneration is a process that takes place in stages, beginning with selfexamination, and the Writings explain that process very fully.
“Man cannot from being evil become good in a moment. This can be done
only step by step, as man withdraws from evil and its delight and enters into
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