The holy work of imagination
Sept. 28, 2025
By Rev. Riz Prakasim
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. – Philippians 4:8-9
Peace be with you. We enter this season of Fall with renewed momentum and direction. We have moved into a new phase together, as not only are we having joint worship twice a month, but we are also using the same sermon series, which means we are now using the same liturgy more or less for the next few months.
In September, the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area officially sanctioned our merger path with Falcon Heights UCC by voting in favor of our two faith communities coming together. Also in September, we had our first Interim Joint Board retreat at St. Paul’s UCC, in which we got to know one another, which is the foundation to building a healthy relationship. In addition, we attended to items of business, including planning the next steps ahead as we prepare to permanently transition to the Falcon Heights location.
One of our exercises included growing our theological imagination. We asked elders to imagine what a church publication or local newspaper might write about the new church five, 10 or 15 years from now. Here are some of the headlines they came up with: The Spirit is Alive, It Was God All Along, New Roots Bear Fruit on Garden Avenue, Merged Church Opens Third Mission Site, Local Church Focal Point of Community Action!
For change to happen well, we first need to create psychological space for that change by imagining what is possible. Before we can plant new seeds of ministry, we must first picture what the garden might look like. Imagination is holy work. It allows us to move beyond what is, into what could be. It invites us to dream about new forms of worship, new ways of caring for our neighbors, and fresh opportunities to embody Christ’s love in the world.
The apostle Paul encouraged the early church to set their minds on what is noble, pure, admirable, and praiseworthy, cultivating their holy imagination and then to putting those things into practice. This guidance feels especially timely for us now. What we choose to focus on shapes the kind of community we are becoming. If our imaginations are filled with fear, we risk shrinking back. But if our imaginations are filled with what is excellent and life-giving, we create the conditions for the Spirit to move among us.
As we look ahead, let us imagine ministries that are both faithful and bold. Picture classrooms filled with children learning about God’s love, fellowship halls where meals are shared with neighbors, worship services alive with song and joy, and partnerships that bring justice and compassion into our community. Each of these visions is a seed waiting to be planted, watered, and nurtured by our shared faith.
May we meditate on what brings joy and life and, more importantly, put them into practice. And as we do, we can be confident that the God of peace will be with us—guiding, sustaining, and surprising us with new life at every turn.