Once there was a young captain assigned to an old ship. The day the captain arrived, he could tell that his new ship was in need of some work and that the morale of the crew was low. And he was not surprised when he was told that the ship had not left port in a long time. The hull of the ship was rotting. The deck was stained and some of the planks were gone. The sails were torn and old, repaired with large patches. Some of the crew members had jumped ship, looking for another ship on which to serve, a ship that was going some place, any place. The very next day, the captain called the crew together. He ordered the ship to be dry docked so the hull could be scrapped, sanded and then painted. Over the next weeks and months, the deck was repaired. The cabins were cleaned and many improvements made. New sails were sewn and hoisted to the yards. The old ship was coming back to life! Then the day came when the captain called the crew together. Some of the old crew members who had jumped ship had returned because they heard and saw what was happening. And other members were new, bringing with them great excitement and love for the sea. The captain said, "It is time that we made plans to leave this harbor." The crew looked around at each other. The captain, knowing that some of them were fearful, said, "This ship was not made for the safety of the harbor... but for the horizon," and he pointed to it. "But you are the crew. You must decide. Will it be the harbor or the horizon?" For what seemed an eternity there was silence. The sounds of wind and waves were all one could hear. Then, one crew member in a hushed voice, said, "Horizon!" And another, "Horizon!" And others joined in, "Horizon!" Until the winds and waves were drowned out with the shouts of, "HORIZON!" The captain, so proud of them that he could barely speak, gathered with members of the crew to plan their first voyage. The excitement grew until the day arrived that they had planned to haul up anchor and make way out of the harbor. The captain gathered the crew in a circle on the bow. He thanked them for their hard work, their courage and faith. And then he asked them to bow their heads while he prayed, "Lord of the land and the sea, what a joyous day this is! A day most of us wondered if would ever come! But you have given this ship, this crew new life, new hope, and we praise you. But Lord, you know that we are a little fearful, for we have not set sail for the horizon for a long time. We fear what awaits us there. We know there will be high winds and waves, storms and difficulties. But we also know that you created us for the horizon, not the harbor, and that, best of all, you will be our Captain, guiding and protecting us. So, our Captain, we have heard your order to set sail for the horizon, not knowing all that's ahead for us, but knowing all we need to know... that you are with us. Amen." The ship sailed out of the harbor that day, never to return to rest in the harbor again. The people on the shore heard all kinds of stories about the ship... how it sailed the seven seas, came through storms, and discovered new lands. Like that ship, our church was meant for a risky adventure. Like the wise servants, we can rise to the challenge and aim for the horizon. Or like the unwise servant, we can cower in fear, avoid risk and change, and stay safely in the harbor. Which will it be for you? Harbor or horizon?