This photo is the Langley Aerodrome A model that is on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. It is beautifully intricate and gives the appearance of a graceful flying machine. Read the description below.
Samuel Langley's successful flights of his model Aerodromes Number 5 and Number 6 in 1896 led to plans to build a full-sized, human-carrying airplane. Langley's simple approach was merely to scale up the unpiloted Aerodromes to human-carrying proportions. This would prove to be a grave error, as the aerodynamics, structural design, and control system of the smaller aircraft were not adaptable to a full-sized version.
This description reminds me so much of what has happened with denominations and particularly with my own PCUSA.
The sign on the actual exhibit in the museum said that the design was too complex and this led to a structure that couldn't support human flight. In many ways this is the challenge to the PCUSA. The weight of all our special interests and activities can't be supported by the structures we have. In fact, they are a model that can't be adapted for the future. We need some new approaches. Many people around the country are working on this challenge. They key will be to discover again what we are made for.
One of the axioms of marketing, I'm told, is that the narrower the focus the broader the appeal. The more complex our focus the more difficult it will be to accomplish our basic mission. Right now our denomination is in need of focus. Mission is the point, and narrowing that mission will allow us to get off the ground and broaden our appeal.
What is that focus? I believe it is church development - churches that see their call to make disciples who follow Jesus; who in turn see their call to make disciples - who will in turn start new communities that make disciples to follow Jesus. The result is a culture of discipleship and church planting.
We need to be more like the Wright brothers. Not getting caught up in our systems but our purpose. 9 days after the Langley crashed for the last time, the Wright brothers flew this simpler aircraft at Kitty Hawk. Oddly enough the Langley is supported from the ceiling as though it is flying above the Wright Brothers aircraft that is on the floor below. Isn't that ironic. hmmmmmmm
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