Agenda Therapy

A while back, I bumped into an old acquaintance. We exchanged greetings and remarked on how long it had been since we’d last seen one another. After a few minutes, I was invited to have coffee and catch up. When our coffee date arrived, my heart sank as I discovered “let’s catch up” really meant “let me try to sell you something.” Obviously, our agendas for that meeting didn’t match. I think we both left disappointed.

A part of wisdom in this world is discerning the agendas of others. And in my experience, people aren’t as good at this as they need to be. Even more difficult can be sorting out our own agendas.

The word agenda (or its singular form, agendum) was originally a theological word that meant ‘things to be done.’ This was paired with the word credenda, ‘things to be believed.’ These days, Agenda can refer to the main thing to be done: the ultimate hope, objective, or goal. (I will capitalize this meaning.) Then, agenda can also be a list of items that we think will move us toward that ultimate. To clarify the difference, we can ask two questions:

1. What is the Agenda?

2. What’s on the agenda?

Sorting through these questions will be valuable for all areas of life: as an employee, parent, spouse, friend, carer, content creator, etc. From a faith perspective, these questions can be asked of life in general. What is my Agenda for life? What’s on my agenda? The same can⏤and should⏤be asked of churches. As a church, what is our Agenda? Then, what’s on our agenda?

This agenda therapy can be so clarifying. For those of us who are concerned with God’s Agenda for us, does our Agenda match his? (What is his? Hint: it’s more relational than tactical.) Are we confident the things on our agenda point toward that Big Agenda? Does our doing sweep us and the world around us further into a sanctified hope?

So many times, agenda items take on a life of their own. They subtly morph into their own Agendas. This can be true of programs. It can even be true of liturgies and quiet times. Why do we do these things? Are they shaping our actual lived life⏤a life that extends well beyond what we can see right now? If they are, let’s keep them, but in their proper place. If not, let’s do some more therapy.