No this is not a story about the Catholic Church.  It is an idea I present for your prayerful consideration.  This idea which I call Critical Mass refers to a threshold of necessity with any number of applications. 

Consider a child in the first months or years of school.  Initi­ally most things must be taught by the teacher because the child simply does not have enough information and experience to under­stand things on their own.  They have no internal reference for the things that are being taught.

At some point, however, in different subjects or areas, they will begin to learn on their own.  No longer must the teacher recite data for storage, and future reference.  Once it starts, the child will learn more and more until there is no more to learn..or until some other limiting factor intervenes to stop the learning and further progress and development.

People reach stages of critical mass throughout their lives.  There must be enough of something for progress and development and function to be self sustaining and even self increasing.  Take, for instance, our Christian walk.

Before we do that lets look at what I call the Corollary Rules of Critical Mass.  1.  Reaching critical mass is not a matter of time..it is a matter of mass.  You must have a certain amount of something to experience breakthrough in any area of your life.  No matter how long it takes, until you get it, you aren't going anywhere fast.  2. Once critical mass is reached, your life becomes transcended in a geometric fashion.  Put simply, a small input which causes you to reach critical mass results in a tremendous increase in that area of your life.  3.  The effect of Critical Mass can be diverted by some limiting factor in our lives and 4. God can cause you to reach critical mass at any time.

Now lets look at our Christian walk.  When we first get saved we are immature in the faith.  We may experience tremendous insights and miracles and other interventions from God...but generally this is a result of the mercy of God, not our development.  He is treating us as little children, inexperienced, and unschooled in His ways.  In short God spoon feeds us, just as a school teacher might first graders. Why, because we need encouragement, and protection from Satan.  We are like tender plants who have been grown in a greenhouse.

Then, at some point, God transplants us out in the weather.  We are shocked a bit by the change, by the heat, or cold, or gener­ally harsher conditions.  But God is there.  He feeds us, and waters us and we grow.  But initially it is almost as if we get smaller.  It takes a while for our roots to reach downward into the soil, and our trunk to grow strong enough to support the necessary foilage.

Then the foilage grows greener, and larger, though not tremen­dous­ly. But we are approaching critical mass.  Things are being prepared.  Our roots are strong and deep.  Our trunk can support the foilage which has grown denser and green.  And then a thun­ders­torm.  The wind blows, the lightning flashes, the thunder rolls and crashes, and the rain falls all the while dissolving nitrogen from the air into a life promoting elixir. 

Our roots bring up potash and potassium and other needed ele­ments. The rain brings water, and the nitrogen which causes almost instant growth.  A magnificent plant now stands where a smaller once was. You say the thunderstorm brought the growth?  Yes, but before we reached a certain stage in our development the plant could not take advantage of the rain and the nitrogen.

So our spiritual plant grows and prospers, but after a while the foliage yellows, and the trunks and stems become brittle, and pretty soon the plant which had been so pretty slows and dies unless...it gets pruned.

God gently, but often severely removes the once full of life, but now useless material leaving the chosen shoots to grow in the light which now shines upon their previously hidden leaves.  The roots are still strong and deep usually and so it takes less time now for the foliage to grow and develop to the point of critical mass...ever waiting for the thunderstorms and showers which bring the rain and the nitrogen to trigger the lush growth.

Lush growth, however beautiful, is not really the goal of the hus­bandman.  Indeed, if that is all we produce then the owner of the vineyard orders that we be cut down and cast out to make room for more fruitful vines.  Fruit is the goal of our growing and pruning. 

This cycle continues throughout our life with many variations, depend­ing on the soil of our life, the care we receive, the attacks of Satan, and our ability to withstand them.  This time of bearing seed and fruit may last for any amount of time...and then comes the end?  Nope, just a higher state of life because now, the biggest hindrance to ultimate critical mass has been removed.