Renewed and Refocused

I have taken a few weeks away from blogging and I will explain why below. I am going to be writing regularly again. The focus of the blog will be upon the steps and processes God is leading me and the churches through as we seek to become healthy again.

Why did I not blog since early August? Honestly, I was depressed and I did not feel that I had anything worthwhile to say. I hit an emotional lowpoint a couple of weeks ago when I began to question why we had left a very solid church to come to two struggling congregations. It seemed that nothing was working in the churches or in our personal lives. I could hear the evil one saying that these were my options 1) quit, or 2) accept mediocrity and limp along like this. I knew that neither of these options was right but it just seemed like we were banging our heads on a wall over and over again.

I have spent the past couple of weeks seeking what God would have for me to do spiritually, emotionally and physically in relation to the churches. I feel that God has given me a new set of marching orders and I need to be acting up His lead on a daily basis.

1) PREACH THE WORD - regardless of what else happens in a church I can control whether the Bible is being preached each Sunday. I can control whether I am being true to God's word without mixing my personal preferences in. God has made it plain that I must do my very best to present sermons that are interesting, informational and Biblical. I am endeavoring to do that very thing. I am continuing to post my sermons to the seewhatgodisdoing.com website on a weekly basis.

2) STRIVE FOR THE BEST, BUT ACCEPT WHERE WE ARE - I had become accustomed to a certain level of professionalism and possibility in my previous church. I have struggled because there was just no way these two churches could be like the previous church. I kept wishing that we would magically transform into a different kind of church. God has told me in no uncertain terms that these churches will not change overnight and I need to stop living with that expectation. These churches will change gradually (sometimes almost imperceptibly) and I need to rejoice with each step we take. I cannot push us to be more than what we are capable of, but I cannot accept for us to be less than what we can be.

3) WE NEED TO BE HEALTHY - This starts with me. I have to be right before God emotionally, spiritually, physically, etc. Then I can preach and teach with authority about being a healthy church and healthy congregational members. The old saying says 'You cannot lead someone else where you have not been yourself.' So the strange paradox is that as much as the church needs me to help them with their issues, questions and struggles - I have to allow God to help me first and I have to set aside time and energy to be the best I can be as well. This is a challenge but it is worth it for me, my family and the churches.

4) WE MUST BECOME MORE STABLE BY INTRODUCING SUCCESSFUL INSTABILITY - Both churches have been through several different church leaders over the years - pastors, worship leaders and church bosses. As these church leaders have changed the churches have split and fractured repeatedly. Those who remain have been left with a tremendous sense of instability and distrust in new leadership. In fact, several people have not even come back to church since I began ministry there. It seemed as if I was just one change too many for some people.

I really sense that we have to strive to take steps ahead in ministry and facilities, even though these changes inherently bring further instability. But as these steps are well-planned, well-executed and successful the churches will sense greater trust and stability. The basic struggle is to introduce just the right steps forward, at just the right times, so that there is healthy, stabilizing change.

5) THE HOLY SPIRIT - Everything I have written about above comes down to me following the leading of the Holy Spirit, personally and professionally. We cannot afford for me to operate out of my own ideas or my own ego. We can end up being growing, healthy churches that are focused on souls, and the key is whether I am listening to God's leading through the Holy Spirit. To be that kind of leader I have to be in the Word, in prayer and right in my attitudes and actions.

Thank you for taking a few moments to read about where we are and where we are going. I hope that this blog entry will help you to be able to pray for us in an informed way.

The Body of Christ

Ephesians 4:11-16

Synopsis:
True spiritual leaders lead the church to have a 'how can I help' attitude, which leads a church to maturity that is evidenced by the freedom which comes from speaking the truth in love. This church sees itself as a body with Christ as the head. Each part is different and valuable and they are all being directed by the head.

Ephesians 4:7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it (...) 11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

SPIRITUAL LEADERS

In verse 11 we see that God has called some in the church to be spiritual leaders - apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. These roles in the body of Christ come with much responsibility, few rights and little earthly reward. As I was writing this sermon I remembered how God called me to his service. I remembered the feelings of inadequacy and fear that the evil one kept throwing at me. I relived some of my moments of failure where I have not lived up to my calling and I have lived in fear or pride or doubt. I thanked God for his faithfulness to me in spite of my humanity. The question that resounds in my head is - 'Why would God choose to use someone like me?' Yet, regardless of my questions the simple fact is that he has clearly called me, he is equipping me, he is guiding me and as I follow his lead, and he will continue to use me to lead others to know him. Paul was entertaining these same kinds of thoughts when he wrote

1 Corinthians 1:26 Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.
27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things-- and the things that are not-- to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him.
30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God-- that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."

Jesus made it plain to his disciples how they were called into ministry

John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit-- fruit that will last.

As I was preparing this sermon I had the overwhelming sense that God was calling or would be calling someone who would hear or read this sermon into his service. I really wrestled with God about whether I should include this statement in my sermon and I complete peace that someone who will be touched by this sermon needed the confirmation that God was calling them into the ministry. (Repeat John 15:16)

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Paul told the spiritual leaders he was developing that they needed to watch over both the flock they are given and themselves

Acts 20:28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.

1 Timothy 4:16 Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

Spiritual leaders are also held to high standards by God and the church.

Titus 1:6 An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. 7 Since an overseer is entrusted with God's work, he must be blameless-- not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain.
8 Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. 9 He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.

Listen to the apostle Peter's beautiful description of the role of spiritual leader in the church. Shepherding - willingly, care-fully, faithfully . . .

1 Peter 5:1 To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ's sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: 2 Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers-- not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

THE 'HOW CAN I HELP' ATTITUDE

Notice that as the spiritual leaders listed in verse 11 are all fulfilling their call before God they will be affecting the church as a whole. As we see in verse 12 God's people will be prepared for works of service and the body of Christ will be built up. Then we see in verse 13 that unity, knowledge and maturity will follow.

A healthy church will have spiritual leaders who are called by God and are calling upon God for wisdom and direction. That healthy church will focus on preparing the members in that church to reach out to others. When Paul talked about the church being prepared for works of service he knew that the happiest people, the most fulfilled people are caring for others - believers and unbelievers. They have an attitude that says 'how can I help?' They wake up every morning and say 'Dear Lord, how are we going to touch someone's life today?'

I have watched as the 'how can I help?' attitude has spread like wildfire throughout a congregation and to other churches. Church members were reaching out to their neighbors, to others in the church, to strangers, to people in the grocery store and people were noticing something unique in their attitudes and actions. People want to know what makes you tick when you are loving them with your actions before you love them with your words.

1 John 3:18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

THE MATURE CHURCH
When the church is mature, understanding God and following his leading then we will be childlike in our faith, but not childish in our actions and reactions.

Ephesians 4:14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.

Childlike not childish

Matthew 10:16 I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.

1 Corinthians 14:20 Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults.

As mature Christians we need to know what we are about so that we are not blown about by different ideas and different questions. We need to be firmly rooted in our faith and growing (set my feet firmly on the ground); we need to be looking to God for our guidance and hope (turn my eyes upward for few moments); and our arms need to be wide open to the needs of those in the church and around us everyday (spread my arms out and bring my gaze down to the eyes of the congregation). Do you recognize someone else who was firm in his faith, looked to his heavenly Father for direction and reached to those around him?

THE BODY OF CHRIST

Ephesians 4:15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

Paul says that instead of the instability and wishy-washiness that he talked about in verse 14 we need to speak the truth in love and we need to act like a body that works together, grows together and goes together.

It appears that the answer to immature and childish faith is speaking the truth in love which will cause each part of the body of Christ to grow and become stronger.

Well, that sounds pretty simple doesn't it? If the body of Christ would be strong and vibrant by just speaking the truth in love then why are so many churches struggling? Why are so many churches weak and ineffective? Why are very few churches winning souls to Christ? It is because we tend to speak the truth without love, or we speak lovingly without telling the truth. To actually speak the truth in love we have to care so much about a person, we have to be so broken about their pain and confusion that we tell them the truth that will set them free.

Speaking the truth without love = hurtful words motivated by pride and causing pain

Loving without speaking the truth = enabling powerless words motivated by fear and causing confusion

Speaking the truth in love = powerful and compassionate words motivated by what is best for the other person and leading to health and wholeness

John 8:32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

Speaking the truth in love brings freedom to both sides of that situation. The person who is speaking has a clear heart and conscience that they have said what the other person really needs to hear. The person who is hearing what is said is free because now the truth is laid out before them and they can make decisions based on reality rather than uncertainty and confusion.

True spiritual leaders lead the church to have a 'how can I help' attitude, which leads a church to maturity that is evidenced by the freedom which comes from speaking the truth in love. This church sees itself as a body with Christ as the head. Each part is different and valuable and they are all being directed by the head.

Ministry Update

Dear Prayer Team,

Thank you so much for your prayers. We are doing very well. Our family is settling into the house and we are beginning to explore the area around us. This afternoon we are going to two family festivals that are being held near us.

Ministry at the churches is definitely taking shape. I can sense God giving me more direction and focus as each day passes. Our attendance is just about the same 25 or so at Ft. Miller and 20 or so at Chestertown. The offerings are averaging about what they were before I came. I held vision casting meetings at both churches last Sunday (7-26-09) and they seemed to be very well received. There were children at both of the meetings and we are redesigning our Sunday AMs to be 'kid-friendly'. I am especially excited about the children at Ft. Miller. They definitely understand that children and teens are essential to their long-term existence and vitality. We are beginning Children's Church at Fort Miller this week because it is going to be a need beginning this week. We re-established Children's Church at Chestertown last Sunday.

On Thursday morning we had a prayer meeting at Ft. Miller with 7 in attendance and that afternoon I worked with 2 Chestertown teens on helping to lead worship this coming Sunday (wow, lots of energy - I could barely keep up with my guitar). Thursday evening we had 15 at their Thursday night prayer and Bible study. Definite signs of life there. There seems to be a good buzz going around about the new direction the church is taking. Both churches have a yard sign that tells what time the services are being held. This is temporary until we can find a more fixed way to display the service times.

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One last update item and prayer concern. There will be a work team coming from another church the week of August 17th. We have established three kind of projects for them to help us with - Definite Projects, Possible Projects and the Faith Project. The Definite Projects are needs that we have raised funds for already and we have most of the resources on hand. These projects include some clean up, making the nursery and children's church area acceptable for new families, installing some doors and windows and some small exterior cosmetic work. The Possible Projects are repairing a back exterior wall which is rotting because of a drainage issue (and fixing the drainage issue), replacing the new sign out front, and make a long dark hallway brighter and less scary. The Faith Project is to put vinyl siding on some or all of the building. These last two kinds of projects can only happen if we are able to purchase more supplies. Please pray with us about these possibilities.

In Faith,

Pastor James

Next steps in ministry

As I mentioned in my previous post this past Sunday night (July 12, 09) was pretty challenging. Earlier in the day I had done my first circuit with the churches I am pastoring now, and I was sitting considering what had happened and wondering what to do next. It is pretty evident that the churches cannot continue on with only 19 people at their services. All kinds of ideas began to rush in and out of my head - different ways to try to attract attenders, ways to help the churches become healthy, questions about whether I was capable of being what these churches needed me to be, etc.

As I was spinning ideas and questions I realized that, on my first day, I had already hit the wall, ouch!! - that was pretty quick. I felt paralyzed by the amount of need, and my inability to meet that need on my own. In my mind I vacillated between faith and fear for quite a while. Then quietly and slowly I began to remember that God had called me to this ministry and that all He needed was for me to be obedient to His leadings. A strange and unreasonable peace began to sweep over me. This was God's ministry, and if I stayed true to what He led me to say, think and do He would be glorified through my efforts. The results may not be understood by those in the churches, in the district, or in my personal life, but that is not the issue. The issue is if I did what God told me to do - period!

I called the family together, we went for a walk along the Hudson, and then we loaded in the car for a sightseeing ride near the Vermont border. We saw some beautiful lakes, wildlife, vacationers and many other wonderful sights. At one point in the ride we came to the top of a hill and I realized that we could see the Adironacks on our left and the Green Mountains of Vermont on our right. We stopped and just stared in awe at what God had created. We were so small in the vastness of His creation. He had created such order, beauty, detail and majesty. As I sat there I was reminded of my conversation with God earlier that evening. I am simply a small part of what God is doing in the world. My role is like a rock on a mountain or a tree in a forest - seemingly insignificant but extremely valuable if done right and added to the efforts of others.

Finally Settling In . . .

Thanks for all your prayers. Our lives are finally settling down and we are settling in to our new home and our new ministries. Joan and I are tired of seeing boxes, moving boxes, packing boxes, unpacking boxes - tired of anything having to do with boxes.

Our new home is in a rural setting. The nearest store of any kind is about five miles away, and 'real' shopping is at least twelve miles away. It really slows us down from making any 'impulse' purchases. It is helping us to simpify our lives in many ways, the pace is slower for everything and there are some advantages to that.

Jake has a BB gun, an assortment of knives and chopping tools and he is in country boy heaven. Our nearest neighbor is about a quarter mile away so he can pretty much do whatever he would like in the stream and the woods around us.

Julia is playing with her cousin Sarah regularly so she has not had time to miss her friends from Horseheads - yet. She is outside a lot playing with her cousin and our dog Katie.

We held our first services yesterday morning - first at Fort Miller Wesleyan at 8:30 am and then at Chestertown Wesleyan (Northway Community Fellowship) at 11:00 am. There were 19 people at each service. Jon Wixson came up for the weekend to meet everyone and he participated in the services. Jon and I shared a skit under the name "The Sons of Thunder". The services went well and I was encouraged to find a warm welcome from both congregations.

In my next post I am going to share about the emotions I went through Sunday evening. It became evident right away that the Evil One wanted to knock me out, but God is good and good things are coming.

Father, Father Her

Father, Father Her

By James Swanson
Written and sung for Jocelyn on her wedding day, June 20, 2009

I'll never forget the day you were born
I was such a proud father
You were so tiny and frail full of possibilities
Suddenly I felt overwhelmed and scared
How could I care for such a precious life
I asked my father to give me wisdom
So that I could be the father you needed me to be

Father, father her - your love is greater than mine
Creator, keep on making her - in your design
Take her now - I commit her to you
No stronger hands could hold her
Watch over my little girl

The minutes turned into hours,
then days and months and years
you blossomed like a flower
brimming with personality
beauty shining from ear to ear
It became evident that you stand apart from the crowd
To whom much is given much is required

Father, father her - your love is greater than mine
Creator, keep on making her - in your design
Take her now - I commit her to you
No stronger hands could hold her
Watch over my little girl

So we are standing here now
You are on the edge of a brand new life
God has sent you the perfect life-mate
Although it might not always seem that way
Together you'll grow and flourish
Together God will use you to touch lives
You are in your Father's hands now

Father, father her - your love is greater than mine
Creator, keep on making her - in your design
Take her now - I commit her to you
No stronger hands could hold her
Watch over my little girl

Father, father her
Father, father her

Hard to Believe Jocelyn Is Getting Married

It is hard to believe that Jocelyn is going to get married today. What makes it extra hard to believe is that five-year old Julia is running around the house singing, asking questions and being very excited about life. I keep on mistaking Julia for Jocelyn, and remembering Jocelyn as 'Little Miss Big Hair' like when she was a little girl. So in a strange way Julia makes it seem like Jocelyn is still five-years old and there is no way that she is getting married today.

But she is not five, she is nearly twenty-one and she is getting married today. We are so proud of her for who she has been and who she is becoming. We trust that Jon is just the right man for her in God's plan for both of their lives. Jon is an intelligent, Godly, gentle, analytical person who is the perfect complement to Jocelyn's vibrant personality.

Julia's wedding day will come soon enough and by that time I might be confusing grandkids with Julia, who knows. I just thank God for each of our children - Jocelyn and Jon, Joshua, Jacob and Julia - and I recommit each of them to their Father's care.