SOARING - A Bishop's Blog

I have found true guidance from the Word of God by discovering that my personal story intersects with Biblical heros in the story of God. In the face of unfair critique by those who resist change, I find myself in the footsteps of Christ as he speaks to Pharisees about stiff neckedness, for example. As I read those stories, I identify with a character and observe how God acts through them, with them, for them, against them. I am nourished, nurtured, admonished but above all I am guided. How God deals with those characters in similar situations is how God deals with me, whether the situation be professional or personal. The power of God's story of redemption is most powerful when it intersects our personal walk.

Welcome to Holston Conference, Bishop Swanson. I'm from the Tazewell District, and we look forward to having you at our district conference on October 10. I have served a district lay leader for several years and am now the director of lay speaking.

I currently read both the Upper Room and the Upper Room Disciplines, which introduce scripture passages that are not a part of my sermon preparation. I have also either led or participated in several of the "Disciple" studies. I also believe that an active prayer life, especially when it is for situations and persons that causes one to be uneasy about praying for understanding and not just resolution of conflicts, equips a person for the task of spiritual guide and leader. Mack Turner.

Dear Bishop Swanson: I can't remember anyone ever asking me these questions. They know that I pray because I offer to pray for their particular problems, and they know that I read the Bible as my personal devotional guide for each day because I speak to their personal problems from what the Word of God says. It is important that we be people of prayer and people of the Book.Prayerfully, Terril D. Littrell

What a wonderful idea! Hopefully this blog will be a Genesis for new ideas and a conduit for discussion within the conference. I know some who feel that the Bishop is protected by the high wall of the conference office and is totally inaccessible (yet they won't pick up the phone to try and access him); maybe this will be an avenue for these folks to air their views.

As for the questions, they are both questions that the laity should ask of clergy on a regular basis. The first searches the personal relationship with God and on deeper levels the honesty that all clergy should have and the hypocrisy that keeps so many outside of our sanctuaries. If our spiritual life is limited only to sermon preparation then we have no business delivering sermons, administering sacrament or acting as spiritual leaders. IMHO we should be examples, a city on a hill so to speak, for the laity to look to. In viewing our triumphs and failures, struggles and stumbles they will see Christianity as it truly is. To stand before a congregation and pretend to have a personal relationship with Christ is no better than standing before them drunk pretending to be sober (either way they may eventually find out). Many of us need to understand that it is ok to not have all the answers (but we know the One who does). Too long I struggled with a call to ministry because I felt I did not measure up. If I had been served by just one pastor who allowed their congregation to see them as an imperfect Christian striving for perfection, rather than one who has already achieved it, my struggle would have been easier. I’m not saying that all the ones who stood in the pulpit of my home church had no walk with Christ. I am saying that I never saw the struggle between the spiritual and carnal that Paul talks about until I truly sought after Christ. Some days we walk on water with Christ and others we struggle just to touch the hem of His garment.

As for the second question, I wish I had seen it two weeks ago. A young man called me looking for help for his mother who has been an alcoholic for decades. She had been in a wreck as was looking for help giving up alcohol. Since no insurance equals no help in our society we could not find a facility that would take her. Finally, as I was driving and praying and listening to Larry Norman these words came out of the speaker “Sippin whiskey from a paper cup, you drown your sorrows till you can’t stand up … why don’t you look into Jesus, He’s got the answer.” When I next talked to the young man I suggested he get the church to pray for her. On Sunday morning he stood up and told the story of his mother and asked for prayer. The next day she decided that she no longer wanted to drink and started attending AA meetings. This past Sunday she was new face in our congregation. Praise God! A lesson learned (again), Jesus should be our first resort, not our last!

Grace and Peace.

Dear Bishop Swanson,
Your point is well-taken. It's one thing to know about Jesus; it's yet another to know him intimately. More Christians should strive toward that relationship. Grace, Dell Gates

Working The Angles should be required reading for every clergy person. Eugene Peterson has much to say to persons working with the church. His other book, Under the Unpredictable Plant is also good.

Dear Bishop Swanson,
I think your questions are apt, and necessary for every Christian to answer.
I think this Blog will be a great success!
Blessings,
Millie