More about me than you may want to know!

I was born in southern Ohio into a loving Christian family. My Uncle Chuck baptized me "Charles Edward Swartz" as an infant. My two older sisters, younger brother and I had a great childhood full of the usual victories and disappointments. I was blessed with parents who were unusually able to express their love. I knew I was loved by mom and dad and by God. That knowledge has served me well my whole life.

In those years, Christ nurtured me through a strong Presbyterian church and Christian friends of diverse denominations. At 13, I “gave my life” to Christ and a short time afterwards was “filled with the Holy Spirit”. These were joyous exclamation marks in a happy childhood.

I went to college to become a doctor. But Christ’s plans were better. Through study in Soviet Moscow, God moved me to consider pastoral ministry. In that hostile atmosphere, God blessed me through His presence. This was found in the company of others and in isolation. I was seized by a passion to connect people with the satisfying company of Christians.

In that trajectory setting time of life, I fell in love with an amazing woman. Surprisingly, she also loved me. Debbie became my wife after college and has continued to be the best part of my life. We have a three year old son named Henry. The day he was born was the happiest day of my life.

Like many east-coast Presbyterians, I went to Princeton Theological Seminary to train to become a pastor. It was such a blast to be able to study, talk, learn all the time about God. I had never known such contentment.

In 1987 I was ordained and worked as a hospital chaplain at the Mayo Clinic hospitals in Minnesota. A small parish in a small nearby town called me to be their solo pastor. Oh my gosh – I was now “the pastor”. What a joy and responsibility! I rarely felt like I was adequate for the job, but the Holy Spirit supplied all that was needed.

After nine years, Overlake Park asked me to join them as pastor. From the first day I began work it has been a happy experience. We have grown together in love and grace. I plan to minister here for as long as the Lord wants me to, which I hope is many years.

My vision is that the church is the place where all who drop in experience God’s grace and abundance, respect and love. And that we who journey together grow as disciples.

If you want to chat with me, I invite you to visit me in the flesh or online. My office is always open, and so is my blog!

Cheerily,
Charlie

How can we use this blog to help us all talk with each other?

Too often communication in a church is one way. The pastor preaches and everybody listens. Committees make reports and you read them. Info is sent to you by mail and email. That is all well and good, but I hope that we can talk with each other more about things that are important to us. Let's see if this blog can be a tool to help us do that.

Now, I want you to remember that I am new at all this blogging stuff. So if you are techno-savvy and have a geek badge, please share with all of us how to do this better. But until you tell me a better way, I suggest that you write a comment whenever you feel like it on my bloggings. And then if you read someone's comment, and have something to say, then comment on it! In this way we all can discuss and everyone can learn from the others thoughts.

Someone asked, "I tried to leave a comment and couldn't do it." I've had that frustration too the first time I tried to comment on another blog. The apparatus for comments may feel cumbersome at first.

• Each article ends with this standard text "Posted by Charlie Swartz at 12:40 PM 0 comments Links to this post ." Click on the 0 comments link.
• You will then see a box for comments.
• Before your comments will be posted, you must choose to identify yourself in one of three ways: a) Google/Blogger, b)open ID, c) Name/URL, or d)Anonymous.
• If you choose "Google/Blogger, you will need to create a google account. It is free and easy to do. It does not seem to bring you any spam or other problems.
• I don't know what "open ID" is nor Name/URL!
• If you choose "Anonymous", then you do not need a google identity. But the drawback is that it will not give your name. If you decide to comment via "Anonymous", please start with your name in CAPITALS so we all know who you are!
• You can preview your comments before you "publish" them. Click "PREVIEW".
• When you are satisfied, then click "PUBLISH YOUR COMMENT"
• Congratulations! You entered the conversation!

So, let's start now. Here is the question: How can a church like ours use my blog to increase conversations between us all? Let the commenting begin!

Back in the saddle after 3 weeks vacation,
Charlie