What Do You See?
Photos taken at Ascension before COVID-19
What Do You See?
Now that’s a striking question that God asked the prophet Jeremiah (1.11). In his case, it was an almond branch, and again later, it was a spilled pot. In both cases, those simple things plainly visible to Jeremiah’s eyes were indicators of what the Lord was doing and preparing. It does us well to set our own hearts to the Lord, with His question in our own ears. We look, and we listen.
Palm Sunday marked the two-year anniversary since Church of the Ascension began public worship here in the panhandle of West Virginia. In the past two years, there have been many things we have “seen,” but to name just a few: marriages restored and new ones created, missionaries sent around the globe, faith renewed and lives reconciled, week-long evangelistic campaigns held at the county fair, and a new generation of disciple-making disciples formed and sent by the Lord.
We’ve become something of a house for other ministries: international missionary care, care for people in need, regional intercessors, and state ministry networks. Our congregation is composed of 25 or so families and has 70 people involved in monthly ministries. Those are not the “giant” numbers the Lord quickly gives some churches, yet He asks, “What do you see?”
† I “see” that He has made a church unlike anything else in our four-state region. There was never a Charismatic renewal here. Indeed, I still am asked what an “Angeli-can” is, and since I’m often dressed in clerics, there is a bit of shock in Pentecostals who see a Priest laying hands for prayer, blessing, or deliverance.
† I “see” both the “now” and the “not yet.” I’ve been working on a 2050 vision that creates a mid-Appalachian network of churches, missions, and ministers who embody the whole of the Tradition. That is the “not yet,” but right now, there are a few churches and ministers across West Virginia using the 2019 BCP in their independent churches, praying the Morning and Evening office, and more.
† Right now we are seeing that Ascension is a caring for those in physical need through Renewed Life Ministry, and for missionaries across the globe through Forget-Me-Not-Ministries. We see now marriages put back together. We are about to have our fourth infant born in the church. We see growth in new families attending, families growing, and people receiving things they thought impossible.
† Right now, one person has been recommended for Holy Orders, one more is beginning local discernment, and another is preparing for seminary.
† Right now, we have seen a multi-media presence develop online so that we have 125 subscribers on YouTube. Thousands of people weekly view our page, stream our services, and join us for Morning and Evening Prayer on Facebook. We even got a call-out twice from Anglican Ink!
† Right now, a family found our website and online ministry clips from Tennessee. They had lunch with me a few months ago because they are selling their home and moving this way, but they wanted to find a good church before they moved, and they picked our new congregation! They’re charismatic Presbyterians. They closed on their new home here two weeks ago.
It’s difficult to stop sharing the “now” for one reason – there are so many good testimonies! It is far too easy to only look at our inability to gather as a new congregation for our regular events. While it is on a much smaller scale, we did just finish renovating our sanctuary space to seat 100 people – new floor, monitors, chairs, Holy Table – and we’ve only been able to meet in the space once. However, in this difficult time, I’ve watched something that every Pastor hopes to see among the people: love for one another. The care and concern members of this congregation are giving and receiving one to another during the pandemic is a witness to me of their shared hope in Christ.
We are only celebrating two years. Yet we are truly celebrating two years. Many of your churches and ministries have similar testimonies and praise reports. The Lord is at work in our midst, as His people. Jesus is still standing among the lampstands, holding the stars in His right hand, speaking that two-edged sword. If you think about this western DOMA outpost, pray for us. Thank the Lord for the “now,” and ask Him to keep moving us into His “not yet.” Ask Him to open our eyes to see as He does. We will pray the same for you.