Thursday’s Child has Far to Go…or Why I Have Chosen to Leave the Ordained Ministry

Recently, I have asked Mission Presbytery to begin the process which will allow me to be ‘released from ordained ministry.’ That’s church speak for giving up my ability to be recognized as a minister of the Word and Sacrament (or Teaching Elder) in the Presbyterian Church, USA.

I was born on a Thursday and that saying about Thursday’s child has always seemed to resonate with my life.  My mother told me that I seemed to somehow consistently choose the more difficult path. Once again, I seem to have left the safety of the known for the “You’re doing what?” option.

In this case, I’m not quite sure of where God is leading me or what my future ministry  will look like. I  suspect it will look quite different from the ministry I have done within the Church over the past 12 years.

When I made the choice to become ordained, I spent a long weekend at a convent whose occupants had taken a vow of silence. I had plenty of quiet time to sit and listen for God’s voice. At that time I very clearly heard God offer me a choice. I felt assured that He would use me whether I chose to accept a call to ordained ministry or not.  At that time, I chose to become a minister. I have no doubts that in the past 12 years God has used me for His purposes and for that I am truly thankful.

Life is often not as clear cut as we would like it to be and it is certainly the case in mine that the journey never seems to conclude but just continues on, sometimes taking a turn that is quite unexpected.

This year I found myself back at the same crossroads I visited 12 years ago when God offered me a choice and promised to use me whichever path I took.

So, today, I have chosen to give up the specific tasks of ordained ministry and am stepping out into the unknown, ready to see what ministry God will call me to next. After all, all of us who follow Christ are his representatives and therefore minister in His name.

This has not been an easy decision to make but it is the right one. Who I am, my faith in God and my love for His church has not changed, I am simply changing the role I play in His kingdom. As I transition from pastor to member, I ask for your prayers and support as well as your patience as I  continue to seek God’s leading in this new role.

For those of you who attend Live Oak and wonder what this will mean for that congregation, I'll tell you ;) It means that as of the end of August I will no longer be on staff and running the programs I've run the last few years. I will still remain on the preaching schedule and preach a couple times this summer and a few times around the holidays while the Minter's are settling in with their new addition. It does not mean that my family will disappear - we will continue to worship at Live Oak and participate in the life of the Church.

In Faith,

Chesney Szaniszlo

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Peter 2:9)

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Citizens of THE Kingdom

In Philippians 1:27, Paul tells the Christians in Phillipi that no matter what happens, they are to '...conduct [themselves]  in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.'

What the original Greek is saying is that the Philippians who follow Christ should see themselves as citizens of heaven, not Rome.

This was a pretty big idea then and a pretty big one now. 

What would you do, if I told you to behave as if you were already living in heaven? For some of us, it would be a reprimand. For some of us, it might be a simple reminder of who we are as Christ followers. For all of us, I hope it would cause a shift in how we looked at our choices in this world. 

It's hard to participate in this world's 'eat or be eaten' attitude if you think of yourself  as a citizen of heaven.

I think most of us can agree that when we look at our world, our neighborhoods, even our families, much of the time we don't conduct ourselves as if we were citizens of heaven.

If we did, then we would truly see a bit of heaven here on Earth.

I, for one, would like to be a part of making that happen  more often.

Chesney Szaniszlo

'Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel.'

(Philippians 1:27 NIV)

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To Live is Christ?

While in prison for preaching the gospel, the Apostle Paul, wrote these words, For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:21 NIV)

I think this short sentence, written 2,000 years ago by a Christian preacher jailed for his faith, should make us think very hard about what we center our lives around.

If we claim to be Christ followers, most of us know the correct answer is 'Jesus'. Do most of us, however, really believe it or live it out?

I think, much of the time for me, to live is my son or husband, or to live is to check off my 'to do' list. Jesus ends up being an addition after a comma, or maybe even after a period. I'm doing things because of Christ (like writing this blog for instance) but much of the time I'm so busy that ministry and parenting (and many other things that should be cherished and enjoyed) end up being 'tasks' I just want to finish so I can move on to the next thing.

Have you experienced this?

I think that maybe the best way for us to have a life truly centered in Christ is to slow down, jettison those things that keep us busy but don't make our lives meaningful (or even if they are meaningful, keep us from being centered in Christ), and make some space in our souls for God to move.

Chesney Szaniszlo

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God is good

When I was in seminary, I had a professor who began each class with a call and response.
He would start by saying 'God is good' and we would respond 'All the time'. Then he would say, 'All the time,' and we would finish with 'God is good.'

Then we would proceed to practice our public speaking (preaching) skills and do all sorts of weird breathing exercises that always made me feel like an idiot.

I didn't get much out of the breathing exercises and I have always been good at projecting my voice (some call it bring 'loud'), but I did take with me that call and response - the reminder that God is always good, no matter what. In fact, I can still call up any one of my seminary friends and start out that first line 'God is good' and they will immediately respond with the second.

It doesn't always feel like God is good. Sometimes it doesn't even feel like God is useful or interested in our lives, but He is, on both counts.

Most of the time when we can't find God or see His goodness it' because we are blocking him. There are times when God is silent, but even in the silence he is still present and good.  No matter where we hide, or how fast we try to outrun God, He will always find us and draw us back to him.

Chesney Szaniszlo

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."

-Matthew 11:28-29

Read more: http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/the-promises-of-god-10-powerful-bible-verses-1/#ixzz2UbGjXBoh

Have you ever come on anything quite like this extravagant generosity of God, this deep, deep wisdom? It’s way over our heads. We’ll never figure it out.

Is there anyone around who can explain God?
Anyone smart enough to tell him what to do?
Anyone who has done him such a huge favor
    that God has to ask his advice?
Everything comes from him;
Everything happens through him;
Everything ends up in him.
Always glory! Always praise!
    Yes. Yes. Yes.

-Romans 11:33-36

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A little encouragement

You might feel alone right now. You might feel trapped in your marriage, in your home, in your career, in your life. You might think that you are failing at the one thing you wanted to do well. You might be grieving. You might be left behind by the one who promised to always be with you. You might be wondering what you are supposed to do next.

I want you to know that no matter what you have done, said, or where you have been. No matter how badly you have screwed up something here on earth. No matter how many times you have been told you are not enough.

You ARE loved.
You are FORGIVEN
You can start again.

Maybe not with the people around you, but always with God.

Chesney Szaniszlo

I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us. Romans 8:39

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Blessings and curses - short and sweet

We've looked at a lot of ways over the past month that we can choose blessings over curses, life over death; ways we can bless our community, our children, and our spouses. I think this passage from Colossians sums up the entire series:

So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it. (Colossians 3:12-14 MSG)

That's what it's all about - making choices that will honor God because it is those choices which lead lead us into life.

Chesney Szaniszlo 

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Blessings and curses: Being parents who bless

There's a  lot of pressure on our kids these days. We want them to over-perform and out-perform  other people's kids in every category possible. I think it is this desire that has given rise to the phenomenon of helicopter parenting - the parenting philosophy that encourages us to be over-involved in all the aspects of our kid's life that has to do with outward performance.

We tend to get wrapped up in how our children are being seen by the world instead of how our children are developing on the inside. This tendency has caused us to make excuses, ignore bad behavior, and justify almost everything our children do or become. We have begun to think that if we are not constantly praising our children and helping them to "feel good" about who they are, then we are not being good parents. Instead of helping our children deal with disappointment and failure, we are not allowing them to be disappointed or fail. We are constantly giving them a false sense of reality; causing them to have unrealistic expectations of themselves, the world and those around them.

By pushing and prodding and helping our children all the way to the top, we are not helping them to succeed we are making ourselves succeed. The entire process really ends up not being about our children, it ends up being about us. Don't think for a minute that our children don't know this.

I believe this new way of parenting which my generation has grabbed onto with both hands will be the curse of the rising generations. Very few people ever succeed without having failed.  Children can't learn to overcome if they never face adversity. Our kids are not going to follow their conscience and make good moral choices if we constantly make excuses for them and don't hold them accountable for their bad choices.

Grace covers a multitude of sins but it doesn't erase the consequences of those sins.


If we truly want to bless our children, then we need to teach them about responsibility, consequences, and self-control, along with a large measure of love and grace. We need to give them opportunities to fail, pick themselves up, move on and still feel good about who they are because of who God created them to be not because of who the world (or we as their parents) think they should be.

In this life there are many more important things than academic, material, or social success. We need to teach our children to measure themselves and others by who they are (children of God), rather than by what they have accomplished. If you want to see your child have true self-esteem, then help them to focus on the One who created them rather than on the things that they create.

 As parents, if we can give our children this one, true gift, then we will truly have blessed them.

-Chesney Szaniszlo


Love God, your God, with your whole heart: love him with all that’s in you, love him with all you’ve got!

Write these commandments that I’ve given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night. Tie them on your hands and foreheads as a reminder; inscribe them on the doorposts of your homes and on your city gates.

-Deuteronomy 6:5-9

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