the    sides

Got asked what I meant by better opportunity in an email last night…thought I’d ruminate a little!!

For me - better opportunity does not equate more money. (If it does - great. I’m not complaining.) In my mind, better opportunities would be things like - a place to stay 15-20 years to do ministry, a non-religious/non-Christian culture to serve in, a place where there is a “serve the city” mentality as opposed to “protect the church from the city” mentality. Could mean a place where you’ll be challenged in your leadership by other stronger leaders and have an opportunity to take great risks for reaching lost people. A place where the default answer to dreams and ideas is ‘yes’ as opposed to ‘no.’

I’ll be just as quick to say that same kind of environment for someone else would be disaster. So that’s the part where you ought to know how your wired, how you roll, what kind of situations you thrive in and what kind of situations drive you crazy - then be brutally honest about that.

Personally - being more vulnerable than I ought, probably - after close to 5 years back in the South - I know me a lot better now than I did then. I’m not exactly a great fit here. What’s deemed edgy, irreverant, and crass here is labeled innovative, relevant, and plain-spoken elsewhere. I go into greater detail here. I refuse to argue if that’s good or bad - it’s just different.

In that case, a better opportunity is a better fit where the wiring and gifting get released and used - not slammed and crammed. It cuts both ways - some of the stuff we trot out in the South as “ministry” would be laughed at anywhere else in the country.

Anyway - all that rambling to say this - as a pastor, I’m responsible for following God. If I do that - yeah team. If I don’t - discipline is coming. Ultimately that’s what I’m going to be held responsible for - did I follow Him?

And that I’m not so sure is all that different from anybody else…

UPDATE: Right as I about to hit publish, the comments starting coming in like crazy!! I thought about editing this and responding to them…but forget it. I’ll respond with comments!