Becoming a vampire.

I have started myself on the journey to become a vampire. My employer offered me a promotion (sort of) to a night house manager. To be completely honest, the change didn't really appeal to me, but during the meeting when I was offered the promotion I was told that the VP of operations "had his eye on me" whatever that means. Now, hopefully it means that I'll be moving up to a chaplain type of position soon, a position for which I would be more suited and for which my (7 years) education would probably be more beneficial than my current job.

Its not that I am ungrateful for a promotion and pay-raise, that is great. But I hate working nights and having my schedule so different from my beautiful wife and our little puppy. So, I am hoping within a few months to move up again. The hard thing that I need to remember is that doing things like we are committed to doing are never easy.

Ministry in general is one of the most difficult professions, in my opinion. The reasons are varied, but I think they include things like:
1. Everyone with a pulse who has gone to church for more than a few years is a theologian, the problem is the quality of theology that they profess. Some have read all the "Left Behind" books so they think they know about the book of Revelation. Some have read John Piper so they think they know the pros and cons of God's sovereignty.It would be like me saying that since I listened to the classical radio station the other day, I know why Bach wasn't as good as Beethoven. I don't have a problem if someone wants to read those books, but the problem is that some people don't read both sides and think of themselves as experts.
2. How do you correct that crap?! I mean, its pretty hard to let people know that these prized thoughts about God that they have had since they were teenagers could be wrong. They could be right, but the problem is that you must look at both sides of an argument to be close to the right answer. Lots of people haven't done that, and then when the pastor or minister presents an alternative viewpoint, they shut down.
3. People are more committed to ideas than they are to relationships, in some ways. They don't really want to consider the fact that they could be wrong, they just want a large group that will tell them they are right and that the liberals are ruining the country, or the conservatives depending on the place. So, if a church presents an alternative that they don't like, they go to another church.
4. Everyone wants to tell you how to minister, no one wants to actually do it. Well, why do we pay the pastor if we have to do it?! Because you are the church.
5. To actually be the church we are called to be, everyone in the church has to be willing to make radical changes to himself or herself. And everyone must be willing to evaluate how he or she acts and treats those around him. Not an easy thing to do, but if we all did it our churches would be much better places.

I have a lot more, but I don't feel like beating the church down anymore than I already have. I am excited because I feel like we have a significant chance of changing these things at our church in Denver. We have people relocating 10-15 hours from home in order to follow God's leading. I don't think any of them would do that if they weren't open to changing themselves in significant ways. I know it has changed me to move and hope that God will provide.