I am chasing down a job lead this week, doing my research and trying to put my best foot forward. It is very time consuming. I’ve only been working part-time since I graduated which is not a sustainable arrangement. So I’m excited at each prospect that opens up, but I also find myself wrestling with the angst of stepping out in this direction of faith. See back when the tech bubble burst (2000) I was fairly burned out, in tech you must continually re-invent yourself and I was facing one of those moments where the role I had moved into was changing very fast. I completed 13 different certifications from 2000 to 2001 and I was looking at a raft more if I wanted to keep going in that direction. I did like the challenge of continually re-inventing myself for most of my IT career but the role I was doing meant lots of travel and we were finally settled enough to start a family. It seemed like the perfect time to shift gears, even just for a bit, to get some theological education, a dream of mine from my early years in ministry.
Theological studies were a great change of pace. I continued to take on the odd IT contract and this was around the same time we started planting Freedom Vineyard. A few years into my studies and it was apparent something had to give – so in 2003 I put aside my IT career to focus on school and pastoring. We had built up enough equity that this was viable, at least for a short while, and it seemed clear that this was the path God was leading us through. Those were some of our most fruitful years in ministry, and after I finished my undergrad it felt right to move on to a masters moving me closer to the goal of teaching theology.
Teaching has been something I’ve loved doing since even my earliest days in ministry. In fact you could say it is how I’ve always been wired because I would often find myself mentoring and teaching in whatever context I landed. Teaching is what gives me life. I recently had a student park outside my class when she heard me lecture – her class had let out early – she had to ask what I was teaching so she could enroll in it next. Put me in front of a class and I am in my element. When I am not in front of a class I am often honing my teaching craft. Teaching is the air I breathe.
When I started studying theology it should come as no surprise that I would dream about teaching theology, which literally happened throughout my studies. One of my earliest dreams was of one of my favourite professors giving me his courses – interestingly I teach several of the courses he taught before retiring. When I finished my doctoral residency (the first years before they cut you loose to write a thesis) I was happy to start right in with teaching at the university. My first full university level course was Adult Spirituality taught to Roman Catholic School Board teachers as part of their continuing education personal development options. Teaching was a dream come true.
The job I’m looking into this week is not a theological position, but it is a full time teaching position. I already have a steady roster of theology courses to teach at Saint Paul. Unfortunately, a number of these courses are moving fully online which means less pay but also less demand on my time. The enrollment in those fully online courses has been a bit disappointing, but even if I grow those courses to the level they were as traditional courses sessional teaching is still not a sustainable career. I have been trying to put some more effort into writing, but that is long term work which really amounts to a gamble at the end. What I need is something stable and consistent. The reality is that any form of teaching has been life giving to me. I started out teaching software development at a local college and while it was a good choice to move on from that job when I did, I still miss the challenge of taking a class full of students with varied skill and sending out competent developers at the end. Of course theology has a special place in my heart but so does looking after my family.
In the meantime, I am trying not to feel guilty about neglecting my new blog. I have decided that the blog is mostly for me so if I write I write, if I am silent for a while then I am silent. I’m sure I will use this blog as a vehicle for chronically this next part of my life adventure. I am also still waiting to hear back from a few theology positions I’ve applied for, who knows what will open up. I’m just trusting and trying to follow to the best of my ability.
Glad to have you along for the journey.
This picture was taken by my good friend Richard, he’s wielding the green light saber. He does amazing work, you should check his website out.
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