Alright, what do I have…about 3 weeks left.
In three weeks I will no longer be Pastor Shawn, just Shawn. Hopefully this summer I will get another title with it – my wife loves these titles. “Shawn the catechumen?” Over the last year and a half as we’ve inquired into Orthodoxy, Tori has always enjoyed this…Edward the Seminarian (her favorite), Jaremy the catechumen (now the newly-illumined Jeremiah) Fr. Mark, Hieromonk Mark, Matushka Micaela, his Grace, Bishop Joseph, Reader Andrew, Reader John…we were in a conversation with a friend, Matthew, who is Orthodox and we were talking about what he was…just Matthew. But soon, he will be subdeacon Matthew…
What does this have to do with anything? On this post, nothing…I am just rambling…
Three weeks left…so much to be excited about…but still, no job.
As a pastor, one gains a wide and valuable skill set. Unfortunately, those in the business world do not always see the value of what one does as a pastor of a church. So, I press on looking for what I will be doing, the whole time the clock is ticking.
Fr. Patrick has said something to the effect (quoting a Psalm) of a righteous man not begging bread. The frightening thing, though, is that the journey into Orthodoxy has begun to reveal to me my own sinfulness. I don’t feel all that righteous, and add to that the Western guilt based system that I still struggle with here and there (you don’t get rid of a 33 year old mindset overnight, and while in the last year much of it has left (I am 34 now), there are still remnants to wrestle with), and worry can arise.
Well, what will be will be. As much as I could worry, that won’t change much will it – keep looking and trust and know that God has brought us this far…we have no doubt, and it has been confirmed in many ways, that it was time to leave the pastorate and the church we are currently at…God is leading us out, so the best thing we can do is step out, continue to follow, and trust that whatever lays ahead for us, whatever the Lord wills, that will be right.
“Thy will be done”
Shawn Ragan's Weblog 
“Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.”
Proverbs 3:13
By: jonathan on June 9, 2008
at 10:57 pm
When I was fired from my ministry job 27 years ago, I looked for a “real job” and had the same problems. A degree in “Bible” and pastoring experience doesn’t impress anyone but insurance and Amway salesmen it seems. I went to work for my brother and his buddies as a construction laborer sweeping floors and carrying stuff. He offered me the job to tide me along while I looked for a “real job”. Long story short, after my brother and his buddies went bankrupt by buying drugs instead of making payroll, I was asked by the General Contractor to start a contacting company and finish the project because “I seemed smart and the guys who used to work for your brother seem to like you…” With 3 months experience in construction I owned a construction company with 15 employees and a quarter million dollar contract. If you had told me I’d be a construction worker for over half my life I’d have laughed in your face. God does work in mysterious ways. Even in unemployment. Hang in there, be faithful in the small things, do whatever it takes to put food on your table. All honest work is blessed, especially the work we never imagined we’d be doing.
By: s-p on June 9, 2008
at 11:31 pm