All in the Family featured the curmudgeonly Archie Bunker. Archie was television’s most famous grouch, blunt, blustering, straightforward and untouched by the PC crowd. He was the archetype of the conservative male. Michael desprately tried to reeducate him, but he persisted in his breviloquence.



Looking back at the last 40 years, we realize: ARCHIE WAS RIGHT!

2/24/2010

A Fork in the Road

I had a job interview yesterday. I think that there may be a reasonable chance that they want me. This would be doing development and marketing for a non denominational Christian camp that also offers a number of other fellowship and ministry opportunities.

Here is the good:
I have the talent and know how to do the job.
I would be good at the job.
The work would be rewarding.
The job would involve living in some of the most beautiful mountains in the world.
At least part of the time my job would require me to: hunt, shoot, fish, hike, guide whitewater rafting, camp out, and travel to exotic lands.

Here is the bad:
Its a ministry job.
I have to raise support to do it.
I haven't done a budget or looked into it, but I am advised that the average salary at the largest employer is over $100,000. This makes the cost of living higher than what I would like being in a non-profit environment.
I have to leave where I live, but its still in Wyoming.
Money is a big issue as are health insurance etc.
The economy is in the toilet and Obama is wanting to get rid of tax deductions for religious charities and churches.
Its not with my denomination.
While I share many doctrinal beliefs, I would be in disagreement with at least 2 core beliefs that I hold. These are how a person becomes a Christian and what constitutes acceptable/proper worship.


Here is the tantalizing:
There is a slight possibility of my finaly being able to realize a dream and own some mountain property, that I cannot afford currently, and being able to build a dream house that we first conceived of building when we got married. IF things worked out, Mrs Ipsa might be able to stay home, which would allow us to home school. There is also the appeal of remote nearly off grid living. I would also be very close to UW and there may be the possibility of my earning either my JD or PHD. This goal is tangential and not of major concern at this point, but it has crossed my mind.

Here is the troubling, at least for me:
I started college as a Biblical studies/ministry major. I believed, at that time, that God had a calling for my life in ministry. After spending the summer between my freshman and sophomore years in ministry work, I abandoned my faith. For good reasons, like I was immature and the people I worked with convinced me that I didn't want to deal with them, ever. I did not abandon my scholarship, so I graduated with a degree in marketing. After college I returned to church and had an encounter that strengthened my faith and returned me to ministry work. I realized that it was possible for me to serve God and have a job that allowed me to be independent of the good graces of people whom I didn't want to be beholding to. For the last 15 years I have worked in different areas of ministry and supported myself financially. This has proved to be a good system for me. For me to do this job, I would have to go outside my church for support as well as have the faith that the money would be there.

At this point I'm open to all thoughts, comments and advice.

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