So I’m now in my second week of my new “job” as a full-time assistant pastor at the Vineyard Church of Davenport. After seven years of enjoying and developing my career in Environmental Engineering at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, I’ve made the switch. When I told friends, family, and co-workers that I was leaving the Corps, the responses were many and varied- all were supportive, encouraging, and happy for me since they knew I was pursuing something I was passionate about doing, but for some people, the wrinkle on their brow or the concern in their voice couldn’t be hidden. It’s not that they weren’t happy for me, or not that they didn’t believe in me, it’s just that I could tell that they were just a little puzzled about why I would do such a thing. So this morning, I thought I would give you some of the background that went into making the career change…The first reason I made the change was because I believe that God asked me to… people blame all kinds of things on God telling them to do something, but when you go into a life of ministry, it’s generally a good idea to have God on your side. So let me share with you a story that helped me know that God was on my side.
Last May, I was in Galveston, Texas at a National Vineyard Conference. One evening, I decided to go for a run along the beach (as much as I love running by Duck Creek, the ocean is way better!). It was a beautiful night, humid and cool, with a salty smell carried in to shore by the strong breeze. The stars were clear and crisp, and the nearly full moon was glowing and shimmering on the pounding waves. As the rhythm of my feet and my breath carried me along the path, I was just enjoying the moment and quietly praying, when I felt God asking me to just stop for a while and hang out with him. So I took off my running shoes and socks and stepped onto the beach and into the water. As the waves were rolling in, swelling from ankle deep to knee deep, I was just standing there quietly, reflecting, praying, and worshipping the God who designed and created this amazing place.
As I was gazing at the soft glow of the moon, I strongly sensed God’s voice saying, “Come follow me… and I will make you a fisher of men.” The emphasis of the words was on the first part- “Come follow me,” which I felt Him saying was an invitation to a life where I should be focusing on stepping out in obedience to walk with Him and experience a greater friendship with Him. It wasn’t a sense that I was supposed to follow Him like a toddler trying to keep up with a daddy with long legs, but more like a toddler hanging on His daddy’s back, following closely and intimately. The next part was the mission that He was calling me to- I love to fish, but usually it’s on a small pond or a small quiet Iowa trout stream… here I was on the big ocean, and I felt like God was expanding my vision of what it looks like to go fishing, and expanding my vision of the kind of fishing that He was asking me to do.
Since these were familiar words from the Bible, and they were spoken at a time where I was seeking God for further direction and clarification for what He wanted me to do with my life, I was pretty confident that this truly was the voice of the Holy Spirit and not just my imagination. So I just rested in that word from God, prayed some more, worshipped some more, and then went back to my shoes and finished my run.
A year later, as I was getting closer and closer to making the career transition, I was a little sad about leaving engineering and a rewarding and fulfilling career and missing out on daily interactions with friends at the Corps. One Saturday morning as I was sitting in a class at church about how to discern God’s will, God reminded me of the experience in Galveston, but this time He added a new wrinkle to the story. He reminded me that the path I was running on that night in Galveston was built on top of the seawall that was constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the early 1900s. And I sensed Him saying this time, “I didn’t just call you to come follow me, I also called you away from the Corps of Engineers.” So with that reassurance and reminder fresh in my mind, I proceeded to go talk to my bosses at the Corps and let them know of the decision I had made… and the rest is now history!
So like I said, most people have been supportive about pursuing my calling and my passion, but for some, it’s hard to understand why I would leave a comfortable job at the Corps. Jesus has some excellent things to say about things like this:
"Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won't you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, 'This person began to build and wasn't able to finish.'… In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.”
So before I left the Corps, Denise and I counted the cost. By leaving the Corps, my annual salary would take a hit, my retirement nest egg wouldn’t be as large, I would no longer get 4 weeks of paid vacation and a consistent work schedule, and I won’t get to build any more multi-million dollar environmental restoration projects. My kids may not get their full education paid for, we may not have the money to take as many family vacations, and they might not get to have everything their friends have. I won’t have much “disposable income” to take guided fly-fishing trips, or go on an archery elk hunt or buy a log cabin in the woods. I, my wife, and my kids will live with the expectations that are placed on the family of a full-time pastor. We will lose some freedom to go anywhere at any time since we will be serving in church on Sundays, and may have to cancel plans once in a while for a wedding or a funeral. I will live with the pain of investing in people’s lives only to have them turn away or leave the church. Some of my work will be criticized, some of my ideas will be shot down, and some people will reject my leadership.
The cost of following Jesus into my new career is high, but it is a price that I am gladly willing to pay. If “suffering for the gospel” means a little bit smaller piece of the American dream for me and my family, I’m willing to suffer. If following Jesus means it will cost me some of my reputation or opportunity to advance, then so be it. The path that Jesus followed was full of pain, suffering, grief, and rejection, and if I am going to follow Him, then I expect to go through those times also. Jesus was willing to pay the ultimate price to love and serve people, and to rescue me, so I am honored that He would call me to participate in sharing in His sufferings. But Jesus’ life wasn’t all pain and suffering either…
In following Jesus into this new adventure, I am embracing the life that He created me to live. Yes, Jesus marched up the hill to Calvary and gave His life for us, but on the other side of the hill was the resurrection. Jesus said to His first 12 followers, “Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it. What good is it for you to gain the whole world, yet forfeit your soul?” and I think the same message applies for His followers today. I believe that in following His call, I am exactly in line with what He has been calling me to do for my whole life. My years in engineering school studying calculus and solving equations were not a waste; they were preparing me for my future. My years at the Corps were not a waste, they taught me how to manage projects, work with people, solve problems, and brought me some great friendships and allowed me to rub shoulders with people every day to help them along their own journey of knowing God.
I may be giving up some financial benefits, but the treasure that I am trading for is a great investment. I am losing the opportunity to create a better life for fish and waterfowl, but I am gaining the opportunity to make a lasting impact on the lives of people forever. In ministry, the impacts improve the lives of people, who in turn affect the lives of their kids, grandkids, and their grandkids’ grandkids.
When Jesus started His ministry, He said,
“"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
And so that’s my new job description- to continue the ministry of Jesus and partner together with the amazing group of people that He is gathering together at the Vineyard Church of Davenport to spread the good news that there is a new way of life available, and that the Kingdom of God has come, is coming, and will come. May God give me the grace and perseverance to serve Him with honor and faithfulness, and may He claim all of the glory and praise that may be offered to me for Himself. My life is His, and not mine… and that is why I am following Jesus to church.
One last thing before I go… this story is not all about me. I wonder what kind of adventures God is leading you on? What is His purpose and plan for your life? Not everyone is called to be a full-time pastor, but He is calling everyone to be a full-time follower, whether you know Him yet or not. Regardless of what job you do, Jesus is inviting you into full-time ministry with Him, and is offering you a life of passion and excitement doing what He has created you to do. Whether you choose to jump on His back and let Him lead you through life or whether you would rather walk through life on your own… the choice is up to you!
