Extreme Lifestyle Change Comes to Alleged Blogger

It’s been well over a month since I posted to this weblog.  And what a month it has been.

In the last month I changed careers (see the “About Alan” link to the left for more info), left a church, and stepped onto a conveyor belt that was traveling 100 mph.  Well, not literally, but it sure felt that way.  On Monday, June 13, I joined the team at 316 Networks.  On Thursday night the site went live for the first time.  On Saturday morning we left for Nashville for a major convention and our first big live streaming event. Things got even more hectic when we returned home as we are working to add content to the site. It’s been a madhouse.  And I’m loving every minute of it.

I have refrained from posting anything until I had some sense of perspective on the events.  Nothing provides perspective like time and space between you and persons, situations and events.

As readers of this blog could surmise, for some time now I have been feeling less than satisfied with the state of the church in general, and a large part of that was the state of a church in particular (if you catch my drift).  Over the years I have found that dissatisfaction is not always a bad thing.  Frequently God uses that dissatisfaction to move us from point A to point B, with point B being where He wants us to be.  I’ve been at point B now for a little over a month and find I have a different perspective on events leading up to my arrival here than I did before I got here.  It’s sort of like climbing a steep incline, whining all the way about how hard the journey is. When you arrive at the summit, the breathtaking beauty of the view from there makes you forget all about the aches and pains of the climb.  Or at the very least it helps you put those aches and pains in proper perspective.

Those of you who have ever served in vocational ministry know the awkward feeling that comes when conscience and integrity dictate you should depart, but the realities of providing for your family seem to dictate you must stay.  Sometimes that awkward feeling keeps you from doing something stupid, like telling people to take a hike and walking out when the problem is as much you as them.  Then other times that tension serves to hold you in place just long enough for God to work out all the details of your next move.  That was the case with me.

I love what I am doing now.  It is exciting and challenging, and I feel like I am in a place where I can really make a difference.  I’m working longer hours and I have to travel more than I like (which would be none in my perfect world) but I no longer have that feeling of beating my head against the wall.  I no longer am in an environment where we claim to be stewards of eternal truth but spend most of our time avoiding the truth at all costs.

A church staff friend of mine had a stock response when someone commented on his experience by saying, “So you have 20 years experience in the ministry?”  His reply: “No, I have one year’s experience 20 times.”  The first time I heard that I thought it was funny.  Then there was a time in the last couple of years that it hit way too close to home to be funny. 

Hey, I just realized something… it’s funny again.