I am here because Gordon Atkinson of RealLivePreacher sent me here! I am a regular visitor to his blog and way back when he was first starting out, he even responded to an email I sent him within 24 hours. These days he is a busy man - keeping a church, a blog, a family and even sending out remaindered copies of his book to anyone who orders one. Check him out…of course if you are here, you may already know him well. And The High Calling’s mission is one I greatly respect and here is why:
I spent a good 15 years in the business world, particularly in the financial world. For much of that time I was outside the Christian faith, involved in all sorts of New Age strangeness. When I came back to the faith, I realized that living my faith at my work was a losing battle, but with a big difference. I felt better about what I was doing and how I was relating to people. I felt empowered by being open about my regained faith and had enough experience outside the faith to be able to speak with kindness and understanding to others who were not a part of it. I was keenly aware that God seeks us out wherever we are…
Which led me into seminary. I have a year left at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN. I am no longer in the financial world, and the transition into the world of Christian ministry is more than a little unusual and strange. I know I am not playing by the rules laid out by the Reverend Atkinson when he offered up blogs at High Calling. He was looking for business people living out their faith at work. My story led me to the personal conclusion that, while I did better at my job in the business world once I regained my faith, my faith was leading me to follow my calling from when I was about 16 years old to go into ministry.
So I envision this blog to be more reflective of a 41 year old father in a committed marriage relationship trying to live his faith in the midst of school and career change and family. I will try to refrain from making this blog all about seminary and the church and instead will seek to make it about just living a Christian life and whatever that seems to mean at the particular time I am writing. Believe me when I say that, while Luther Seminary is better than most at engendering a faith life for its students, being a student does not engender a deepening faith life, even when studying the faith.
I look forward to keeping up this blog.
Peace to all!
SDJones
SD, welcome to the network. We’re just getting things off the ground and building a list of the bloggers who have signed up. Would you mind sending me an email? That way I can have your email address.
real live preacher
October 16th, 2007
Seth, awesome. One of the challenges we face at TheHighCalling.org is elevating all professions without devaluing professional pastors (or clergy or preachers or whatever label you prefer).
God calls people to that work too.
Which is to say, blog about being in seminary if you like. Let us know what you learn about business from the Bible. As someone who has been in both worlds, you could be a kind of translator for the two sides.
mgoodyear
October 30th, 2007