Job Listings

Where does your job fit in on the "best and worst jobs" list?  Last year Forbes magazine published an article that pointed to a study that CareerCast.com did of 200 jobs in America.  The analysis looked at salary, job outlook, work environment and stress and ranked the jobs at the top and at the bottom.  Here are their top jobs:
- Actuary
- Biomedical Engineer
- Software Engineer
- Financial Planner
- Occupational Therapist

My first thought after reading that list was, "What is an Actuary?"  My second thought was, "It is church budget time, I'm glad pastor was not on the top jobs list.  It would not bode well for a raise."

So what makes a job a "worst job?"  Such things as always being on call and facing a deadline, working in a high stress environment, little pay, routinely working outdoors on the hottest and the coldest days and putting yourself in constant risk of serious injury or death.  My thought after reading that was, "Pastor is not going to make that list either."  Sure enough it didn't, but these are the top five jobs that made the "worst" list:
- Butcher
- Dishwasher
- Roofer
- Meter Reader
- Dairy Farmer

Hey, I grew up doing that last one.  My Dad was a dairy farmer for about 30 years and seemed, for the most part, to enjoy what he did.  I did not think it was that bad of a job but I am glad on these 100 degree days that God called me to be a pastor and that I live in the days of air conditioning.  I am also thankful not to be in a hay field in August.

In the end, though, I think it is not about a best or worst jobs list or even about the conditions you work under.  It is the attitude you have toward the work you do that is most important.  There are probably some unhappy Actuaries out there, whatever it is they do.  I have known some pretty happy people on the "worst" job list.

This Sunday we will look at "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord."  Paul was writing this to those who were slaves.  I think that slave would have made the "worst" list. There was a way that God has for us to face our work with purpose, even if your job is on the "worst" list, perhaps even to let Him make you as content as an Actuary.

for the journey...

Tim

Independence Pass

On our recent vacation in Colorado, we decided on a whim to drive up to a place called Independence Pass.  It is a high mountain road where the pavement stops and a gravel road begins.  That is what we could tell from the map.  We could find very little information on what was there but it was near by and there was a break in the rain clouds so we decided to check it out.

We were amazed.  I have driven some other high mountain roads and passes before. We have been through the famous Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park but the sights we saw at Independence Pass rivals anything we had seen.  When you reach the pass at just over 12,000 feet elevation, you look down on some beautiful valleys and the mountain vistas you can see there seem to stretch on forever. 

It was stunning.  We were pleasantly surprised.  There was a large parking lot, restroom facilities, several trails that went off from the pass and numerous great spots just made for picture taking.  None of this was what we expected.

After spending some time there we began to make our way back down to get home before dark.  We descended down several switch backs and came to a place where three are four cars were parked precariously on the side of the road looking out over one of the beautiful valleys we had seen up above.

We passed these site seers in flash but the thought occurred to me to tell them, "The view is so much better further up."  I wished for them to know what was ahead, you don't have to park on the side of the road, there is a better place.  I wanted to yell, "Keep climbing, don't settle." 

I shared all this with Judith and she reminded me that it is human nature to want to settle when you have found something good without journeying on and knowing something even better.  How many times have we all done that?  How much do we do that in the Christian life?  We get to something better and try to hang on to it, settle into it and not loose it.  When all the time, there is something so much better if we keep climbing.

We will have a lot of opportunities to climb to new heights in our discipleship this fall.  I hope you will keep climbing.  I know God has some great experiences for us, just a little higher.

for the journey...

Tim

Sabbatical FAQ's

I'm writing this to mainly let all you faithful readers know that I am back and to kind of do a frequently asked questions about sabbatical post.  So here goes:
- Yes, it was refreshing and enjoyable.  I am very grateful to have a church that gave these six weeks off to me.
- Yes, we did miss you. We missed our church family and worship times together...ok, I'm feeling a little convicted here...we missed ALMOST ALL of you.  There that feels more honest.
- No, I did not have a colonoscopy.  Yeah, I was really disappointed about that one!  Turns out they have changed the medical protocols and I am not due for another for one until next year.  (If you want to read a blog post about a colonoscopy just go back in the list of posts and you will find one from a few years ago).
- Yes, I got some things done out at my parent's old place out in the country.  No, I did not get everything done but I did enough to find out that I never will get it all done and I am at peace with that.
- No, I did not get a good answer in my search for "What is a weekend?"  I think you have to be working a job Monday through Friday to really understand that one - which obviously, I was not.  Maybe preachers are not supposed to understand weekends.
- Yes, it is good to be back.  I don't have any great profound truths about life except that it is good to step away from things for an extended time.  It gives you a renewed perspective on things and fresh start to them as well.
- And finally, yes, I am looking forward to seeing you Sunday.

for the journey...

Tim