Change From Pastor to Pilot

A friend asked what it's been like to make a 180 degree career move, switching from a Christian environment for most of my existence and to a predominately "secular" (non-Christian) culture. The change isn't that strange. It has actually been a gradual transition. In addition, some time ago I had wondered if God would bring me into a more mainstream line of work. Some would think that it would have been natural for me to walk in my father and grandfather's foot steps, and in part it has, yet I had never dreamed of becoming a pastor. Being a shepherd was good, and I even found that it fit, however I wasn't completely at home in it. I have always known that I have been assigned by God to some form of cross-cultural ministry. This is the way I am wired. I am naturally inclined to people of different cultures. I would rather be overseas. But it was kind of God to allow me to be a missionary in my own backyard. It's a good training ground.

So the gradual transition from pastor to pilot happened when I got back into construction work a couple years ago. I took a leave of absence from leading Extreme Life (XL) church about two years ago. During that time I found a job doing carpentry and property management. When I came back to XL I kept the "secular" job while also pastoring. It was about a year ago that I felt like I was supposed to step down from leading XL. It was soon after that that aviation came back on the scene after receiving an invitation from a friend. He wanted me to join a start-up company which would have a flight department. This got me thinking about flying and by late winter 2007 my aviation goals were being pursued again.

When I attended the grad school, it was to fulfill some training and education goals. I did not attend seminary to become a pastor. However, even though I never dreamed of leading a church, I felt quite comfortable pastoring after a while. God wanted this for me. Today I have thought at times what it would be like to go back to preaching sermons, leading small groups or worship, or doing anything pastoral. And it's scary to think that that is a comfort zone for me now. My tempation is to fantisize about "full-time" ministry. But I can't go back. I'm in a different place. I can't go back to that way any more. Not just because of where I believe God needs to take me, but also theologically and philosophically I can't go back to the way of church that I was doing and leading. It's not adequate for the place that God wants to bring His church. But that's a different subject.

So I actually like the challenge that I have right now--working with people of different religious or non-religious backgrounds. Yet my work is fairly demanding that I barely have enough time to think and pray about how to respond to the daily barrage of ethical or moral or character issues. In this new environment I realize how difficult it is to be a positive, godly influence, while still being normal and personable. I also have realized how much of a Pharisee I can become. I've been so caught up in "my religion", even though I don't quite consider it religious. I've become addicted to church, the worship, the meetings, the pastors leading--all of which is good but I just got too used to others doing church for me, even in the midst of starting a church.

So I have been on a detox program. It's kind of like a 12-step program, but for those addicted to "church religion". Church is good, don't get me wrong, but my whole approach needed to be changed. I still need to be around Christians and remain in fellowship, but it needs to be something that is dynamic. Much of what I have experienced and taught as church was too static. In fact, most of what was a true expression of church happened Monday through Saturday with friends, but for some reason that didn't seem to count. In order for something to have life there needs to be dynamic activity. This most often happens outside of Sunday morning church services. And I think I'm preaching now, so I better stop before I get wound up. It's hard for me not to talk about the much needed change I need for my church life. That's what you get for asking a former pastor a simple question.