It's another day, so I'll continue my story.
About three years ago, God started doing some things in me that would change the way I saw life and ministry. Through a "chance" look at a magazine, I discovered TheOoze.com and immediately began to read the articles and enter into the discussions. I became aware that there were a lot of others out there that just didn't quite fit in the cubbyholes that "church" tried to put us in. I began to read authors outside of what I knew as mainstream Christianity people like Brian McLaren, Leonard Sweet, Phillip Yancey, Mike Yaconelli, John Fischer, Rob Bell, N.T. Wright, and others.
God began to show me that at least part of what I had been taught and believed was not Biblical, but was simply a part of the culture of mid to late twentieth century America. So, now my rebellious spirit had a legitimate focus. Now, I saw myself as sort of a "missionary to the fundamentalists". I began to teach some of these things to my middle school Bible classes. I tried to convey to them that Christianity is more than just mentally assenting to certain propositions and following certain rules. Hopefully some of them got it and will spread the subversiveness.
Unfortunately, this chapter in my life was to come to a rather abrupt end. The school decided to basically eliminate all the middle school teaching positions and give those classes to the high school teachers. They also decided to eliminate the athletic director position, and since I was both a middle school teacher and the athletic director, my contract was not removed.
More to come...
2 comments:
The school has lost an incredible person. I am enjoying your blog, nicely put together.
Fred --
For a long time, I've been meaning to come over here and read through your story. I'm finally here!! And glad I have a few minutes.
Isn't it strange how abruptly those "ministries" end? I think it's strange. ::scratching head:: I, too, in the final months of my last job would pray and think as I was going to my office, that this was a mission field. It was a strange feeling.
On to read more. . . .
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