adventures in candidating part 3

 

Unfortunately I have some more stories about candidating. I think I do a good job at interviewing, but I really hate it.

The Monterey Story:

A big church in the Monterey area called. When I walked up to the door it said "Office Hours Monday - Friday 9-5." This was weird to me. Most churches are closed on Friday. In the interview I asked the pastor, "what are your work rhythms during the week? He said, "Everyone here works Monday through Friday, 9-5. Then we do Saturday night service and work from 4-9pm and on Sunday we work from 7-1." that means that they work 7 days a week, and 50 hours. (and really for relatively lo pay).

After we met, he had me meet with another worker at the church. The worker said, "just between us, what do you think?" I said, "I think that you're working 7 days a week and that you're on the way to burn out." The worker didn't disagree. Or keep it between us. I wasn't called back.

In my interview, the pastor asked me, "do you agree that all healthy things grow?" I had heard this line of thinking before. It says basically healthy things grow. If your ministry isn't bigger this week than it was last week then its not growing, and therefore its not healthy. The reason its not healthy is the leader.

I was trying so hard to bite my tongue, but I just couldn't. I said, "cancer grows. is cancer healthy?" he said, "no, but you can agree with what I'm saying right?" I said "when the conditions are right, things can grow in a very healthy way. Its not a plants fault that its not growing, but the gardener's." again, I wasn't called back.

The Willow Glen Story:

I was looking for a role, and a friend of mine had a posting at his church. I applied for the role and texted my friend that I had applied. He said, "I'll have to call you before we consider you for this role." So he called and I told him why I left my last church and he said, "wow- so sorry to hear that. yeah, we are really looking for a part time entry level person. You would be too qualified. I really just wanted to hear what happened at your last church." Thanks.

The Peninsula story:

I interviewed at a big multi site church. I talked with the campus pastor, and he had green lights. I talked with the family pastor and he had green lights. Then they had me interview with an admin. After that, the headhunter called and said that they were not moving forward because the admin felt that I had no passion for the role. I asked why they said that. The headhunter said it was because the admin asked, "do you have any questions for me?" and I said no. I said, "did they ask my references if I had no passion for my work?" again they said no.

As I write this, I think of the hurt and frustration that I find when I look for a job. I think of the rejection that I deal with. But I'm reminded of the many, many friends who checked in on me every day during my job hunt. I think of my friends and family who listened to me vent and who kept on encouraging me that I would find something good and soon. And they were right.

I think about the good times that I had spending extra time in prayer, on trails on in the car with my daughter and wife. and it was all so stressful in the moment, but it was good. During this season, my theme verses came from Lamentations 3 that said,

"I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord."

God is love.
-rev-rob

lectio divina:: mark 5

I have been memorizing the book of Mark and have actually been going through the book of mark in my daily readings, so I'm getting a lot of mark these days. 

I was recently memorizing mark 5 and I noticed something that I never noticed before. the chapter starts with a man who is demon possessed. his life is a mess. he is isolated. he is unpredictable and out of control. the bible tells us that he is housing a legion of demons in his body and heart. then jesus comes and sets him free. 

his change was so radical that when people saw him sitting down next to jesus, under control and dressed, they were shocked. after he was healed, the man had one request: let me go with you and be your disciple. 

what does jesus say? does jesus say no to that kind of thing? does jesus say no ever? there have been several times that I have seen in the gospels where jesus does not turn down anyone for anything. he interacts with crowds and heals every single person. he feeds every single person. but in this situation mark says this in verse 18:

"As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him"

here is a man who clearly loves jesus. he asks jesus for something simple- he even begs jesus for it, and jesus says no. this man prays for something, and jesus does not answer his prayer- he says no to this man's request. 

I guess that this is comforting to me- because I have been in this situation too often in recent years- asking and begging jesus for something- and getting a no. begging for my mother's health to be restored, begging for a new job, begging for a relationship to be healed; praying and praying, and getting a no. 

in those moments I question myself: why am I getting a no? is it because God is angry with me? is this a punishment? has he forgotten me? is he ignoring me?

in the story of the demon-possessed man, it says "jesus said no" but that sentence doesn't end with a period, but a comma. and after the comma there is a but.

the sentence reads, "As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, "Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you."

Jesus said no to the demon-possessed man's request- but not because of the man's sins or because he disliked him, he said no because he had something more for him. he has an assignment for him, a new role. Jesus had a dream and a purpose for this man's experience and his story- he wanted to use this story to bring glory to himself. 

I put myself in this man's shoes. when jesus said no, and then go, I imagine that he was disappointed. he would rather be with jesus. he would rather experience more miracles; but jesus had something different for him- something better that he had dreamed for himself. 

mark goes on to write: "So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. and all the people were amazed."

in the end, people were amazed. jesus was glorified. people put their faith in him. and that was because jesus said no to his request. 

I like to think that God has not answered my previous prayers because He had something more for me; something better than I imagined for myself. and I hope that, just like in this story, that people will be amazed at Jesus; and that his fame will increase because of my obedience and trust. 

I don't know if anyone reads this, but maybe you have not received the answers to prayer that you have been looking for. maybe you have questioned yourself in the same way that I have. and just like the story, maybe God is saying no because He has something better: a new purpose; an assignment; a special job for you to do with your experience. 

God is love.
rev-rob

tre fontane

 once again I'm starting this post by saying, "its been a long time since I've been on here!" I wanted to make sure that I record these thoughts though. 

earlier this summer, we visited Rome, Italy to see my new little niece and Jane's baby cousin. while we were there, I wanted to make sure that we saw some special sites in the old city. 

of course I saw the colliseum. we saw the Roman Forum where the Caesars lived. I saw the Arch of Titus that had the fall of Jerusalem carved into it from 70ad.
 I saw the Pantheon which was jaw dropping. We ate pasta at a little spot outdoors.

we saw the trevi fountain 

but I knew, that if I was going to Rome, that I was not leaving Rome without seeing this one site; and its this little building called the mamertine prison. 

this building is on top of a prison. or really a dungeon. 

this is where both the apostle Peter and the Apostle Paul stayed before they were executed for their faith.The Roman emperor Nero wanted to crush the Christian Church,so he arrested all of the Christian leaders and executed them with the hope that it would destroy the church. 2 of those leaders were Peter and Paul.
this is where they waited to die. 
the mamertine prison is dark, and small dirty and wet.
there is only one way in and one way out, through a hole in the ceiling 

this post is where Peter was chained and beaten before he was thrown in. 

this hole is where Paul and his companions ripped up the floor. water filled the hole, and Paul baptized people who were coming to faith in Jesus while Paul was waiting to die.

This grate covers a stone. in latin its says this is where Peter rested his head. 

but a Roman soldier said to Peter- do you want to be like Jesus? then you should have a bloody forehead just like Jesus did.
and he smashed Peter's face against this wall and this stone-
and on the last smash, the stone became like clay and preserved the image of Peter's face and then it became stone again. This is the impression of Peter's face.

my friend helped me to get a private tour of this place and a few other places-
 and my tour was led by a professor of archeology named Paul. 

when Paul showed me everything in the Mamertine prison, I just said, can I sit in here by myself for a few minutes? and I did. to be honest, its was emotional and overwhelming. 

then Paul took Deanna and I to a place far outside of Rome called Tre Fontaine, or in Italian, 3 fountains. 

because the apostle Paul was a Roman citizen, he could not be executed for his faith. So the Romans took him far outside of the city to a hill. and killed him there. they wanted it to look like he was killed by robbers. this is where Paul was chained before he was killed. 

the executioner beheaded Paul at the top of a hill. his head fell down the hill and bounced 3 times. at each bounce, a spring of water burst out of the ground.

the Christians build a church on this site and put 3 fountains over the springs and the springs still flow to this day. 

when you walk into this quiet little room, you can hear the water trickling, you can smell the scent of water. again my tour guide told me all about this site, and then he gave me a little time by myself in this room. I brought a little bible with me all the way from San Jose and I opened it to 2 Timothy 4:6.

these were the words of Paul to Timothy before he died:
" ⁶ For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. ⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸ Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing."

again, this was a pretty special moment for me- one that I will never forget. 

Paul took us to see the Apostle Paul's remains at an amazing place called Paul Outside the Walls. He showed us where Paul was kept when he was under house arrest and where he wrote many of the letters in the New Testament. 

I don't know if my tour guide Paul knew that I was a Christian or a pastor, but he was showing me a church called Peter in chains. he showed me these chains under a glass and he told me that these were the chains that the Apostle Peter was wearing on the day that he died.

and my tour guide Paul said, "why did the church keep these chains? why didn't they just throw them away? why did they build a whole church on top of these chains?"
I felt like I was in Sunday school all over again- what was the right answer? he said, "the church leaders wanted us to know that all of this is real. It really happened. Peter and Paul were real. Jesus is real. the stories in the Bible are real. Our faith isn't build on made up stories. all of this is real."

again- this was pretty cool- to have someone show me how that my faith and that the Bible is reliable and trustworthy. 

If you ever get the chance to go out to Italy, I highly recommend. If you need a tour guide, hit me up, I know of a good one.

God is love.
-rev-rob