As I have been going though my current transition I have noticed an interesting pattern.
While going though the emotional journey of loss, I have attempted to cognitively process those very emotions. I have noticed a parallel to what is known as The Five Stages of Grief.
In her 1969 book, On Death and Dying, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross introduces the idea that there are five stages of grief: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance/Resignation.
Full-time ministry provides a unique environment where the work circle, the social circle and the worship circle are identical. When there is a loss of the work circle, it has a direct impact on the other circles. The loss of a ministry role results in the loss of relationships and also results in a loss of a church home.
The process is very similar to the five stages of grief.
Going through the loss of both the ministry role and the associated relationships has been painful. But like the winter, it precedes the new life of spring.
Looking back on the last few weeks, I have come to a place of acceptance: I no longer have the burden for my former place of ministry. It has died. I no longer stay up at night dwelling on how to help the people grow in their faith. I no longer wake in the early morning hours burdened with the needs of he people.
God has created a opening through the process of loss. An opening that is ripe with anticipation for the next God-given burden!
Great thots!! So very proud of you as I have watched you go through this! God has some amazing things in store for you! Keep believing!!
John I appreciate being part of your social circle. I feel the sadness of perhaps not being in close proximity to you, but I am looking forward to the new spring season of your ministry calling.
Thanks Luis! Fortunately there are some friendships which are independent of the workplace!
I’m sorry to hear what happened to you as well as everything else that is going on there. I understand your need to emotionally and mentally move on, but I’m still burden with the knowledge that the tireless hours, and deep emotion that so many have put in may not be enough to save it. Give me a call some time. I’d like to catch up.
I am not sure I understand your comparison of the 7 stages of grief when dealing with death to the comparison of you loosing your job.
How is the burden goes away, if our ministry is supposed to model after Christ, Christ did not shift from one church to another with a burden then it goes away, then the next and then burden goes away, Christs Burden was for a lost world and his ministry was based not on a building called the church, but his burden was for the actual church.
When I hear Pastors talk about burdens leave and then they shift to a new place of employment and all of a sudden WOW a new burden. Kinda sounds like a chameleon to me.
So I must ask, is the burden actually there? Or is the burden attached to a need for a paycheck
Bob, you raise great points.
The comparison to stages of grief was simply to aid in communicating the emotional journey that I have been going through. You are right that our ministry is to be modeled after Christ’s own ministry. His ministry was to The Church. The global church, not one local representation of The Church. I differentiate between a “call” and a “burden.” Years ago, God called me to enter vocational ministry. He did not call me to a specific location. God has moved me to different local churches and confirmed to me that the move is right by giving me a burden for that local church body. In many ways, God has called me to be a migrant worker in His Church.
I cannot speak for others in vocational ministry. I can tell you that I have actually turned down more ministry opportunities (when I needed a paycheck) than I have accepted. I would rather not have a paycheck, than simply take a job because it provided a paycheck or would look good on a resume.
John