As I write this, it’s been nearly 6 years since I stopped working as a pastor. At the time, I could never have predicted the changes that would take place within me and in my outer, more visible life.

I’ve worked since the fall of 2015 as a real estate agent, which came as a complete surprise to me and to all who knew me as a pastor (see part 12). I’ve focused on serving people, treating them the way I want to be treated, and respecting them no matter what background they have. I now have friendships with people who are very conservative Christians, “used to be active” Christians, Catholics, former Catholics, agnostics, and atheists. For the first time in my life I’ve met people who are gay, lesbian, and transgender and learned to see them as individual people beyond their sexual orientations.

After spending two decades telling people on Sunday how to live out their faith Monday through Saturday, I’ve actually been practicing that myself where I’m not surrounded by conservative Christian people all the time. 

As you’ve read in these posts, my mind has been freed to explore and seek answers to questions that made my former identification with the evangelical story of Christianity impossible. My soul has found life and joy in the more expansive, more inclusive, more mysterious, more connected and yes, more beautiful story I’ve discovered.

There are many more episodes in my life I could include in this telling of my journey, and perhaps I will insert them in time. I am certain there are more episodes of learning and growing to come as I continue this journey. I do not claim to have a systematic theology that answers every “what about this?” or “what about that?” But I am growing comfortable with the mysteries of a God that is beyond my comprehension, and a life that constantly surprises me. When people ask me, “How are you?”, my answer more and more is simply, “I am grateful.”

Thank you for reading this. I sincerely hope this story has encouraged you to keep seeking answers to the big questions in life, and to trust God is walking with you as you seek truth. I sincerely hope you have been spurred on to love God and to love people more. And I sincerely hope you will experience joy as you open yourself to the more beautiful story into which God invites you.

Don

NEXT STEPS

EXPLORE the Reflections portion of this site, where I share thoughts about many of the topics I’ve only briefly hinted at in My Journey. 

FIND All the books and authors I’ve mentioned along the way on the Resources page.

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