You Take What You Can Get
But having a choice is way better
I am (and I hope this is clear) a true champion of all things multivocational. I am here to celebrate the creativity of part-time clergy. I support being rooted in multiple spaces. I think there’s financial wisdom in splitting income across multiple streams.
But I didn’t exactly become multivocational by choice.
It’s a bit complicated, because I technically did have a choice. As it goes with so many people, I was working to balance personal and professional decisions. When I graduated seminary in 2015 things were weighted pretty heavily toward the personal. I spent all three years of seminary dating my now spouse long distance. After that saga my number one priority was getting a job where he was. Theoretically I could’ve found a full-time pastor position had my parameters been wider. But when my geographical constraints were narrowed what I found, instead, was a very good paying part-time clergy position.
So I took it. I had to defer my ordination for a couple years while at this job because it was a PC(USA) congregation and I was seeking to be ordained in the UCC. I was serving in an associate pastor role, which is probably not my best fit. Overall it was not fulfilling my professional goals, but it was close enough.
It was not that I actively sought after a part-time role. But once I found it, I started to understand some of the gifts it offered. And that’s what led me to my part-time role in my congregation today. Because I experienced fulfilling multivocationality in one setting, I was more open to experiencing it again. I went from choice-ish to a role that was freely, fully chosen.
I was thinking of my initial reluctance to take a part-time role when I listened to the latest Leading Ideas podcast from the Lewis Center1 titled “Bivocational By Choice.” (It’s not a bad listen—I’d recommend it even though I have a few different ideas from all that is shared.) In the title alone I was reminded that there is power in the choosing.
If you are bivocational by choice, that is lovely. But many are not, and are simply existing with what is available. It’s a combination of finances, family constraints, health, opportunity, and more. Bivocational can be wonderful, but it can also be exploitative. To know whether multivocational might work, there could be a simple litmus test. Is it freely chosen, by pastor and congregation?
Worrying statistics
In totally other news, as I was looking up information about my latest video game obsession, Astroneer, I ran across a website that gathers information about how long (approximately) it will take you to finish a game. Friends, let me introduce to HowLongToBeat.com. Even if you know very little about video games, this simple website helps illuminate the true cost to having a personality like mine. I am, in many games, what you call a completionist. I want to get every achievement and explore every part of the game you can. This means a difference for a game like Astroneer, to simply play the main storyline it takes about 21 hours, already a serious amount of time. But to fully complete the game? 64 hours. I now know where all my time has gone. (I see you, 232 hours, for Skyrim2.)
What I’m reading
I just finished up Among Others by Jo Walton. It’s a Nebula and Hugo award winner, so high praise there. But it’s also part of one of my favorite sub-genres—books that are about other books. If you’re looking for boarding school fantasy recommendations (updating your Harry Potter love perhaps?) this is a great one.
What life looks like
Winter days in Ohio.
The Lewis Center for Christian Leadership was formed within Wesley Theological Seminary and contains all kinds of interesting resources. I appreciate their 100+ podcast episodes for something educational to listen to when I’m sorting through church minutes from the 1970s.
Okay, but Skyrim is a really fun game. And still has lasting playing power!
Yes, amen.