How life is changing, my thoughts are changing, the things I have always believed are changing.

I still believe absolutes like Christ died for me, God created the heavens and the earth, etc. But our "Christianese" is many times wrong. For instance, my whole life youth camp has been: Monday-opening service, Tuesday-salvation night, Wednesday-Holy Spirit night, Thursday-called into the ministry. My issue is with Thursday. I remember growing up and feeling that tug on my heart and exclaiming, "YES, I'm called into the ministry. YES, I want to see people's lives changed for the Lord. But no, I don't want to be a youth pastor or a pastor." But the leaders never allowed that to be okay. There were two catagories: called into the ministry (meaning full-time, paid by the church) or a layman (every other profession in the whole world). I didn't understand. So for years I have been confused. I didn't understand why the Lord would place such a strong call on my life if he didn't intend for me to be a pastor or youth pastor.

Finally, I have realized that it hasn't been me that was wrong. It's our whole Christian society. I CAN be called into the ministry. WE ALL ARE! But we're not all intended to be pastors. True or False: The strong Christian guys in our youth groups are almost always encouraged to become youth pastors. Why can't we just let them be strong leaders elsewhere?

I never understood my friend Kory. He loved the Lord so much but always said he didn't want to be a youth pastor. I couldn't understand why he was letting such talent and influence go to waste. But he's not!! He's going to be one of the most influential people for God that I know, and he'll never be a full-time vocational minister.

What do you think? Am I wrong? What are your thoughts?

Christen