“You know, life can turn on a dime” That expression has been around for a long time, right? When my bishop back in Central Pennsylvania said it to me, I had definitely heard it before.
We were having coffee at a funky little place in Williamsport, the small town where I lived with my family. They had a great selection of coffees and teas, items for sale by local artisans, and deep chairs and couches that looked like they’d been pulled out of people’s attics.
We were talking about my job prospects. This was in 2010, I think, so I’d been ordained maybe 6 years, and had served first as the Missioner for a cluster of three small local churches, and then as the Interim in a parish 100 miles away, which had meant me splitting every week between there and home.
There were no decent openings within reach for me. The two full-time positions in Williamsport had come and gone, both parishes having called straight white married men, with children, from other dioceses; and no I’m not bitter! And now, this was the second bishop (his predecessor was the one who ordained me) – the second bishop who was saying he would sure hate to lose me, but didn’t seem willing to help me, much, job-wise.
“You know,” he said, “life can turn on a dime”. I think he thought he was being encouraging. But as far as I was concerned, there was not a dime in sight...(read more)
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