Sunday, January 01, 2012

Religious Bio

Lifelong Catholic who got saved reading C. S. Lewis's Mere Christianity third year of undergrad. Split my free time between two different campus ministries, the Catholic Newman Center and the Evangelical Campus Crusade for Christ (now called simply "Cru" because "crusade" is a bad word). Met nice kids in both settings, went on retreats and attended regional conferences and studied the Bible.

Graduated college and took a good job in southern Ohio. Plugged into the local parish, got a church mentor and volunteer-taught religious education. Continued going to daily mass before work and dabbled in the Latin mass experience offered monthly downtown.

Relocated to New Jersey. Continued volunteering at church and attended formation classes, gravitating towards the ones pertaining to the Bible. Completed the certification process for formation and was effectively "done" but still sought to broaden my experience. Got into the inaugural class for Theology MA's and after five years (and two children), earned the degree.

But the kids took me away to a new parish that lacked any lay ministries and I dropped out from volunteering. Now after nine years with a new pastor, opportunities for lay involvement have opened up but I'm not the shoe in for a spot as expected. I thought that, with my education and experience, I could find a niche. I've "sold myself" in informal conversations with the deacon, church secretary and other known members of the inside clique1.

So I wait and read books and try to keep my skills sharp for that opportunity, whatever it is.
1 Honestly, that there is a clique turns my stomach.