Metacentricities

Obviously, one of the primary things that has been on my mind over the last few months, and, indeed, the last couple of years of this seminary journey, has been the relationship between my spirituality and my vocation (or avocation - the ways I spend most of my time.)

In my piece on leaving seminary, I talked about how most of the reason for choosing to go to seminary was that I had a desire to center my life around spirituality, faith, and spiritual practice. And I learned, in the course of going to seminary, and choosing to leave it, that I really didn’t need to become a religious professional to do that. And I also learned that ministry comes in many different guises - many that were not in that traditional sense, organized ministry.

So, here I am, now, beginning my re-entry into the nonprofit technology field, as well as trying to be a writer, and explore other kinds of avenues for sharing what I have learned. So now, how am I centering my life on spirituality and spiritual practice? It’s going to be an evolving question, with changing answers. I’m looking for ways to deepen my own spiritual practices, and imbed them into my daily, monthly and yearly life. I’m being clearer about how I work, and how much I work, and exactly what I do. I’m better understanding the kinds of ways my “ministry” will best manifest itself in those work environments.

I’ve always been able to find work that has meaning to me. The work I’ve been doing in the nonprofit technology field for the last 10 years has been really fulfilling, and I do feel like I’ve had a chance to do be involved in doing some real good for organizations that do some really good work in the world. Sometimes it feels a little removed, other times much more direct. I think I’ve come to the place where I want to more deeply examine how I, and others, do that work, and the ways in which that can foster, or detract, from the work organizations do (hence, my “Zen and the Art of Nonprofit Technology” blog.)

But there is the different kind of work for me in writing. It is, in a different way, direct and indirect in its impact. I have much more exploration and experimentation to do in that realm.

And I know that going forward, this evolving life may or may not include deep involvement in a religious community. That’s another evolving question, with changing answers. In this time of transition, I have become unmoored from any religious community, and right now, that seems to be OK. But I imagine that might change as I settle down.

There will be more on this topic in this blog, for sure, as I get settled, and things start to emerge.

Technorati Tags: nptech, work, spirituality, vocation

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