A Pastor's Friday

Some people have this twisted view of pastors...like we only do work on one day per week or something goofy like that. So, I thought some of you might like a window into a typical day for me...so, here goes:

Before "work": Took care of my morning stuff. I have a pretty stable routine. Devotional reading of the Word (usually in The Message)...yesterday I was in Mark 1. Spent a little time in prayer. Showered. Read the paper (checked up on the Rangers decline--it's like watching a car wreck in slow motion--and to see if Barry Bonds hit #700). Had a cup of coffee...well, okay, two. Did the Peripatetics blog for my students. Did this blog. Took Kelsey to school as she had to be there at 7:45AM to run the mile.

At work, spent the first hour doing what Covey calls "Sharpening the Saw": Getting ready to make my day most efficient. Also, that's the time I respond to e-mails and voice mails.

Our church has a ministry to people in job "transition" that is really one of the better ministries we have. It involves resume help, headhunters come in, job search tips, etc. They asked me to lead a devotional, which was nice and I enjoyed it.

Then I had a pre-marital counseling session. We planned the ceremony, too, as they're getting married in a couple of weeks. It's nice to have that wide-eyed enthusiasm that only young couples have.

Then my staffers popped in...a small, but enjoyable crisis. Too many kids signed up for our fall retreat and not enough busses. That's right. Not enough busses. So, they wanted to get a problem-solving plan together...and give me some feedback on this student-led worship night coming up in which they're doing some "consulting" type stuff. We also cleared up some financial responsibilities with the fall retreat camp. Just routine check-writing, but we've got to be a few weeks ahead because of the way our accounting is set up.

Then I studied for my Sunday School lesson coming up...I'm a little fuzzy on all the yearly festivals of the Israelites and it's going to be a key part of my lesson on Sunday. I worked through lunch, since the job transition workshop gives a free luncheon, I grabbed some on the go and scarfed some for my staff, too.

I also ironed out the details of my parent's meeting on Sunday morning, too.

There was a memorial service for a church member who passed recently. That doesn't happen all too often in our church. We're more of a 35-54 age congregation, so funerals are relatively rare. I stayed in the office as the "pastor on call" but there weren't any calls, so I went for the last few minutes of the service as I know the grandkids and children of the deceased.

At two every Friday I have my "business" meeting with my staff to make sure we're all covering short and long-term business ends. We are. I have a good staff, so we have time to brainstorm t-shirt ideas since it's been about two years since we've had a student ministry t-shirt. Some bad, but funny, ideas: One that says simply, "Emergent Shirt." And the "i" would be a candle. Suffice to say that unless you're plugged into the huge youth ministry buzzwords, you won't get that one. Another two for the staff: "Vote for Crossroads Bible Church and all your wildest dreams will come true" and "Crossroads Bible Church offers you its' protection." Unless you're plugged into Napoleon Dynamite you won't get those two. We worried if our laughter was affecting the transition seminar or the memorial service. Safe on both counts.

I finished up the Sunday School lesson handouts and got my discussion starter for the class. This is at 4:30 PM.

My senior pastor asks if I have 20 minutes. I do. He comes in and closes the door. Oh, no. Ugh. This can't be good. But it was good. He just didn't want others to hear it.

I have a five o'clock dinner with four of the most amazingly gifted and talented students I have in my ministry. The hour I spent with them reminded me of two things: First, why I love what I do and want to do forever. I mean, they encourage me with their ministry ideas and insights and growth, and then they thank me for helping them. Are you kidding me? Second, that some teenagers are the most spiritual people I know. We sell them short. Even me. I can't believe I wind up people like this in orbit around me.

Frankly, at 6:30PM, I was done...emotionally and spiritually. It's been a long week. I came home and hung out with my family and did nothing...which was absolutely the most beautiful nothing we could've done. It's embarrassing that a night with nothing is so refreshing for all of us. We had ice cream together, watched a movie together and went to bed early. It was glorius.

And today...yardwork. Ugh.