Friday, December 14, 2007

Taking Time to Rest i.e. Sabbath

My blog friend Brian has an interesting post going at his site about importance of clergy taking Sabbath time: http://brianvinson10.blogspot.com/

After seminary, I designated Friday as my Sabbath and I have tried really hard to stick to it. Today, I planned on taking time for myself. First, I tried to sleep late....doorbell rang and woke me up. Then I tried to work out...phone rang and I had to go pick out new carpet for the nursery. And then, of course, go and move all the nursery furniture out so that the carpet installer's could install said carpet.

Usually the worst offender for violating my time off is the head of my SPRC. Today she is totally innocent. I wonder if it is harder for a small town pastor to be left alone then for a big city pastor. In this area, it is totally acceptable for a person to just show up on your doorstep without calling first, which happens with regularity.

As an introvert, I crave time alone. Time with just myself and my God in prayer, in reflection. I hate the idea of having to leave my home in order to be alone.

1 comment:

Brian Vinson said...

Sometimes the expectations of the big city pastor are a lot different from those of the small town pastor. When I was the big city associate, a lot of that stuff fell to me because I lived next to the church building.

I had to leave my house in order to get away from the church and its business.

I don't think the general parishioner knows how exhausting doing ministry can be and how desperately we need time away from doing church work.