Maybe this is a country mouse/city mouse thing? At bigger suburban parishes maybe folks communicate in ways other than word of mouth so the Sunday morning grapevine isn't as big a deal? Or what am I missing?
+HRC
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Monday Off???
I can't understand you pastors who take Monday off. Please explain how that works. On Sunday I find out who's sick, who's angry, who's having problems, etc., etc. If I tried to take Monday off, I would never get it off because of this fact. On Monday, I've often got to hit the ground running.
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I'm with you. I tried Monday and flipped to Friday after a month.
ReplyDeleteEver since Vicarage I have always taken Saturday off. My wife was going to school while I was on vicarage so if I took Monday or Friday off I would be sitting at home all by myself. Now, with kids, if I take Friday or Monday off they are gone at school. So, I have always taken Saturdays off. It works well except if there are weddings or funerals or other events planned but those can happen on Fridays and Mondays also.
ReplyDeleteMondays I have reserved for my study day. I rarely go into the church on Mondays and stay at home (now that the kids are in school) and read during most of the day and begin preliminary exegesis for the sermon. I at tiems make visits Monday evening.
Since Ordination, I have served in the City of Chicago. I have always taken Friday off. My first parish had an established Bible Class on Monday. My current parish had an established "meeting night" on Mondays. Plus I need to get things started early in the week. Starting my week on Tuesday would feel like starting in the middle of the week.
ReplyDeleteI tried Monday and Friday...it did not work!!
ReplyDeleteWhen did the custom of pastors having only one day off arise? My congregation is so generous as to give me 2.5 days off.
ReplyDeleteI tried taking Fridays off. My problem is that I'm too much of a procrastinator and that things kept getting pushed back to Fridays. I have more of a chance of actually getting a day off if I take it at the beginning of the week rather than waiting until the end.
ReplyDeleteWhat does it mean for a pastor to be "off?" I mean if you are "off," do you not show up for a hospital visit or answer your phone calls. Does it just mean that you are not at your office? If there is not a worship service or confession of Saturday, how is a pastor working? It just seems to me that a pastor's vocation, doesn't fit well into the industrial age driven hourly or daily wage scheme.
ReplyDeleteProf. Flacius,
ReplyDeleteMy wife would disagree! It's precisely the unpredictability and "always on" nature of the ministry that requires the pastor to actually schedule "free time" - that is, time with his family. Today I'm at home - not the office. Today I have not shut in calls scheduled. Today I have no confirmation classes, worship services, or weddings scheduled. Today I will not read the theology books I'm currently working through, etc.
Now, I always might be called away on Friday - but it is very important for me to try to schedule this down time.
+HRC
I agree that it is essential to schedule a day off in the Ministry. If you do not schedule it you will not take time off because there will always be something to do. In this sense it takes discipline. On my day off my focus goes from my vocation of Pastor to my vocation of Father/Husband. Not that I am only a Father/Husband one day a week... though some weeks are better than others.
ReplyDeleteI also think taking a day off is a good thing to do so we don't get it into our heads that the Church rests on our shoulders and will survive a day with out us - perhaps even two.
I only work on Sundays. ;)
ReplyDeleteI do Monday, because everything has been moving toward Sunday, and I need a day after that. On Friday I would feel the pressure of Sunday coming and so would not be able to spend time with my family (relatively) stress-free. If someone needs to be visited on Monday, etc., then I do it, but if it's not an emergency, most people will wait until Tuesday. It hasn't been a big issue for me.
ReplyDeletePr. Timothy Winterstein
I believe that it is an established fact that the end of the world will happen on a Monday. At least that has been my experience as a Pastor serving over 31 years and having taken Friday off the entire time...
ReplyDeleteI take Saturday off so I can be with the wife and kids. Like it was pointed out, sometimes Saturday gets taken over with youth events, funerals or weddings, but I prefer Saturday simply because I can do things with the whole family.
ReplyDelete