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Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Just Not Enough Time


I really hate to paint. We have been fixing up a room in the basement for me to use as an “office.” Part of the fixing up entails painting one of the walls and the water closet. I have never been able to cut in the edges around the woodwork without getting paint on it. I am envious of those who can cut in the edges without previously having taped the edges.

Perhaps one of the reasons I don’t like painting is I just want to get it done. It takes so much time to do all the prep work. Yes, I know two-thirds of the time and effort to a good paint job is in the preparation. Taking the time to make sure the surface is clean and smooth and to tape the edges makes a significant difference in the finished project.

Over the years, I always felt I had to hurry and get the job done, because time was limited due to other responsibilities. Even now, with significantly fewer pressing responsibilities, I still feel the press to “get ‘er done.” I know yielding to that press will either result in a sloppy or unfinished painting project.

To be honest that press to finish a project has not only been related to painting projects. As a pastor, there more times than I care to admit when the sermon preparation got a lot less attention than it should have gotten. I liked doing sermon preparation. I liked doing the study, allowing time for prayer and reflection, allowing time for it all to simmer and then finally coming together for delivery. Yet, I have to admit there were times when the sermon ended up being a “Saturday night special.” There were members to visit in the hospital, nursing home or at home. There was preparing for committee or session meetings. There were administrative tasks. There was community involvement. There were presbytery committee meetings. Oh, yes, there was my wife and family. The list of other responsibilities and expectations never seemed to have an end, Sunday always came around.

There are two stories which illustrate differing approaches to sermon preparation. A minister always was busy “doing the Lord’s work.” Each Sunday, during the hymn before the sermon, the preacher would take his Bible in hand and let the pages fall open. He would close his eyes, extend his pointer finger and press it down on the page. Whatever verse he was pointing to would be the text for the sermon. He would mount the pulpit and declare, “This is what the Lord has to say to the congregation today.” He would then read the Scripture to which he had pointed and launch into his 25 minute sermon. One Sunday his finger pointed to an obscure verse. He was stymied. Even after the hymn had ended he remained seated. After some very uncomfortably long moments he finally rose to the pulpit and said, “The Lord doesn’t have anything to say today. Let’s sing another hymn, take up the offering and go home.”

A friend told the story of being on an extended visit in Scotland during which he developed a strong relationship with a parish pastor. One day over lunch my friend was talking about all the things he had to do in his usual weekly duties and that he regularly would put in fifty to sixty hours a week. One of his complaints was there were so many things needing his attention he didn’t feel he had enough time to prepare his sermon and for the weekly bible study. He said there were always people coming to the office. Some came just to chit-chat and some came with problems or concerns.

After several minutes of listening to the American pastor, the Scottish pastor leaned forward and said, “There is nothing more important to be done than preparing the sermon and the bible study. My people know my first priority is preparation for preaching and teaching. Every day my office door is closed from eight in the morning until noon. My phone is unplugged. I do not receive and open the mail. I do not chit-chat with members or elders, nor am I there to solve all their issues or concerns. My people expect excellent preaching and teaching and they leave me alone to prepare for both.”

I have heard a lot of complaints from ministers, members and elders that the seminary did not prepare ministers to do this or that. “The seminaries ought to have more classes on administration, counseling, working with youth and young adults, running a committee or session meeting.” No seminary curriculum can prepare us for everything we or others expect to be done. The first and only, task of the seminary is to prepare us to preach and teach the Word faithfully.

Who controls how we spend our time? We do! We cannot ignore all the other things which call for our attention either from our own expectations or those of others. What is it we were called to? What is our first priority in the use of our time in service to God and the people with whom we minister? The sooner we figure that out the more effective we become.

Enough from me today, I have a sloppy and unfinished paint job calling my name

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