Pastoring God's People
For all those who have been commissioned to
pastoral roles of all kinds.
Time for God
by Marvin Lorenzana
At my last checkup, myphysician warned me, “Many ministers today are headed toward the mental, physical, and spiritual salvage yard because they expect too much of themselves.” He obviously knew many in my profession, or else he was up on his occupational statistics. Studies show that one-fifth of full-time clergy work 60 or more hours a week—three times as many as those in professional specialty occupations who work the same number of hours per week.
The biggest casualty of such heavy work schedules is often the pastor’s own spiritual life. I define “busyness” as a lifestyle that is so congested that one can neither enjoy nor nurture a healthy relationship with God. Because of our hectic schedule of visits, sermon preparation, and committee work, many of us don’t have time to seek the Lord in prayer or read our Bibles except when preparing to preach on Sunday.
Jesus said, “I tell you, do not worry about your life . . . . Strive first for the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:25, 33). Why do we get caught up in the rush of life when we know that waiting upon God in tillness is so rewarding? Am I too busy for this God who called me to ministry in the first place?
It seems we are victims of the culture of success that pervades North American society. Ask how our jobs are going, and frequently we’ll talk about how busy we are. Busyness makes us feel important. It gives us a sense of job security. If we’re busy, we must be needed, after all. We are proud to be working hard for God!
In my own pastoral experience, my commitment to this “success” expresses itself in three basic ways: overscheduling at church, underscheduling with family, and no scheduling for deep-soul sustenance.
Without a doubt, this needs to change. Here are three basic things I’ve learned about dealing with busyness:
1. Cultivate a fulfilling relationship with God.
More
imperative than anything else in our lives is to learn how to build up our
relationship with God—to search purposely
for moments of quietness and to practice solitude. Because we each have
different journeys and personalities, we each must find our own way to
do this. (For me, those moments tend to be just after my children go to
bed.) But none of us is exempt from this responsibility. If we want our
congregations to be excited about a relationship with God, our own example
may be the most important factor in achieving that goal.
2. Examine your work habits and make necessary changes.
Important habits for me have included the following: prioritizing my tasks
at the beginning of each day; taking one step at a time rather than several;
avoiding procrastination; setting realistic deadlines; and recognizing that
all tasks should be done adequately but not necessarily perfectly! Establishing
a rhythm and rule of life and sticking to it without being too legalistic
about it have aided me in trying to forge good working habits. The result
is that in the end I do have meaningful time to spend with God.
3. Develop leadership in your congregation.
Some of us have been incredibly neglectful at this. Yet delegating to others,
mentoring lay pastors, and even staying off certain committees could save
both you and your ministry. Remember how in Exodus 18 Moses listens to Jethro,
his father-in-law, who urges him to appoint judges to help carry the heavy
workload.
This does not mean creating more, and often unnecessary, sub-committees. In North American Mennonite churches, I have seen how the decision process is often delayed by the creation of many subcommittees, which in practical terms, translates into needless time and human effort. By contrast, Latin American churches emphasize the discipleship and the empowerment of lay people to perform some pastoral tasks. The end result is that lay people take ownership of the church’s vision and mission, thus freeing pastors to give the attention they need to properly seek God and nourish their spiritual lives.
If busyness appears to be a major stumbling block in our spiritual development and hinders our ability to be more effective ministers, we must choose to simplify our lives and do less. We must enjoy our ministry and spend quality time with our loved ones. To do this, we must remember that God is still in charge of the church. We are much-needed helpers, but not owners. How freeing it is to be reminded of that!
Marvin Lorenzana, originally of Honduras, has been working in the United States since 1994 as a missionary and pastor among Hispanic communities. While studying at Eastern Mennonite Seminary, he is planting a new Hispanic church in Harrisonburg, Virginia.