Dear Friends,
Here’s a confession: sometimes it’s hard to get my Contact article in on time. Usually, this has nothing to do with finding something to say (sometimes I have writer’s block, but I am a preacher; we seldom are at a loss for words), rather, I have a hard time writing for Contact because I usually end up writing my column at about three o’clock in the afternoon, a time of day when I tend to be drowsy, and when I have a hard time getting motivated. I know a lot of writers, and, as far as I know, none of them write in the afternoon. Afternoons seem designed for napping, especially in September when it’s sunny and warm in Northern California.
Generally, my Contact writing gets pushed to the afternoon, because my mornings are filled with activity as I try to keep up with everything that going on here at Montclair Presbyterian Church. And there is a lot going on. Every time I open my calendar I am amazed at how much is happening–adult education, youth group activities, social justice actions, various administrative meetings, small groups, planning sessions, choir rehearsal, storytelling–ours is a mid-sized congregation with the tall-steeple schedule.
This is a good problem to have: our calendar is a sign of enthusiasm and excitement, and I couldn’t be happier. However, pitfalls can attend a church’s busy calendar as well, and here are a few ideas about how to negotiate the crowded schedule.
First, know that not everyone can make every event. If everyone came to everything the church has to offer, we’d all get burned out.
Second, don’t feel guilty if you need a night off. I love the fact that ours is a church with an attractive program that provides community for so many people. I also know that most people need a break from time to time. I always want church members to be engaged at church, and I know that the occasional rest makes church members able to engage with greater strength and intentionality.
Third, be patient as meetings, groups, events, and rehearsals overlap. Sherrill in the office does a great job of scheduling, but sometimes our various activities and goings on must happen at the same time (in different spaces, of course) and sometimes because of unavoidable time constraints big events get placed on successive days or in the same week. Such things are natural to a congregation brimming with life.
Finally, join me in giving thanks to God for a congregation so wonderfully endowed with energy and ideas and enthusiasm. I know I wouldn’t want it any other way, especially since there is coffee to keep me alert when–with everything going on–I start to feel drowsy when the afternoon is warm and a siesta’s siren song beckons as for the first time in hours I have time to think about what to write.
With Big Affection (and a fairly large yawn as well),
Ben