Sorry for the delay in responding. You’ve both made some good comments and asked some good questions.

I think there are a couple of ways to approach this. I’d argue that we shouldn’t begin by looking at the norms of how pastors or non-pastors tend to live, but at the biblical ideal, and work from there, applying this to people on both sides of the pulpit. It’s my experience that few people really now how to practice Sabbath, and I’d hate to accept this as the norm.

If we agree that Sabbath is a biblical principle, we should begin by asking how we can learn to practice this in many different types of work and vocation, including mothering for instance.

As for pastors: yes, some pastors are lazy. A lot of the pastors I know face the opposite danger of working 55-60 hours or more a week. Again, it’s not a competition to see who can work the most hours, but we need to talk honestly about what a healthy and sustainable rhythm looks like, and again, how this applies to all kinds of different vocations. The pastor is just one example of this. Pastors need to be known as hard workers who also know when to stop and rest – and these two don’t often go together!

If I were to ever be ‘full-time’ again I would probably continue to keep my day off as Saturday and do a ‘proper’ week just like everyone else and help avoid any hint of the sacred secular divide.

Most Pastors I know have Saturdays off from work, or at least they are not present in their offices and are, to all intent and purpose, not working.
This is just like the large number of their congregation who are fortunate enough to be employed, (outside of certain service areas or occupations. ) I do not have a problem with this.

On Sunday’s, our Pastors are often actively involved with taking part or all of a, or multiple services, preaching, teaching etc. This, it could be easily argued, is also the same for many other folk in the church congregation, who as lay leaders and volunteers may be leading worship, Sunday school, etc.

The whole discussion on this site has been as to when you as Clergy and Pastors, take another day for sabbath. For most of your congregations this is simply not an option. Most of us lay leaders and volunteers, if we are fortunate enough to be employed,work Monday to Friday. In a large percentage of professional jobs these days, a worker is paid a salary that is linked to the need to complete the job rather than to a set number of weekly hours.
Saturday for the rest of us is a rest from work, just like it is for our Clergy and Pastors, and becomes the day to spend with family or to tend to chores.
Sunday then becomes our Sabbath when we rest from our labours that earn our salaries and come to worship God corporately, and to serve His body, the Church.

While you are respected for the work that you do, and there is a broad understanding of the sometimes difficult and onerous task that it is to lead, counsel and pastor your congregations and additionally to prepare for your parts on Sunday’s services, it appears that you all have a 3 day weekend,(either Friday or Monday) meaning you all work just 4 days.

I would suggest that this is a luxury not afforded for your lay leaders and service teams, who regularly do all their preparation in their “free time” after work or on Saturdays; attend the same committee meetings and midweek services that you do, yet, still work 5 days a week.

The definition of Sabbath you are espousing is just not workable for most of us in your congregations. If it doesn’t work for your flock…?

I would be pleased to hear some gentle and non-defensive feedback to this question and advice for your congregants .

I would think that there are a lot of things that happen in church life on Sunday that can be better followed up on Mondays while they are still fresh.

I do think a lot has to do with perspective. While I haven’t read it firsthand, I’m told that Mark Buchanan in his book The Rest of God distinguishes between the way most of us “rest FROM our work” and the concept of “resting TO our work.” One is a response (or exhaustion) from what we’ve just completed, the other involves a taking a long deep breath to face that which is about to commence. (He probably states that better!)

Ian: I take Fridays as my sabbath. I try to finish my sermon prep on Thursdays. I find it helps to put it on the back burner for a couple of days before preaching it. I try to not even think about it, but somehow it’s a very productive time in terms of developing the sermon. I’m also a lot fresher on the weekend.

Saturdays are a combination of ministry activities and household chores.

Norm: Every pastor is different. I’m glad Monday works well for you. In a sense, we offer every day, including our Sabbaths, to the Lord and the church. Sabbath is not giving the Lord less than our best; it’s actually following the divine pattern started right at the beginning of Genesis. I think we ultimately give both the Lord and our churches our best when we find a pattern that allows our souls to find our joy in Him.

Even from a practical perspective, I think it makes sense to match some of the important but low-energy tasks we all have to do with a low-energy day. I find Mondays to be very productive, and it allows me to spend my best times later in the week on my most important work.

Again, good post.