Work ethic

I haven’t posted much this week. Between Monday and Wednesday, I put in about 33 hours. For some, that’s not a lot, but it is for me. Pastoral work hours are a hot topic for some. I heard one pastor say that every pastor should work at least 60-70 hours a week. Then you’ve got guys like Bill Easum saying that a smart pastor won’t have to work any more than about 30 hours a week. I remember someone saying last year that the best gift a pastor can give is a soulish you. That means that the bottom line isn’t the number of hours, although this shouldn’t become an excuse for laziness. I try to work so that nobody can reasonably question my work ethic. At the same time, I’m better at pastoring when I have margin in my life, when I have time to reflect and pray. I’m not at my best when I’ve overworked. Today’s my Sabbath. Nothing to do – no coursework, no housework, nothing. I almost feel guilty. But then it feels very, very good.