Give 'Em A Brake!

Wednesdays make for an incredibly long day in my schedule, but it's offset by the fact that I'm in an area whose radio station I greatly enjoy. During their morning show yesterday, the host and hostess of the program chatted with a pastor, who had just come back from a one-month Sabbatical, that his church had blessed them with, as an act of appreciation. Very early in their chat, the host asked how long it took until he could actually enjoy the time away.

The pastor's response blew me away. I don't know why... maybe, because I didn't see it coming. But in a matter of seconds, it made sense.

Two weeks.

He and the family didn't travel and get away for their Sabbatical, until they were two weeks in!

Spiritual adrenaline, they called it. Much like in any sport or activity where the energy is high for an extended period of time... the game is over, but the juices are still pumping. Your body is still in the "play to win" mode. It took this pastor two weeks to disengage to the point he could actually step into vacation mode and enjoy some R & R with his family.

As they chatted, the host shared his understanding of this phenomenon. And the opening statement to his expressing this sentiment... I didn't understand this until I served as a deacon.

They were talking about pastors being able to get away and how this often depends on the size of the church and the infrastructure of its operations. It's inline with what we've discussed and prayed many times. Smaller churches doesn't equate with less things to take care of, but it often equates to having less people to assist in the completion. And like many other arenas of life, this can certainly be a situation that is hard to fully comprehend until you've been on the inside.

Yet, even those on the "inside" may still not know fully what is going on. The emphasis of using Judas to prove my point has nothing to do with his betrayal, except to say, none of the disciples suspected him to the be the betrayer. Eleven men on the inside had no clue that Judas had sold his soul.

All the more reason, the "inner circle" of leadership within church ministry should be the strongest "life group" of the church.

So, on this #deaconThursday, let's pray for the strengthening of relationships in church leadership. May they be a refreshing and renewal of friendships between pastors, deacons and staff. Pray for a release, for those churches that are experience tense and difficult situations among their leadership. Pray for clarity and wisdom as they negotiate conversations and decisions. May their be a heightened sense of discernment among deacons and administrators, to recognize when pastors are in trouble, having difficulty and on the verge of burnout. May they know what to do, what to say, how to pray and how to help in tangible ways that are appropriate and necessary for the health and needs of the church.

A super-natural understanding,
For even those "in the know" don't always know.
May God grant wisdom generously
To those who know to ask for it.
For the glory of God
For the health of the body of Christ.

- PNC

---