I'd Rather Be...

I went to bed last night with a mild headache that caused me to lay in bed awake for longer than what is normal, at least recently. I'm not sure the cause... hopefully, not because the one line pastor mentioned yesterday morning that I thought "that's cool, that should be my launch point for Monday's post" and then couldn't remember what it was; however, I foolishly hoped that simply laying down would help speed up its exit.

Well, I woke up this morning and sure enough, the headache still lingers. And before we go any further, yes, Dad, I'm taking something before I leave for work. That said, I know the line had something to do with not wanting to go to work, which we've all felt.

Most senior pastors take Monday off anyway and with good reason, it's exhausting. So technically, this is a post for not wanting to go back to work on Tuesday Regardless, we all have our days of wanting to stay under the covers and not be up and around, whether it mean 4:30am or 7am.

I remember the church my wife and I started attending weeks after we were married. They had just recently moved to a new campus and the congregation was larger than the sanctuary that existed (so much so, that plans for a new sanctuary were imminent, if not already in the works at the time of purchase) The solution?

Three Sunday services. Yes, three. And all of them were packed, the third, not always quite standing room only, but pretty close, often enough. It was crazy. especially with everybody who filled in during the transition time. The pastor, who has since planted, what is now their third, ground-up church, remains a high-energy, high-impact man of God; but I used to watch and wonder in some amazement. Now churches run two Saturday night services, and two or three more on Sunday... it's enough to wipe out you out just thinking about it.

*which I'm trying not to do, because of the headache. (insert smile emoji)

On that note, let's pray this #seniorPastorMonday, for pastors who are having their "don't want to go to work" moments. Whether they be the normal course of life instances or they are on the verge of feeling burnt out, may God strengthen every fiber of their being. In heart, body, mind and soul, may God rejuvenate energy levels and infuse them with a fresh empowering of the Holy Spirit. As they go about their meetings, tasks, and sermon preps, may their be a grace over their actions and engagements. May God grant to them a wisdom and an ease to handle whatever lies before them that demands their attention. Pray they not be burdened down by the past, whether it be left over from last year or circumstances that have already proven difficult in the first few weeks of 2017... may they commit it all to the Lord anew.

To cast their cares upon Jesus
That He may give them rest,
Exchanging burdens and yokes with Christ
That they may impact the kingdom of Heaven with greater ambition,
Greater fervency, greater faithfulness and greater passion.
For the advancement of the Gospel
For the glory of God.

- PNC

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