Time Out
I am starting to discover some of the problems with ministry. I still love it and that is great however, there are times when I need moments of escapism. Those moments when I can just put work to the back of my mind and think about other things. I was talking about this with a colleague of mine recently and we both agreed. The problem is that even when you have been away on holiday the moment you arrive home work is there immediately waiting. Waiting in the piles of post, in the emails, in the telephone messages and wham no time to adjust, work immediately there.
I'm not talking about the God stuff, that would be silly I would hope and want like others that God would be with me wherever I am, no it's the church stuff and it is that which I need a break from. Not cause it's bad or I don't like it but just because if I don't it will consume me. Friday is my day off, I was going to come home from dropping B off at school and hang around at home. Inevitably that means checking email of which there are work related messages and before you know it, well you can guess the rest. So today conscious decision on the way home call and see a colleague (and friend) whose day off it is as well. Cup of coffee some quick lessons given to his dog on laying out a blog and then off to the shop at the City of Manchester Stadium.
I didn't buy anything but P made up for it, coming out with a full bag, we followed that with a coffee and a sticky bun and suddenly I forgotten everything I was meant to forget. A lovely morning! Now the only problem is what to do with the afternoon?
Labels: Football, Friends, Ministry, Stuff
posted by Stuart @ Friday, January 25, 2008
4 Comments:
Oh I do so sympathise with that slide into churchy stuff on a day off, and how unhelpful it is.
Not sure that I've worked out a regular solution. I do try and DO something constructive with every Wednesday to avoid it just sliding away...and am changing my day off to Friday when I move, to match at least one local clergy friend. Meanwhile, I'm so glad you found happy things to do with your morning, and hope the afternoon was equally recreative in the event.
i still haven't mastered my compulsion to check my work email from home whenever i have the computer on, even if it is 3am on a saturday morning. And as you say, once you check it....
personally i think the afternoons of days off are designed for bookshops...but even then i can never stop myself straying to the law books section just in case they ahve the one text that will provide all the answers to my latest case
i hpoe you learn to master it way way better than i have. besides, i hear you have a perfectly wii game at home and a dog that loves walks...surely that could take up several hours?
Hmm, my first thought is "join the club". I don't think it is anything particular to the ministry. I think it happens to a lot of us. Doesn't make it better though.
I guess this is a modern day problem. As technology makes it easier for us to work from home it also makes it easier to work when we should be relaxing. As for my afternoon I just thought I'd check my email.............Doh!
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