Few would debate that this has been a topsy-turvy year. Even the best-laid plans are out of control. A client recently sent me a download that resets my planning skills and captures my productive time. The marketing brochure proclaimed I would gain control and be in charge of my day. A modern miracle and just in time.
I downloaded the app. And at my age, that is no small task! New settings, permissions and preferences challenged my abilities and I confess… my confidence was tested.
My heart now pounding with insecurity. I was buoyed by one last marketing promise, all I had to do was press the three dots icon. And so I did.
It asked me “What do I want to do with Sunday?”
For a Pastor, Sunday is a time of great energy. The opportunity to share Christ, meet
His people and be in worship is both exciting and draining. Now, during COVID, my
sermon preparation changes, the way I spend my time is different the people with
whom I engage are virtual.
The client that sent me the software is secular, the question, ‘What do you want to do
with Sunday?’ hit me between the eyes. Well, prepare for the Chiefs of course! But is
that all. I was now hooked by the software. I clicked those dots hoping for insight and
maybe I would again be in control. Could my work week be restored to normal in this
virtual calamity?
The question appeared again, ‘What do you want to do with Sunday?’ And now I could
see my options:
• A Traditional Calendar View: Sunday on the left Saturday on the Right. The days
of the week in the middle.
• A Possible Calendar View: Monday on the left, followed by the rest of the days
of the week. Then Saturday and Sunday.
• A Recommended Calendar View: Saturday and Sunday on the left, followed by
the days of the week.
‘What do I do with Sunday?’
In the Traditional View, Sunday is the beginning of the week. It’s a time I will plan and structure the work for the week. It is my time to put God into my week and build on the positive forces of prayer and worship. It’s time to kick back before a tough week of work.
In the Possible View, it is a time to separate work from rest and separate sacred from secular.
Genesis seems to suggest that after working for six days, God set aside a day to reflect, for prayer and relaxed appreciation. (Including time to watch the Chiefs)
In their Recommended View, I use Saturday and Sunday for preparation. Monday is coming I have two days to get a grasp on the week’s demands. I prepare on Saturday, I am ready to hit the ground running by Sunday and am completely ready to execute of Monday.
With COVID, I must be more deliberate. By Sunday, the worship is planned, and recorded. The thought that I flip my week and push my energy into Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. That means my time to relax and my ‘Sunday Stuff’ actually occur on Thursday and Friday.
I’m trying the Recommended View. It makes far better use of my time. Pre-COVID, we did not get a chance to look at the work styles of one another. The days of the week were allocated.
The only question was how much work I allowed to creep into my Saturday and Sunday. I will likely not be on the same rhythm as most people in the recommended View, but I will be far better able to meet the demands of the Church and the demands of my clients.
I’m curious… ‘What are you doing with Sunday?’