"For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the
time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem
the day of Pentecost." (Acts 20:16)
That verse comes from the old King James Version. It says "he hasted", but
you'll find that most "modern language versions" say "he was hurrying". I tend
to be a guy who hurries quite a bit, and over the years I've taken some flack
for that. I've been told that committed Christians should trust God and
shouldn't be in a hurry. The above verse shows that the Apostle Paul WAS in a hurry to get to Jerusalem. Was he incorrect to be in a hurry? Truthfully,
that's something serious Bible scholars disagree about.
This morning I saw the famous Christian conference speaker and teacher Joyce Meyer being interviewed on a Christian T.V. program. I only watched a brief clip of this interview, but what struck me is that she spoke about "hurrying" and said that while she's always tended to be a person that's in a hurry, she's not happy with all the hurrying and she's rethinking her lifestyle.
I'm one of the most fast-paced and time-disciplined people I know. I really
am. The Rev. Dick Germaine of Hopkinton tops me in those areas, but he's
one of the very few that does. For all of my fast-paced living and for all of
my time-discipline...well, sometimes it surprises me that the church I pastor
is so small and sometimes seems kind of "hokey" and that my
time in Asia: for he hasted, if it were possible for him, to be at Jerusalem
the day of Pentecost." (Acts 20:16)
That verse comes from the old King James Version. It says "he hasted", but
you'll find that most "modern language versions" say "he was hurrying". I tend
to be a guy who hurries quite a bit, and over the years I've taken some flack
for that. I've been told that committed Christians should trust God and
shouldn't be in a hurry. The above verse shows that the Apostle Paul WAS in a hurry to get to Jerusalem. Was he incorrect to be in a hurry? Truthfully,
that's something serious Bible scholars disagree about.
This morning I saw the famous Christian conference speaker and teacher Joyce Meyer being interviewed on a Christian T.V. program. I only watched a brief clip of this interview, but what struck me is that she spoke about "hurrying" and said that while she's always tended to be a person that's in a hurry, she's not happy with all the hurrying and she's rethinking her lifestyle.
I'm one of the most fast-paced and time-disciplined people I know. I really
am. The Rev. Dick Germaine of Hopkinton tops me in those areas, but he's
one of the very few that does. For all of my fast-paced living and for all of
my time-discipline...well, sometimes it surprises me that the church I pastor
is so small and sometimes seems kind of "hokey" and that my
surroundings do not really present a "spit & polish" image. Through the years, I've watched clergy colleagues who present themselves as relaxed, laid-back, and even lackadaisical, and yet you could eat off the floors of their church buildings, and all of their church publicity materials look like they were prepared by a Fortune 500 company! You'll go into that colleague's home, and it's so perfect you wonder if anybody actually LIVES there. THEN the guy will tell you he's just finishing up his D.Min. degree or a second Master's or something, while he tells you about all the time he spends on the golf course.
I go back to my "to do" lists, my fast-pace, my exhaustion, and my hokey
looking surroundings and I wonder...how do these guys do it?
What got me thinking this way today? I really don't know, except that I need
to get back to my work because on a happy note I'm going tothe Red Sox game on Saturday! Thetickets were a gift. My brother-in-law has an important job in the Red Sox organization and in fact I'm getting a behind the scenes tour of Fenway on Saturday morning. I will report on my Fenway experience sometime next week.
I go back to my "to do" lists, my fast-pace, my exhaustion, and my hokey
looking surroundings and I wonder...how do these guys do it?
What got me thinking this way today? I really don't know, except that I need
to get back to my work because on a happy note I'm going tothe Red Sox game on Saturday! Thetickets were a gift. My brother-in-law has an important job in the Red Sox organization and in fact I'm getting a behind the scenes tour of Fenway on Saturday morning. I will report on my Fenway experience sometime next week.
And as far as my philosophizing, well if anybody's got any thoughts, I'm wide open!
3 comments:
I like you just the way you are. Have fun at the ballgame.
Is Uncle Donnie taking you on the tour?? He took me onto the field with the players, into their locker room, and inside the Green Monster, it was so much fun!! Have fun at the game!!
Oh, and I tend to be a "hurrier" too, and I get made fun of all the time for it. Especially my walking, apparantly I walk much faster than everyone else. Who knew.
Good grief. I share your thoughts on how to get everything done! If one more person tells me I should prioritize, I think steam will come out of my ears! The first thing I do before I even get out of bed in the morning is prioritize what needs to be done in ministry that day. There are so many needs, people pushing and pulling different directions, and God sneaking in with new ideas for my time in the middle of it all! I think part of what you are talking about is the issue of pastoring a small church community where you have to wear so many hats and call on the same folks over and over to fill the roles that a number of folks do in larger faith communities. What to do about it? I'm not sure. If you figure it out, please let me in on the solution! My solution is to fit in some meditation time so at least it feels more spacious for a while and I can share in the peace the passes all understanding....when I give it room. Blessed be, Maddie
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