So…What Does a Pastor Do?

A pastor writes words and words and words. Words for preaching, words for worship, words for prayers, words for thank you notes and words articulating something for the church newsletter. When we aren’t writing, we are listening to others and walking with them through terrible times and also joyful times. It is likely we are consuming coffee at the same time . When we aren’t writing or listening, or leading a worship service or a class or a meeting, or reading someone else’s words, we are probably planning worship.

Roughly 50% of my time is dedicated to worship planning. Lucky for me, this requires creative writing. I am a grateful girl to incorporate what I love to do with what I need to do for my work. Not all pastors love writing, so not all pastors worship plan the same. I deeply enjoy reading the texts for the month ahead to see where the Narrative Lectionary is taking us, which is what you see in the messy desk photo above. There is a tall glass of water, a bulletin in progress, and Exodus burning with possibilities (you’ll appreciate my pun if you hear next week’s story). Last spring, my colleague and I looked through the 2021-2022 (Year 4) texts to identify themes. So, I already know October texts pose the questions “What is God up to?” and “Where do I go looking for God?” Having named these questions made it easier to prayerfully write a relevant call to worship and various prayers.

Do you get to incorporate things you love to do into the paid work you do? This was a sabbatical learning for me. Why don’t I lean farther into what I love to do and find ways to do more of it in my daily work? Can’t this be an asset for an organization, whether it is a church or a business or even a family? Once you discover what you think you are good at, is it possible to focus more of your time doing that very thing?

If you are retired, how might that thing you love to do benefit someone else? If you aren’t sure what you are good at, ask someone who knows you well. In the blink of an eye that is life, how might you infuse a bit more joy into the day-to-day?