Rules To Live By...What's Yours?

After a 14 hour day yesterday, today's a half day.

I have a Rule I try to follow which my wife and I agreed to early in our ministry. It's the "Two Blocks A Day Rule".  We (try to) only work two blocks out of three each day. The idea being that a working day breaks down into roughly three blocks:  Morning (8am-1pm).  Afternoon (1-5pm). Evening  (5-9pm). So, if I work three blocks one day (like yesterday), I try to only work one the next (or another day the same week).

This reminds me of another good Rule my friend, another fellow Church-planter and candidate for Bishop in Dallas, Fr. Mike Michie kept. "The 12 Hour Rule":  Whenever your last appointment ended you schedule no appointments until 12 hours later. This one can be tougher to keep, but a good goal nonetheless.

Why do Clergy especially need such Rules? Because if we don't spell it out we can easily work 12 hours a day 7 days a week.

Here's how I see it. You are the only one who can be your kid's Dad / Mom. You are the only one who can be your Wife's Husband / Husband's Wife. However, if push comes to shove anyone can be your Church's Pastor. Don't mix up the priorities. And coincidentally, you'll do a better job at all three.  

To quote my dear friend and mentor the Rev. Toby Carlos from Mount Pisgah Missionary Baptist Church in Bloomington, IL:  "First God. Then Family. And then the Ministry." 

• 8am meeting with the husband and sons of our parishioner Helen who passed away Monday. She and Emory have been married 65 years! Glory to God and bravo to them!
• Dunkies run.
• Worked on Funeral details (scripture, music, servers, etc).
• Invited local diocesan clergy to a Summer Bible Study on 1st & 2nd Timothy.
• Lead worship, Preached and Anointed with oil the good people at Vintage of the Ponds Nursing Home. No musician today so I lead singing acapella and boy these folks SING! Always a blast with them. The first time I went I anointed everyone and now I do each time I go. Preached from John 3  "Believe in Jesus and Pray For Others To Do The Same." Ironically, when I approached one gentlemen who was sitting "on the sidelines" and offered to anoint him he told me succinctly "I don't believe in any bullsh*t".  Needless to say we just shook hands. And the 40 other people are probably all praying for him now!
• Back to the Office for Music Planning meeting for the next few weeks with our keyboardist Susanne. 
• Reviewed Funeral Bulletin.
• 1pm - this little priest is D.O.N.E. for day.