Count me among the unwilling. Autumn is arriving without my full endorsement.
I may be among the last to give up on summer. After all, school is back in session and congregations are well into their fall routines. The first of the trees are changing color, we are experiencing cooler days and artificial Christmas trees have appeared in the big box stores.
It is hard to deny the change of seasons. Even in the synod office we have shifted into the busier days of autumn. We have had the first of this year’s Discipleship Gatherings and the normal schedule of meetings has resumed. Only the calendar is on my side, but summer will officially give way to autumn on September 23.
I think that I am autumn resistant for a couple of reasons. In spite of the incredible beauty of the season, I know what’s coming next. I much prefer being warm to being cold. But, that’s minor. I know I would appreciate the other three seasons less if we didn’t have winter. I think my real problem is that I really enjoyed this past summer.
There was much to enjoy. Our Synod Assembly was fun. The Churchwide Assembly was another great experience. It is always reassuring to see the way the church takes care of its business. It was a joy to make a personal commitment to the ELCA Malaria Campaign. Our Synod Council has gotten back to work with its new members. We’re in good hands.
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| Mackinaw City Lighthouse |
I also enjoyed some vacation time. I spent a few of my days off at Wrigley Field. My wife and I spent a great week in North Dakota with my son and daughter-in-law. Another few days were spent in Michigan exploring my childhood memories. These were relaxing and joyful times for me and my wife.
As a parish pastor, I always thanked the congregation for the vacation time that I was granted as a part of my call. The recommendation to congregations is that pastors receive four weeks with four Sundays of vacation each year. This sometimes seems generous to a call committee or council, but the four weeks is given in recognition that pastors are on call 24/7 and often a missed day off is difficult to reschedule even in the smallest of parishes. Pastors really never lack for something to do.
If you are a member of a mutual ministry committee or of your congregation council, I hope that you encourage your pastor to use his/her vacation time and to use all of it. I have not always been good at that myself. Make sure that your pastor is taking days off too. At least one day per week is required to keep some sense of balance and two is preferable, though I do not know of many pastors who are able to take two.
This past week I saw a survey that reported that clergy have the highest job satisfaction of any profession. That’s not surprising since most of us are doing what we believe God has called us to do. What could be better than that? But clergy also suffer burnout and stress at alarming rates. It’s tough work. At times, it is physically tiring and emotionally exhausting. Time off, which today means time without cell phone or email, helps combat those symptoms.
So, as my congregation, I thank you, the synod, for my vacation time. This summer’s vacation was wonderful. I’m just sad to see summer go.
Comments? Go to http://niselca.blogspot.com/ or comment on Facebook. –JC
