I'm doing a little Saturday strategerizing in advance of Holy Week. Generally we just pitch through the week on a serious adrenalin high, crashing completely and totally on Easter Monday. I fully expect that will happen again this year, but I hope to make some small changes. First of all, this is the first Holy Week in a while that I haven't been pregnant. Second of all, I made a point of remembering from last year what needed to be changed (the version of psalms for Tennebrae, the version of the Stations, the fire hot pads with which to remove the fire pot at the Vigil, etc.).
So here's my plan.
Monday: Take the day off. Completely. Shop for Easter Feast and chocolate. Take Nap.
Tuesday: Put E on the Bus. Put Supper in the Crock Pot. Go to church. Do up bulletins. Clean the Office.
Wednesday: Put E on the Bus. Put Supper in the Crock Pot. Go to church. Print all the bulletins. Find the Fire Pot. Call EVERYONE to remind them that its Holy Week and they should come to church.
Thursday: Put E on the bus. Make something (any ideas?) for the potluck. Catch up on the house. Gather all the children and go to church for the afternoon/evening.
Friday: Put something in the crock pot. Pack all the children off to church for the day. Bring them all home for the evening. Read the Bible. Write a sermon for the vigil. (actually, let me just move that one to Tuesday)
Saturday: Sleep in. Practice acolytes for the Vigil. Dig out Empty Tomb for the atrium.
In other words, I plan for us actually eat dinner together every night, before going to church. We have a baby sitter every night so they won't be exhausted and this way (along with our morning Bible Stories) I shouldn't miss them too much. And, by being at church as much as possible, the house should not be as wrecked, and, I shouldn't be printing everything at the last minute. That's the plan.
3 comments:
I hate to sound like I'm rebuking you, but I urge you to reconsider your tasks in view of your priorities. Why are you doing secretarial work? Given your theology, deep spirituality, dedication and obvious competence, I have no doubt that you and your husband have a successful parish. Your membership base has, no doubt, increased exponentially with every passing year. Surely, your pledge income is enough to be able to afford to pay a part time secretary to do this sort of thing. Or, at least, there should be enough people in your congregation to ask a few to take this on as part of their ministry and/or spiritual discipline in the church.
Your first responsibility is to your relationship with God and Jesus. Your second is to your husband and children. Your third is to the church. The first and second priority are always held in constant tension. The third is not and is always negotiable.
Get your priorities straight and you still may be tired on Easter Monday, but you won't be so exhausted that you won't be much good to your self or your family. Right now, they need you more than the church.
Remember what the flight attendants say in the safety instructions before take off: In the event of an emergency, the oxygen masks will lower. Put the mask on yourself first before attending to any dependent children or adults.
Know that you are being held in prayer.
Thank you for your kind concern. I'm doing the secretarial work at Church of the Good Shepherd primarily because I'm the church secretary. Good Shepherd is actually (hard to imagine) a very poor inner city church. We minister mostly to people who are barely making ends meet and who give what they can and work hard for what they earn. Growth in numbers doesn't immediately translate into growth in cash (although, from my vague glances at the budget, I think we're doing Awsome). I've managed to fennegle deals with the vestry over the years to hire people I think are necessary (like a musician, or a youth minister). Matt and I are two for the price of one. That's our deal. I do the work that needs most to be done. Perhaps I exaggerate when I say 'crash into the ground'. I can't imagine, actually, doing less. And don't worry, my kids are good. Holy Week is actually right up there as a favorite next to Christmas.
God Bless you and your family. Have a most Holy Week and a blessed, joyous Easter.
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