This is a pastor’s life

8:05am — Debbie and I finish breakfast and say the morning office from Celtic Daily Prayer, a tradition we try to keep everyday.   

8:35am — Preparing to visit a homebound member when I receive a call at home from her daughter that she died this morning some time in her sleep.  Went to the home to be with the family.

10:00am — Returned to the church in time for a construction meeting regarding the community center.  Meeting addresses some design challenges and lasts much longer than I had planned.

11:45am — Phone conversation with an editor who is publishing a short article I wrote.  Back and forth by email on a couple of corrections.  Final draft approved. 

12:40pm — Going out the office door, someone from the community pulls me aside regarding a project that just fell through. 

12:50pm — Home for lunch and take a couple of calls at home.  Check email, talk to Debbie about when we might actually do some Christmas shopping.  Maybe not this week.

2:30pm — Return to office to work on the Bible study for tonight.  I have only two weeks, tonight and next week, then we’re off on Wednesdays for two weeks.  Decide to review the Christmas story in all the gospels, and use a harmony for the outline. 

4:15pm — Back to the member’s home to check on arrangements for the funeral, visitation, and how we can help the family.

5:15pm — Pick up Debbie and head to church for Wednesday fellowship meal. 

5:45pm — Fellowship meal.  The caterer has no extra help tonight due to Christmas parties elsewhere, so we all have to pitch in to serve and clean up, which everyone does willingly.  I have to make a quick trip home to find more white bags for the children to decorate for Christmas.  Back to the church with bags in hand. 

6:30pm — Lead prayer and Bible study. The Christmas story “harmony” goes well. 

7:40pm — Home.  Check email.  Think about funeral sermon.  Read our weekly paper that came in the mail today.  Update a couple of things on my blog.  Call a member to cancel our horse-and-wagon caroling for Saturday because the weather is expected to be cold and wet, maybe freezing rain.  This person is a children’s Sunday School teacher, and asks me to come into their class on Sunday morning and talk about how you become a Christian.  Several kids have been talking about this, she says. 

9:30pm — Writing this.  Done for the night.  I think.