This last two weeks I did something I haven’t done for many years.

I locked in 10 full days of work from 7.30-4.00pm, which amounted to 90 hours actually on the job as well an hour or two each evening invoicing, quoting and ordering. 

If it sounds like a pretty normal week to some of you then that’s right – it’s supposed to. It was 10 days of solid work – same as what most people do every week.

Why do I tell you this?

Because after not having lived like this for so long, I observed some curious questions emerging. I noticed how ‘hemmed in’ I felt – how my week just seemed to be work-sleep-repeat with little time for anything else. I caught up with my brother and his wife one evening and was quite literally falling asleep during the conversation. On Friday night I kicked back on the couch to watch a few episodes of Breaking Bad (I know I am late to that party) and after the first I fell asleep and 2 episodes ran in the background. I felt the strain of a full working week in a way I had never imagined.

We are in the process of training up a friend to work in our business, which means I need to spend a several weeks slowly helping him get up to speed. It won’t be like this for ever – but it gave me an insight into the lives of those for whom this is normal – those whose work is either physically or mentally exhausting. It can be heavy going… and that’s when things are going well!

I clean forgot we had our Yanchep Food Program on the Tuesday night. I was wiped out. I really didn’t want to head anywhere on the other nights and on two of them I was asleep by 8.30pm. And as we worked, I found myself wondering, when will I get to the post office? What if I need to go to the doctor? When will I mow the lawn? When will I get to Supercheap to buy stuff for the car?..

Saturday?… Sunday?…

Suddenly my time and my life felt constricted, tiring and somewhat sapping. Even though I enjoy the work I do I didn’t like being locked into having to do it every day.

I realise this is life for most people – which is what prompted the post. After being a pastor for 31 years I have come to expect a relatively flexible life, trading daytime hours for evening time and so on. I know most people don’t do this, so it gave me a deeper insight into one aspect of other people’s lives.

It was hard – and I enjoy my work… How hard must it be for people in difficult jobs, or where the relational tension is high?

It also made me curious as to how realistic our pastoral expectations have been of people over the years. It made me wonder what ‘commitment to Christ and his church’ looks like. Have we got caught up in a work culture that is unhealthy – even sinful? Are we driven by the need to accrue wealth, acquire more and upsize? If so can that be changed?

And as churches do we expect more than is reasonable from people who work full time, are managing families and young children? When Saturday and Sunday are your only rest options and you also need to wash the car, go shopping, attend aunty Doreen’s 80th etc etc then those two days fly by.

This week I remember getting to the end of Wednesday and the term ‘hump day’ took on new meaning. I have always understood the term, but this week and last week I felt it tangibly. We are over halfway… you will make it…

And as the weekend approached I was waiting like a hungry man for food. I have a list of ‘jobs’ to do, many of them enjoyable, but I had no time – or energy for them during the working week. I also want to rest – to slow down and ‘smell the roses’ – or in my case go to the beach. Last weekend I ended up feeling like two days just isn’t long enough to tick all those boxes, especially the ‘rest’ one.

So to those who work long hours day in day out with no relief in sight you have my genuine, deep respect. To those who also commit to their local church to serve and engage joyfully while working full time you have my immense respect.

And to those bivocational pastors who work full time as well as leading a church – double respect! You guys are amazing