Well, I’m glad Holy Week is over for another year. And this time next year, I shall be on a sabbatical, so I won’t have the hassle.
Yes, that’s right, hassle. This year, more than ever, I have felt the joy of Easter sucked out of me, much as I have often lost the thrill of Christmas in the mania of a minister’s activity.
What was different this year? A number of things. One, I didn’t have any additional services, but the turn-out (apart from this morning) was disappointing. I work just has hard for a small congregation as for a large one, but when it persistently happens, something can get to me. So, having had only five for Christmas Eve (four of us were on duty), there were five Methodists at the ecumenical Maundy Thursday service at the parish church, and nine at our Good Friday evening meditation (six for tea beforehand).
Actually, there was one additional event, at which I was required to mingle but not lead: we had a Messy Church afternoon on Tuesday. I also took a large funeral on Wednesday.
Two, yesterday was our daughter’s fifth birthday. On the day, it was a wonderful occasion. Rebekah was immaculately behaved, kind and sensitive. However, preparing for that during the week largely fell on my wife, because I was consumed with Holy Week. She got frustrated with me, and I got stressed with her.
Three, there were some other personal things to fit in on Maundy Thursday. I had to see the nurse for the latest appointment about my blood pressure. My new glasses – much needed – were also ready for pick-up that morning. I went in first thing, and then my car broke down in town. Thankfully, the RAC turned up far quicker than the two and a half hours their call centre guy estimated, and the patrol man solved the problem in less than five minutes.
Four, in all the production line of service preparation at this time of year (and it hadn’t been possible to do any in advance), I had to miss certain things I would have wished to have been at. Ministers always have to make such decisions, but this year I felt I had to miss things that could have recharged my batteries. One was my New Wine network meeting. The other was Churches Together in Chelmsford’s annual Good Friday open air service. It’s the first time in my adult life I’ve missed a united Good Friday service. But I needed more preparation time.
Five, the other thing about the non-stop service preparation is that your thoughts are operating proleptically, and you can miss the important time frame of Holy Week, and walking each step with Jesus, which is a helpful spiritual discipline. Like chain stores preparing for Christmas at the end of the summer, writing Easter Day sermons when you want to be thinking about Jesus’ trial or his time in the tomb, means missing helpful spiritual disciplines.
Having described that, you will see it wasn’t as though I underwent any personal tragedies. It was a cumulative effect. I didn’t look forward to Easter Day this year: rather, I just couldn’t wait to get it over and done.
I don’t have any neat solutions. They may come, they may not. The best I can do upon early reflection at this stage is to think back to the Gospel story of when the woman with the haemhorrage touched Jesus’ garment. ‘Who touched me?’ he asks. The disciples tell him that’s a silly question when the crowds are pressing in on him. But Jesus knows someone has touched him, because power (‘virtue’ in the AV) has gone out of him.
Right now, I feel like power has gone out of me, and I suspect it has for thousands of church leaders tonight. I’m not so silly as to think I’m unique. Having led our people to the risen Christ and prepared for that ahead of time, now after the event we need to find him ourselves. If we are truly blessed with grace, he will come looking for us before we find him. If you are as shattered as I am, may he come looking for you, too.
Technorati Tags: Easter, HolyWeek, ministry, MessyChurch, MaundyThursday, GoodFriday, EasterDay, NewWine
Big Circumstance 
Five, the other thing about the non-stop service preparation is that your thoughts are operating proleptically, and you can miss the important time frame of Holy Week, and walking each step with Jesus, which is a helpful spiritual discipline. Like chain stores preparing for Christmas at the end of the summer, writing Easter Day sermons when you want to be thinking about Jesus’ trial or his time in the tomb, means missing helpful spiritual disciplines.
You have named the very thing I have been feeling this week. Thank you for sharing. I don’t think I was quite as busy, but my first trip into a Muslim school (while absolutely fantastic) wore me out. I forgot about two visits I was supposed to make (I broke the ‘cardinal rule’ of pastoral care and told the people I would be there at a particular time and day). It was on the same afternoon, and I did not count on how much my visit to the school would take out of me, and then I prepared for a sermon that evening. One person handled it great. The other gave me an earful this morning (I was prepared for it, though, so I was appropriately apologetic and it wasn’t as bad). I still felt awful in both instances.
For how much I love the seasons of Christmas and Easter, it’s amazing how much they take out. Thanks for sharing this.
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Dave,
I am also off for an early night. Had a quieter year than previously, but it does seem a long time since a break. I suspect an early Easter meant limited recovery after Christmas.
I find it tiring to be more interested in Holy Week than my congregations. It means a lot of effort in pushing.
I have been wondering how a separated school holiday would work out (our school holiday is in 2 weeks time). Does not seem to have increased attendance.
Anyway all the best for a quick find by Christ.
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I can’t actually cope at all with being out of sync with Holy Week and I have to prepare each service in order – which means I don’t get to the Easter service until Saturday morning.
This year was easier than last year because I only had services from Wednesday onward. Last year I also had a service on Holy Week Monday which seemed to make everything more difficult. I don’t think I’m as tired as I was last year but this morning I’m realising that I was more tired than I thought I was!
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There has been something about having Easter so early that seems to have disorientated a lot of people this year. We find it hard to be “full of the joys of spring” when there is precious little sight of spring.
However I was really pleased to see your link to “The Messy Church”, a simple idea, but one that I think could have legs in many church communities.
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It is sad that you feel drained by the Easter events especially as this should be one of the high points of the Christians year. I just wonder why it is that theer seems to be an expectation that the Minister has to be involved in all the Easter activities – I appreciate that where theer is communion the minister has to be present but there is much of the remainder that can be done by others. Our Good Friday service was led by a worship leader (exceptionally well) and the new vicar at the local Anglican church preached while our minister sat in the congregation.
Bearing in mind the priesthood of all believers I am sure the load couldspread a little more. In fact I was quite surprised to be planned for morning worship at one of our superintendents churches yesterday morning but many people said they had thoroughly enjoyed it and it made a change to have a local preacher for such a service.
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