I'm Too Busy - Pt 2

Clergy please stop saying that “you are too busy” when really you mean that you don’t want to do something or you don’t currently have the capacity to do so. I was speaking to a lay person recently who was being brushed off time and again by her pastor. He would say that he was too busy writing his sermons to speak to her about things pertaining to the church. 
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    When we are using the term “busy” to describe our job and as a filter to pick and choose what we want to do, we are giving a false perception about what our tasks truly are. 

    Now am I saying that this vocation is not filled to the brim? Certainly not. But there are better ways to address someone as a child of God then to cloak ourselves in the prestige of busyness. Perhaps we could say, I can’t meet with you at the time you suggested, but would this time work instead? Or I’m already sitting in another meeting right now, but I’ll give you a call back as soon as I am done. Or I’m headed out for a visit, but I’ll make sure to do what you asked first thing tomorrow. If we are honest about our schedules and our availability, we help create a culture of trust. 

    Maybe it's more of the ternary of the weekly that places pressure on our schedules than time itself. What do I mean? We know that week in and week out we are going to need to write sermons and lead worship. Prep and lead Bible studies. Maybe this is not so much about our level of busyness. Rather, it may be about how we align our time. What can be prepped ahead? 
    I know that I can feel more anxious when I don’t have things prepped ahead. As a result, I try to write sermons and prep Bible Studies a few weeks ahead. Then if something comes up and I can’t keep my schedule due to an emergency, a pressing request, or a funeral, I still feel prepared. This may not work for everyone, but before reverting to the langue of busyness as a crutch, what would it take for us to truly examine our schedules and see what we personally can change in order to have control.  

    I know that some people are going to read this reflection and immediately come up with all of the reasons that they are too busy, but then let us be good stewards of our words, so that people do not feel that we are to busy for them.

    We are a vocation that juggles many things, but we should never let our busyness block us from communicating with the body of Christ, especially the local congregations we are tasked to lead.