Sundays have really changed for me.

What was once a day of mostly rest, with a little church time mixed in has become a day of work.  It begins at 6:30ish when I wake up.  That part is good - unlike most people, 6:30am represents sleeping in for 2 whole hours, as compared to my work week.

Then it’s shower, putter around, read my Bible for a bit, take the dog for a prayer walk, and get home before the boys wake up (though usually they are already awake by the time I get back).

Note, I no longer go on the computer in the morning.  That’s how busy my life has become.  Geez.

Once the boys are up, it’s food wrangling, cleaning, clothes wrangling and getting them out ther door for 8am.  As long as we get out the door before 8:10 we will be on time for the first service.

8:30 is the service “for members”.  Not really, but it’s designed to give the people who serve during the main service an opportunity to still fellowship and worship.  However, during this time we also run a couple of classes for new prospective members.  One is for people who are already followers of Christ who are thinking of joining us, and one is for people who are still discovering their faith.  I teach the former class.  My wife is also in one of our discipleship classes during this time.

10am is the main worship time, and generally we attend that one.  From 9:45am when my class wraps I am pretty much continually running around, attempting to touch base with my Awana leaders, friends, community group members, and also (perhaps more importantly), new visitors.

Once the service ends, we get tto go home for a few hours.  However, last Sunday we had our Discover Hope Luncheon, which gave an opportunity for new people coming to church to learn more about our church and how we work.  I didn’t get home until 3:30pm, and we had to head out the door again for Awana at 5pm.    During that 90 minute interlude, I was fetching supper, printing out song lyrics for the Awana song (which I forgot to bring before I left), and doing a little cleanup (of our bathroom - it’s amazing how non-public spaces get neglected by the tyrrany of the urgent!).

Of course, Awana is interesting.  I find I do most of my commander work in the initial 30 minutes, coordinating the storage of early children in the nursery, making sure we have all our leaders there, helping the kids register, welcoming new parents, and making sure kids get seated with their leaders in the sanctuary for worship time.  Then so far I have been coordinating and leading the flag ceremony, and seeing the kids off to their clubs.  After that, I do a little running around, making sure the nursery is running smoothly, checking up with leaders if they come out of the rooms, chatting with the odd parent who lingers through the program, and then breathing a bit.  Then, once club wraps up, I am the one who makes sure the parents know to pick up their kids and makes sure we have everything put away.  And, if any of my leaders need a lift home, I drive them.

I am not complaining, but if there is going to be a day of rest for me, it is going to have to be on the Jewish Sabbath, Saturday.  This isn’t going to change if I get into full-time ministry.

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