It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy at Church

I forget where I read it, but I’ve found it to be true: pastors tend to be either too busy or too lazy. That’s why I pay attention to pastors who work hard, but then know how to take time off. I haven’t found too many of them.

I had coffee with a pastor last year. I showed up late, having crammed my schedule too full with meetings. He waited patiently. “I don’t work too hard,” he said. He spoke of sloth or acedia, one of the seven deadly sins, not just as laziness but as an inclination to get...