A day in the life of this pastor

Awake at 4:30AM. Up at 4:45AM.Coffee and a bagel thin (Toasted. Butter and jelly. Strawberry, of course).Devotions.Read the news.On Facebook long enough to wish friends “Happy Birthday,” but get off before seeing someone’s conspiracy theory or how a pastor in California is a dope.Do Wordle. “Scour.” Three tries. (FYI… today’s Wordle took me six tries. Ugh!)Work on sermon. Last “Odd Man In” sermon. (No spoiler alerts, just come on Sunday)Exercise.Pray while on elliptical and exercise bike.Shower. Dress. Help take down the beds—new carpet installed in the bedrooms today.Leave for the church.Listen to Louis Armstrong, “What a wonderful world.”Detour to Starbucks.Get to church.Talk with Deb, my super assistant, about events for the day and week.Spill my mocha drink all over the floor.Am I more upset that coffee spilled or that my $5.25 drink is now a big fat stain on the floor?Try to clean it up. Deb helps too.There’s still a stain. Ugh!Call in the “dream team of clean.” (Our facility crew)Apologize for being uncoordinated.Quickly answer a few emails. Meet with Vi and Tim McIlvoy to discuss Del’s funeral. 95 years of life. 55 years of marriage.Wore out four or five Bibles.A great man went to heaven.More emails and a few texts.Leave for Brighton to have lunch with a pastor. It’s pouring outside.Head pounding.Hope it doesn’t rain like this on Saturday for our IN FLINT work day. Will Panera’s cream of broccoli soup help my head? Can’t hurt. He shares.I share.Hope the conversation helped.Back home to put up the beds on newly installed carpet.Tigers on the TV while working.Tigers lose (Shocker).Find a house on Zillow that looks interesting. Hello Judy Cox.Going to move? Probably not. Maybe. Supper: Soup and grilled cheese. (rainy days are soup-for-lunch-and-dinner days).Back to the church. Try to figure out a closing song for the choir service with Nate.Love divine all love excelling.You can’t go wrong with a Charlie Wesley ditty.Lizzy Benjamin sticks her head in to say “Hi.” There’s great teenagers at Central.Go to the family center where people are eating Deb Pruitt’s tasty dinner (Italian and headaches isn’t a good combo. But it looks good).Go from table to table talking with those gathered for dinner.Dennis Johnson is doing great after so long in the hospital with Covid. A walking miracle.Quay brought a toy truck. He’s letting Dennis Freeman play with it.Jessica Roland, future missionary, did great the night before sharing with the church board her hopes and dreams.Boston and Pastor Amanda are eating with some of our great teenagers.Eat a piece of cake with Deb, Sam and Mary Ann.Shhhh… I’m on a diet.Meet with a young couple for pre-marriage counseling. Hope they have as happy a marriage as Vi and Del. I think they will.Listen to tail end of choir practice. Did you hear that Dr. Joe Ewing died?  Funeral is Saturday. Joe was my dentist. I also used his Michigan Football tickets a time or two. He was a good man!Say my good byes and head home.Watch a little basketball then the Adam Project on Netflix with Karla. It’s so so. Bedtime.

Why the daily run down? Pastoring is full of many activities. Old folks. Young folks. Death. Life. Marriage. Worship planning. It’s a smorgasbord of life. That’s why I love it. Today will be different than yesterday. Whatever happens I hope Psalm 118 rings out true for you and me: This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24).