When preachers believe in Nine Commandments and a Suggestion

You might recall the hubbub Ted Turner stirred up when he declared the 10 Commandments to be obsolete and proposed his own 10 Volunteer Initiatives for Social Justice.  Many who take the Bible seriously were deeply offended by the self-importance of an individual who would discount the Word of God and propose to replace it with his own set of rules.  Even those who were not biblically minded were taken aback by the arrogance of someone who would, based on the wisdom of his own 60 years, want to sweep away a law code that was foundational for most of western law, critical in the world’s three monotheistic religions and had stood the test of time for better than three millennia.  We can agree that Turner clearly stepped beyond the bounds of what is appropriate for a created being regarding the Creator’s commands.

While we may not be as direct as Turner many of us in ministry may not be very different in attitude about the Ten Commandments or at least one of them.  We act as if there were Nine Commandments and one volunteer initiative.  I don’t imagine myself to be a legalist; I don’t believe we are saved by perfectly keeping the 10 Commandments or any code of law for that matter.  But I do believe that the One who gave the 10 Commandments knows what is best for us, what is right, and how we ought to behave.  For our part, I believe preachers are pretty careful about 90% of the commandments.

We would be aghast if we heard a preacher say any of the following:

“Occasionally, I commit adultery; it is not something I want to do, but at times it is necessary.”

“It is not as if I commit murder all the time, in the near future things will work out and I will be in a place where I won’t have to murder anyone.”

“I really hate making idols, but where the church is right now I have to make these idols.”

“Yes, stealing is wrong and bad for me, but the church needs this and if I don’t steal then it won’t get done.”

“The expectations are very high, things are happening and we are really growing so for a while I will have to take God’s name in vain.”

Any preacher who said any of the above would be suspect in his faith, his sanity, and his fitness to minister.  But I have said and heard all of the above about a Sabbath of rest.

“Occasionally I don’t take a day off; it is not something I want to do, but at times it is necessary.”

“It is not like I want to work everyday.  In the near future things will work out and I will be in a place where I can get some rest.”

“I really hate working all the time, but where the church is right now I have to make these sacrifices.”

“Yes, being away from my family and not caring for myself is wrong and bad for me, but the church needs so much and if I don’t do it then no one will.”

“The expectations are very high, things are happening and we are really growing so for the time being I will have a ridiculous schedule, but it is only for a while.”

As a church consultant, about 95% of my conversations are with pastors.  From time to time I meet lazy bums who need to hear a word about putting in more effort.  But most of my conversations are with guys that are overloaded to the point of breaking.  The days are long, the to-do list is never finished, the plan of the week is over- written by the crisis of the week that gives way to the emergency of the week.  Some pastors I know don’t delete old voice mails just so they won’t have new ones to answer. 

In the last few weeks, I have had several conversations with pastors who are physically exhausted and/or whose marriages have suffered and who are pulling radically long days but are soldiering on.  They are serving faithfully and lovingly with a high level of excellence and genuinely love the Lord.  But they are wearing thin.  Two of these conversations have been with pastors leading their church AND heading up another ministry.  Most of the pastors I talk to think that a day off is a luxury they can’t afford.  THAT IS A LIE.  I will give you one guess who whispers that lie to us.  A day of rest is not a luxury- it is a command.  It is not a frivolity- it is an invitation to be with the One who loves you most.  By the way, a day of rest is not attacking a to-do list of chores.

Believe me, the last thing I want to do is to guilt trip you on one more thing you have to do.  Nor will I try to analyze why those of us in ministry are so prone to over-extend ourselves.  What I am asking you to do is to stop.  Just stop!  Play hooky from the office and run away with your Dad, Brother and Comforter.   Take a day and rest.  Leave your cell phone and computer and don’t you dare take anything to work on a sermon.  Just go and rest.  Take a Bible, maybe a journal and pen and spend time reading a passionate love letter to your soul.   Take a nap, but wake up in time to enjoy some good rest.  

And don’t worry about being behind on your to-do list; you wouldn’t have gotten it all done any way.