There’s an old joke about a guy who’s trying to get out of jury duty. He tells the judge that he can’t be on the jury because he can’t take that much time away from his work. The judge says, “Can’t they get along without you at work for a few days?” And the guy says, “Well, sure they can, but I don’t want them to know that.”
This joke came to mind because this spring, I’m going to be gone a lot. I was already gone last week for three days of provisional elders’ training. I’ll be gone twice this week, once for a regional ministry team meeting and once for a Conference Finance Committee Meeting. I’ll be gone in April for School of Ministry. I’ll be gone for a couple of days in May for an ordinands’ retreat. Then in June comes Annual Conference.
It’s not that any of those things I’m gone for are bad things. In fact, they’re all good things. Still, the fact is that they take me out of the parish. That means there are some things that I would do if I was here that I won’t be able to do. Those things will either have to be done by someone else or they won’t be done at all. I don’t mean this to sound like a complaint. It really doesn’t matter whether this is a good thing or a bad thing. It’s just the way it is.
The main thing that I won’t be able to do, at least to the extent I’d like to, is visitation to the sick and to shut-ins. This is not because such visitation is not important. On the contrary, Wanda and I both think it’s very important. Not only that, it’s something we both really like to do. The reason visitation is the thing that probably won’t get done, at least not as much as we’d like it to, is that, while it is very important, it is not as urgent, at least outside of an emergency.
Let me explain what I mean by that. There are certain things in a pastor’s schedule that have to be done in certain timeframes. The bulletin has to be ready every Sunday. So does the sermon. During Lent, when we have a mid-week service in Gettysburg, a bulletin and a sermon also have to be ready on Wednesday. The newsletter has to be done at the first of every month. There are certain meetings that need to occur at certain times. Again, this is not meant to sound like a complaint, nor does it matter whether it’s a good thing or a bad thing. It’s just the way it is.
There are other things in a pastor’s schedule that, while they are still important, do not have a deadline to them. Those things get fit in wherever and whenever time permits. When time does not permit, they get dropped. Unfortunately, outside of an emergency visitation tends to fall into that category. Again, this is not because it is unimportant. Wanda and I think it’s very important. It’s just that it has no specific deadline. If we don’t visit someone today we can, outside of an emergency, visit them tomorrow.
The point of all this, or rather the points of it, are these:
1. We won’t always be out of the parish this much. Once this temporary situation clears up, we will get back to visiting as much as we usually do.
2. Despite the times we’re out of the parish, we will still visit as much as we can. We are not using this time as an excuse to avoid visiting people. We want to visit people, and will do so whenever we can.
3. If you are someone you know is in a situation where a visit is needed, please let us know. If necessary, we will make time to visit you.
4. If we don’t get around to see you as often as either we or you would like, please do not think we’ve forgotten you. You remain in our prayers always.
5. There are times when I am out of the parish but Wanda is not. Wanda is going to do as much visiting as she can, too, with or without me. This does not provide an excuse for me to avoid visiting, but it is still something we want you to know.
6. I would appreciate it if others would help pick up the slack of doing this visiting. I know there are some of you who already do, and I appreciate that. For those of you who already do it, please consider doing more of it, at least for a while. For those of you who don’t do it, please consider starting. As I said before, either other people are going to do it, or it won’t get done. It doesn’t matter whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing. It’s just the way it is.
The last point is probably the most important, and not just in regard to visiting. Again, I’m not trying to get out of anything. I’ve told you before how much I love what I do, and I have no intention to stop doing it. Still, many of the things I do are things that others can do, too. Some of you already are, and I appreciate that. For those of you who don’t, please consider starting.
The thing is, this parish can get along without me. I don’t want it to, necessarily, but it can. And I do want you to know that.
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