Social distancing has changed the way we do church work for sure. That said church work still needs to get done. Tuesdays is still staff meeting day and we have continued to meet using Zoom tech. While it is called Zoom that is no indicator that our meetings are any shorter. Today we met for two hours.

I know most people think that pastors only work on Sundays and Wednesday nights, but nothing could be further from the truth. Our Tuesday meetings as a staff of nine cover a lot of territory, and there just is no way to shorten up the weekly business. I have actually been to weekly staff meetings which take up to five hours. One deacon board meeting I attended recently engaged us in six hours of business, and that was with us pushing things along.

Now with Covid-19 entering the discussion we have even more to talk about as we plan for the future. Like the rest of the country, we are looking forward to reopening, and discussions are being had on the regular about just how to do that, and of course when. Here in the North East we are bracing ourselves for a long haul.

All that to say Tuesdays- Meeting Days are busy days and sometimes I don’t really realize how busy they are until I take a look back at the agenda and see all we have done. For instance: The house started stirring this morning around 6 A.M. By 9 I prayed, ate breakfast with Amanda and Mom, walked all three dogs (which is something of a process as Mercedes is in heat), got ready for the day, got Mom’s morning supplies, fed the birds, washed a load of laundry, changed out my pillow cases and folded yesterday’s laundry. At 9:30 we found out that we lost a congregant last night to the disease (she had several other health conditions as well) . At 10:30 we found out another congregant was being sent home on hospice after a long battle with a series of health issues.

Then staff meeting. While Amanda and I had staff meeting, Brenda took some time and sat with Mom and then with the dogs who were beside themselves with heat. Then she did some writing in her study.

After staff meeting Brenda and I finished up some errands Amanda had started yesterday for an elderly congregant. Then it was back home for afternoon prayers and the afternoon dog walk (in the rain).

Brenda had an on-line meeting with an artist from the South and I made dinner for the house while Amanda got herself ready for youth group.

In the midst of all of this I have even had time to write! Amazingly, I have not felt rushed at all. I’m kind of marveling at that in fact, and I am wondering how it is possible that I do not feel half out of my brain. Maybe it is just the fact that most of this did not involve me leaving the house…..hmmm. Ok it is time to walk the dogs again because one of them is beginning to howl like a six pound wolf.- See Ya Soon!