What does a pastor really do all day?

I’ve heard people say “The pastor has it so easy; he doesn’t have to go to work. It’s not a real job. What does he do all day? All he has to do is write a few sermons a week.” So, to set the record straight:

What does a day in the life of a pastor actually look like?

Have you ever thought pastors have a life of ease?

It’s a common idea, I suppose, that pastors just sit around all day, writing speeches. I’ve heard that a numer of times. Recently I was asked that very question above for a post on another site. I will link to that full post once it’s up. Here’s my response, and you may be a little surprised.

Questions, Questions, Questions

As a pastor, it’s usually filled with people asking all kinds of questions about personal needs and problems, some with appointments but often just walk-ins or catching you at the store or just as you’re walking out the door. A few Bible questions come up from people who want to debate, and a couple of regulars are always trying to overcome some vice that you just talked to them about a short time before. People become very codependent on you, so you have to learn to draw boundaries.

All this usually occurs in several locations, such as hospitals and homes besides at church, so there’s travel time. Now that we have cell phones, time can be spread among even more people calling between destinations. You don’t really want to give out your cell phone, but people expect and demand that you be reachable at all times.

The Emotional Sine Curve

Frequently, the full range of emotions are ripped back and forth from one visit to the next, grieving with one person as their child dies in their arms, then going off to the see next person, trying to shift gears and rejoice with them over their wonderful, exciting news of a new pregnancy.

Plus, I was a bivocational pastor at small churches mostly, so you have to go to your secular job as well as serve at the church. And once people at your secular job find out you’re a pastor, you become a pastor in the workplace, too, which doubles your ministry load.

In between all of this, you piece together preparation for the next sermon or decision regarding an upcoming church event or procedure before your thoughts are interrupted again. You try to block out scheduled staff meetings because you need that for church operation. And you try to spend as much time as you can with your family, until that next 2am phone call takes you away again. Then you get up early the next morning or just stay up through the night because it’s late, and start the next day all over again.

The Blessing

But somehow in the midst of it all, you feel blessed because you know you are in the right place, the place God called you to be, and you are the right person doing that job prepared for you for that time, and you are being used by Him for His glory to do His will to help and serve others. You do have to find a few minutes here and there for self-care as well so you don’t just collapse.

Other than all that, yeah, pastors have it easy.

I hope this gives you a little insight into what it’s really like to be a pastor. Truly, there is a lot more than just “writing speeches” each week.

How does this compare to your own workload? Can you relate?

Kevin (with Angelica) Obermeyer

 

P.S. What Bible character is most like you?

Have you ever considered which Biblical person you relate to most? How about Judas Iscariot? More about that tomorrow.