How Busy Are You?
Can you imagine the result if I invited you to the church for a special event on Thursday morning? The event will run from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The times are guaranteed. It will not go past 2 hours. No—you will not be given any further information. Prepare to be surprised!
Curiosity may attract a good number of people, possibly 20 – 30. They arrive and look around. All they observe are chairs set up in the hall. Not even the aroma of fresh coffee is in the air. You can see the facial expressions—mostly of curiosity and questioning; much like that “facial emoji” with a finger pressing on the side of the face!
Following an opening prayer, the leader tells you why you are here. You are being asked to spend the next two hours doing nothing!
Doing nothing for two hours is a completely radical act in our society’s super-active and competitive culture. The nerve, you might say. Do nothing for two hours!
Imagine! I suspect that 50% of the attendees would leave immediately.
We live in a society where “busyness” is often seen as a symbol of success. Being busy at work is a valued cultural characteristic. In some workplaces, to be busy is a measure of success in being valued as an employee.
What does it mean to you when you are busy? Is it a measure of your success? Is it a measured value of your place in the profession?
There are many questions or observations of just how “busy” is valued.
We may ask, "is what we are so busy doing truly a valued service to the organization"? Most of us do work in truly demanding jobs. (Parish Ministry is often seen as demanding.) At the same time, expressing how busy you are can be seen as “reaching out to hear those comforting words of compassion and appreciation for all you are doing.” One of the difficulties with this ideal of “being busy” is falling into the trap of “doing lots” which may not be necessary.
Are we doing what truly needs to be done?
King Duncan from Alban Institute has been the inspiration for this article.
I close with a quote from King Duncan:
“Shouldn’t the Church be found doing the work of the kingdom?
Yes, it should — but if we don’t take the time to do the slow work of being with God in stillness and solitude, we may inadvertently become functional atheists, believing in God but thinking that every good outcome depends on our own effort. Thankfully, Jesus offers an invitation that’s still too good to refuse: “Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 NRSVUE).”
If you are thinking this is my idea for a Lenten program, rest assured. It is not.
Blessings for this week,
Archdeacon Brian+
p.s. The question remains. How busy are You?
