Busy Week

In case someone was uncertain as to what a pastor does during the week...

I spent most of my day yesterday in Lafayette, as someone in one of my congregations had surgery.  The gentleman ended up going in earlier than scheduled, so I talked with the family for a little while, ran some errands, ate lunch and came back to catch him as he was getting ready to head home.  Doesn't sound like a lot of busyness; however, Lafayette is an hour away.  It pretty much took all day.

I have started attending a Bible study that is working through Max Lucado's He Still Moves Stones.  They asked if I would lead this week's lesson, which is tomorrow morning.  I still need to prepare for it.

I was asked to take part in a special service that the funeral home in Veedersburg is hosting for those who have lost loved ones in the last year.  I'll be giving a 10-15 minute message next Tuesday evening.  I need to call one of the other pastors in town just to make sure we don't speak on the same topic.

I have two people having surgery today.  One is at the heart hospital near St. V's in Indy.  The other is in Champaign, IL.  I talked to both of them yesterday, and they said that they didn't want me to make the trip to see them (it's about 1-1.5 hours in opposite directions from the 'Burg).  Hopefully, both surgeries will be outpatient, and they'll be home tonight.  I'm planning on calling them this evening to check up on them.

I'm also working on a Christmas Eve service.  I got this idea that it would be really cool to have a service of carols and lessons that walk through the Christmas story.  I've been thinking about it for a week now and spent some time working on it during my lunch yesterday.  It is going to be exciting.

I also have to work on this Sunday's sermon.  It's from Mark 1:1-8, which is a passage that I have studied a lot, but I still need to do the background work and write it.  I have a near pathological dependancy on my manuscript right now.  I'm slowly getting away from it, but it is going to take some time.  Besides, if I didn't type out a manuscript, what would I post on Monday mornings?

Let's also throw on top dinner, some minor cleaning and hiding Katie's Christmas presents, and it is looking like a pretty full day today....  So, why am I blogging right now....