Working One Day a Week: Part 3 - Friday

This is the one day a week that I don’t work. I am given one full day and two half days off a week. I have chosen to take Friday as my full day off. Most pastors take Monday as their day off so they can recoup from the long day on Sunday. That just doesn’t work for me. I get hit with so many issues on Sunday at church that if I did not come into the office on Monday, I would think about them all day long and not enjoy my day off at all. I have found that if I can have a pretty good handle on what I am preaching on Sunday by Friday, I can usually relax on my day off.

I’d like to say that I sleep in later on Friday but the truth is that my internal body clock usually awakes me by 7am. I will then get showered, dress and have some coffee while I watch the morning news. I then spend 8-10am watching double episodes of one of my all-time favorite television dramas, The West Wing, on the Bravo network. I’ve always had a fascination with politics so watching the West Wing and getting a glimpse of how the inner workings of the White House functions is very appealing to me. I use that time while I am watching the tube to clip the coupons from Sunday and sort them in the coupon caddy while taking out the coupons that will expire that week. Sounds weird, I know, but I actually really enjoy it.

By 10am Laura and I are ready to head out for the day. Friday is a day we have always reserved for just the two of us and it is absolutely the highlight of my week. If you have attended Grace Church for any length of time then you know how we spend my day off – we go grocery shopping. That’s right. And at the risk of losing any “macho points” I may have with some of you, I have to admit that I love going grocery shopping wit my wife. OK – so what kind of life do I lead when one of my favorite hobbies and activities of the week is grocery shopping? I guess that’s debatable but Laura and I love it.

You have to understand that for us, grocery shopping is an all-day event. We don’t just go to one store – we got to multiple stores. We look through all of the ads in the newspaper and go that day wherever an item we need may be a couple cents cheaper. I’m sure we spend more on extra gas then we do on grocery savings, but the bottom line is – we enjoy it. While we are out that day we always grab lunch somewhere. Where we eat depends on what sounds good and where we happen to be at the time we get hungry.

After finally getting back home, unloading, and putting all of the groceries away, the rest of the evening is spent simply relaxing. Sometimes we will be invited out with another couple or family, which we also enjoy, but most Friday evenings we spend just lounging and relaxing around the house (well, I lounge...Laura doesn't stop most nights until time to go to bed).

By the time the clock strikes 11pm on Friday night I am ready for bed after having enjoyed a wonderful day with my wife and away from the day to day grind that accompanies ministry. The way I spend Friday is perfect for getting me all rested up as well as pumped up for the weekend of ministry ahead.