Just a thought to throw into the mix of life as a preacher. I just had a fairly busy weekend – preaching three times in two churches. That means not only preaching, but being mentally distracted in the lead up to the different meetings. As any preacher knows, it can be a draining experience. This is why many pastors take Monday as their day-off. I understand that.
However, it’s worth asking the question, who needs the day off? As hard as my weekend was, my wife’s was harder. She had to handle preparing four children for church, being aware of them at church, dealing with bedtimes without me home, etc. Busy time for me is busy time for her.
Maybe you have Monday off? Perhaps that is the perfect opportunity to look for ways to bless, serve and encourage others who work hard when you work hard. For many preachers, Monday can’t be a day off because preaching isn’t your primary source of income. Perhaps there are other ways to show appreciation to a spouse who lost part of their weekend because you were serving others during your weekend? For me, this morning will not be the usual relaxing admin catch-up that I almost enjoy on Mondays (brain dead work), it will be handling homeschool and lunch so my wife can enjoy a morning to herself. She deserves that after the weekend I just put her through!
Biblical Preaching 
When I was pastoring I found that having Monday’s off was an important part of getting refreshed before starting the new week with the Tuesday 6am prayer meeting.
On my day off I’d go for a cycle in the country to clear my head and it was comforting to know that, for the most part, I would not have the phone ringing at home with this or that enquiry.
So my advice to those starting out. Even though you are passionate and diligent to do the Lords work among His people, take a day off and relax. You’ll feel better starting the new week.
Thanks for the comment, I agree. But don’t miss the point of my post. The up-front person (preacher/pastor/minister, etc.) can easily take a day-off and most sane people will approve. However, others involved behind the scenes sometimes miss out on the necessary rest and recuperation. God didn’t establish the notion of rest for certain categories of people and not others. So what I’m suggesting in this post is that perhaps we should look for ways to give rest to others who don’t automatically get it (mothers of young children are obvious candidates in that category). If a change is sometimes as good as a rest, perhaps there’s a way to use a day off and at the same time give a day off. Thanks again for engaging with the site, much appreciated!
You might enjoy a book by Mark Buchanan called The Rest of God. It talks about the reality of Sabbath (or time to rest) when you (or your support crew :-)) is unable and too busy to take a day off.
Your point is well taken. My wife would work in ministry as hard as I would on Sunday. And come Monday she had four kids to deal with. While I rested in bed. Don’t think so.
Now that the kids are grown and out of the house, and we both have an easy Monday, that is nice. Wishful thinking of course.
Four sermons on Sunday and hours of talking with others is draining, but so rewarding. Monday is just the overflow of the joy received on Sunday.
After preaching about Paul experience of rest, in a dungeon, I most likely should not rest a lot.
Good post Peter, May I suggest that when we give our wives relief on Mondays that they spend some time with Mary Sommerville’s encouraging book for pastor wives called “One With the Shepherd.”
I purposely don’t take Mondays off. For me it’s a day to follow-up on issues that came up on Sunday as well as to do some of the rather mindless administrivia that is part of the job. But also, I like to take a first look at the passage I’ll be preaching on the following Sunday. Not serious study — but looking at it so I can be thinking/meditating about it through the week. I do TRY to take Fridays off — by then I need to clear my head in preparation for Sunday.
It is hard to take a day off with the duties of the pastorate and teaching at a seminary. I try take off a half day on Saturday, and keep a date night with my wife. Mondays I am at home, but it is a “work” day. My wife is very gracious.
I remember hearing (and reading) Dr. Stephen Olford speak of his pattern of spending Monday’s with his wife. For him, Sunday was the King’s day, and Monday was his queen’s day.
With Sunday preaching being just the gravy work of the ministry. I never got to declare a day off for the 20 years I was in the ministry. I had hospital visits; shut in’s to see; Sundays visitors; and the regular weekly outreach plus people dropping by the office for counseling by appointment. Not to mention being ready to preach 2 services again the next Sunday and a service on Wednesday. But I always tried to take time off on Wednesday afternoon and Saturday afternoon and night for the family. Monday was lighter, and I could be free if I had to be, but if I said it was my day off, something always came up.