Pastoral Ministry Does Not Have to Be Sedentary

Pastors spend a lot of time in a chair. Consider a quick list of regular tasks that a pastor attends to: sermon preparation, counseling, reading, prayer, meetings, driving to meet someone, answering emails, working on projects, and a host of other (seated) things. We know that without some degree of intentionality a pastor can slouch into a sedentary lifestyle. We also know that this type of lifestyle is not healthy. In this post I want to highlight a few practices that I have found helpful in my ministry to combat this problem. If calling them “life-hacks” makes them more compelling and inviting then so be it, but I’m content to call them suggestions.

Before jumping in, a couple of notes.

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First, while many regular readers of this blog are in ministry I know that not all of you are. These suggestions, while geared toward pastors, are not exclusive to those in the ministry. Non-pastors may also be helped here.

Second, everything that follows comes from a conviction about life and ministry as a stewardship. God gives us our days, a body, health, a ministry, and everything else so that we would glorify him (1 Cor. 10:31). I believe the Bible teaches that we are to be stewards of everything that God has given (Mt. 6:33; 1 Cor. 4:1ff, 6:20; 1 Pet. 4:10; Col. 3:23; etc). Therefore, it is incumbent upon the Christian minister to regularly consider how he can more effectively steward what has been given to him.

Our Temptation

So here is what happens: pastors hear me say we need to be faithful and they immediately compartmentalize it. They say faithful . . . in ministry. Nodding in agreement they continue to grind hard with fresh affirmation. Pastors work long hours, sleep less, take on more responsibility, eat poorly, and exercise infrequently. Do you see how this response discounts the physical aspect of our life?

It seems that many pastors think about their bodies like they think about the earth: they have expiration dates on them and God will make them new. But this type of thinking omits the fact that God gave us our bodies to be stewards over. What’s more, our physical health affects our spiritual health and our ministry. We mustn’t have a fragmented view of our lives. God has decreed that we do ministry in a body. If you are destroying your body by neglect then you are hindering your ministry. It’s really that simple.

Compromise

Most pastors who, for any number of reasons, are spending a lot of time in the chair are not usually open to inserting extra items on the daily agenda. But, suppose you could enhance your life and do your work. Would you be open to some suggestions if there was a way to get you out of the chair, more active, and more healthy without a major decrease in your productivity?

Some Suggestions

Here are some things that I have been doing for a few years now and have enjoyed personal benefit.

1. Track your steps. With technology the way it is now a pedometer is very accessible. You can get a fitbit or similar device if you want more detailed analysis, However, I’ve opted for the health option on my iPhone. I have a daily goal of 10,000 steps. I am a competitive person, so this goal helps me to keep me accountable. Tracking your steps is both revealing and motivating.
2. Get up. Once an hour get up and walk around for 5 to 10 minutes. It is amazing how long we can sit in a chair and not get up and move around. Take a walk around the church. Stretch out your back and legs. Move around a little bit. I’ve found that doing this in sermon prep and study helps to crystallize thoughts and concepts.
3. Take walks. This is pretty self-explanatory. Plan to take walks.
4. Park further from the door. Hey, you get some extra steps.
5. Consider commuting by bike or walking. If possible this is a great way to increase your activity. Over the past three years I’ve biked and walked to the church and to meetings. It has been great.
6. Join a gym. And then, go to the gym. If you’ve never done this and don’t know what to do most gyms have trainers who can provide some education on how to best construct a workout plan. This is a small investment with a big personal return.
7. Take control of your diet. When guys work hard they often skip meals and then they eat whatever they can get their hands on. Often times this means that we are not eating things that help us in our efforts to steward our bodies and ministries well. Take some time to plan what you are going to eat based upon what you are trying to accomplish. I often think of Jonathan Edwards graciously telling the ladies in his church that he could not eat the food they prepared at the gathering because of its effect on his studies.
8. Sleep. Sleep should not be considered a guilty pleasure. Your body needs rest because you are a human and not God. If you don’t rest you are hurting your body and hindering your ministry. If you need 8 hours of sleep you better get 8 hours of sleep.

Now some ideas for efficiency.

1. Conduct walking meetings. Consider meeting people at a park or in a neighborhood conducive to walking. If the meeting allows and your health permits it, this could be a good way to incorporate some extra activity into your day.
2. Call people while you are walking. I often call people and talk while I am walking. If it is a meeting that does not require me to take notes then I can have a good pastoral conversation while getting some activity. Investing a pair of bluetooth headphones can make this even easier. Here is what I currently use for workouts and walking.
3. Devotional walking. Consider praying, listening to (or reading) Scripture, meditating upon God’s Word, and singing while you walk. This has been such a refreshing aspect of my devotional life.
4. Read while walking. A couple of years ago I wrote a post about using your iPhone to read to you. This works well in any application on your phone. I don’t have a guess on how many books I’ve read while walking or biking. Are you going to be reading this afternoon? Consider walking and reading (note: video outlining this process displayed below).
5. Sermon Preparation while walking. Similar to #4, I listen to commentaries, the Scripture, and my sermon notes while walking. I also pray through and meditate upon the sermon on my walks.

Conclusion

Yes, pastors have a job that requires us to spend a lot of time in a chair. However, it probably does not have to be as much as it is. When we think about our whole lives as a stewardship, we can become creative and motivated to ask how we be more faithful. I do hope this post encourages these types of questions. Please feel free to leave some other suggestions in the comments or send me notes on Facebook or Twitter.