I’m sitting here as the sun rises, savouring a hot cup of coffee on my own, and enjoying the quiet stillness before the rest of the family get up and explode into action.
In this moment there’s a chance to pause and to prepare for what lies ahead today. There’s even more opportunity than that if I choose to take it. There’s the opportunity to fully embrace the present and to be fully present to it. To invite Jesus to come alongside, to be present with me, to remind me to linger longer with him; invite him into every aspect of the day ahead. To remember to enjoy the simple moments and blessings of the life He’s given me.
BUT, my brain seems to have missed the memo that this is time to be still and enjoy the moment! Thoughts are racing at a million miles an hour; listing all the things on the task list for today; running through upcoming events for the day, the week, the month ahead; reminding me of the numerous needs and requests crying out for my attention, and berating me for the things left undone from yesterday.
We live in a time and culture where attention spans are reducing, everything comes ‘on demand’ and with ‘next day delivery’. The pace and demands of life can become breath-taking. We increasingly find it a struggle to live in ‘the now’, as we’re continually pulled to think about the ‘not yet’ – looking ahead, planning ahead, and often worrying ahead.
For those who work in church administration that ‘pull’ to be in the not yet, whilst living in the now is also a reality of the role God calls you to. It’s a reality that every church office is dealing simultaneously with planning for church life in the future, whilst also needing to be fully present to deal with someone’s urgent request today.
Every church administrator knows the never-ending juggle of diary management and of planning for church events many months ahead. In some cases, of planning work that stretches years ahead! Whilst needing to have one foot in future thinking and planning work, every administrator also knows that there will be a steady stream of visits, emails and phone calls today. Each one demanding their attention now.
Having to work in the reality of that tension, it makes sense to use tools for planning and prioritising time to help manage the demands of living with the now and not yet. Tools such as the Urgent/Important Eisenhower Matrix for task management, as shown here:
This simple and yet effective tool - and a million other time management tools like it – are practical, helpful ways for us all to manage our time and schedule our work. If you need some help with time management, you can reach out to UCAN for help and training if you need it, and time management is one of the topics featured in our next series of Area Training Days: Amplify Your Impact. (see below)
But tools can only take us so far. Living in the reality that we spend our working time managing the tension of the now AND not yet, this tension can all too easily begin to permeate the whole of our life, without intention and attention to our personal discipleship. You may recognise being only 70% present in a conversation with a spouse, friend or child. Or, multi-tasking all the time and not fully enjoying the multiple moments every day when we can pause, breathe and savour the view or the conversation. Or forgetting to practice Sabbath rest. Unless we are intentional in our discipleship in this area, at some point exhaustion will feel like the new normal.
It takes intention and a surrender to discipleship from the master Jesus to effectively manage that tension of living in the now and not yet.
Jesus IS the master at this. He demonstrated how to live presently in the moment well, giving himself completely to each person he interacted with. We can only imagine what it was like to be on the other side of Jesus. I imagine each person that was in conversation with him experienced 100% of his attention and focus, and for them it was a moment lived to the full because he was so present to them. And yet - Jesus walked the whole of his life firmly focused on his not yet too. The short-term not yet – his mission to rescue humanity through death on the cross. And the long-term not yet – knowing that after his resurrection and ascension to heaven, one day he’d return, wind up history, and usher in eternity with those who know and love him.
Jesus is teaching us - just as he taught his disciples as recorded in John 14 - that whilst we are living in the in-between time of the now and not yet we have a personal trainer and helper. Whilst we live in time between Jesus’ death, resurrection, ascension and the fulfilment we glimpse in Revelation, we have the Holy Spirit helping us live well.
“When the Father sends the Spirit of Holiness, the One like me who sets you free, he will teach you all things in my name and he will inspire you to remember every word that I’ve told you. I leave the gift of my peace with you. Not the kind of fragile peace given by the world, but my perfect peace. Don’t yield to fear or be troubled in your hearts – instead, be courageous”. John 14: 26-27 (TPT).
So, in your church office today, whilst you need to manage both future planning and urgent tasks and interruptions for today, do pause every now and then. Do invite the Holy Spirit to inspire you, to remind you of Jesus’ teaching and bring his presence close to you. Do invite him to bring you peace to replace any fear or worry about the future, as you surrender those concerns to Jesus.
And next time that you’re away from work and have the opportunity to pause with a cup of coffee, or enjoy a walk and time with a friend, but you find your mind hasn’t got the memo to enjoy the moment, remember to be intentional and respond. Take those thoughts captive - just like Paul teaches in 2 Corinthians 10:5 – and make them obedient to Christ. In those moments allow Jesus to remind your whirring mind to pause, enjoy the moment, receive his peace, his presence and be thankful for the small, simple and beautiful blessings that moment gives you.
With love and prayers for you today
Jules Morgan
Executive Director - UCAN