3 Jobs
The priest in a small parish with no staff does his best to do what is essentially 3 Jobs: administrative, custodial and pastoral. Sometimes these jobs overlap, but it helps me to see them separately at least in concept.
Administrative work is all of the behind-the-scenes work of running a small organization. It involves everything on the business side, from processing the mail to chairing the Vestry, to publishing the weekly email
bulletin.
Custodial work involves the care of 2 buildings, sidewalks, driveway, parking lot, rural property along a busy road, etc... it ranges from changing lightbulbs in exit signs to mopping the floor in the Parish Hall.
Pastoral work is the job that I imagine the priests of large parishes have the luxury of focusing on for 40 hours or so a week. This involves everything you might naturally associate with the priesthood, such as: calling on parishioners, preparing Bible study, writing sermons, celebrating the Lord's Supper.
As if the above three jobs aren't enough, I have an area of special interest. I am a choirmaster by training, and thus I have the responsibility of administering, recruiting, teaching and rehearsing our young choristers.
Add it all up ... toss in family life ... and I'm always busy! Fortunately I have a good group of friends and parish members who sacrificially give of their time to help in all of these areas. I am learning how to delegate! When I first came here, I used to vainly try and do everything, which it took more than 60 hours a week.
The reason I can attempt any of these jobs is because they are for the Church, which I love. I couldn't bring myself to be much of an administrator, if it wasn't the Lord's Business; I couldn't be a very enthusiastic custodian, if the building wasn't the Lord's House; I couldn't do pastoral work, if the people were not the People of God; I couldn't be a choirmaster, if my choir didn't sing the music of Heaven. All of these jobs could be boring and lack meaning if they weren't tinged with eternal purpose.
The priest in a small parish with no staff does his best to do what is essentially 3 Jobs: administrative, custodial and pastoral. Sometimes these jobs overlap, but it helps me to see them separately at least in concept.
Administrative work is all of the behind-the-scenes work of running a small organization. It involves everything on the business side, from processing the mail to chairing the Vestry, to publishing the weekly email
bulletin.Custodial work involves the care of 2 buildings, sidewalks, driveway, parking lot, rural property along a busy road, etc... it ranges from changing lightbulbs in exit signs to mopping the floor in the Parish Hall.
Pastoral work is the job that I imagine the priests of large parishes have the luxury of focusing on for 40 hours or so a week. This involves everything you might naturally associate with the priesthood, such as: calling on parishioners, preparing Bible study, writing sermons, celebrating the Lord's Supper.
As if the above three jobs aren't enough, I have an area of special interest. I am a choirmaster by training, and thus I have the responsibility of administering, recruiting, teaching and rehearsing our young choristers.Add it all up ... toss in family life ... and I'm always busy! Fortunately I have a good group of friends and parish members who sacrificially give of their time to help in all of these areas. I am learning how to delegate! When I first came here, I used to vainly try and do everything, which it took more than 60 hours a week.
The reason I can attempt any of these jobs is because they are for the Church, which I love. I couldn't bring myself to be much of an administrator, if it wasn't the Lord's Business; I couldn't be a very enthusiastic custodian, if the building wasn't the Lord's House; I couldn't do pastoral work, if the people were not the People of God; I couldn't be a choirmaster, if my choir didn't sing the music of Heaven. All of these jobs could be boring and lack meaning if they weren't tinged with eternal purpose.
posted by Anglicans Aweigh at 9:20 PM
6 Comments:
Dear Fr. Daniel,
I apologize for my inability to pick up some of the slack lately, due to my being away. I still assert that you are carrying more than your fair share...
CH
C.H. it is nice to have a Synod Czar who is as well acquainted as you are with the workings of international/interstate meetings, to help us host the 08 Synod. Keep pressing on.
This is basically a question for the choirmaster. A number of years back an English priest wrote a book on his experiences as a Canon Precentor at a series of the English Cathedrals. I don't remember his name or the name of the book but what I am really interested in are the two collections of Anglican chants from English cathedrals and parish churches he made during his career singing the services in the big leagues. Would you be able to help me out.
canon tallis, I'm sorry I don't know what those books might be, but if you are interested in an Anglican Chant Psalter that goes with the 1928 American BCP, it is called "The Oxford American Psalter", and it was edited (I think) by C. Winfred Douglas. You might be able to find one from the Anglican Bibliopole (as it is out of print, of course) or in the choir room of an Episcopal Church in your area.
Thank you father for considering the question. Since you don't know that rather closes thequestion on this side of the Atlantic. I have a copy of the Oxford American Psalter and a nice piece of work it is, but what I am really interested in is finding and preserving as many parts of the musical tradition of classical prayer book Anglicanism as I am able. It is my hope that one day American parishes in that tradition will have available for themselves on the internet the full glories of Anglican church music.
Father Bless,
I admire your multi-vocational ability. Our little mission (part of the OCA) is now growing and our priest works 60 hours plus a week at one job, another 12 at another and he pastors our mission it is forcing parishioners to step up. I hope as your parish grows your workers will increase.
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