For the Love of an Unscheduled Reading Day

Plus a special giveaway

One of my close friends recently started preaching more frequently. As a solo pastor, I preach most Sundays out of the year.¹ She was looking to me, perhaps incorrectly, for some wisdom. We were chatting about what it means to preach with more regularity. Mainly, how on earth do you maintain ideas and enthusiasm when it’s not just an occasional sermon, but a sermon week after week after week?

I hadn’t thought about this for a while and instead just was bumbling along my usual preaching schedule. But then after we chatted I got in my head about it—how was I coming up with these ideas? Did I ever have a new idea? Why was anyone even listening to me most weeks? Alongside these worries, I was also just tired. Tired because it’s dark and cold in Ohio, and I had been travelling, and all that holiday stuff is coming up, and the pandemic, and I was tired. Tired and certain I would never say anything thoughtful again.

Last Wednesday I sat down to write or at least pantomime writing. It didn’t take long to realize it just wasn’t going to work. So I marched up the stairs in my home to where my spouse was doing his own diligent work from home and declared (like this was terribly important information), “I am having a reading day!” He was supportive, but mostly confused about why I was announcing this like it was revolutionary.

For me, it does feel like an announcement. I so often believe I should be creating—liturgy, sermons, emails, newsletters. That feels productive and good. I don’t view learning as having the same value, especially if it comes from reading. Reading is just a fun activity. I love to read and learn and so that shouldn’t count for work?

But of course, it does count. As it turns out I didn’t need to issue a proclamation about it, but it was a good idea. Instead of simply thinking that my own brain was the only source of wisdom and God’s revelation, I took at whole day (as a part-time pastor!) and read. It is like Christopher Nolan’s quote, “If you’re going to write, you want to read a lot before you write, without any purpose.”²

This “extra” time to read or research or be creative is often the first thing to go when schedules get busy. There’s a version of the gig economy where no one has time for these extras anymore. But we have to realize they’re not extras. We are not automatons who can simply become more productive and squeeze more earnable hours out of each day. If you find yourself, like me, justifying things like a day to read, take a moment to think about if the work situation you’re in is actually one that promotes long-term health. What would our work really look like if we never learned or grew?

Take that reading day—I give you permission.

What I’m baking

It’s Christmas cookie season! This means it’s time for some of my favorite cookies, just a simple sugar cookie. I’ve loved this recipe by Susan Spungen found in the New York Times. I even used it for a recent Bible & Baking video I did for my congregation. Makes a perfect sugar cookie every time.

Book Giveaway!

As a thank you to those who have supported this newsletter in its fledgling stage, I’m offering a book giveaway behind the paywall. All you have to do is click below to enter your email, mailing address, and select which book you’d like to win. I’ll randomly select a winner on December 18th. (I won’t use any of the information other than to send off a prize!) All of the books are ones that I’ve loved and would love to share.

Range by David Epstein, Part-Time is Plenty by G. Jeffrey MacDonald, Varieties of Gifts by Cynthia G. Lindner, and Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander by Thomas Merton