I have been reflecting on what work is. (My helpful family suggest that it is a four letter word, but I'm not so sure.)
Yesterday I had a day off. In the morning I went orienteering - ie running through muddy woods - and enjoyed what many of you wouldn't want to do, however much it paid. Then in the afternoon I finished our tax returns - definitely not my favourite way of spending time - I'd much rather be working - if that means doing what I get paid for- which is why we're so close to the deadline. I can always find something else more important or at least more urgent to do than tax.
And where does the importance/value of what we are doing come in - or for that matter the amount of effort it entails - which of course may be very different for different people. And then what about money and all those folk who were preaching this morning and not being paid for it. Or how about those church members who don't see how coming to a coffee morning can be working?
And how about those things that some of us love, some hate and others are indifferent to eg cooking (haggis tonight as it's Burns' night) . Or the fact that we do many things to different standards - is a cordon bleu meal of more value than one which simply fills you up? And does that influence whether or not we can entitle it work?
Is blogging work?
Jacky
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1 comment:
thanks for this reflection JAcky.
I think it is often difficult for ministers in pastoral charge to either value what they are doing as "work" or to feel that it is valued by others. For all those working as NSMs I imagine the concept of what is and isn't seen as work is quite complex too.
Work gives great meaning to our lives if we are fortunate but it can also be destructive.
I think there are different biblical attitudes to work as well - Hebrew attitudes to work tend to be more positive than Greek ones.
Anyway as to wheter blogging is work - ask a journalist whose editor expects them to blog - ie write but not get paid for it!
As for our blog I think that in some ways it's a place where we can reflect theological and encourage otehrs to be part of that reflection. And I would hope that as people involved in the ministry of teh church we would want to be involved in theological reflection as much as possible - be that through prose or poetry or prayer.
As for me blogging is not work it's just an obsession!
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