"Don't Drop The Ball"

One of my favorite shows at the circus was always the juggler. I loved how they would start with a few colorful balls and then move up to bowling pins, and before you knew it, you were watching juggling chainsaws! I was always curious about how they kept those items in the air and what it might look like if they ever dropped one. 

In the modern Church, the mark of a busy and effective priest is that they are an expert juggler. They work to keep all the balls in the air as each task, each aspect of ministry, dances above them in perfect rhythm. Those watching them navigate between preaching, teaching, pastoral care, spiritual direction, issues with the air conditioner, strategic planning, youth ministry, committee meetings, and more often see a blur of activity. What we don’t see is the inner dialogue between the priest and God as they juggle. 

“Dear Lord, please don’t let me drop the ball today.”

For many priests, that is their greatest fear. This isn’t a healthy mindset. No one is perfect. No one can keep all the balls in the air all of the time. And it’s here that I want to challenge both priests and their congregations to consider two important questions. How do we react when we drop the ball, and does there have to be only one juggler?

While it is important for us to treat everything we do and every person we serve as precious, we also need to create the space that allows for errors, forgetfulness, accidents, illness, and exhaustion. A moment that still makes me sick to my stomach is when I received a call from a parishioner who told me that they were at the office for our pastoral meeting, but the office appeared to be closed. With so many things on my mind, the appointment had simply slipped my mind. Thankfully, I was able to rush back and make the appointment, but I felt terrible. 

My hope in caring for God’s people is that each one of them knows that they are precious, seen, and loved. Forgetting my time with that person could have undermined that. I was glad that we were able to meet and that there was enough grace in our relationship for us to laugh about it. Because the priest is often the public face of the faith community, how we greet someone, how we show them hospitality, and how we provide care can be the difference between a person who feels connected and wants to grow in fellowship and service of the community and a person who may never darken the doorstep of the Church again. 

"How we, and those we serve, react to dropping the ball is essential. I’ve seen clergy stretched to the breaking point crumble over a small mistake in worship or pastoral care. The dance of keeping it all in the air had gone on for so long that they were exhausted and couldn’t go on."

How we, and those we serve, react to dropping the ball is essential. I’ve seen clergy stretched to the breaking point crumble over a small mistake in worship or pastoral care. The dance of keeping it all in the air had gone on for so long that they were exhausted and couldn’t go on. Hopefully, they and their faith communities are allowing grace to abound, offering it to those who feel pulled in every direction, to those who may have been inadvertently hurt, and to those who are working together for the greater good of the faith community. It’s why sabbath time, vacations, retreats, continuing education, and sabbaticals are so important. They give us jugglers the opportunity to hand things off to others if even for a short time. 

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned over the last few years of priestly ministry is that I don’t have to juggle things alone. In a healthy faith community, we are always throwing things to one another as we recognize who is best equipped to manage it. It is why we have Senior and Junior wardens, parish administrators, treasurers, vestry persons, altar guilds, and other volunteers. Even in the smallest faith communities, where there are only a handful of souls, there is still an opportunity for collaborative ministry. But that means placing our faith in others and creating an environment of collaboration and accountability. I feel so blessed to work alongside lay persons who take their call to ministry seriously and are willing to get their hands dirty. 

It doesn’t help that faith communities are busier than ever, as we are eager to meet the needs of people yearning to know Jesus Christ and be part of a community. And here is perhaps one of the hardest things to admit. Integral to maintaining the delicate balance of ministry is drawing the boundary that if we can’t find someone to lead it, to be the champion of it, then maybe we aren’t called to do it at this time. I have a hundred ideas a day that I think the parish should do. And if I can’t find someone to do it, I tell myself that I’ll do it or get it started. And just like that, I’ve added another ball to juggle. The healthy attitude is to recognize that the Holy Spirit has provided God’s people with all kinds of gifts and that many people are waiting for the opportunity to exercise them. Taking all the work for myself could be robbing someone of the opportunity to grow in their faith journey. 

The challenge of priestly ministry will always involve developing skills like time management, planning, and collaboration. However, it is essential to remember that even the most diligent planners and faithful servants will occasionally drop the ball. It is why, even though we are called to serve others, we are also called to serve with others and equip them for ministry as equal partners. We can’t keep juggling forever. At some point, we need to bring the various tasks of ministry down from their orbit so that we can rest, recharge, and reflect on how to begin again. My sincere hope is that all who do ministry can see themselves as more than just jugglers; they are beloved children of God, called to serve a loving God who understands when things fall and when they need to be set aside.