Too Much on Your Plate?

Do You Have Too Much on Your Plate?

I’m not sure where this English idiom originated but it expresses the feeling when we have just too much to do or to worry about at a point in time.

Doreen and I recently ate at a Toby Carvery where you can select from various meats, add a large Yorkshire pudding, and then help yourself to as much (or as little) vegetables including roast potatoes, carrots, peas, cauliflower, broccoli, mashed potato, etc.  It is tempting to take too much, and Doreen has a smaller appetite, but I think I judges it right, and we very nearly cleared our plates.

After a while a young couple with a baby joined us at the next table.  While she sat with the baby, he went off and returned with two plates of Sunday roast piled high.  I was not surprised to note, when they had finished eating, that they had left uneaten more than half the food on the plates.

As I looked at this terrible waste of food I found myself wondering whether what I was seeing was a metaphor for my life.  It might be true that my workload has been large, but I have been comfortable with it, having a good appetite for Christian work of all kinds.  More recently, I am trying to be careful about what I take on, and have started laying down various ministries so that I can focus the largest part of my time on promoting appropriate and effective strategies for rural evangelism.  I am sure that you are familiar with the adage, “Do less but do it better”.

By putting too much on their plates, the young couple were putting their health at risk and contributing to a scandalous waste disposal problem and global food shortage!  It really does matter how much we have on our plate.

It has been my privilege to exercise a range of ministries throughout my life.  My original calling was to evangelism.  But the organisation I worked in while still a teenager also needed someone to look after the accounts.  Because I was good at maths and English at school, I was soon spending a large amount of my time doing administration.  Then a need for someone to do pastoral ministry and Bible teaching developed and I was delighted to respond.  To all of these and other ministries was visionary leadership.  I don’t regret any of the roles I have filled, and have enjoyed the enriching experiences that have come my way.  Most of these ministries (possibly all) I continue to exercise from time to time.

I notice from scripture that the apostle Paul commences ministry as a new Christian by engaging in evangelism.  To this is added Bible teaching.  He is then listed among “prophets and teachers” at his church at Syrian Antioch, and ultimately is defined as an apostle.  Such development in his life, and in mine, is not about advancement or promotion.  It is about growth and new ways of service for which God equips all Christians.  It is not normal for a Christian not to have some engagement in ministry (though most churches are appalling at helping their members identify this).  It also seems to me that it is not normal for there to be no further development in the ministries to which God calls us.

But we all would be wise to check occasionally as to what we have on our plate.  It could be too much or it could be too cluttered, or it might not be enough!  I remember one Bible School lecturer who several timed declined the invitation to become principal of the college.  He did so because he was convinced that what God had gifted him to do and called him to do would be inhibited if he assumed the role of principal.

At a recent meeting of the trustees of Rural Mission Solutions, the trustees discussed the activities in which the staff members are engaged.  They urged us to focus on a few activities and also to seek to do them really well.  In my situation, we considered the growing ministry of providing advice and guidance for rural mission using technology and the internet.  We started with online seminars (webinars) to which we added follow through online forums for discussing the webinar topics.  To this we have now added videos available on a YouTube Channel, where anyone in the world can see them at any time.  To help make these more easily accessible, we have made some changes to our website so that people can easily find the webinar topics and all the free handouts. The latest venture in this programme is turning material I have used for church away-days into short linked videos.

But some of the early stages need improving so we are exhorted not to run before we can walk!  The other issue is that additional activities have to take up space ‘on the plate’ so it might be necessary to consider leaving something else ‘off the plate’.

Similarly, in looking at the various tasks confronting my new colleague, Katrina, the trustees recommend focusing on just two main tasks and I will be working with her to get both of these up and running over the next few weeks.  As she is only part-time with us we don’t want her to have too much on her plate.

I wonder whether you know someone, perhaps in your church, who has too much on his or her plate.  Sometimes this is because it makes us feel important.  Sometimes it’s because we do not know how or what to delegate.  Sometimes it’s because others do not offer assistance.  I once heard a pastor of a church describing that kind of situation like a football match where 22 men are intensely busy for 90 minutes, while several thousand idle people watch from the side lines shouting either advice or abuse.

While the last thing I would want to do would be to imply that the reader is like such a match spectator, I would be interested in hearing from anyone (young or old) who does not have too much on their plate and has a little room for more.  In Rural Mission Solutions we are looking for people with a heart for rural mission who might be willing to offer some time to help us fulfil the vision.  For example, a Christian who has recently retired but would like to use some time in Christian service might be just the right person to meet a need we have.  If you think you might be able to give some time, please get in touch to start a conversation.  You can email me at barry@ruralmissions.org.uk or phone 07720 322 213.

From the Diary

Give thanks for a good CTE Enabling Group residential.  My shared presentation seemed to be well received.  I was given a card and ovation thanking me for my past service (very nice!).

Thursday 6^th – Editorial Meeting for Country Way (I have some copies of past issues of this splendid magazine and will send you a copy if you would like to see one).

Saturday  8^th – East Midlands Area Executive meeting for the Congregational Federation.

Sunday 9^th – morning at Clarendon Park Congregational Church, Leicester; afternoon taking part in a thanksgiving service celebrating past blessings for a church at Little Irchester, near Wellingborough, Northants. The nature of the community around Little Irchester has changed and we cannot see a viable future for the current church so this is the final service.

Tuesday 11^th – HMP Gartree

Wednesday 12^th – Online Conversation on Contemporary Issues for Rural Evangelism for Rural Evangelism Network.

Saturday 15^th – sharing in the Germinate Rural Conference in Coventry.

Thank you for your fellowship.

Barry