Knowing that the work is uncomfortable is part of what keeps me balanced. I do not have to take complete responsibility for an ancient religious tradition. My job is to figure out what my job is—and do that. I cannot solve or fix everything.

We’re doing more with less. It’s a celebration of technological innovation, sure, but it also makes me worried.

I am a deeply cautious and nervous person. I am drawn to sayings like, “Don’t keep all your eggs in one basket.” If I could, I’d spread those dozen eggs into individual safe houses.

This is the exact opposite of the message many of us have heard through Christianity. Give everything, your whole life, your work, your leisure, your money, your value to this one thing. For many clergy, we took this seriously and tied up our professional lives with our spiritual and personal.

What happens when this one thing starts to crack?

Let it be known from the start—I am not in favor of making our lives models of efficiency. We are people, not machines. There is a path that leads to over-scheduling and optimization that is soul-draining and simply not anything I would ever advocate for.

But sometimes, there are little gadgets, apps, and technologies that make our lives just a bit easier and I am definitely in favor of that.

I am (and I hope this is clear) a true champion of all things multivocational. I am here to celebrate the creativity of part-time clergy. I support being rooted in multiple spaces. I think there’s financial wisdom in splitting income across multiple streams.

But I didn’t exactly become multivocational by choice.

It reminds me of what happens on years like this where Christmas and New Years Day landed on a Sunday. People didn’t miss those holidays. Instead, we had Christmas Day (observed) and New Years Day (observed) on the Mondays following the official holiday day. That little (observed) allows for some very smart rearranging.

Picture this: a nine-year-old version of me has just finished the joyful task of opening presents on Christmas morning. It’s time to play with one of the new toys, or go eat some cinnamon rolls, or just lay down on the couch, right? Wrong! It’s time to organize all these new items, to gather up all the loose ribbons, and fold up the salvageable pieces of wrapping paper for use next year.

1. It’s okay to skip a boring song every so often

2. You really can learn something with just a half hour each week

3. Don’t forget to eat an afternoon snack if you’re going to work through the evening

4. Playing a duet with someone can make you feel like a rock star

5. Stop and listen

6. Every child contains deeply interesting and completely weird insights about the world

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?

When I am living fully I get to be a pastor and a gamer and a woman and a writer and, and, and. I suspect there’s something of your identity you might want to defend in your life, too.

Originally, I showed up for a Saturday evening service because my then boyfriend was the percussionist. But I kept coming back because I enjoyed it. I loved Gayle’s sermons (she later preached at our wedding), I could always sit in the back if I wanted, and best of all no one wanted me to serve on a board. It wasn’t my job. It was optional.

On the shelves of my church office you’ll find a framed spelling test. It’s from when I was in second or third grade—you can tell by the handwriting and grade level of the words written out. If you look a little closer you’ll notice that the paper is quite wrinkled. As it turns out, this test had been crumpled up as I definitely had attempted to throw this test into the trash. At the top in that distinctive red pen you’ll find the grade that caused my younger self so much concern that I tried to get rid of it, a big fat B.

Something that has persuaded me is acknowledging that the practice of sabbaticals is unusual and is counter-cultural. But isn’t that what we want the church to be?

It’s reminded me of how much both the seasonal calendar and the liturgical calendar is woven into my life. I’m here to encourage you to incorporate two lovely liturgical options into your life right alongside buying those pumpkins and cider.

If you are clergy, you may experience pressure to tie up your spiritual life, your finances, and your career in one neat package. I think of the pressure young clergy face in particular as statistics of young pastors leaving the profession are wielded as worst-case scenario stories. I myself am in a program specifically targeted to retaining young clergy in the profession. Would we see this type of job change as such a failure if it weren’t a job that also required lifelong vows? Do we worry about when people switch from working as a barista to an office job?