In May 2024, about 100 people participated in an annual “space-out” competition in South Korea. The aim of the competition was to see who was best at doing nothing. Contestants sat on yoga mats and made themselves as relaxed as possible for as long as possible, a radical act in the country’s super-competitive culture.
This would be a radical act in modern American culture, as well. For many people, busyness seems to be a symbol of self-worth. When someone asks us how things are going or how we’re doing, it’s almost a reflex to talk about how busy we are. What does it mean that we’re all so busy? What are we trying to accomplish in our busyness?
In “Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander,” Thomas Merton equates the culture of busyness to a modern form of violence. He argues that the frenzied pace of our work can derail our inner peace. Being super-busy all the time can drain the joy out of our souls.
Sometimes people compliment ministers by telling them how busy they think they are. Often, this is the reason they did not reach out even though they wanted to. It’s true that congregational ministry is a demanding job, but occasionally we need to ask whether everything we’re doing is what we should be doing. We can fall into the trap of doing lots of things but not discerning the things we need to do. Getting things done and getting the right things done are not always the same.
As you sit with your leaders, you may want to find time to reflect on the real work God has called you to do. What do you need to do less so you can thrive as you do what matters most?
Prince Rivers
Editor, Alban at Duke Divinity
Resources
Making something with your hands can be a kind of Sabbath
Creating a tangible handmade item like a knitted sweater, a carved spoon or a hand-dyed apron provides comfort and healing, writes a minister and handwork educator.
By Christine Hribar
Could slowing down help us both recharge and build endurance?
When runners train for a race, they are told to spend most of their time preparing at a slower pace to help them speed up when needed. The strategy offers important lessons for how we approach our work and life, writes the director of communications for Leadership Education at Duke Divinity.
By Emily Lund
‘From Weary to Wholehearted: A Restorative Resource for Overcoming Clergy Burnout’
In this excerpt from her new book addressing clergy and lay leader burnout, a Philadelphia priest raises a “scandalous question” about choosing whether to say yes or no.
By Callie Swanlund
Busyness, business and vocation
Christians are called to be busy — but not in the way that busy Christian leaders might want to believe. The Christian way to be busy is not busyness but business, says a psychiatrist and theologian.
Interview with Warren Kinghorn
P.S.
Can you imagine the reaction you would get if you invited the congregation to meet at the church for a couple of hours to do nothing? I’m the kind of person who likes to get things done and I serve a church filled with people with the same disposition. At best, many people at my church would respectfully decline what they would see as a complete waste of time. I can’t say I would blame them. Shouldn’t the church be found doing the work of the kingdom?
Yes, it should — but if we don’t take the time to do the slow work of being with God in stillness and solitude, we may inadvertently become functional atheists, believing in God but thinking that every good outcome depends on our own effort. Thankfully, Jesus offers an invitation that’s still too good to refuse: “Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 NRSVUE).
You can always reach me and the Alban Weekly team at alban@duke.edu. Until next week, keep leading!