Monday, April 13, 2020

Coping With Advice Overload Now

Every hour that I've opened up my email, there are some new ideas and resources for pastors for coping with our current pandemic situation. There are those from folks wanting to sell me something--"get this online platform for doing online ministry"--and from others who seem to actually care about my situation. I am a small congregation pastor, learning a ton of new protocols and technology, but still trying to lead for the benefit of congregants, most of whom are woefully naive as to digital media and communications techniques.
Some of the advice is helpful, if a bit pedantic--"keep exercising," "keep up your at-home discipline," "eat healthy stuff." Some of it has genuinely helpful insights. Colleagues I know and trust are sending me something just about every day. I try to read at least a sampling of it every day.
But the volume is getting unmanageable. My inbox has grown from under 100 messages to over 200 an I can't seem to whittle down the messages to a manageable amount. How to turn off the fire hose of information? 
I could just unplug. I did that last week--Good Friday and Holy Saturday.
I could just wholesale delete, letting go of every message over 2 weeks old. If I haven't gotten to dealing with it by then, it's probably unimportant. The idea that I will get to all messages is impossibly naive on my part. Turn it off!
That's the only piece of advice I need to hear now. God's way of reforming us is certainly upsetting, but necessary.

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