Although I did serious study and interned in pastoral counseling during my seminary years, I have never considered myself to be a professional counselor. I have not kept up with the latest in research, I have not kept up with the requirements of professional certification, and I have not engaged in certification and peer review for counseling. I am aware that there are plenty of people who claim the title “counselor” with fewer credentials. I have been very careful in making referrals and making sure that when I am involved I direct people to obtain counseling from qualified and competent professionals. And I do a lot of informal listening and supporting. Across the span of my career I have discovered that the role of pastor is different than the role of counselor and I choose to function as pastor and engage others to provide counseling when necessary.

Intensive psychological therapy can be important for the overall health of people and those who have psychological diseases and disorders deserve the best in care. We wouldn’t consider allowing someone who doesn’t have the proper education to practice surgery. We shouldn’t consider allowing someone who doesn’t have the proper education to practice therapy with others.

That aside, I do have some experience and training with psychological health and I have kept myself current and well informed in aspects of psychological first aid.

Back when I was in graduate school, one of my mentors and teachers spoke of three qualities of time that each person needs: time alone, productive time and intimacy. Humans are most healthy when we achieve a balance of time for personal reflection and quiet, time to do work and accomplish tasks, and time to be in relationship with others. All are important and when we are short of one or more types of time, we tend to be less effective with the time we spend on other parts of our lives. Those who don’t have enough personal time, sometimes make grave errors in relationships. Those who have a lack of intimacy with others are less productive at work. The key is balance.

This doesn’t, of course, explain all psychological illnesses and disorders. It is just one perspective on the very complex persons that we are. But there is a grain of truth in the theory that can provide perspective.

My work involves a lot of relationship time. When I am being productive, I am participating in tasks that are bigger than myself. I don’t accomplish much alone. Most of what I do requires working with others as a team. That means that I need to be attentive to the work of relationships, honing communication skills, listening carefully, looking beyond my own interests and intentions to the good of the wider community and developing strategies to recruit new members into the process. I go to a lot of meetings. I spend a lot of time in conversation. I weigh decisions in the light of others’ thoughts, feelings and intentions. And I am constantly reminded that we are called to invest in the future. The church is a multiple-generation process. Although ministry involves tasks that are accomplished, it is always an investment in future generations. Those who minister need to develop perspective to keep the long-term picture in view.

As a result, my days are filled with time for relationships and time for productivity. What can get shortchanged in all of this is time alone. It is a problem of pastors that is as old as the church itself. The Gospels speak of Jesus’ need to go off by himself. Often these are reported as early in the morning events. Occasionally the disciples are left wondering where Jesus has gone. Unlike Moses, another great leader of people, who would go off to the mountain alone for days at a time, Jesus seemed to find his alone times in bits and pieces in the midst of intense activity.

I too seem to get my alone time in small doses. I have long been an early riser, getting out of bed at times when others sleep and finding moments to think, pray, and write. In what others might describe as the dark of night, I listen to the crickets chirp, breathe in the the coolness of morning, and anticipate the sunrise as I look to the east for the pre-dawn glow. I don’t find the dark to be frightening. Far from nocturnal, I simply have found that bed is best for sleeping and when I am not sleeping sometimes it is a good thing to rise and open my eyes and listen to the quiet of the day.

Despite the very public nature of my job, I experience myself as a private person, slow to speak about my own self. My work often involves putting others first. In certain groups, I can be a quiet person. Recently, a colleague with whom I had served on a committee for years commented that she was surprised when I spoke up because I am often very quiet at meetings. I thought I had been participating in the meetings fully and have never felt left out of the group processes, but I guess I didn’t speak up as much as she expected. Such a perspective would come as a surprise to many of the people with whom I work. I often have a story or thought to contribute and I’m not shy when it comes to pubic speaking. But her comment made me feel good because she saw me as I see myself: not always needing to be the center of attention and content to listen when others speak.

I don’t have the balance perfect. Sometimes I neglect my personal time. Sometimes I get too engaged in work and don’t commit enough time to family and more intimate relationships. This year has afforded me a good balance of vacation and work time. By dividing our vacation into three different segments, I have been able to take short breaks to balance the intensity of work. It might be confusing to some of the people I serve because there have been three vacations instead of one, but from my point of view it has been a good balance.

And balance is important in life.

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