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Healthy Preachers in a Horrific Pandemic

The importance of sleep, hobbies, exercise, and devotions in the life of the preacher.

Lenny Luchetti

Last I checked, the Coronavirus has taken the lives of nearly 650,00 people, including more than 149,000 Americans. Grief and fear naturally result from such devastation. Pastors are expected to bring peace and hope into the chaos, even while they battle their own anxiety and fatigue. Perhaps now more than ever, the health of the minister matters. How can a preacher in this pandemic avoid the stress and burn-out that sucks the life out of ministry and the minister? The healthy preacher will build a strong enough shed to stand against the storm. The building materials for the S.H.E.D. are sleep, hobbies, exercise, and devotion.

Sleep for the Mind

The hours of sleep one enjoys before midnight are the most refreshing. Early in my ministry, I was a night owl. But that pattern took its toll on my body. As my responsibility increased, the earlier I had to rise in the morning just to keep up with my increasing responsibilities. No more sleeping in until 7:00am or 8:00am. For a while, I was burning ...