The One Minute Manager, The One Minute Parent, The One Minute Mother, and The One Minute Father. As a busy pastor, I must confess these titles intrigued me. With a new church in a new city, a new house, and a new daughter, I thought I’d found the answer to my time management needs.
I resolved, “I’ll be the ‘One Minute Pastor.’ ” Here’s my plan.
Mornings-Rise at 5:30 A.M. and gulp down an Instant Breakfast. Then off to my study for my One Minute Quiet Time. This includes One Minute of Prayer and Intercession followed by One Minute of Bible Reading, One Minute Meditation, and One Minute Application. Now to One Minute Sermon Preparation for Sunday’s One Minute Message following One Minute Praise and Worship.
Time for lunch. I’ll tell my secretary I’ll be back in a minute and head to the fast food drive-thru. There’s a new one in town you can drive by at thirty-five miles an hour and they throw the food in the window if you’ve called ahead.
Afternoons-One Minute Counseling follows my One Minute Dictation. But overnight express mail will not get my letter to its destination on time-I’ll send it ZAP mail! One Minute Discipleship and One Minute Leadership Training finish my full day at the office. I head home for the evening. My car accelerates zero to sixty in five seconds. How useful! I’m home in sixty seconds.
Evenings-As you might have guessed, our family dinner hour has been shaved fifty-nine minutes. Before putting the children to bed we have One Minute Family Time. With the children in bed, my wife is entitled to some time with her One Minute Husband. After One Minute Conversation, I’m ready for television. A remote control switch is essential to not waste time getting up to flip through the channels. In a minute I’m ready for bed. It’s been a long, full day.
I’m glad it’s not quantity time but quality time that counts. Maybe that’s what Daniel meant in chapter 12: “Even to the end: many shall run to and fro.” It does puzzle me, though, why Jesus once asked the disciples, “Could you not watch with me for an hour?” What does that mean?
Well, no time to think about that now. I’ve got to squeeze in my One Minute Prayers. How else can I expect a One Minute Revival?
-Bob Cohen
Tri-County Christian Community
Akron, Ohio
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