April 2026

"I must be about My Father's business."
~ Jesus (Luke 2.49)

Good morning,

According to The Economist, Britain's highly influential business journal, "America has the most productive, highest educated and best-trained workforce in the world," and "is #1 in worldwide resilience and entrepreneurial efforts."

In other words, we done good!

However, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics took a keyhole peek at America's 171 million workers and discovered…

• The average employee spends 50 minutes a day looking for lost files.
• Even when found, 98% of filed documents are never seen again.
• When the office temperature drops to 67°, employees make 44% more mistakes.
• Multitasking can reduce a person's on-the-job IQ by ten points.
• 75% of remote workers admit their biggest distraction is scrolling social media.
• The most popular incentive for increasing workplace productivity is … pizza.
• Three million workers quit their jobs every month. One-in-three new employees don't last beyond 90 days.
• We consume approximately 500 million cups of coffee each day while on the job.
• Mondays are the most common sick day, while paydays have the highest attendance.

Meanwhile, America's job market is expanding. HR recruiters are feverishly looking to fill vacancies for Dog Food Tasters, Professional Bridesmaids, Ice Rink Hand Holders, Online Dating Ghostwriters, Iceberg Movers, Fortune Cookie Writers, Breath and Arm Pit Odor Evaluators, among others.

I'm guessing your day job is looking really good about now!

Sadly, the Pew Research Center discovered, "Only 15% of worldwide employees are invested emotionally in their work." That means 85% are unmotivated, except to pick up a paycheck.

And, closer to home, Gallop's 2025 State of the Workplace Report discovered that 62% of America's employees are "not emotionally engaged" in their current jobs (also known as Quiet Quitting), and another 16% of workers are "actively disengaged" (known as Loud Quitting). They show up to do the bare minimum, but put very little energy or passion into their roles.

Could this also be true about pastors?

In 1973, 29-year-old Fred Smith launched Federal Express (known now as FedEx). The company's bold promise was to deliver packages anywhere in the country overnight — an unknown concept at the time. Their boastful ad — listed as one of the top ads of the 20th century — guaranteed, "When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight."

On opening day, 14 FedEx aircraft delivered 186 packages to 25 cities … overnight!

The U.S. Postal Service scoffed, calling the newcomer's hoopla "a cute novelty, but certainly not sustainable, nor is it necessary." After all, who needs time-sensitive, guaranteed, next day, door-to-door, personalized service?

Evidently, more than the Post Office imagined.

Instantly, America felt the need for urgency in both life and business. As a result, FedEx now delivers 16 million packages every day, and 22 million per day at Christmas time.

Not surprisingly, in 2001, the USPS capitulated, and asked FedEx for help. Today the Post Office is one of FedEx's largest customers.

Urgency matters.

Jesus thought so too when He told His disciples, "We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; for the time is coming when no man can work" (John 9.4). Saying this, Jesus used the strongest word possible to convey urgency … "we must."

In his Gospel, John (and most New Testament writers) used the Greek verb dei (rhymes with sky) to convey a critical urgency. The English translation for dei is "we must because it's necessary or mandatory." For example:

• "You must be born again (3.7)."
• "He must increase, but I must decrease (3.30)."
• "We must worship Him in spirit and truth (4.24)."
• "The Son of Man must be lifted up (12.34)." A reference to the cross.
• "He must rise again from the dead (20.9)."

Nowhere in Scripture is passivity or procrastination encouraged. Urgency always matters when it comes to faith and ministry. And since we're being about our Father's business, we absolutely, positively have to deliver!

Blessings,