22 November 2025

A friend made a confession. ‘It must be an age thing but I am now forever making lists of the things needing done…’ In my response, I confessed that I have been making lists at least since adolescence. So I am disinclined to think that list-making is age-related.

My present list which is sitting beside me as I write has only one thing on it. This is remarkable. It simply says, ‘Wedding Cars’. I need to think about hiring cars for our younger daughter’s wedding next autumn. I have been advised to do this timeously. But back to list-making….

There are three good reasons to make a list. Firstly, it nurtures self-discipline. It encourages us to reflect on what we need to do and enables us to make a plan to execute the tasks.

Secondly, it helps us to remove the tasks from our mind. This is refreshing. It declutters the brain, minimises anxiety and brings a measure of peace.

Thirdly, making a list detaches us from the tasks which need to be done and encourages us to acknowledge that the things on the list are a work in progress. They have not been accomplished but we are getting round to fulfilling them.

Of pastoral lists, there is no end. I never completed them. Names fell off the list as time passed and others appeared. But pastoral visiting requires more than good intentions. But if we don’t make a note, it is likely we will forget not a list but a person.

In the Bible, there are lots of lists – the commandments, the beatitudes, the genealogies, the list of saints and my favourite, the fruits of the Spirit –  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. This finite list is inexhaustible. We will never fulfil it!