On Monday, I start my first sabbatical as a pastor. For the next two months I will be enjoying a season of rest and recuperation. It feels strange to step away from pastoral ministry for so long, but I look forward to this upcoming season.
In his mercy, God has made us finite creatures. In his book, You’re Only Human, Kelly Kapic asserts that "Denying our finitude cripples us in ways we don't realize. It also distorts our view of God and what Christian spirituality should look like." Far too often, I try to deny my finitude. I break Sabbath; I say yes to too many things to try to produce more than what God has called me to. When I feel overwhelmed, I I am forgetting that I have physical, emotional, and spiritual limitations. I ought to recognize, honor and prioritize these limitations. Kapic says, "God made us to be limited creatures, able to freely participate in his work, confident in his presence, and grateful for his promises and provision. Let us appreciate the goodness of our finitude as we rest in the love and provision of our infinitely good God. May it be so."
Do you, like me, struggle to believe that God’s limits on your life are good and protective? Do you believe your days would be better if they were 25 hours long and your years would be better if they had 53 weeks?
The sabbatical principle derives from the Old Testament, where God speaks of the limitations of the land. God speaks of how he wants the Israelites to treat the Promised Land with care, “When you come into the land that I give you, the land shall keep a Sabbath to the Lord. For six years you shall sow your field, and for six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in its fruits, but in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to the Lord” (Lev. 25:2-4). Applying this principle to the New Testament, we are reminded that “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). Sabbath and sabbatical principles are a gift from God to us, inviting us to place our trust in God and receive our limitations from him as a gift.
I’m so grateful for New Life's elders' humble and godly leadership, who instituted a sabbatical policy seven years ago. It’s somewhat unusual for a non-denominational church to have a sabbatical policy. Far too many of our churches chew up and spit out pastors. If you are a leader at your church, perhaps you might consider advocating your church to institute a sabbatical policy.
Here is how our policy (in part) reads:
Recognizing the physical and mental stresses that far too frequently cause ministry dysfunction and ministry‐ending burn‐out, New Life has established the following Ministry Sabbatical Principles and Guidelines.
Ministry Sabbatical Principles and Guidelines
· A Ministry Sabbatical is intended to be a release from the daily demands of ministry and to provide both rest and restoration for the physical, emotional, cognitive and spiritual well‐ being of Pastors and full‐time Directors.
· A Ministry Sabbatical is not to be used to replace vacation time, to give time for academic or research/study projects, or to be used for outreach trips (foreign or domestic).
· Salaried, full‐time Pastors and Directors are required to take a two‐month sabbatical every 7th year of consecutive ministry. (i.e. 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th and 35th years of ministry.)
· The Pastor or Director shall submit a Sabbatical Proposal to the Elders and Executive Leadership Team for approval. This proposal should be submitted prior to the end of the year leading into the year of the sabbatical.
a. This proposal should include an overview of the Pastor’s or Director’s plan during the sabbatical, to include domestic or foreign travel.
b. The Pastor or Director will include goals for the sabbatical that address personal and family objectives as well as spiritual growth.
· Care should be taken to coordinate the timing of the sabbatical with the demands of the Pastor’s or Director’s ministry and impact on the body. However, demands of ministry do not constitute an adequate reason to not take sabbatical leave.
· The Pastor or Director and Elders/Executive Leadership Team will be responsible for appointing persons from the Staff or interim leadership to carry out administrative duties, congregational care, and preaching/teaching responsibilities. This information will be included in the Sabbatical Proposal to be approved by the Elders and Executive Leadership Team.
· To enable the sabbatical to accomplish the intended purpose, it will be requested of the congregation that no direct communication is made with the Pastor/Director or the Pastor’s/Director’s family members, unless approved by the Pastor’s/Director’s family for friendship purposes.
While I’m on sabbatical, what can you expect from The Bee Hive for the next two months? I’ve worked ahead to create Tuesday and Thursday (Recommendations) posts, but you won’t be receiving the regular Saturday posts until I return.
While on sabbatical, I will be doing some writing for a book project that is in the works. I want to step into this not as an obligation or an academic responsibility but as a gift to steward during these months of rest. As a family, we will enjoy slowing our pace and visiting several national parks.
I’m grateful for your prayers and support. Thank you for allowing me to experience my finitude as a gift from God and return thanks to our Shepherd as “He makes me lie down in green pastures,” “leads me beside still waters,” and “restores my soul” (Ps. 23:2-3).
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Photo by Leio McLaren on Unsplash