As we are approaching a Pastoral Sabbatical at Redemption Church, we wanted to take some time to discuss what a Pastoral Sabbatical is, the purpose of this Pastoral Sabbatical for our church and our pastor, and answer some questions you may have.
This article is the first of three blogs which we hope will offer clarity and build excitement as we prepare for this season of rest and renewal as a church family.
Part 1: What is a Pastoral Sabbatical and Why do we Embrace it?
The What:
A Sabbatical is an extended Sabbath with a focus on stopping work or normal routine to rest and enjoy the grace that God has given. The word “sabbatical” comes from the biblical word, Sabbath. The keeping of the Sabbath originates in God Himself.
"By the seventh day, God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.” Genesis 2:2-3.
The word Sabbath means “to cease or to rest.” The Bible instructs us on three Sabbath keeping practices:
1. The Sabbath Day. The Sabbath day was ordained as a weekly observance set aside solely for the cessation of work in order to renew people in body, mind, and spirit.
2. The Sabbath Year. The Sabbath Year was set to occur every seven years when all crop bearing land would be allowed to lie fallow so the earth could rest and be replenished for future harvests.
3. The Year of Jubilee. The Year of Jubilee was set to be celebrated every 50 years with no harvest or rent but instead, debt forgiveness, restoration, and the making of offerings.
So, the keeping of Sabbath—ceasing and resting, renewing and refilling—are part of the Judeo-Christian rhythm of work and play, of production and reflection, of giving out and taking in.
The Why:
There are many things we learn through practicing Sabbath rest—whether as a weekly rhythm or as a seasonal sabbatical as a minister. Here are three important principles on WHY we embrace pastoral sabbaticals.
First, we choose to take time to rest because we are human and not God. This is particularly pertinent to the pastoral sabbatical because the role of pastor and pastor’s wife uniquely create a dynamic of feeling responsible for others’ spiritual, emotional, and even physical well-being. As Rusty McKie says, “In God’s long-suffering love toward us, he commands us to rest because he knows the gravitational pull inside us to try to ‘be like God.’”
Recognizing and embracing humility through a pastoral sabbatical allows the pastor and the church to see God as provider, sustainer, shepherd, and Lord.
Another reason we embrace pastoral sabbaticals is because rest in grounded in redemption. Choosing to rest demonstrates that we are free and not slaves. Jesus redeemed us and set us free from the task-master of legalism. Our identity as children of God is in the work Jesus did on the cross and not the work that we do. The work of a pastor is unique in that a pastor (and his family) are always on call with the needs, concerns, and demands of ministry and those they serve. While we believe that weekly sabbath is a crucial component of the health of the pastor, a seasonal sabbatical allows more adequate time to lean into the freedom he has in Christ.
Finally, we embrace the pastoral sabbath as a demonstration that we rest in Jesus because He is our life. Jesus often healed on the Sabbath in the Bible as evidence of His lordship over the Sabbath and His ability to heal and work in both times of rest and times of hard work. He alone builds His church when we are working and when we are resting. Jesus promotes and promises rest in Matthew 11:28:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
As a church, we want to honor Jesus in our work and in our rest. And we believe our pastor and his family will be immeasurably encouraged, renewed, and rested in their coming sabbatical in obedience to Jesus. They desire to work hard and rest well as they recognize that they are not God, are not slaves, and Jesus is their life.
Please pray that this season of sabbatical is a blessing to both our church and our pastor and his family.
***Portions of this article taken from “Sabbaticals” by Rusty McKie and “A Sabbatical Primer for Churches” by David C. Alves and Marcy Devers Alves