You don’t have to wait for a crisis
Please understand you don’t have to wait for a crisis or complete exhaustion to benefit from time away from ministry responsibilities. Most sabbaticals are at least a month long,[1] but if you can’t get that much time off, “ . . . even an extra week or two of extended, unplugged rest every few years can work wonders.” [2] Wayne Cordeiro sees periodic sabbaticals as a way of restoring your hunger for life and fruitfulness in ministry, “ . . . an extended season of rest, becomes crucial to sustaining the shelf life of a minister or Christian leader. It replenishes nutrients to our souls . . .” [3] Robert Morris agrees, “periodic extended breaks from being ‘productive’ can have a powerful restorative effect on body, soul, and spirit—just as a season of rest can restore the soil of a farm.” [4] Therefore,let me repeat one extremely important point from my previous post: Wise, preventative, and proactive SELF-CARE IS NOT SELFISH. It is good for you. It is good for your family, and it is good for the church or ministry where you lead and/or serve.
The gift of time
When I asked the superintendent for permission to take an unscheduled sabbatical, I knew there was no available money in the PMN budget. I did not ask for Network funds. I simply asked for TIME. We don’t get the luxury of scheduling life’s crises. Life happens. I was desperate for rest. I could not think clearly. I needed fresh perspective, and I longed for a place of solitude where I could find margin and listen for the voice of God. I needed the GIFT OF TIME. Robert Morris writes, “ . . . nearly every time Jesus withdrew for a season, He returned with fresh direction, insight, or knowledge . . .” [5] I had an extremely strong “felt need” for just that kind of fresh direction and insight from God.
Potomac Ministry Network Superintendent Frank Potter insists time is so valuable we must not “spend” time. Instead, we must “invest” time in the things that matter most. This is especially true when it comes to the gift of time that a sabbatical represents. Therefore, it is important to thoughtfully plan and prepare so you can make the most of your sabbatical.
Not my first “rodeo”
This was not my first sabbatical. Eight years ago, I took time off following the death of our young son-in-law from aggressive brain cancer and a personal episode of pneumonia that nearly took me down. Primarily, I used my 2012 sabbatical as an extended vacation. I traveled, spent time with family and friends, and celebrated my 60th birthday with the gift of encouraging emails from former parishioners (secretly engineered and read to me daily by my loving and supportive wife). It was a good time, and I found it very encouraging. However, I came away feeling I had partially missed the mark by failing to take advantage of my sabbatical as a unique opportunity to draw near to God for personal spiritual renewal and soul refreshment. Therefore, I was determined to make this time different.
Preparing for a sabbatical:
Robert Morris’ book, “Take the Day Off: Receiving God’s Gift of Rest,” includes a chapter titled “The Getaway” which is entirely devoted to the subject of sabbaticals. One helpful section includes “eighteen keys to experiencing a successful sabbatical.” [6] It contains several worthwhile tips. I have adapted a few of his suggestions and added some additional tips of my own:
- Set a few goals for your sabbatical: Rusty McKie suggests three guiding questions. Ask yourself: “1-What do I need? 2-What do I want? 3-What do others say?” [7] In my case, what I needed was pretty clear. I needed rest and refreshment. What I wanted was a deeper personal relationship with God and a fresh word of direction from the Lord. The “others” I consulted for advice are the various books cited in this post.
- Find an affordable place and setting: When considering your setting or location, think about your needs and what you can afford. Steve Dulin prefers “ . . . a cabin in a remote, isolated area with room to walk.” [8] Robert Morris took a cruise. Wayne Cordeiro checked into a monastery. [9] Rusty McKie started with a road trip to several national parks. Carolyn and I settled on a small one-bedroom cottage near a stream-fed pond in scenic rural Virginia. There is no “one-size-fits-all” when it comes to location. Keep your needs, goals, and budget in mind as you plan.
- Start slowing down: “Start preparing for the sabbatical about a week ahead of time.” Steve Dulin advises, “ . . . consciously slow down your mind and thoughts so that you will be prepared to focus on the Lord rather than work, projects, issues, etc.” [10] This is good advice. Although there were many details that had to be taken care of before we could actually leave on sabbatical, I started cramming fewer projects into each day and began slowing down by expanding my daily morning quiet time with the Lord. This was a big help in getting into a “listening mode” so that I was ready to wait on God from the very first day of the sabbatical.
- Bring plenty of paper and pens: It is crucial to capture and write down what’s important, and especially, what you hear God say. James 1:23 warns about being a forgetful hearer. A small notepad and pencil are by my side every morning as I worship, pray, read the Word, and listen for the “still small voice” (KJV) or “gentle whisper” (NIV) of the Holy Spirit. However, I’m also taking advantage of technology and using the journaling app “Reminisce Journal” to write out a summary of my prayers and to journal what I sense the Holy Spirit is saying. A few nice features of this particular app are the low cost, no annual subscription fee, and the fact I can journal on my Mac laptop or iPhone and all of my journal entries remain available on either device.
- Carefully select a few books to bring: Don’t bring ministry and leadership books. In fact, avoid any book that will keep you thinking about ministry and work. A sabbatical is an intentional BREAK FROM work and ministry. Instead, bring a few fun reads (even fiction), and perhaps a handful of books from those who are farther along in their relationship with the Lord than you are. I find rest, refreshment, and growth in reading. Therefore, my pre-sabbatical preparation involved reading the best “how to” books I could find and selecting a few helpful books to take along. Here are a few of the titles I found the most beneficial:
- Barton, Ruth Haley. Invitation to Retreat: The Gift and Necessity of Time Away with God. InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, Ill. 2018. Kindle edition.
- Morris, Robert. Take the Day Off: Receiving God’s Gift of Rest. FaithWords Publishing, Nashville. 2019. Kindle edition.
- Morris, Robert. Frequency: Tune In. Hear God. W Publishing Group, Nashville. 2016. Kindle edition.
- Shirer, Priscilla. Discerning the Voice of God: How to Recognize When God is Speaking. Moody Publishers, Chicago. 2012. Kindle edition.
- Disconnect from social media: Robert Morris suggests, “Disconnect from the online world of email and social media (which may actually involve breaking an addiction).”[11] Therefore, part of my personal preparation was also to make a commitment to avoid social media and the temptation to reply to ministry and work emails during the sabbatical.
In the next post:
In part four I will talk about what I actually did with my time during my sabbatical. I will share my daily schedule. I’ll discuss what worked, what didn’t, wins and disappointments, my mistakes, and things I would do differently if I could have a “do over.”
Bibliography
Barton, Ruth Haley. Invitation to Retreat: The Gift and Necessity of Time Away with God. InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, Ill. 2018. Kindle edition.
Cordeiro, Wayne. Leading On Empty: Refilling Your Tank and Renewing Your Passion. Bethany House Publishing, Minneapolis. 2009. Kindle edition.
McKie, Rusty S. Jr. Sabbaticals: How to Take a Break from Ministry Before Ministry Breaks You. Sojourn Network Press, Louisville. 2018. Kindle edition.
Morris, Robert. Take the Day Off: Receiving God’s Gift of Rest. FaithWords Publishing, Nashville. 2019. Kindle edition.
Morris, Robert. Frequency: Tune In. Hear God. W Publishing Group, Nashville. 2016. Kindle edition.
Shirer, Priscilla. Discerning the Voice of God: How to Recognize When God is Speaking. Moody Publishers, Chicago. 2012. Kindle edition.
Footnotes
[1] McKie, Rusty S. Jr. Sabbaticals: How to Take a Break from Ministry Before Ministry Breaks You (p. 24). Sojourn Network Press. Kindle edition.
[2] Morris, Robert. Take the Day Off (p. 115). FaithWords. Kindle edition.
[3] Cordeiro, Wayne. Leading on Empty: Refilling Your Tank and Renewing Your Passion (loc. 2724). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle edition.
[4] Morris, Robert. Take the Day Off (p. 116). FaithWords. Kindle edition.
[5] Morris, Robert. Take the Day Off (p. 126). FaithWords. Kindle edition.
[6] Morris, Robert. Take the Day Off (p. 120). FaithWords. Kindle Edition.
[7] McKie, Rusty. Sabbaticals: “How-to” Take a Break from Ministry before Ministry Breaks you (p. 28). Sojourn Network. Kindle edition.
[8] Morris, Robert.Take the Day Off (p. 120). FaithWords. Kindle Edition
[9] Cordeiro, Wayne. Leading On Empty (loc. 497), Bethany House. Kindle edition.
[10] Morris, Robert. Take the Day Off (p. 120). FaithWords. Kindle Edition
[11] Morris, Robert. Take the Day Off (p. 141). FaithWords. Kindle Edition