“…but in the seventh year there shall be a sabbath
of complete rest for the land, a sabbath for the Lord: you
shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard.”
~ Leviticus 25:4
I imagine that about the time you’re reading
this, Kathleen and I will be in the midst of my sabbatical. (I’ll be
back in the office Monday, October 24th).
In our Presbyterian denomination ‘sabbatical’ is part of a pastor’s “terms of call.”
My sabbatical had been scheduled for 2020
– until COVID. Quickly it became very clear that a sabbatical then (or 2021 as
the pandemic lingered) would not have been beneficial for either PPC or me.
However, as PPC finds its post-pandemic rhythm we’re good to go. So ‘go’
we shall.
While Kathleen and I will randomly be in and out quite
often; during our times away we’ll be camping by ourselves, and at other times we'll be with
friends. Plus, we’ll spend some non-camping time with family as well.
All of this is right in line with what Lifeway Research
suggests in its: 6 Reasons to Take a
Sabbatical: “rest, release burdens, reconnect with loved ones, disconnect from
tech, travel, and tinker.”
While I appreciate these 6 points, as I weave them
all together -- I come to a ‘ruach’ recharge.
Ruach is the Hebrew word for
God’s breath, wind, spirit that we find at the beginning of creation, and that
is still on the move today.
In doing some reading about sabbaticals I came
across a comment that won’t let go of me: “Don’t let a sabbatical be a cheap
excuse for a vacation.”
So while there will be many vacation-like
elements to my sabbatical…
…to keep this as more than a vacation…
…we’ll start our day with a devotional and end
with a daily examen (reflecting on the day’s events to sense God's presence and
direction). I expect I’ll have another book or two I’ll be reading as well.
Bringing all of this together; the recharge comes in the reminder that the weight of the world (or PPC) is not on my shoulders (nor is it on yours)...
...and neither is my value and identity found in
what I produce (nor is your value and identity found in this either).
Instead, as I catch my breath-in-God, this
recharge comes to me with God in control - the One whom I can trust and who
holds the whole world.
The world that God created. In six days. Right
before God took a sabbatical.
Together
We Serve,
Pastor
Mike