Part 4 – How will the Sabbatical be spent?
Receiving a sabbatical is a good gift from God. Gifts magnify, in this case, glorify, the giver and are to be enjoyed. How the gift is received and stewarded will speak of the giver and to the giver. I want to use the time of this sabbatical in a way that speaks of God and to God, so that He is glorified both in my absence from and presence among you, Redeemer Fellowship.
I want to expand a little on the kind of pastoral sabbatical I am receiving. The words reorienting and redirecting are words I have found to be helpful in articulating the needs of my body and soul. These words bring more clarity to what God is revealing and how I believe He is leading.
To reorient something is to orient again. Orienting a person or thing is to put it in position toward a particular object, to put it in a certain direction. It is bringing such into proper relationship to its surroundings and circumstances, familiarizing it, giving it bearings.
These words also remind me of a compass. Figuring out true north in a compass means accounting for magnetic north first (a spot of the earth’s northern hemisphere, but not the same as the North Pole). The earth’s magnetic field fluctuates with time and location. This fluctuation affects the true north of a compass. Any variation needs to be accounted for in orienting the compass to true north. The effect of the magnetic variation may not seem significant, depending upon the journey. But when traveling in a direction of great distance, a two-degree deviation could mean missing the destination entirely.
Compasses are affected by time and location—so are we. I am planning this sabbatical specifically in ways that will account for the magnetic north of my life. I want to be shown and to discover any deviations in body and soul that are not properly oriented and address them. I don’t want to be off one, single, degree. Why? My destination is God—Jesus Christ is my compass, His cross the needle. My heading needs to be true north. He is the only one capable of redirecting me wherever I am off.
I see this as an opportunity to grow in ways so that as life and ministry fluctuate, I will have better awareness, better habits, and better routines that help account for any deviation in my body and soul. I will be going into a desolate place to be with God. As I go, I want Him to reorient and redirect me so that as His renewing and restoring work takes place, not only will I be driven by His Spirit into the wilderness, but return from it in the power of the Spirit (Lk. 4:1, 14).
Lord willing, there will be some reading, reflecting, dreaming, and writing. I want to swim in the gospels, unhurried and unencumbered. We would like to see family. If the Lord wills, I may minister on a trip with TLI. As our hearts make plans, we are confident that God is establishing our steps (Pr. 16:9).
Here are the tentative stages of the sabbatical structure. I am grateful to our Lord for the folks at PIR of whom I have taken cues in developing these stages. Feel free to ask me about the pastoral health assessment I took or other questions about these stages. I welcome your feedback.
Rest (1-2 mos.)
June 16 – mid-August
The church should begin the sabbatical with ceremony, sending the pastor away and his family with their blessing and prayer. The first and perhaps longest phase of the sabbatical should be rest in God. This sabbath rest is important because it sets the stage for all the other movements of a sabbatical. Sufficient rest is necessary to have the clarity of mind and spirit needed to really connect with God on a deep level. During this phase of rest the body and soul are healing from the stress (and even trauma) of ministry.
Renew (1 mo.)
August – September
Like the athlete who is recovering from an injury, we need to take it slow and rebuild our strength before re-entering the game or we risk further injury. The renew phase is all about living in the love of God as our foundational reality. During this phase we begin to live in such a way that every day is shaped by our identity as a child of God who is deeply loved. We learn how to live as Father and child again.
Recall (1 mo.)
September – October
During the recall phase we ask God: “What do you want to do through my life?” This is a dangerous question that shouldn’t be asked lightly. To truly ask it rightly we need to be fully abandoned to God’s will. This is sometimes called “holy indifference,” which means being indifferent to everything but God’s will. An extended period of prayer and fasting is appropriate.
Reinvest (1 mo.)
October – November
During this phase we ask: “How can I maintain my new life in God while fulfilling God’s clear call on my life?” The reinvest stage of the sabbatical is all about planning and practicing a new way of living. Many find it helpful to establish or reestablish a rule of life during this phase. A rule of life is a plan of daily living that emphasizes relationship with God at various points of the day. Near the end of this stage begins preparation for reentry and should include writing a summary of how the sabbatical was used and what was learned.
Reenter (1 mo.)
November 17/24 – December
The other bookend to the sabbatical in many ways is reorientation and a transition for both pastor and church. Like landing a plane, a planned and gradual reentry is best. It would be a mistake to immediately jump back into full or to exact prior involvement by all. During reentry, the pastor begins attending the corporate gatherings again as a member. Together, he and the church begin learning and living the shared rhythm that was learned and lived by all (the practical outworking of the recall and reinvest stages). Understanding what has been redesigned or redefined by way of roles and responsibilities and practicing them together is critical to the overall success and aim of the sabbatical. Finally, a reaffirmation ceremony formalizes the calling and solidifies the sabbatical period has ended.