Wikipedia defines Sabbatical as Sabbatical or a sabbatical "a rest from work, or a break, often lasting from two months to a year." Some organizations have a least one month of a sabbatical. As I write this one of our church staff members is taking a month sabbatical. He has served our church faithful for almost a decade and our church show their love for him as he takes time to rest and recharge.
I have known several Pastors and even college professor have taken a sabbatical and how much they are fired up after it is completed. Several churches have written in their by-laws that when a staff member has served for a certain number of years, they are required to take a sabbatical leave. Does the Bible talk about taking a sabbatical? In a way, yes. One of the origins of the word sabbatical come from the shabbat which is Sabbath.
When God gave Moses the 10 commandments, He said, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy" (Exodus 20:8-11).
In Leviticus, God gave a command for the entire nation of Israel to take a sabbath year after working six years, "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. You shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard. You shall not reap what grows of itself in your harvest, or gather the grapes of your undressed vine. It shall be a year of solemn rest for the land. The Sabbath of the land shall provide food for you, for yourself and for your male and female slaves and for your hired worker and the sojourner who lives with you, and for your cattle and for the wild animals that are in your land: all its yield shall be for food" (Leviticus 25:3-7).
For minister of the gospel, they work long hours probably longer than any other job. So, for them it is important to take time to get away from church responsibilities to get rest from the work of ministry. God rested on the seventh day of creation not because he was tired, but to show us that we need to rest from the work. We are not God. God never sleeps nor slumbers.
What if you work a normal job and cannot get a month off? Well, there is something called a vacation. Whether you have a one week or two week vacation coming up this year, that will be the perfect time to rest. Even take a day off every once in while if your job allows. Many of you had the day off yesterday and I hope you took time to rest.
For Pastors and church staff members who are able to take a sabbatical, let me give you practical things you can do during that time.
1. Spend time with your family. Going to the movies, taking a weekend trip somewhere, or see a sporting event. Whatever you are able to do, spend time with them. Take your wife on a date and even have time to have one-on-one time with your kids.
2. Read. Read your Bible. Catch on the books you are trying to read especially if you have a stack of 20 or more books high.
3. Pray. Ask the Holy Spirit to recharge your love for Jesus, the gospel, lost people, and the church.
4. Take care of your health. Being on a sabbatical does not mean your sit on the couch, eating popcorn while catching up on seasons of The Walking Dead. Exercise and eat right.
5. Attend another church. If you are a pastor, it will be good for you to sit under the preaching of someone else at another church while you are taking a break.
So if you are able to take a sabbatical, take advantage of it. If not, then enjoy your day off and vacation time with your family.
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