I suppose it's best to begin at the beginning. Following is a private journal entry I wrote in the first few days of my three-month sabbatical. The entry is dated April 20, 2013.
Rest is crucial for our very survival. Our bodies are wired to recharge through nightly rest in the form of sleep. Rest is also important mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. In order to think clearly, quickly, and logically, our minds need to rest from the constant rat race. Stress increases proportionately to decreased rest, resulting in emotional weariness.
Rest is so important to the spiritual man that the call to rest is found throughout Scripture. After completing creation, God rested on the seventh day. The Sabbath was instituted to provide the people of Israel with a day to recuperate from their week of labor. Jesus, who is our example in ministry, regularly pulled away from the crowds as well as the disciples for seasons of rest. Even a raging storm was not permitted to interrupt the Master's rest (at least, not until the disciples sounded the alarm) because Jesus recognized the importance of rest.
As ministers, we often find it difficult to rest. There is always more preparation that needs to be done. Love needs to be expressed to hurting people immediately while phone calls and emails need to be returned. There is a never-ending list of tasks that need our attention. No wonder we are desperate for rest!
While I believe this is a challenge for everyone who works in ministry, I think the issue can be extremely difficult for the part-timer. As vocational ministers, we are receiving compensation for our labor. It is not the reason we minister, but it does allow us to devote more time to the ministry. For many in music ministry, the position with the church supplements income from other professional endeavors. In my case, I teach music classes at a local junior college, serve as staff pianist at another university, and maintain a small private piano studio. Those three positions keep me quite busy Monday through Friday. Friday afternoon sees me switching hats and frantically getting everything ready for Sunday's worship. Do you see a problem? There's no day of rest built into this hectic schedule.
Some would argue that vacations can replace a weekly day of rest. If that were the intention, why didn't God establish a Sabbath month instead of one that occurred every seven days? (God did establish the Year of Jubilee, a time for the land to rest in order to guarantee its fruitfulness. I'll explore that concept more in the weeks ahead.)
What's the solution? We can't make a full-time living out of a part-time position. Neither can we ignore the ministry that God has called us to. If I had the answers to this dilemma, I suspect I would not be taking this three-month sabbatical from ministry. I do believe the answer lies in Scriptural principles and that it is of paramount importance to insure long and fruitful seasons of ministry for all ministers. It is my prayer that God will provide revelation in the coming months as I seek His face.
There you have it. In April, I was desperate for rest. Two months later I find myself in a much healthier position than I have been in years. I am rested. I am refreshed. I am happy. I can confidently proclaim that I can once again hear God's voice in the midst of life's noise.
Do I have all the answers? Definitely not! What I do know is that the Sabbath principle is incredibly important to my spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being. The responsibility to maintain it and protect it lies with me. On Wednesday, I'll share some of the methods that I have used in the past two months that have helped me to put Sabbath into practice in my own life while still insuring that things get done.
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