Spiritual Sabbatical: of or pertaining or appropriate to the
Sabbath, bringing a period of rest. It’s
any extended period of leave from
one's customary work, especially for rest, to acquire new skills or training,
etc.
The word sabbatical, which can be a noun or an adjective, comes
from the Greek word sabatikos, which means “of the Sabbath,” the day of
rest that happens every seventh day.
A Spiritual or ministry sabbatical is not an
extended vacation nor is it an academic sabbatical that normally involves
extensive study. A Spiritual/ministry
sabbatical is a release from the routine of the call for the physical,
emotional, spiritual, and intellectual well-being of the ministry leader.
It is a specified time to set aside
the leader’s normal responsibilities for the purpose of rest and renewal toward
sustained excellence in ministry: through rest, prayer, studying the word and fasting.
“A Biblical Perspective on Sabbaticals
The word sabbatical is drawn from
Sabbath. The Hebrew word for Sabbath means to “close or rest” and is connected
with the last day of Creation when God rested. (Genesis 2:3) God both models
and commands Sabbath rest for his people. “Remember the Sabbath to keep it
holy.” (Exodus 20:8-11)
Jesus affirmed the importance of rest
saying, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of
Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27-28) The Biblical example of Jesus’
own frequent withdrawal to a quiet place to meditate, pray and be renewed is a
model. In His ministry, the constant demands of people led Jesus to step away
on a regular basis.
See also: Genesis 1 and 2; Exodus
20:8-11, 23:10-12; Leviticus 25:1-7 (Sabbatical Year), 24:8-25 (Year of
Jubilee); Psalm 23; and Ecclesiastes 3:1-8.”
Why is a Sabbatical important?
- Continual spiritual growth facilitated by periods of rest and renewal is vital toward being an effective minister.
- Ministers’ responsibilities are not contained within normal office hours and regularly involve weekends.
- Rapid changes in ministry demands can increase the likelihood of burnout without periods of rest and renewal.There are natural rhythms in the order God created that, even in a fallen world, are health-giving and spirit-enhancing. Failure to appreciate and connect to these rhythms propels us toward disease and ill-health. Acknowledging and coming into “sync” with these rhythms strengthens our resilience and creativity.There are many such rhythms. One of them is time off and away, of which Sabbath-keeping and sabbatical-taking are two manifestations. It is in the best interest of both minister and the ministry. (It’s similar to your two-weeks off from your job.) It is in support of the minister, sabbatical-taking, that we embrace and dedicate a period of time for Evangelist Waters to seek the face of God, rest and refresh herself. She is a laborer in God’s Kingdom. The motivation for sabbatical-taking is exclusively spiritual. It is simply health-giving and spirit-enhancing. It promotes wellness and wholeness spiritually. Therefore, all of Pure Gold Evangelistic Ministries team members are encouraged to take a sabbatical, including our Evangelist Waters, so everyone will be spiritually enriched to be a blessing in the lives of others, so the gospel can go forth throughout the word as Jesus commanded.Let’s pray for our Evangelist as she takes this spiritual sabbatical journey over the next several weeks. We appreciate each of you that visit the prayer blog and bible study blog. Continue your online bible studies and anticipate the upcoming bible studies and please continue your weekly dedication of praying for our nation’s leaders and local governments.May God bless you all.Pure Gold Evangelistic Ministries
