The Scriptures point to a rhythm and regularity of life. In the first book, we read of God's creative act - six days on, one day rest. this is reiterated to the Hebrew children upon leaving Egypt - God's people are to work six and take one day off. And it gets even more interesting! This principle of work and rest is extended to the land in Exodus. Six years the land is to be worked and then the seventh is a year of rest where the land is allowed to lay fallow. This culminates in the Year of Jubilee... seven cycles of sabbatical years that was connected to the poor, debt, and restoration.
This is quite a remarkable principle and has direct application for those in college ministry. First, how well do we model the principle of Shabbat? If we really think that our students are too busy how well do we as "the professionals" model taking a day off during the week? Honestly, I'm not good at it. I like work and the nature of ministry is that the work is never completed. There are always issues and programs that call for me to place my identity in just how much I can get done. I'm very aware of my propensity to approach ministry by doing it in the power of the flesh rather than in the power of the Holy Spirit. I've been trained to get things done. And ministry seems to carry with it this demand that I'm always on. How in the world do I actually take a Sabbath when I'm on call 24/7?
Now this is not the case at the church where I work, but there are hidden expectations from other pastors to work harder and longer. It gets put in this way: we should work just as hard as those in the marketplace. Or we should work as hard as the senior pastor does. Wow. That seems to be laden with hidden expectations. What does that mean? Fifty hours a week? Sixty? What must a pastor sacrifice in order to "get the job done" with excellence? It feels like such a moving target where I'm not ever sure what excellence really is. Again, that's not the case where I work but the fragmentation of our own hearts and leaning toward overwork and nature of ministry contributes to not taking a Sabbath. How can I expect students to take an intention break in their week or lives when I don't model that for them?
Second, it points to the need for those of us in ministry to not just take a Sabbath but actually take an extended sabbatical. It's not reserved purely for those in academics. It's actually a time to pull back, to see the dispositions of our own hearts and how much trust we put in our own ability to get things done. It's a chance to examine habits and beliefs and to create space to actually partner with God. If we our desire is for students to grow then an extended paid time away has tremendous value for our own spiritual growth.
I'm on the front end of an extended sabbatical now. Ev. Free Fullerton allows me the chance to take one week for every year I've worked once I get past seven years. So finally in year eight I'm taking about two months off from work, and that's while still being paid. And I don't even plan to show up on Sundays to attend church! Rather than waste the time, it's a time to open to the Holy Spirit to allow Him to direct areas in which to grow. It's a chance to visit other churches and see how young adults are reached. It's the space to actually think about college ministry to see where the Lord wants to move it into the future. More on this later, but I'm taking the advice of a co-worker who just returned from his sabbatical and told me: "just let the ground lay fallow." I'm not sure how many college pastors get the opportunity to take a sabbatical but I'm of the opinion that it's more important than we think.
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