A Sabbath, in it’s simplest terms, is a time of rest. I am fortunate to be on staff at a church that puts a high value on personal health. We are encouraged to take an additional day each month (or 3 days per quarter) for personal Spiritual rest and rejuvenation. This is the first church in 23 years of ministry where I’ve experienced anything like this.
Every time I am on a Sabbatical experience I like to journal my thoughts. It keeps me focused. It’s a form of meditation for me.
So, I’m out of town for 3 days. Mostly, I try to catch up on sleep and enjoy some much needed solitude. But I do have a few areas of focus for those 3 days.
Reading | A significant part of my reading plan does include the Bible and a couple different devotional resources. Additionally, I am reading ‘No Other Gods: Confronting Our Modern Day Idols‘ by Kelly Minter.
Prayer | I am very intentional to pray over my family. This is always first. I am also praying for the next 6 months of our new multisite church campus. Prayer for specific families, continued healthy growth, and renewed vision are key focal points this week.
Entertainment | I like to eat at places I usually don’t get a chance to eat at where I live. I will also try to watch 1 or 2 movies on Netflix, since I don’t normally have time to watch many movies during a regular work week. And adult coloring (a form of art therapy) is something new I’m trying this week in an effort to clear my thoughts. Looking forward to this.
Planning | This will include looking ahead at the next few months. Strategically making initial plans and doing a little self-evaluation as well. I will normally try to schedule my next 3-day Sabbatical during this time. If I don’t it will likely not happen when it should.
Have you had any kind of a Sabbatical experience before? What did you do? And if not, what part of this post sounds intriguing to you personally?
Join the discussion, leave a comment below.
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Lead Right 
Thanks for sharing this, Brent! Best sabbatical I had was a retreat for discipleship leaders in Vancouver. For for days we had some input and discussion but lots of test, worship and listening prayer… Not to mention beautiful scenery! It was the space from demands and expectations that made that time golden. Most intriguing thing you share here for me kos the permission to sleep. Or culture demand so much activity, that stopping to catch up on sleep is really bucking the system, even in church circles. A friend loss mine said that his the day sabbaticals are spent in two days of sleep and then lone of listening to God. He comments on how effective that third day is for him.