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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