WORD FROM THE PASTOR - JANUARY 2024“For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it.”
– Exodus 20:11 Sabbath is a concept that was given at creation. One of the Ten Commandments tells the faith community to “honor the sabbath day and keep it holy”. Sabbath is about rest and renewal. It’s about taking time to pause from the work and routine of daily life so that you may come back refreshed and ready to continue. Our society seems to have taken steps away from this concept. Those who take time may be called lazy. We tend to look down on those we perceive as not being hard workers. The consequence has been higher rates of mental health issues like anxiety and depression. Those who are called to serve in the church as pastors know and understand the concept of sabbath, but often have trouble, or are criticized for, actually taking sabbath time. When you are called to work on what is the sabbath day, for most people you need to find other time in the week to rest. Many pastors, including myself, take a day off during what is considered the “work week”, and if called upon, many times find ourselves still doing the work of God and the church. This can lead to becoming burned out. This is where the idea of sabbatical comes in. A sabbatical (based in the root word “sabbath”) is a time to step into rest. The Moravian Book of Order says this about clergy sabbatical:
Please know that I love this congregation and still feel called to parish ministry. I look forward to coming back from this time refreshed and ready to help this congregation grow into what God would have us be. Serving with you in Christ, Pastor Beth |