I recently returned from sabbatical.
My church totally relieved me of duty for the months of June and July. I
was banned from Sunday services at our church and was kept in the dark
about pastoral issues they faced during this two-month period.
Leading up to this time, I sought counsel from many pastors who had
been given similar time off. I was struck by how many shared of
different regrets once their time was done. So I tried to use my
Sabbatical in the most fruitful way possible. Here are a few lessons I
learned.
1. Delight in your wife. Have plenty of date nights.
Care for her. Study her. Learn from her. Laugh with her. Enjoy her.
Reflect on your years of ministry together. Realize she needs this time
as much as you do. Resolve to make it a great benefit to her soul. Seize
time to delight in her while the busyness that often cuts into your
time together is temporarily relieved.
2. Enjoy your kids. I have never before had such an
extended period where I can focus on time with my kids. I needed to make
sure they were not only a primary focus, but that my heart was taking
in this time with them and truly enjoying them. Many pastors expressed
regret to me on this front. So we spent time at the pool, parks, out of
town a bit, reading, wrestling, laughing, riding bikes, and whatever
else they wanted to do.
3. Be intentional with spiritual disciplines. I
committed to have times of reading God’s Word that were long and covered
large portions of text. I usually spend most of my time “staring at the
trees” for sermon preparation; for this break I allowed “the forest” to
feed my soul. Continue at Brian Croft
