By April, Revd. Helen Rengert will be back in “the office” following her sabbatical. I’m sure we will hear from her about her experiences in the future. But her sabbatical and the subject of a recent sermon I gave got me thinking about rest.
The word “sabbatical” comes from the concept of the sabbath. This was a day of rest, commanded by God (Exodus 20:8). After six days of creating everything, God rested. Even God needed a break. But more than that, God built a period of rest into creation.
The sabbath isn’t a wasted day or the result of being exhausted from hard work. It is a gift and part of the natural rhythm of life.
We need times to rest, otherwise we burn out and stop functioning. Creation needs periods of rest, otherwise it starts to suffer.
When clergy book a sabbatical (they can apply for one after seven years of ministry, which doesn’t include curacy), they are usually asked what they will use the time to do.
Sometimes, clergy use the time to work on a book or some research. Sometimes they go on an extended pilgrimage or retreat. Sometimes they use the time to explore new approaches and creative ways of answering their calling.
But it strikes me that, in some ways, it is wrong to ask the question; wrong to expect someone on a sabbatical to be doing anything. It is, after all, at its heart a rest. The rest should mean that the person involved can come back to their role with new energy.
How people find their rest varies. Many people don’t find it restful when they aren’t involved in doing something. They can be refuelled by activity and drained by not doing anything. Others need to come to a complete stop in order to rest.
So I think it is important for everyone to take some time to work out what helps them rest and refuel. When does that kind of rest work for them?
I know that not everyone can take a full sabbatical. But this month, I would encourage you all to think about how you find rest.
What does your sabbath day look like for you as an individual? God told his people to remember the sabbath and keep it holy. Resting is an important gift from God, so work out what it means for you.
Revd. Richard Turk, Assistant Curate Reepham and Wensum Valley Team Churches