Sabbath: The Best Next Thing
Adapted from Giving the Ministry Away
by Terry Hershey, Rich Hurst, and Karen Butler
His response still troubles me. The pastor of a large suburban church had asked my opinion about the most essential next step for the associate minister, now responsible for beginning several adult ministry programs.  I told him, “Make sure he has a Sabbath day.”
The pastor responded, “All of our staff get one day off per week. But I’m proud to say that none of the staff take them.” This approach to ministry is all too common—for paid staff and lay workers alike. In the name of sincerity and Christian care, we push ourselves to the breaking point. Too often we splinter, tear, or crash. We in the church have been co-opted by a system that sacrifices people in favor of productivity. We’ve been convinced that we achieve distinction and prominence through being spectacular and entertaining. Somewhere in the back of our mind, we think that God believes the same. The call for Sabbath
A Protestant minister once asked a Benedictine monk, “What do you do?” “We pray,” responded the monk. “Why?” asked the visitor. “I mean, what is the reason for your prayers? What do you accomplish when you pray?” “It is enough,” the monk assured him, “just to pray.” Our Western mind-set translates all of life into pragmatic components. Our potential value is measured by our ability to produce, create, or generate. (How many programs? How many people? How many events on the calendar?) We determine our existence by doing. Consequently, Sabbath is a foreign concept to most of us. For Sabbath is not doing at all. What is “Sabbath”? And why is it so important to us? It may be best to begin with a glimpse of our misunderstandings and misconceptions. Sabbath does not equal a day off. A day off is a utilitarian invention: “If I take a day off, it will make me work better.” Our pious side says, “Therefore, taking a Sabbath will make me a better leader, or a better Christian.” Sabbath is not the day we set aside to tie up loose ends from the week. Sabbath means to quit. Stop. Rest. Take a break. Sabbath is not always Sunday (or Saturday). Many of us work on that day, and it can be the craziest day in the week. Practicing Sabbath
Sabbath is not something you do; it is what you don’t do. In fact, there is nothing particularly devout, holy, or Christian in the word Sabbath. What you do with the concept of Sabbath makes it holy or special. The first step in practicing Sabbath is to unlearn our misconceptions, and to confront our fears about wasting time, being nonproductive, and dreading solitude. The next step is to hear a new definition of Sabbath. Sabbath is grace. If you’re at all like me, the idea of Sabbath makes you feel guilty. Even my attempts to do nothing fall short! That’s why I need to hear that, above all else, Sabbath time is grace. Sabbath declares that renewal begins with God’s Word about us, not our word about God. Sabbath is listening versus doing: Sabbath is the permission to begin to see God incognito in the ordinary rhythm of life. Someone once suggested that I complete a listening exercise: “Take an empty pad of paper, sit alone in the garden, and write whatever God tells you.” After thirty awkward and discomfiting minutes, I returned with my notepad, simply containing four words: Dry cleaning. Call Tom. “Some spiritual experience,” I thought. My spiritual director didn’t suppress his grin. “What did you expect?” he asked, “an epistle? Just because your pad contains ordinary things, you automatically assume it is not of God. Who are you to tell God He can’t be involved in your laundry and your friendships?” Sabbath is intentional versus spontaneous: We are not victims of the Sabbath. It is a choice. In ministry we are not required to always say yes; we may also say no. Sabbath means being intentional with our calendars. In fact, the most practical advice I can give is to buy a red pen, take out your calendar, and put an X somewhere on your weekly schedule. The X says, “I’m closed here.” Effective ministry begins when we admit that we are not indispensable. Sabbath is focused versus unchecked activity: Jesus gently scolded Martha, “You worry and fuss about a lot of things.” In contrast, he said Mary was focused, not pulled in various directions. Being focused is difficult, because we too easily find our identity in the “many things.” Sabbath is a reminder that life is lived from the inside out. Sabbath is not a religious event. It’s a non-event. “But what activities are allowed?” our mind asks, still wanting closure. Can we listen to music? Just sit? Read a book? Take a walk? Take a nap? I can’t answer those questions for you. The answers will vary from person to person. I do know that the following questions are helpful for me in determining my “red-X” time for Sabbath: - Does the time remind me of grace?
- Does it let me be quiet?
- Does it take me off the rat-race wheel?
- Does it remind me that I am not God?
Take out your red pen and place some X’s on your calendar. Begin today to enjoy the gift of Sabbath.  About the Author: Terry Hershey is a storyteller, a writer and a landscape designer. Terry's newest book, The Sacred Necessities of People Who Love Life, celebrates living as hearing the music, not just playing the right notes. When he speaks Terry focuses on the importance of building healthy relationships—emphasizing grace, personal responsibility, and our need to slow down long enough to let our souls catch up with our bodies. But mostly, he loves to dance with his son, and watch bald eagles ride the currents in the canyon behind his house.
Article originally appeared in SAM Journal Issue #136.
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