3 R’s for Mini-Summer Sabbatical
The word sabbatical is related to the Hebrew word sabbath, meaning rest. The pattern for God’s rest is one in seven. This pattern begins at creation with the establishment of the regular week. God works for six days and then rests on the seventh, the Sabbath Day (Gen. 2:2). We are to do the same. Leviticus 25 extends this pattern. During the seventh year, there is to be an extended year of rest in the land. The culmination of rest is the Year of Jubilee. After seven periods of 7 years—year 50—there is the Sabbath of all sabbaths, the Year of Jubilee.
These periods of rest are important for two reasons. First, we need rest. Like all of creation, we are finite and limited. The sabbath year provided rest for the fields. A field cannot produce year after year without a season to replenish. For a field’s long-term fruitfulness, there must be seasons of rest.
The same is true for us. We can’t keep grinding day after day, year after year, without rest. Our bodies must slow down. Considering the context of the Old Testament, much of the daily work was hard labor. Bodies need literal, physical rest. Yet, we also need spiritual rest. The ultimate substance of sabbath rest is spiritual rest in God. (Hebrews 4:1-12). God cares for us in both body and soul, providing rest for both.
Second, the various forms of sabbath rest ultimately remind us that God’s work is more important than ours. He is the sovereign Lord, not us. Sabbath rest is an act of faith. Our schedules might be jam-packed, yet, by faith, we stop working, trusting that God still is. Even though Israel left fields for a day or even a full year, the people trusted God would still provide. Give us this day our daily bread is our prayer (Matt. 6:11). Sabbath puts that to the test. Do we really believe God alone provides, or do we foolishly believe that God needs our work?
Resting is good. It’s so good that God includes it as the fourth of the Ten Commandments (Ex 20:8). In light of the pattern of God’s prescribed rest, many churches try to offer pastors an extended sabbatical every seven years. If this is not the case in your local church, I would encourage local churches to move in this direction. A local church and her pastor will be the better for it.
But even if an extended sabbatical is a long way off, summer provides an excellent time for a mini-sabbatical. School is out, the church calendar slows, and congregants will be in and out with their summer travels—the perfect time for rest.
Pastor, this summer, try to schedule a mini-sabbatical. Here are 3 R’s to help maximize your time.
1. Read
Great preaching is built on great reading. Reading pushes the mind and keeps the pastor fresh in content. This is why Paul wants Timothy to bring his parchments. (2 Timothy 4:13).
Spurgeon describes the necessity of pastoral reading in the following text:
“The apostle says to Timothy, and so he says to every preacher, “Give thyself unto reading.” The man who never reads will never be read; he who never quotes will never be quoted. He who will not use the thoughts of other men’s brains proves that he has no brains of his own.”
In theory, most pastors agree with the importance of reading. Yet, a typical week for a pastor quickly fills up with meetings, planning, and preparation, leaving very little time for slow and thoughtful reading. Pastors often rush whatever reading they do in preparation for the upcoming sermon. Throughout the year, pastors hear of must-read books they end up pushing aside. Or perhaps they need to return to the classics for a second reading of encouragement.
In either case, take a mini-sabbatical to read. And while on sabbatical, don’t just read the books you need for your upcoming sermon series. Read broadly in ways that will encourage you and, in return, the flock at large.
2. Rest
Since the word sabbatical means rest, a sabbatical should be–well–restful. I love amusement parks—especially Disney. The rides, crowds, and lines don’t phase me. I love it. If I’m being honest, though, amusement parks are fun, not restful. Dad maximizing every second of the day is better suited for a family vacation than a true pastoral sabbatical. Of course, there is some grey area here, but you get the gist. Make sure to rest.
A church granting a mini-sabbatical is different from regular vacation time. A church grants a sabbatical for the pastor to find rest in God so that he might return to the pulpit locked in for the upcoming season of ministry. Coming home after dark with tired legs and grumpy kids likely won’t serve the end goal of rest.
Most pastors find it takes at least one week to truly unwind. If a mini-sabbatical is just one week, a pastor is likely already thinking about his return before he is truly able to leave. Therefore, if possible, try to have a mini-sabbatical last more than one full week.
3. Restore Your Rejoicing
Psalm 42 is a general outline for most pastors. In verse 4, we lead the procession in the house of God with glad shouts of song and praise, and yet, in verse 6, our souls are downcast. As pastors, we are privileged to see God’s redemptive hand at work in ways most others don’t. The call of a pastor is a tremendous privilege. But seeing redemption means we will also see the depths of despair from which people seek redemption. Pastors minister to struggling married couples, the deeply addicted, and those lying on their deathbeds. On top of that, we carry the burden of church finances and a never-ending to-do list because there is always more ministry on this side of heaven. Until Jesus returns, there is no final completed checklist for a pastor.
Pastors lead the people, often with downcast souls. Therefore, when coming to a mini-summer sabbatical, make sure to complete the entirety of Psalm 42.
Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.
Verse 11 begins on a low note but ends on a high. The key word is “again.” There was a time when all pastors experienced great hope in God. While currently beaten and bruised, it is possible to return again to that time. A sabbatical is not looking for a brand-new experience. A sabbatical is simply returning again to a pastor’s very first love.
It might not be as long as you desire or even need, but a short mini-summer sabbatical is still a time to rest from church life and cultivate a renewed walk with the Lord. Read and rest. Also, pray, sleep, and reflect. Most importantly, hope in God and praise him again as you once did.
©2024 Jon Saunders. Used with permission.
About The Author

Jon Saunders
Jon is married to Vanessa and is father of Lillian, Eleanor, Henry, Marion and Katherine. He is a graduate of Michigan State University and Calvin Theological Seminary. He formerly served at University Reformed Church in East Lansing, Mich., as the pastor of campus ministry, before moving to Detroit to help with the planting of Redeemer.