I’ve been on sabbatical since retiring the first Sunday of May. I am not experienced at retirement. I am apparently not experienced at sabbath. My plan is in process to have begun this retirement with a long long needed sabbatical. I don’t know how long of a sabbatical I’ll have. The greatest threat to it is that I keep asking myself, “Am I really not supposed to be doing what I am not doing?” Why am I not busy? I know that it’s silly, if sabbatical means anything — if sabbath means anything — to be asking myself this question at this early stage. But I am used to doing and doing and more doing.
I am wondering if maybe one of the sacrifices of my ministry has been the keeping of sabbath. I’ve tried to set aside time for sabbaths with retreats, vacations, and a day in the week I called my sabbath rest. But somehow I sense that the rhythm of turning aside on the same day of the week and surrendering myself to listening — to giving my time to a cessation of planning and a cessation of ruminating and a cessation of running and doing and strategizing and presenting — Sunday after Sunday — may have been the most significant of my ministerial sacrifices (Matthew 19:27-29). Sundays have been busy — not so much a time for rest and receiving! I have no regrets about any of my ministerial sacrifices; but it occurs to me that by contrast it highlights what a great privilege is readily available to Christians who can come to church to keep sabbath — to have it ministered to them by pastors — and that is priceless. It is the opportunity of receiving Sabbath.
Now I know I did not sacrifice all the sabbath keeping I am wondering about missing. Most Sundays over the last several years were blessed through the ministry of the Holy Spirit who would gently moisten my eyes while preaching sermons as he touched my heart with the words that exited my mouth. Only God can take your own words and sweeten them with His loving kindness and mercy. Only God can simultaneously divvy out sabbath to those who are administering sabbath to others. But during my new circumstance, I am now taken aback during this new experience of keeping sabbaths of what a great gift they are to those who are on the receiving end! It seems that the gift of being ministered to by pastors offering sabbath is highly underrated these days.
It has been a privilege to be a minister of sabbath for others. Now I will try and learn how to have sabbath ministered back to me. It’s not that I will stop using my gifts. I’ll preach as I have opportunity. I may even do interims. Who knows God may call me out of retirement. But until then I want to learn to keep sabbath well.
I need not ask, “Am I really not supposed to be doing what I am not doing?” Not only is there nothing wrong with turning aside for an extended time given to reflection, contemplation, and listening to the Spirit, but it seems to be that it is the kind of joy promoted across the pages of the Bible. Jesus prayed all night (Luke 6:12). Elijah sat by the river Cherith (1 Kings 17:2-6). Paul went to Sinai for an extended time after his conversion (Galatians 1:17; see Paul: A Biography by NT Wright and Ben Witherington III’s Paul of Arabia for how Paul might have spent his time there). These select references to sabbath time in the Bible are just the tip of the iceberg. So let me encourage you to follow the invitation to keep sabbath because “He who meditates day and night is like a tree planted by streams of water” (Psalm 1). You will flourish with abundant days of living! So say with the sons of Korah, “My soul pants for God like the deer pant for the water brooks” (Psalm 42). Go and find the love and encouragement that God puts into people when they are keeping sabbath (Hebrews 10:24-25).
W. Stephen Williams © 7/5/2024