Sabbath and Seasons

I had last Sunday off as a planned transition weekend from one ministry into the next. I knew that I needed time to '“change the channel” and re-charge so that I would be ready for this new beginning.

Of course last week ended up being about tying up final loose ends from my previous congregation and this week has so far been taken up with meetings and preparation, so really it wasn’t much of a breather. In hindsight, a longer break in between would probably have been wise. I did enjoy the time I would normally spend writing and re-working a sermon and prayers doing more leisurely things. I did get more rest than a normal weekend and some Sabbath time.

We are supposed to experience Sabbath. God designed it that way from the beginning of creation. Whether in ministry or not, we ignore our need for rest, reflection and rejuvenation at our peril. As society worships busyness and burning the candle at both ends, we are to worship stillness and leaning in to God and restoration. If our minds and bodies are given chance to recover and we plan for naps and breaks then we accomplish far more than if we continue full tilt. For those of us who are type A, driven and highly motivated, stopping can feel like admitting defeat. And yet really it is admitting to the limits of our humanness and our reliance on God, which for those of us in ministry is a pretty good thing to model.

Tied in to this is the ability to recognize the different seasons of our lives - seasons of change, of rest, of learning, of heavy slogging, of recovery. Seasons remind us of the fluid nature of life and that there are cycles to our existence. If we find that we have become stuck in one season then we need to pay attention and ask why. Are we truly meant to stay where we are? Is there something we haven’t learned yet that will allow us to move forward? Are we seeking out what the next season will bring and preparing ourselves for it?

It is a testament to the creativity, power and awesomeness of our God that the plans for our life include both Sabbath time and different seasons. We have the gift of slowing down in the hectic pace of our week to celebrate all that life offers to restore us and to live more deeply into our relationship with God. The invitation to enjoy Sabbath is always there. We just have to choose to experience it and reap the benefits. And the seasons of our lives teach us different things and mold us in different ways, strengthening and growing us. We may have little choice about the season we are in, and we may not enjoy it all that much, but the seasons keep propelling us forward, adding different colours and experiences to our lives.

How are you using Sabbath? How are you benefiting from time spent enjoying God and nature and family and quiet? How do you make yourself slow down enough to experience God’s restoring presence and peace? If you struggle with honouring Sabbath, what needs to change so that you can make room for it in your day or week? The cost of not doing this can be pretty high.

What season are you in? Have you been here long? What is this season teaching you, even if it is one that you don’t enjoy terribly much? Are you able to maintain perspective and recognize that no season lasts forever but that each one leads you into the next, preparing and growing you? Are you able to remember that, even if it is difficult, each season can be used by God in powerful ways?

May you find peace in re-discovering Sabbath and in honouring the different seasons you have experienced, knowing that God is with you through them all.