“Children are made readers on the laps of their parents”—Emilie Buchwald

More and more I’m finding myself drawn to books that are old; books whose words are like red oak, seasoned over time. These are authors of history shaping importance. People such as Augustine, Benedict, Luther, Calvin, Loyola, and Teresa are some of the laps I’ve crawled up on, slowly learning to form their words in my mind.

Sabbath days and early weekday mornings are ideal times for this. Though some of what these historical people say is blurry—traveling over my head—many of their words are plain to my thinking, giving a perspective, wisdom, and shedding light on my today.

I’m thinking that in blogs-to-come of bringing you face to face with these great souls and keen intellects of the past. All offered in the spirit of the child who has discovered Goodnight Moon or Prince Caspian and desires his friends to share in the discovery.

Which older books and authors have you read in part or totally? What mark have they left upon you?

Have you seen the 1965 movie classic, Shenandoah? The year is 1863. The Civil War is engulfing Virginia landowner Charlie Anderson (Jimmy Stewart) even though he doggedly refuses to take sides in the conflict. In the midst of his life and family being torn apart by the war, we come to a scene where the family is gathered around the dinner table with Jimmy Stewart praying:

“Lord, we stop to pray for this food. We cleared the land. We planted the crop and harvested it. We cooked it. If it hadn’t been for us it wouldn’t be here. But we thank you for it anyway. Amen.”

While most people would never pray this way, many think this way. Failing to see the invisible God behind the visible—paychecks, groceries, houses, cars, clothing—a gradual slide is made into thanklessness. It’s always been so.

During her wilderness journey, Israel lived by God’s direct provision with daily miracles of manna, water, shade, etc. God was their primary source for everything. But in the land they were entering, they soon would be living by His indirect provision—well water, planted vineyards, covered patios, etc. God then used secondary sources to provide for His people.

My theologian-friend, Don Pickerell, reminds us, “Secondary sources can imply a false conclusion about life, as Deuteronomy 8:17-18 warns, “You may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.’ But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth.”

Like me, do you ever have Jimmy Stewart moments—confusing the two ways of God’s providing? Here’s a better prayer as we gather as families around our dinner tables this week:  

“Lord, we stop to pray for this food. Because of your blessing we’ve been given the strength to earn the money to buy it and the very hands to prepare it. And had it not been for your grace we wouldn’t even be here. So we thank you. Amen”

Do you ever take life’s blessing for granted? Strolling through a Farmer’s Market, a mother felt the tug of her five-year-old daughter towards a stack of juicy oranges. The vendor, seeing the little girls beaming face, reached out and handed her one.

Moved by his act of generosity, the mom looked down and coached her daughter, “Honey, what do you say to the nice man?” With a quizzical look the daughter held the orange back up to him saying, “Peel it?”

Like the little girl, we take for granted our daily lives—lives crammed with an extraordinary amount of gifts and blessings. Unlike the little girl, we adults have had years of growing accustomed to our blessings. We have become thankless.

Blessed for so long, we start to see life’s oranges no longer as gifts, but as entitlements. We come to think we deserve them because we’re smarter, or made better choices, or worked harder than others.

But the truth is otherwise. Paul, the man who could never write without acknowledging the grace of God, points out, “What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if everything you have is from God, why boast as though it were not a gift?” (1 Cor. 4:7 NLT).

So rather than being like the rooster who thought he brought the dawn, let’s express more gratitude saying, “I’ve been blessed—not because I deserve it, not because I’m smarter than others, not because I made right choices or I worked harder—I’m blessed by you, Father, from whom every good thing in my life has come.” Amen.

What do you take for granted in your life?

Here is one more reason your pastor may need to take a sabbatical! If it hits too close to home–plead guilty.

Do you ever have one of those pull-out-your-hair moments when all you can think to say is “awesome”? Awesome is a great word, but in my case it’s too over used. If my vocabulary were a linen closet this word would be threadbare and frayed—ready for the rag bin.

Lately life has been so full and rich with God’s blessings. I was given a motorcycle, an oak tree for firewood, a great weekend with my mom and sister, precious time with my family and friends, an amazing communion on Sunday and I helped at our church outreach. All caused me to say to others, “It was awesome.”

So I’m presently frustrated with the limitations of language—my language and I am on the hunt for synonyms for the word awesome. Isn’t it interesting that each generation seems to have tried out different expressions to convey the awesomeness of their experiences? Which of these words did you ever use regularly?

1950’s—“Mind-boggling,” “Splendid!”, “Nifty,” “Tops,” or “Neat-o,”

1960’s—“Boss,” “Cool,” “Far out!!!!”, or “Groovy.”

1970’s—“Tight,” “Solid,” “Gnarly,” “Primo,” or “Stoked.”

1980’s—“Sweet,” “Killer,” or “Rad(ical).”

1990’s—“To-die-for,” “Sick,” or “Bad.”

2000’s—“Tubular,” “Legit,” “The bomb.”

Help me out. What word or words do you presently use to communicate when something is awesome?

After you know you need a sabbatical, you will want to make plans to take time off from work. If your church, corporation, or business has a sabbatical plan as part of your employment contract, you are already ahead of most of us.

If, however, you are approaching your employer with an idea that is totally foreign to him, you will need to plan your appeal judiciously. Here are some suggestions to help you outline your request:

1. Present your sabbatical plan in terms that your employer will find beneficial to his company. If you are a pastor, explain to your church board how a sabbatical will benefit the congregation.

2. Be flexible about the time off. Certain times of the year are more busy for some businesses than others and your sabbatical should not conflict with your employer’s busy season.

3. Offer to train someone to cover your duties while you are gone.

4. Discuss your financial needs if your company or church is willing to help with the financial coverage of your sabbatical.

5. Ask if your current position will be available for you to return to after your sabbatical. If not, ask if an equivalent job can be held for you.

6. Write out your proposal and leave it with your employer when you are done.

7. Give your boss some time to think about your proposal. Ask him when you can expect to hear back from him concerning your request. If he does not get back to you as expected, check in with him and ask him what he has decided.

8. If the answer is negative, consider other options. Could you do your job from any place in the world if you had internet connection? Would your boss consider your sabbatical an investment in his company if you included furthering your education while on sabbatical? What is the possibility of looking for another job with the prospect of a sabbatical tucked between the old and the new?

1. Spill coffee on the seat of your car and forget to thank God for both the car and the coffee.

2. Criticize your employer for the overtime hours you work during the holidays and never thank him for keeping you employed.

3. Resent a budget too tight for much Christmas shopping this year as you play Farm Town with friends on Facebook.

4. Neglect to thank God for the creative son who used your white wall as his latest Crayola canvas.

5. Complain about the frozen windshield of your car on a very cold morning while the cold calls you to dance with the Creator as winter is woven anew.

A sabbatical needs a purpose. Without clearly stated goals a sabbatical can morph into wasted time and energy. 

Grab a pencil and scribble some notes that will give your sabbatical meaning. Following are some questions to get you started.

1. What do you want to accomplish during your sabbatical? When you go back to your job, what is it that will make you feel that your hiatus from work was worth it?

2. How much time away is available for your sabbatical–two months, six months, or a year? Be realistic in your answer. Is this enough time to accomplish your sabbatical purpose? If not, what can you do to extend your sabbatical or readjust your goal?

3. What sort of activities do you need to schedule into your sabbatical to help you reach your goal?

4. Busyness can kill a sabbatical. What activities should you cut out of your life to leave room for the important ones you want to experience during your time away?

 5. How will you know that you have accomplished your purpose? What will you look for as a confirmation that you have fulfilled your objective?

6. Would the important people in your life agree with what you have written? Why or why not?

Revisit this list in several weeks to see if it still holds true for you. Fine tuning your intentions may take several rewrites, but the reward will be a sabbatical well spent.

© copyright 2009 by Susan Gaddis

I enjoy having my grandchildren come trick-or-treating on Halloween.

Restraining Tom from bothering the neighbors is a different story. I’ve come up with ten points to argue when he pulls out his pirate costume this year.

You know you are too old for trick-or-treating when:

1. The door opens and you say, “Trick or . . . ” and can’t remember the rest.
2. You have your granddaughter, Rilian, read the candy bar labels for you.
3. The police pick you up as a stray from the Alzheimer’s Board and Care Cottage.
4. You need a basket on your walker to carry your candy bag.
5. Your grandchildren don’t want to be seen on the same side of the street as you.
6. You’ve beat the neighbor’s dog with your cane because he stole your goodie bag.
7. You request high-fiber candy instead of a Mars bar.
8. You return home to the wrong house.
9. You want to keep the wig after Halloween is over because it reminds you of your hippie days.
10. By the end of the night, you have a bag full of restraining orders.

Burnout is common among ministry leaders. Self care is not something taught in Bible college.

A pastor works 24/7. He cannot refuse to minister to his congregation, nor can he refer people to another church when he feels over extended. Other professions often limit clients and refer folks to other providers, but not a pastor. Most emergencies require a pastor to be in attendance right away regardless of his office hours.

Folks in ministry cannot afford to get out-of-town on the weekend because their work involves their attendance at weekend services. Many have spouses who work in other fields and cannot take time off in the middle of the week. Plus, escaping the pressure usually involves finances that may be minimal on a pastor’s salary.

In her book, Mad Church Disease, Overcoming the Burnout Epidemic, Anne Jackson points out that burnout happens to Christians all over the world regardless of their age or position in leadership. In surveying over 900 people serving in churches, Anne found that “almost every person who completed the questionnaire said the stress form ministry had affected them either emotionally (most common were feelings of worthlessness, depression, anxiety, anger, or loneliness) or physically (most common problems were insomnia, headaches, stomach problems, heart issues, weight gain, or inflammation).”

When stress is not addressed in a healthy manner, it leads to burnout. Unattended, the buildup of stress in our lives can destroy us, our families, and our ministries. “I would rather burn out than rust out,” may have sounded wise to the preachers of the 20th century, but neither burning out or rusting out is a wise prescription for the 21st century.

A sabbatical can provide needed rest, reflection, and counseling. Most of all, a sabbatical allows a ministry leader to reconnect with the God who called him or her into ministry in the first place–the God who calls us to come to him and find rest.

We found the God of Rest during our sabbatical on a cruise ship, in coffee shops, in days that had no agenda, in the laughter of family and friends, and in the quiet hours discussing our thoughts with him alone.

Are you in some form of ministry? What are you doing to provide self care for yourself and for those who serve with you in ministry? How might a church consider a sabbatical as part of a self care package for those who serve among them?