Recently I finished a time of sabbatical.  It was about giving my soul a quiet place.  Being still. Reading the Word. Listening.

Every four years, missionaries with Campus Crusade are allowed 30 days to step away for spiritual renewal.  Although I knew I had this rare privilege, this is the first time in 18 years with CCCI that I’ve taken advantage of it.  I followed the advice of Ken Cochrum and others who gave excellent tips for planning a successful sabbatical.

Two Things I learned:

These hardly seem radical.  Basically, it was just really good to be reminded of some key things.

#1  Rest is a very good thing

God invented rest.  Not because He needs it, but because He knows we do.  I had to convince myself that it’s ok to radically step away from the hectic pace of life.  Yes, it required planning.  In my case I had to postpone a few projects I was working on and hand off others work to coworkers.  The Lord provided space and time to read His Word and rest.  Those were the two things I did at...

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From my back porch: Today I’m writing my first post/tweet/FB status update in over a month. The mallards and sandhill cranes that nestle on the pond behind our home don’t seem to notice I’ve been offline. This is day #29 of my sabbatical and I’m feeling pretty dialed in to nature.

The verdict is in: Sabbatical works. With only two days left, I feel refreshed, restored and eager to reengage. If you’re considering a sabbatical anytime soon, here are some of my takeaways:

1. Intentionally break your routine on Day #1. At the advice of two close friends, on Monday, March 1st I packed a small overnight bag and checked into the Canterbury Episcopal Retreat Center about 10 miles from my home. Just one night and two full days. This provided the clean break and a mental ‘reset’ button to help me escape the pull of gravity around my home. I took long prayer walks on the grounds. I fell asleep on a bench in the sun. I packed a few books on Contemplative Prayer, a topic I had been eager to learn more about but ‘never ...

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Sabbath, noun, a period of rest.

For the past 15 years I have enjoyed what I call “distance leadership” roles. Ministering over geographic and cultural distance taps into my gifts and passions. It also demands a lot of travel and emotional energy.

In 2002 a number of challenges led to me to begin taking a regular weekly Sabbath. My goal was simple: no email, no phone, and no wristwatch for 24 hours each week. Since that time I’d say I’ve averaged about 35-40 good Sabbaths each year. Not perfect, but definitely profitable. I’ve also managed to squeeze in one or two “mini-sabbatical” weeks each year which have been devoted to reading, reflection and prayer.

Last August the Lord showed me that my soul needs to take an extended rest from ministry. There’s a subtle temptation, almost unnoticeable, that creeps in when one is constantly positioned to help others enjoy Jesus: we can stop enjoying Jesus for ourselves. When this happens we can be in danger of drying up as a branch, or worse, losing o...

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