Word of the week - Sabbatical

“Jesus said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. "So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” Mark 2:27-28

Last weekend we celebrated our firm’s 20th Anniversary (see Word of Week message from last week below on Celebration) by hosting a 3-day retreat at Pursell Farms with our team, their spouses, and close friends of the firm.  The weekend culminated with a Gala celebration on Saturday evening that included a wonderful dinner followed by a celebration presentation, which highlighted the story of Founders in four short videos about our History, Culture, and Future, along with a Lighthearted look inside Founders.  You can watch the videos by clicking the blue links.  It was an amazing and memorable time together with friends and family.  These are some of the special moments of life that are so sweet as we take time out to count our blessings and give thanks for what God has done in our lives.

Tomorrow, I begin a 12-week Sabbatical (so my “Word of the Week” messages may be spotty over the next 12-weeks as I am breaking from my routine).  I am excited about this time of extended Sabbath and grateful that I am blessed with an amazing team at Founders who can carry the load while I am away.  By the way, part of the concept of Sabbath is intentionally planning and preparing for your time of rest.  I have worked over the past 10 years to build a team and business that is not dependent upon me.  Encouraged by my Pastor Chris Hodges who introduced me to this concept, I took my first Sabbatical 10-years ago after we celebrated our firm’s 10th Anniversary.  It was a meaningful experience for me that I believe changed the trajectory of my life, family, and business.  I was close to burning out and it was exactly what I needed to recharge. The closest thing I had done to a Sabbatical up to that point was take a 2-week vacation with my family when I was 40 years old.  I remember that during the second week of my vacation I reached a state of rest that I could not remember experiencing since I had become an adult. Life slowed to a pace where I was hyper present and content, it was amazing! 

Sabbatical is defined as a rest or break from work; an extended period or time intentionally spent on something that is not your routine job.  A sabbatical is typically longer than a two-week vacation.  This longer period gives us time to unwind, settle in, and recover both physically and mentally from our regular routines.  It is essentially an extended time of Sabbath.  The following is a “Word of the Week” I shared on Sabbath and its benefits.  You may not be in a position to take a Sabbatical, but we all have the opportunity to observe the Sabbath each week.  I can assure you that your life will be healthy, and more enjoyable if you practice the Sabbath. 

The principal of Sabbath seems to be misunderstood by most.  As the 4th of the10 great commandments, many of us associate it with the old covenant and see it as a constraining and legalistic religious tradition from Jewish custom.  Or, we simply believe it is a day to attend church, which should be a major part of our Sabbath. The truth, as stated in Mark 2:27 above is that Jesus gave us the Sabbath for our own good and health. 

The Sabbath is for our us and our health - Since God actually designed and created mankind, He understands what is best for us and desires only the best for His sons and daughters.  In Exodus 20:8-11 God makes a clear connection to the Sabbath day by modeling it for us in the Creation story “on the seventh day God the Creator rested”.  Sabbath observance therefore involves the affirmation that God is Creator and Sustainer of the world.  If God needed a day off to rest surely we would benefit from doing the same.   

Observing Sabbath is an act of Faith – It seems pretty simple, if we really Trust God for who He is we will Trust that He is our provider and we can rest in Him.  He makes it clear that we are here on earth to glorify Him and serve others through our work and being productive, adding value to this world.  We should work heartily at all we do with passion and vigor.  “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters”, Colossians 3:23. But God is so amazing and good that He did not create us to be production machines; He created us for soulful fellowship with Him and His creation. He truly desires us to be healthy and enjoy the blessings of life.  Since He is our Maker, He knows we need time away from the day to day grind of life to recharge and be refreshed spiritually, physically, mentally and emotionally, even if we love our work. 

Sabbath is beginning the week with faith, trust and rest so we can start our week rested and refreshed - We all need space between us and our work or else we run the risk of burnout, not to mention the fact that we are more productive and creative when we take time away to recreate and recharge. This is the principal and gift of Sabbath.  To cease from our work to simply rest in knowing God.  To honor God by putting our faith in action by demonstrating we trust God and desire to set apart one day a week, typically the first day, to refocus your energy and attention on Him and those closest to us.  Most Christians who observe the Sabbath on Sunday because that is the day they are off of work but the Sabbath is not necessarily a specific day of the week.  For some like pastors who have to work on Sunday, they make other days of the week their Sabbath. 

Personal Testimony - For years it was very hard for me to do this but over that last 10 plus years I have made it a priority in my life each week.  I begin my Sabbath at 5:30pm on Saturday and end it at 5:30pm on Sunday.  I found that it is important for me to spend some time on Sunday evenings preparing for the week, so I have adjusted my weekend to ensure I get a full 24 hours of true rest/time away from work.  Since I love being productive this is not always easy for me, but it has been a blessing to my life and my family.  I literally try not to think about my work/business during this time and surely don’t engage in emails or correspondence unless it is an emergency.  You would not believe how much God has blessed me over the past 10 plus years.  My life health meter is running at the highest level ever and I believe it is largely due to the principal of Sabbath (margin).   

If you are not already doing so, I encourage you to take one 24 hour day of your week and make it your Sabbath by not engaging in your day to day work/job.  Instead of working spend your time fellowshipping with the Lord, your family and other believers (Church and more) enjoying praise and worship, prayer, bible reading and just hanging out with family.  Enjoy great meals with family.  Take a long walk with your wife, kids or good friend.  Spend time doing things that refresh you and bring energy like playing golf, pickle ball or taking a jog.

If you really want to experience Sabbath rest, plan an extended time of Sabbath and see what God will do when you rest in faith.

Shalom!!!

P.S. – Over the next 12 weeks I am limiting access to email and technology.  If you really need me you can email or call Katie Burns and she will deliver the message.   

-Duane