What Is a Sabbatical?

I have heard someone say that “We are human beings and not human doings,” yet so many of us believe that life is about what we accomplish and achieve. In our culture and busy world, so many people are addicted to busyness, and I have to admit, Church, that I was one of them. The adversary is indeed crafty and will have you believe that there is necessity in busyness so that you'll be so lost that you miss the fact that it's God's love that holds it all together. I want to talk with you about what a sabbatical is, my history with busyness, and what I've found so far.

When looking at the etymology of the word, sabbatical comes from the Hebrew word Shabbat (Sabbaton in Greek), which quite literally means “to stop.” It is a word that is used around 111 times in the Hebrew Bible. We see in Genesis 2:2-3 NKJV:

“[2] And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. [3] Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.”

From creation, God instituted this concept and even commanded it of His people. Some will say that this was one of the Ten Commandments and that we should no longer keep it. That's fine if you hold that view, though it be a misguided one. I'll briefly explain why. Look at the Ten Commandments below 👇🏿. Which one do we no longer observe?

None of them! Remember, Jesus came to fulfill the Law, not abolish it. Jesus set the standard higher! Now, the boundary is no longer just not to murder; I won’t even think evil of my fellow image bearer. The boundary is no longer simply adultery; I will not even look upon someone to dishonor them as not being human within my heart. And the same goes for the Sabbath. If not more now than then, we must understand that there needs to be a time when we stop our regular doings. When we stop, we set aside time for intimacy with God and others we love, we rest in God, we have the opportunity to let go of things that stress us out, and we recognize that it is not us that does anything, and that God keeps the world going around. In the Hebrew Bible, they recognized the Shabbat on the seventh day, and many Jewish people still recognize this. In our culture today, many professors and clergy have taken on a sabbatical practice within their areas of study. They have a period of seven years dedicated to their work, and then they are allowed a year of revitalization. They spend that year as a reset for the purpose of returning with renewed vitality. The leadership at Avenue G has decided to grant me a sabbatical for a period of one quarter, which began in the first week of July.

Our first worship service @ Ave G

If some of you can remember, I came back to serve God in the Temple area around the fall of 2016. At that time, I was only filling in to preach to a body of about a dozen people. I would eventually be asked to be the full-time minister, and it was during that time that my bout with busyness would begin. I was not only preaching but developing Bible classes and small groups, a mission statement (People of More), going to school in Austin, working a full-time job, while also having a family. In the Spring of 2017, we would get a building, and then the busyness was amplified. I was now the preacher, youth minister, janitor, IT guy, etc. And on top of all that, I was working multiple jobs. I felt as though doing this was my service to the Kingdom. I believed the lie from the adversary in the back of my mind that my busyness was my worth. I had somehow been deceived into believing that what I did and the amount I was doing was tantamount to my righteousness. Fast forward to 2023, and I am dealing with anxiety attacks, have worked multiple jobs for about six or seven years, and the COVID year did me no favors. But I learned through my MDiv coursework about Spiritual Disciplines and saw that I had a problem. I did not have enough faith to allow God to be God, and I had a skewed view of what being a servant meant. I learned that God was not solely concerned with my soul, but our God was concerned with holistic salvation! He cares about my whole being, and that includes my body.

I began considering asking about a sabbatical in 2024 (7 years in the Ave G Building), as I was just about to break down. I did not think that it would be considered, but I asked, and God moved hearts to allow it. Since this time for revitalization, I have found many things that I will share with you at another time in the future. But one has been the ability to be poured into. So far on sabbatical, I have reclaimed the ability to “BE.” I have been poured into by different ministers like Scott Meyer and Kris DarDar. My most recent experience came at the East Pointe Church of Christ, where Kris DarDar is minister. When I walked into that place, I found that the people were moved by the Spirit! There were no clock watchers and order keepers; the service was honestly moved by the Spirit. From the songs, Communion, collection, sermon, and even the greeting within the sanctuary, there was room allowed for the Spirit to guide the leaders to minister to the whole congregation. While there, I heard a word from God about the Spirit that dwelt within me. I heard from God that if I am a Temple of God and He dwells in me, there is nothing more that I must DO. My doing does not equate to my holiness. God told me to value my Temple, keep it holy, and do not destroy it. Rest assured, I will practice my craft and gift (Teaching & Preaching) while away but rest assured that God is doing a great work at this moment within me and my family. I will share more findings along the way as I better form my writings and thoughts. Lord willing, I will be back with you all on September 29th, 2024!

In Brotherly Love,

C.W. Stephens