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What is a sabbatical?  In an academic setting like a college or university, professors are released from regular responsibilities for further study and research.  But the concept of a sabbatical is rooted in ancient Israel and God’s prescription of rest.  God commanded His people to rest one day in seven – on the “Sabbath” (Exodus 20:8-10).  There was also a sabbatical year in which fields were left uncultivated one year in seven.  As a pastor, I am very thankful that I could spend May and June pursuing rest, refreshment, and retooling.  It was a time for new discoveries and important reminders.  Much of my study and learning came through personal reading, podcasts, or videos.  I also I “attended” two online training sessions offered by the Transitional Leadership Network.  The TLN is a ministry that supports pastors to help churches through a pastoral transition.  Obviously, Cornerstone is not facing such a situation.  However, over the seven years I have served at Cornerstone, we have gone through three significant transitions:  from temporary pastor to my leadership;  from the pandemic to new realities;  and from renting facilities to a home of our own.

In light of this, I found the workshops helpful for reflecting on how God has led us and where He is leading us in the future.  The first workshop highlighted the fact that anyone serving in a church must be utterly dependent upon God’s work.  Transitional ministry means asking the right questions to create the best possibility for discovering God’s future for a congregation.  When walking through any change in a church it is very helpful to apply William Bridge’s three-stage model of transition, processing each stage fully:  (a) ending and letting go;  (b) neutral zone;  (c) new beginning.  Without clarifying these stages, change can be overwhelming.  Handled well, there are rich rewards God will teach us through times of transition.

Another important truth for me was the fact that ministry always involves building upon another’s work.  In John 4:35-38 Jesus said, “reap that for which you have not labored…enter into their labor”.  If we really grasp this, it is both humbling and freeing.  It is essential to remember that God alone empowers us to work together as teammates to fully serve a congregation to the glory of God and the good of the people.

Chuck R. Swindoll has long been one of my “mentors at a distance”.  During the sabbatical I viewed two lectures he delivered to students at Dallas Theological Seminary.  His text was I Timothy 4:15-16 where Church leaders are given two realms of responsibility:  “take heed to yourself…and to your teaching”.  What a vital reminder this was for me.  It is essential to have diligence and discipline in ministry.  We are commanded, “take pains with these things” (v.15) and “persevere in these things” (v.16).  There are twin, inseparable responsibilities of character and capability in ministry.  There must never be a disconnection between skill and character.  Swindoll cautioned the students, “seminary academicizes the faith.”  This brought to mind John Piper’s words, “the professionalization of the ministry is a constant threat to the offense of the gospel.  It is a threat to the profoundly spiritual nature of our work…The world sets the agenda of the professional man; God sets the agenda of the spiritual man.  The strong wine of Jesus Christ explodes the wineskins of professionalism.” (Brothers, We Are Not Professionals, John Piper, Broadman & Holman, 2002, 4)

Without the mercy and grace of Christ operative in our lives, any ministry activity can be a minefield!  Paul Tripp has effectively explained this to a current generation of pastors.  “The ministry you are doing is never just shaped by your gifts, knowledge, skill, and experience.  It is always also shaped by the true condition of your heart.” (Dangerous Calling, Crossway, 2012, 120)  Over a hundred years ago, B. B. Warfield challenged students training for ministry at Princeton:  “It is your great danger. But it is your great danger only because it is your great privilege. Think of what your privilege is when your greatest danger is that the great things of religion may become common to you!” (Princeton Theological Seminary, October 4, 1911)  I am so thankful for this time of sabbatical.  It was a time of fresh discovery and vital reminders that by God’s grace alone I have been called to the great privilege of living the life of Jesus, and sharing that life with others.