Settling into Sabbatical

Wilderness Journals #4

A series by Sarah Yardley

Settling into Sabbatical Entering Deep Rest

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I am a Californian based in Cornwall who loves Jesus, family and friends, feasting and travel, long walks and deep conversations. I have lived in the UK since 2014, inviting people to know and love Jesus in Cornwall. I wrote a short book called More> Change, write for Lectio 365 with 247 Prayer, and pray as a Canon of Truro Cathedral. I love discovering what it means to follow Jesus and inviting others to know and follow Him. Gifts enable me to continue to live with generosity in my community, writing, and calling to share the love of Jesus.

Sarah Yardley

Settling into Sabbatical And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

Exodus 33:14

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Settling into Sabbatical I’ve been captivated by the ancient modern idea of sabbatical; to rest from our work to simply be with Jesus. It’s been resurrected in a number of ways and places; this is an intensively practical resource to companion those who are planning a time of sabbatical.

I took my first sabbatical in 2020; it was 5 months long, my first intentional time of rest after twenty years in ministry and leadership. I entered that time of rest during the year of great upheaval, the time when all the cards were tossed up into the air and plans were reset every week.

Originally, I set myself all kinds of goals and activities. One of my mentors reminded me that’s outrageous to work so hard during a time set aside for rest. So I reset to three very simple guidelines: 1.Be with Jesus.

2.Turn off my email, cell phone, social media for at least the first two months.

3.Choose life-giving activities.

These three are enough. If you have any sort of real-life commitment, you’ll still need to do laundry, wash dishes, simply be present to your house and companions during a time of sabbatical.

Following that first time of intentional rest, I noticed a few additional reminders that I found helpful.

The pages of this guide are designed to companion and set guidelines for those who are entering a time of sabbatical rest, to create a framework or home for your time of breathing deep to be with Jesus.

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Centering on Sabbatical Read Deeply

Love Friends

First, if you are a reader, choose a few lifegiving books to read slowly and reflectively. I highly recommend: The Psalms The Art of Pastoring by David Hansen Sacred Fire by Ronald Rohlheiser Anything by Henri Nouwen

Fourth, spend time with people who will restore your soul. During my first sabbatical, I spent a few days with several sets of lifelong friends who were key in speaking grace and wisdom over my life.

Lean Into Rest Second fight against the feeling that you’re not doing enough. I struggled with Christian kid guilt right up to the last few days of sabbatical.

Lean into rest. This time is an invaluable gift.

Stay Active Third, lean into good activities. I ended up hiking the Cornwall Coast, writing a book and a half, climbing Kilimanjaro, learning a few new skills. None of these were my aim in entering sabbatical, but they were the natural overflow of an unhurried life.

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Finish Well Finally, schedule an end of sabbatical retreat.

Pete Hughes gave me this bit of wisdom, which was hugely significant for my time to finish well.

I’m writing this guide as I prepare to embark on a short sabbatical, a time from October to December 2024 focused on a more specific discernment and transition period.

One of the greatest joys for me has been to rediscover my identity as beloved during times of intentional sabbatical rest. Breathe deep. Be with Jesus. We are so loved.

An Unhurried Pace We have, of course, much to teach and much to get done, but our primary task is to be. The primary language of the cure of souls, therefore, is conversation and prayer. Being a pastor means learning to use language in which personal uniqueness is enhanced and individual sanctity recognized and respected. It is a language that is unhurried, unforced, unexcited — the leisurely language of friends and lovers, which is also the language of prayer.

Excerpt from: "The Contemplative Pastor: Returning to the Art of Spiritual Direction" by Eugene H. Peterson.

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In the end, a life of prayer is a life with open hands—a life where we are not ashamed of our weaknesses but realize that it is more perfect for us to be led by the Other than to try to hold everything in our own hands.

Only within this kind of life does a spoken prayer make sense. A prayer in church, at table, or in school is only a witness to what we want to make of our entire lives. Such a prayer reminds us that praying is living and it invites us to make this an ever-greater reality. Thus, there are as many ways to pray as there are moments in life. Sometimes we seek out a quiet spot and want to be alone; sometimes we look for a friend and want to be together. Sometimes we like a book; sometimes we prefer music. Sometimes we want to sing out with hundreds, sometimes only whisper with a few.

Sometimes we want to say it with words, sometimes with a deep silence.

In all these moments, we gradually make our lives more of a prayer and we open our hands to be led

by God, even to the places we would rather not go.

Excerpt from: "With Open Hands" by Henri J. M. Nouwen.

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How to Sabbatical Arrange the Time

My first sabbatical was arranged in partnership with my trustees; the upcoming sabbatical is time for a full reset. I’ve been planning towards it for 14 months; clearing my schedule, saying many no’s so I can say the greater yes, releasing space to be with Jesus.

Clearly Communicate

Use the most common, easy language to simply say to friends, colleagues, companions, that this will be a time of withdrawal in order to create the space to love well in the next chapters.

Arrange the Time

My first sabbatical was arranged in partnership with my trustees; the upcoming sabbatical is time for a full reset. I’ve been planning towards it for 14 months; clearing my schedule, saying many no’s so I can say the greater yes, releasing space to be with Jesus.

Retreat Relentlessly

Whether you go on a retreat or simply hide away, be with Jesus. The UK has endless Christian retreat centres, but any place can be a place for your soul to be happily hidden with God. A few of the many UK options: https://www.reviewmyretreat.com/christianretreats-uk

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Tend the Wounds

From Invitation to Retreat by Ruth Haley Barton Strategic withdrawal captures the more positive connotations of the word retreat, namely, that there are times when the better part of wisdom in combat is to withdraw for good reasons— which can apply to us as well. There are times when we too need to pull back from the battle line in our own lives rather than continuing to fight the same battles in the same old ways. We need to pull back from our busyness, from life in our culture, from other people's expectations and our own compulsions, from whatever is not working in our lives.

The other thing that is true for those of us who have been walking with God for a long time is that all of us have either sustained real wounds in the battle of life or we're just plain tired.

Many of us just soldier on, hoping time will heal all things. But experience tells us that while time does stop the bleeding and heals our wounds, scar tissue often remains. While on the surface it might seem like all is well, a hardening has taken place; ironically, those tight, hurting places are tender and can flare with pain when touched in the wrong way by some unsuspecting soul. And there might be numb places where we cannot feel anything at all.

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GO DEEPER Books to Read

An Invitation to Retreat by Ruth Haley Barton The Peace of Wild Things by Wendell Berry The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer Sacred Rhythms by Ruth Haley Barton Sanctuary of the Soul by Richard Foster Questions to Go Deeper with Others 1. Where does it hurt?

2. What is bringing life?

3. What do you need prayer for?

Reflection “My deepest awareness of myself is that I am deeply loved by Jesus Christ and I have done nothing to earn it or deserve it.” ― Brennan Manning, The Ragamuffin Gospel

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