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 our First Love. To combat this condition, most missions organizations provide for regular sabbaticals to refresh one’s soul. It might help to think of this period as an athlete looks at off-season. In off-season, athletes continue to work out and to cross-train, but their bodies enjoy a break from intense competition. It’s a chance for the body to recover and for the mind to gain new perspectives on its craft.
Campus Crusade offers senior staff members one month of sabbatical for every four years served. Stunningly, very few people take this gift. We talk about how we long for rest, but we’re too busy to take it.
In his eternal wisdom, God has provided for us regular periods of rest. It began with creation (“on the seventh day, God rested from his work.”) It continues throughout Scripture. Here are a few passages of the many that highlight our need for regular celebration and rest:
- See! The Lord has given you the Sabbath. (Exodus 16:29)
- Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. (Exodus 20:8)
- Be still, and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10)
- And Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. (Mark 2:27)
- So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. (Hebrews 4:9)
- Draw near to God, he will draw near to you. (James 4:8)
In March I will be taking a one-month Sabbatical. My goal is simple: To draw near to Jesus in fresh, unhindered ways so I can experience fresh power and fruitfulness in the next season of ministry.
This is a HUGE step of faith for me at this time. For the next 31 days I will not be answering any work-related email or phone calls. No ministry-related travel. No meetings. No trips to the office. Nothing. Nada. Everything has been placed in the capable hands of my Lord and my team. I am fairly confident the world will continue to spin without my help.
It requires faith to believe God works even when we don’t. I’ve learned that in Scripture, and in life, Sabbath is not so much a day off, but a day with. It’s a time to be with the Lord and with special people who restore our passion for living and loving well.
As the Lord prompts you, would you pray for me during March? Pray those verses above for me. Ask that Jesus would give me the discipline to wean myself from work, from Facebook and Twitter, and from other cultural white noise that clutters my soul. Pray that my Father the Vinedresser would prune me so that I could bear much more fruit. Ask that I would return on April 1 like Moses, whose face shone after he had been with God.
Thanks, and feel free to take the rest of the day off.
Suggested resources: The Rest of God by Mark Buchanan and Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership by Ruth Haley Barton.
Love. Humility. Zeal. Knowledge.
These four words provided stepstones for my personal development path in 2009. They came to me during an extended day with the Lord in June, a day when I was asking Jesus what specific areas he wanted me to pursue for the next season of my life. So, over the past half year most of my close friends know that I’ve been hovering around these four ideas, seeking insight on their implications for my own growth, service and leadership. What follows is a snapshot of what I’m learning.
LOVE. Some time ago a mentor asked me “Where do you want to grow, Ken?” I replied: Soft people skills. The next time we were together he brought that up, saying, “Ken, you know, in Christian leadership there’s no such thing as soft people skills. It’s called LOVE.” Jesus spoke often of love. So did Peter and Paul. Love one another, we are urged. Greater love has no one than this, that she lay down his life for her friends. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude; it does not seek its own. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. Make every effort to add to your faith… love. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Love your neighbor as yourself… and so on.
I spend an inordinate amount of time in various leadership settings around the world. It pains me to say that if we made podcasts of all of these discussions and played them back, we wouldn’t hear the word “love” pop up nearly as frequently as we’d like to think. If three of the world’s greatest spiritual leaders spoke so often of love, I should definitely pay more attention to this. For me this means forgiving people more readily when their mistakes cost me time, extra effort or loss of face. It means growing in p a t i e n c e. It means constantly depending on the Holy Spirit for discernment on when I should intervene as a leader and when I should allow others’ decisions to play out over time. I am usually too quick to rush to judgment or leap in to save. Yep. Still learning, still growing here.
Next up: HUMILITY.
Lord, you are God and there is no other.
This morning’s rising sun declares your glory and reminds me of your Word and your Spirit. Nothing is hidden from their light and heat.
You are compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness and truth. I am so glad that you are God and I am not.
Lord, I feel compressed. The pressures, the demands, the expectations of my leadership role squeeze me like a vise. This is a high season of ministry to others. You have led me to make commitments: to travel, to speak, to observe, to listen, to coach, to serve, to support others in their high calling of following you. I have been careful to seek your leading for each commitment. Now it’s game time. No one else understands or can fully appreciate the path I must walk for the next two months… except for you. Lord, take me by the hand and lead me. I am your trusting child. Help me fulfill my commitments and bear fruit that glorifies your name.
Lord, I feel tension. Like everyone else, I experience tensions between being and doing, people and production, cause and community, quantity and quality, running hard and resting in you. Your servant captures my heartfelt sentiments:
There is the tension between the need for organizational hierarchy with all the power dynamics this creates and the mutuality and inter-dependence of life in community to which we as Christians are called. There is the tension of knowing how to “work the system” and entering into trustworthy relationships characterized by trust and a commitment to one another’s well-being. There is the tension between the need for an easy discipleship process through which we can efficiently herd lots of people and the patient, plodding and ultimately mysterious nature of the spiritual transformation process. And then there is the challenge of knowing how to speak of these things in fruitful ways inside places of power without becoming polarized in our relationships with one another.
Compression and tension. Aren’t those the same two opposing forces that allow architects to erect their masterpieces of concrete and steel? Is not this dynamic interaction the source of strength for the human body, with the skeleton allowing for compression while the muscles and sinews work in tension? Does not the studied, disciplined training of these opposing forces allow the athlete to gracefully run and jump? The painter to draw out the most delicate brushstrokes from the palette? The musician to ply and pluck her notes with power and sensitivity?
Ah, yes, Lord. They are one and the same. My soul resonates with the song of your servant David:
For who is God, but the Lord?
and who is a rock, except our God?
The God who equipped me with strength
and made my way blameless.
He made my feet like the feet of a deer
and set me secure on the heights.
He trains my hands for war,
so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
Bring it on, Lord! Today awaits us!
Sources: Ruth Haley Barton’s Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership, Psalm 18:31-34
Tagged as:
prayer
I confess I began Twittering one month ago as a skeptic. My felt need for more info about more people doing more stuff was pretty low. But, as I mentioned here, I decided to give it a try for 30 days. I’m glad I did. Here are five reasons why:
1. I learn a lot, very quickly, from good tweeters. Several @johnpiper tweets have provoked questions that resonated all day long. My brother-in-law @garunn posts very insightful links. There is more actual value per tweet than I find in most emails or in Facebook. Good tweeters engage others using @angelamaiers’ 70-20-10 rule.
2. It’s manageable. The ease of this surprised me. I can turn off the faucet of information whenever I want. Also, I use TweetDeck which makes it super easy to scan, filter, save and reply to tweets. I like that I can update my Facebook status without being at the computer. Oddly enough, life feels a bit more integrated. @stephnannen recently posted her fellow skeptic’s insights on her excellent blog. If you’re drowning in tweets, see 10 Tips For Managing Twitter As Your Usage Increases.
3. It’s customizable. You can choose to receive text updates from everyone, no one, or just two people (as I’ve chosen to do).
4. It inspires good writing. Seriously. To communicate something of value in only 140 characters is a mix of art and science. Clear writing is a sign of clear thinking.
5. Friends help me solve problems. Case in point: After 12 years with the Palm OS (currently on a Treo) I’ve been trying to decide on moving to a new smartphone platform. But which one would best suit my needs? I researched the blogs, watched the ads, and Googled the reviews. It’s a big investment in my time, energy and money to make a move. I estimate I spent 10-15 hours on this decision over the past few weeks.
Enter Twitter.
Yesterday I sent the following tweet from my phone (which automatically posted to FB) at 10:10 a.m.:
pondering switching from Treo to Pre or iphone. Since i live in outlook, my device *must* sync tasks & notes. what device drives you & why?
By 11:10 a.m. I had received more than a dozen substantial, informative responses (both in Facebook and in Tweetdeck). The best info came from @travistodd who is 10,000 miles away in Asia.
By dinner time I had enough relevant info based on personal user experiences of trusted friends to make an informed decision with confidence. (I’m going with the iPhone.)
These days it takes a Tribe.
Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing…. If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it shall be done for you. Jesus in John 15
I have a confession to make—we’re a Facebook family. Not that we’re online all the time, but that is one of many avenues we use (in addition to texting, Skype video calls, and — decreasingly — email) to stay connected, keep up with one other, share pictures and stay in touch. With Travis away in college and me frequently traveling, we long to share life as it happens.
Recently Ann and I took a weekend away to assess how we were doing at connecting with the Lord, with each other and with friends. Jesus impressed upon me, or shall I say invited me, to deepen my times with him through memorizing Scripture again and devoting myself more fully to prayer. Abiding is all about staying connected to the true Source. As a result I’m enjoying a renewed zeal for Christ and genuine, loving interest in others.
One of my specific requests was for new non-CCC friendships. Guys need time to do stuff together, shoulder to shoulder. Frequent travel and other responsibilities mitigate against this. Neither sitting in church nor sipping lattes provides the anvil upon which lifelong guy friendships are forged. But the Lord in his goodness has inundated me with new connections in the past four weeks: neighbors, businessmen in the city, visitors staying in our home, and a tightly knit men’s prayer group on Monday mornings. God answers prayer.
“If…” the conditions are met, ask whatever you wish. What are you asking for?
Tagged as:
prayer
Our old bathroom had two rooms: one for vanities, the other a toilet and tub.
Dark and confining. Functional not inviting.
Cheap white tile and brown stick-on linoleum,
green walls, pickled cabinets, bisque porcelain.
Displeasing dissonance. All must go.
Potential: Could it be better? Brighter?
An afternoon with Jack, Travis and a reciprocating saw begins a radical transformation.
The right tools make the job much easier.
Demolition brings dust and splinters and draws some blood.
Ominous stains lurking behind the tub, the stubborn wall -
they fought hard but they’re gone now.
Brokenness: Things must get worse before they get better.
Virgin wall board, stylish tile, fresh paint, polished granite, new hardware.
Color. Space. Light. Life.
Restoration and Invitation: Come on in and stay awhile.
My heart has two personas: one for my vanities, one that longs to be clean.
Anger and love. Competition and compassion.
Functional but not always inviting.
Stubborn habits, selfish ambitions, proud defenses, carnal passions.
My talents, my dreams, my experiences, my strengths,
me, me, me, me.
Displeasing dissonance. All must go.
Potential: Could it be better? Brighter?
An afternoon with Jesus on the cross begins a radical transformation.
The Roman tool of punishment makes the job much easier.
Death brings dust and splinters and draws much blood.
Ominous stains of my sin, my stubborn will -
they fought hard but have been crucified.
Brokenness: Things must get worse before they get better.
True faith, fresh hope, pure love, new freedom.
Color. Space. Light. Life.
Restoration and Invitation: Come on in and stay awhile.
klc, 3/09
Tagged as:
brokenness,
transformation
In January 2003 I became a man of prayer. It happened in this way….
A few days before Christmas I had received an urgent phone call. A last-minute cancellation provided an opportunity to teach a week-long class on the Pentateuch to a handful of national staff members living in a creative-access country. I had another fairly consuming day job and I would only have a week to prepare. We’d be going six mornings in a row, 8-noon in class, with afternoons open for assignments and evenings dedicated to fellowship and tutoring. Duty and my need for a fresh challenge called, so I accepted.
As is often the case in creative-access contexts, we met in a walled, secluded compound about an hour outside of the city. It was freezing cold – outside and inside. We needed to maintain a very low profile. Once inside the gate, there would be no coming or going for the week. No email. Splotchy cell phone use. Self-imposed isolation. Instant monk.
The first two days I felt antsy. After teaching in the morning and sharing lunch with the students, I had nothing to do while they studied in the long, bitterly cold afternoons. I napped. I read. I cranked through my email backlog. As God would have it, John Piper’s excellent, practical sermon entitled “Be Devoted To Prayer” made it into my inbox before the communication blackout. God had also been working in my heart over the past few weeks in conversations and articles I’d read, creating a deep longing – a yearning – to bring far more of myself and my burdens before him in prayer.
So I began to pray. I discovered that the more I prayed the more I enjoyed it.
Free and Formed. Desperate and Delighted. Explosive and Extended. I had always carried a prayer list for my family, my team, key issues, etc, but something new occurred to me. At the time my team was responsible for overseeing ministry efforts in over 100 locations by teams from a dozen countries. I was learning distance leadership skills. I knew I could never personally visit each team. But I sensed the Lord saying: “Ken, I am an expert at leading over distance. And there is no reason that you cannot personally pray for every one of these people, name by name, on a regular basis. Bring them before me.”
So my personal development plan for 2003 was forged. The plan was very simple. Every Thursday morning from 4 – 6 am I would rise, open the Bible, and read until the Spirit impressed me with a passage. I would open my laptop, load our database, and simply pray that passage into the life of every person and team across our ministry. Some days it felt a little like a chore. Most days I felt a sense of peace, relief, and increased confidence that God was at work and everything was going to be all right. What surprised me was the increased levels of energy and awareness – my sensitivities to all other areas of the ministry began to grow, as did my love for people. At the end of that year, I remember thinking “Why haven’t I been doing this more often?”
Now I have a different job with a broader scope. God is beckoning me to become a man of prayer…again.
“There is no better way to learn about prayer than by praying… It is good to debate the mysteries of prayer, to ponder the profundities of prayer, to learn the methods of prayer. It is better to pray.” — Richard Foster
Tagged as:
prayer
