Phil & Julie Do Sabbatical
Julie and I begin a three month sabbatical from the start of May through to the end of July. This is something that we have been planning for a couple of years in response to a clear sense from the Lord that this should mark a new season of life for us and for the lovely church we lead. Some have been asking; ‘so what is a Sabbatical?’ so here is a quick overview. It is rooted in the biblical principles of ‘Sabbath’. Sabbath is the (weekly) rhythm of rest built into the creation story and echoed by the instructions in Leviticus and Exodus that every seven years the land was to be given a year of rest and remain ‘fallow’ to recover its nutrients. Our understanding of healthy rhythms of weekly Sabbaths and seasonal Sabbaticals are that they are a time to STOP and ask: what do I need to do to really cease from all my work? To REST and ask what kind of things will enable me to rest during this break? To DELIGHT and ask what will replenish my soil and fill me with energy, and to del