Special Focus Article

Christian Education Journal:

Research on Educational Ministry
A Theology of Rest: 2019, Vol. 16(1) 134—149
© The Author(s) 2019

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DOI: 10.1 177/07398913 18821 124
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Luisa J. Gallagher
Portland Seminary, Portland, Oregon, USA

Abstract
This article argues that a theology of rest is an essential component in the training of
ministry professionals. The practice of Sabbath rest is a balm for the contemporary
issues of emotional exhaustion, prolonged stress, and burnout that many full-time
and lay ministers experience during their ministry career. Developing a robust
theology of rest and Sabbath rhythm will equip ministry professionals to create
sacred space for God, contributing to longevity of ministry and holistic rest.

Keywords
Sabbath, Sabbath rhythm, rest, ministry, burnout

Introduction
An essential component of training ministry professionals and pastors towards
maturity in Christ is equipping ministers with a theology of rest and the practice
of Sabbath rhythm. The advent of new technology in today’s contemporary society
can easily fill our time and minds with noise and distractions. Even in the pursuit of
ministry work, societal norms often dictate an unhealthy form of harried overwork
and restlessness. Trappist monk Merton (1966) reminds us that unless work is
coupled with rest we cannot truly embody the Kingdom of God. In his words, “There
is a pervasive form of contemporary violence... [and that is] activism and over-
work... The frenzy of oiu activism neutralizes oiu work for peace. It destroys oiu
own inner capacity for peace. It destroys the fruitfulness of oiu own work, because it
kills the root of inner wisdom which makes work fruitful” (p. 73). Likewise, in Eccl.

Corresponding author:
Luisa J. Gallagher, Portland Seminary, 12753 SW 68th Ave #278, Portland, 97223, Oregon, USA.
Email: [email protected]
Gallagher 135

4:6, King Solomon stresses that working without rest is like chasing after the wind.
Similarly, engaging in ministry without a consistent Sabbath rhythm can undo the
spiritual work that ministers seek to accomplish.
Christian educators must train pastors and lay ministers to embrace the practice of
Sabbath rest with the same rigor that they adopt to prepare for the specific tasks and
functions of ministry. It is by encountering God in Sabbath rest that ministers and
believers alike are able to gain a balanced perspective on life and ministry. Adopting
a Sabbath rhythm enables ministers to pursue a right relationship with God and
others and assists individuals in reaching holistic health and longevity in ministry.
This article examines the effects of long-term stress in a ministry context. Addition-
ally, it explores a theology of rest, and ways in which to incorporate Sabbath
rhythms in Christian ministry. The following section considers the risks of pro-
longed stress and burnout among pastors and ministry professionals.

Prolonged stress and the risk of burnout

The British author Charles Dickens’ (1838/2014) depictions of factory work condi-
fions in nineteenth-century Victorian England elicit images of extreme poverty,
16-hour work days, illness, and early death (pp. 8-24). With the twentieth-century
post-industrial shift towards 40-hour working weeks, white-collar employment, and
medical benefits, it is easy to consider North American work environments to be
much improved. Current workplaces, however, still place an excessive amount of
pressure on staff. Employees are often expected to work beyond their allotted hours,
are repeatedly exposed to unhealthy work environments, and as such may suffer
from chronic stress. These work-related factors can lead to physical, mental and
emotional exhaustion, or burnout (Maslach & Leiter, 1997, p. 17; APA, 2017, n.p.).
Burnout is experienced at higher rates among the helping professions, including
pastors and lay ministers (Adams et ah, 2017, pp. 167-170). The implications of
burnout and prolonged stress among ministry professionals is far-reaching, affecting
pastors and lay leaders, their communities, and the Church at large. First, the general
effects of stress in the workplace will be highlighted followed by a description of the
signs of burnout.

Stress and burnout in the workplace

Stress is a significant outcome of the organizational climate in North American
workplaces. Thirty-six percent of North American employees state that they are
stressed out during the workday (APA, 2011, n.p.), while 88% of leaders note that
work is a primary source of stress (Campbell et al., 2007, p. 3). Indicators of work-
place stress include unrealistic job expectations, too heavy workloads, and long
hours (APA, 2011, n.p.). Increasingly, chronic stress is becoming a public health
crisis in the United States. In light of the political climate in the United States in
2016, North Americans mentioned experiencing at least one symptom of stress such
136 Christian Education Journal: Research on Educational Ministry 16(1)

as headaches (34%), feeling overwhelmed (33%), feeling anxious (33%), or

depressed (32%) (APA, 2017, n.p.). Nordal, APA director for professional practice,
noted:

We know that chronic stress can take a toll on a person’s health. It can make existing
health problems worse, and even cause disease, either because of changes in the body
or bad habits people develop to cope with stress. The bottom line is that stress can lead
to real physical and emotional health consequences. (APA, 2017, n.p.)

New generations of North Americans, millennials and gen-X employees in the

United States struggle with work-related stress and stress management at higher
rates than the boomer or mature generations (APA, 2012, n.p.). Stress, if allowed
to build unchecked, can easily lead to burnout.
Burnout is more than intermittent strain. Rather, it is prolonged, or chronic, stress
affecting one’s physical, emotional, and mental health. Maslach and Leiter (1997)
define burnout as:

The index of the dislocation between what people are and what they have to do. It
represents an erosion of values, dignity, spirit, and will—an erosion of the human soul.
It is a malady that spreads gradually and continuously over time, putting people into a
downward spiral from which it is hard to recover, (p. 17)

Burnout seems to flourish when the social environment and adverse conditions
are inappropriate. Maslach and Leiter (1997) offer the following reasons: people feel
overloaded, lack control over what they do, are not rewarded for their work, expe-
rience a breakdown in community, are not treated fairly, and are dealing with
conflicting values (p. 17). McCormack and Cotter (2013) point out that one may
recognize burnout if there are changes in behavior (e.g., withdrawal from people,
losing one’s temper, alteration of feeling and thinking patterns, and visible physical
changes causing decreased health) (pp. 17-21).
Likewise, side effects of burnout are real. Maslach and Jackson (1981) identify
“personal distress, including physical exhaustion, insomnia, increased use of alcohol
and drugs, and marital and family problems” (p. 100). Individuals experiencing
prolonged stress are often unable to function at healthy levels, as burnout can impact
physical, spiritual, emotional, and intellectual well-being.
Furthermore, in today’s organizational climate burnout thrives because increas-
ingly employers value the maximization of profit over the well-being of their per-
sonnel (Maslach & Leiter, 1997, pp. 1-5). This is not only a problem here in North
America, but it is a larger global issue, often interwoven in culture, values, and work
habits. For example, in Japan, burnout has had a devastating effect. Exhaustion has
become so prevalent there that the Japanese have created a new term for death
caused by overwork, karoshi (Morioka, 2004, p. 81). Among developing nations,
Japan has the highest working hours when including overtime hours, totaling to over
Gallagher 137

60 hours per week for male employees (Morioka, 2004, p. 81). According to the
National Police Agency in Japan, in 2015 over 2,000 suicides were linked to over-
work and work-related stress, termed karojiatsu (Yamauchi et ah, 2017, pp. 293-
294).
The Japanese scenario portrays the high cost of burnout for families and individ-
uals, as well as for the organization. McCormack and Cotter (2013) note side effects
that include “reduced productivity and revenue .. .job turnover, [and] low morale”
(2013, p. 4). Addressing burnout among ministry professionals is particularly impor-
tant considering the future health and leadership of the Church.

Stress and burnout in ministry

There are multiple factors that make pastoral and ministry workers at risk of burnout.
Prolonged stress and fatigue are inherent in ministry and pastoral work, based on
high relational stress, limited social support, isolation, unhealthy expectations, and
ambiguity of the role (Evers & Tomic, 2003, pp. 330-334; Fee, 2018, pp. 115, 139;
Staley et ah, 2013, p. 843). Burnout may also thrive in ministry professions because
of an ideological work ethic, aligning work for God with righteousness, meaning, or
the desire to be “heroic” (Pines, 1993). A study by Evers and Tomic (2003) reveals
that 28% of 726 Dutch Reformed pastors in the Netherlands experience high levels
of stress in ministry roles, while 11% indicate that they suffer frequently from
emotional exhaustion (p. 334). Utilizing the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI)
(Maslach, Jackson & Leiter, 1996) and the Hatch Spiritual Involvement and Beliefs
Scale (SIBS) (Hatch et al., 1998), a study of 222 pastors of the New York annual
conference of the United Methodist Church notes that 13% of participants consider
themselves “burned out,” and 23% are depressed (Dolittle, 2010, p. 91). The MBI
measures three key areas of burnout: emotional exhaustion, an intrapersonal dimen-
sion; depersonalization, an interpersonal dimension; and personal accomplishment,
a cognitive self-appraisal dimension. Further study on burnout has been led by Duke
Divinity School and the Clergy Health Initiative (CHI). They conducted a long-
itudinal study of United Methodist ministers since 2008 and found that pastors
experience depression at 5.5% higher rates than the national average (Duke Clergy
Health Initiative, 2010, p. 1). Depression, high stress, and emotional exhaustion have
become commonplace in ministry positions, and can quickly lead to burnout.
An unfortunate side effect of burnout among the pastorate is an increase in
attrition (Hoge & Wenger, 2005; Randall, 2004; Spencer et al. 2012). In 2001, Pulpit
& Pew, a Lilly-endowment funded research project at Duke University Divinity
School, conducted a large study to determine why pastors leave their churches. The
study included four denominations in the United States: Presbyterian, United Metho-
dist, the Evangelical Lutheran church in America, and the Assemblies of God. They
found that the third highest reason for clergy to leave ministry, at 21%, was because
of “burnout, discouragement, stress or overwork” (Hoge & Wenger, 2005, p. 36).
Included in the rate of attrition among clergy, 58% indicated that they left the
138 Christian Education Journal: Research on Educational Ministry 16(1)

pastorate because they “felt drained by the demands” placed upon them (Hoge &
Wenger, 2005, p. 37). As evidenced in the attrition rates of clergy and the negative
health effects on ministry professionals, burnout among pastoral and ministry work-
ers can have far-reaching consequences for the life of the Church.
Christian pastors and lay ministers experience high levels of prolonged stress
comparable to employees in other helping professions. Based on MBI surveys from
11,067 participants in helping professions, pastors experience burnout at similar
rates to social workers, counselors, and emergency professionals, yet they experi-
ence burnout at lower rates than teachers and police officers (Adams et ah, 2017, pp.
167-170). Adams and co-authors (2017) state, “Clergy appear to be doing better
than police and emergency personnel. However, clergy burnout is worse than that of
counselors. There may be strategies that counselors use, like having backup and on-
call support that would benefit clergy” (p. 170). The type of work that ministry
professionals engage in is inherently stressful. Without thoughtful strategies and
foresight, burnout can impact an individual’s health and well-being, and overall
quality of life.
Prévost (2016) studied quality of life among 169 Baptist pastors from rural and
urban churches in Texas. The quantitative study measured factors including health,
self-esteem, goals and values, money, work, play, love, friends, children, home, and
community (p. 326). The study found that for ministers, indicators of a lower quality
of life included a lack of play and “an abundance of church responsibilities” (p. 328).
Pressing ministerial tasks often took precedent over rest. Dolittle (2010) suggests,
“Clergy who create the space to engage in outside activities... [have] the emotional
capacity to disengage from their ministerial demands, thereby re-energizing
themselves” (pp. 93-94). A pastor participating in Prevost’s study reflected on the
survey categories of money, love, friends, and self-esteem, noting:

To me, none of [these categories] matters if my intimacy with Christ is not as it should
be. I spent years trying to fix all these things when I should have [been] working on my
walk with God. When I got serious about prayer and getting into His Word, all these
other things took care of themselves or they became less important. (Prévost, 2016,
p. 328)

The increase in stress in the workplace, along with high levels of burnout among
pastors, highlights the compelling need for the development of a more robust under-
standing of Sabbath rhythm and a theology of rest.

Theology of rest
The concept of Sabbath rest is a motif that is woven throughout the Hebrew Scrip-
tures and the New Testament. While there are numerous passages exemplifying the
rest motif (e.g. 1 Chron. 22:9; 1 Kings 8:56; 2 Chron. 20:30; 2 Sam. 7:1; Isa. 14:3,
66:1; 28:12; Josh. 21:44-45; Micah2:10), in this article the focus is Sabbath rest and
Gallagher 139

the covenant, rest and the ministry of Jesus, rest and work, and rest and Sabbath
rhythm.

Sabbath rest and the covenant

A central component of God’s covenant with His people was the observation
of the Sabbath day of rest. As expressed in Exod. 31:16, God commanded
Israel to “celebratfe] [Sabbath] for the generations to come as a lasting cov-
enant” (New International Version). In Hebrew Scripture, the observance of
the Sabbath was a reminder for Israel to be in right accord with God, people,
and God’s creation.
In the covenant treaty, Yahweh chose to align himself to the people of Israel
in loving-kindness, grace, and mercy, described in the Hebrew term chesed
(Exod. 34:6; Dan. 9:7; Jon. 4:2; Neh. 9:17; Ps. 103:8). Chesed is God’s chosen
covenantal love for His people, lasting for a “thousand generations” of those
who love him (Deut. 5:10; 7:9; Exod. 20:6). God’s chesed and covenant goes
beyond the terms of a human contract, for although the Israelite people were
unfaithful, a covenant relationship with God will never be broken by Yahweh
(Isa. 54:8-10).
God set aside the seventh day, the Sabbath day, and blessed it (Gen. 2:3), and
called it holy (Gen. 2:3; Exod. 20:11). The Hebrew word Shabbath means to rest, to
cease or stop work; a time in which work finds its culmination (Gen. 2:2; Exod.
20:11; 31:17). The Sabbath refers to one day a week, and one year out of seven that
the Hebrew people were ordained by God to no longer work (Exod. 23:12). As the
fourth commandment in the Decalogue (Exod. 20:8-11), the Sabbath stands in stark
contrast to the enslaved lives and hectic work pace of the Israelites while in Egypt.
Miller (2009) notes, it is “Pharaoh’s exploitation of human life and human work that
triggers God’s gift of the Sabbath” (p. 130). In addition, he suggests that the fourth
commandment stands as a bridge between the Ten Commandments established by
God through Moses (Deut. 5:12-14), the first through third command centering on
right relationship with God, and the fifth through tenth command highlighting right
relationship with humankind (p. 117). Brueggemann expands upon Miller’s insight,
noting that within the first three commands God is at rest and in the following
commands the neighbor is at rest, with none “driven by excessive desire” (Pattinson,
2014, n.p.). He suggests:

In our own contemporary context of the rat race of anxiety, the celebration of
Sabbath is an act of both resistance and alternative. It is resistance because it is a
visible insistence that our lives are not defined by the production and consumption
of commodity goods... The alternative on offer is the awareness and practice of
the claim that we are situated on the receiving end of the gifts of God. (Pattinson,
2014, p. xiii)
140 Christian Education Journal: Research on Educational Ministry 16(1)

Isaiah 58:13-14 gives Israel God’s command and His promise:

If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my
holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord’s holy day honorable, and if you
honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,
then you will find your joy in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the
land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob. The mouth of the Lord has
spoken.

The Sabbath is considered a blessed rest from toil and troubles; it is an engage-
ment in the work of God, and a matter of obedience.
The Sabbath rest commanded by God (Exod. 20:8-11) also had humanitarian and
ethical implications. Included in the observation of the Sabbath, God commanded
the Israelites to rest every seven years and the land to lie fallow (Lev. 25:1-7), and
every 50 years, the Israelites were to celebrate a year of Jubilee, where indebted
slaves were freed, debts forgiven, and ancestral property returned (Lev. 25:8-17).
The specific inclusion of marginalized groups, such as foreigners, servants, and
slaves, in the Sabbath command, displayed the human dignity provided to all people
in the observation of Sabbath. The Sabbath rest was a reminder to God’s people that
their lives and land belonged to God. Israelites interpreted the Sabbath as a right
ordering of life, and keeping it signified a right relationship with God, with people,
animals, and the land.
In the Hebrew Scriptures, the violation of Sabbath rest was often linked to
Israel’s sinfulness and disregard of covenant relationship. Following the Exodus
from Egypt, for example, Israelites were daily apportioned manna from heaven
(Exod. 16:17-30). God directly provided for their nourishment. Although they
were given a double measure of food prior to the Sabbath, some Israelites still
attempted to collect manna on the Sabbath day, but they found none. While in the
desert, the people of Israel continued to struggle to obey God’s commands and to
seek Yahweh fully. The disobedience and unbelief of the Israelites kept them from
entering the Promised Land and embracing God’s rest (Heb. 3:18-19). The pro-
phets Ezekiel, Jeremiah, and Daniel also traced the exile of Israel to the people’s
disregard of the Sabbath commandment, a sign of their broken relationship with
God (Dan. 9:24-27; Ezra 20:13-24; Jer. 17:21-27). In contrast, following the
Babylonian exile, the Israelites took God’s covenant relationship and Sabbath
command seriously. Their strengthened faith was evident in keeping God’s com-
mandments: defilers of the Sabbath were to be arrested (Neh. 13:15-22). The
practice of Sabbath in Hebrew Scripture was interwoven with the Israelites’ desire
for relationship with the living God.
Sabbath rest invites the followers of Yahweh into His presence (Exod. 33:14;
Heb. 4:9; Matt. 11:28) and gives perspective to the larger work of God in the world.
Dederen (1982) asserts, “Christians will never understand what it really means to
keep the Sabbath until they try it—and try it not merely as a day of rest, but on the
Gallagher 141

level of its full God-centered potential for divine-human fellowship” (p. 302). In
slowing down and stopping work, individuals provide sacred space for the Triune
God to be at work in their lives.

Rest and the ministry ofJesus

The example of Jesus’ life, ministry, and work is central to discerning a complete
theology of rest. The covenant promises God made with the people of Israel find
their fulfillment in Christ (Matt. 5:17). As Jeremiah prophesied, “The days are
coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of
Israel and with the people of Judah... I will put my law in their minds and write it on
their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people” (Jer. 31:31-33). The
covenant relationship that God initiated with the people of Israel is now offered to all
nations through the eternal covenant rooted and established in Christ. In this new
covenant, Sabbath practice takes on a renewed form.
Jesus uniquely addresses the Jewish traditions surrounding the Sabbath by bring-
ing grace and truth to the practice of Sabbath rest (John 1:17). Christ approached
Sabbath in freedom, noting that the Sabbath is created for people, not as a system of
oppression and rules (Mark 2:27-28). The yoke, or teaching that Jesus offers, is easy
and the burden light, and in fulfilling the Sabbath (Matt. 11:29-30), Jesus becomes
our Sabbath rest. Considering the new covenant in Christ some scholars have
asserted that Sabbath keeping is no longer necessary, or even a rejection of Christ
(Riggle, 1928; Rordorf, 1968). However, this is a simplification of the Sabbath
practice, which is much more than one day, but rather, a God-oriented approach
to all life. In the same way that Jesus radically invited Mary to sit at His feet (Lk.
10:38-42), Jesus also invites His followers to a place of learning and of rest.
In Sabbath practice, individuals engage in loving God, themselves, and others.
Jesus’ ministry attracted large crowds and His work was ongoing, yet still, Jesus
sought God and His rest. Sabbath habits of Jesus included teaching (Mark 1:27-28),
attending the synagogue (Lk. 4:16; Mark 6:1-2; 15:42; 16:1), gathering food for
daily nourishment (Mark 2:23-38), and relieving the oppressed and healing the sick
(John 5:5; 9:1-12; Lk. 13:10-17; 14:1-6; Mark 3:1-6). As evidenced in Jesus’ actions,
“true Sabbath observance joins God in the work of redemption, relieving the burdens
of the oppressed, in which He is always engaged” (MacCarty, 2011, p. 65). Jewett
(1971) notes that Jesus’ healing miracles on the Sabbath were “not only acts of love,
compassion and mercy; but true sabbatical acts” showing “that the Messianic Sab-
bath had broken into the world” (p. 42). In acts of mercy and compassion, Christ
highlights a new Sabbath purpose, drawing together the broken and vulnerable into a
new community of believers.
Despite incredible healing and ministry opportunities, even Christ was faced with
demands from family and crowds, and was impacted by stress and overwork. In
Mark 6:31, Jesus and the disciples were so busy that “they did not even have a
chance to eat.” Christ’s response, however, is instructive. Jesus told His disciples
142 Christian Education Journal: Research on Educational Ministry 16(1)

“come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest” (Mark 6:31).
Throughout His ministry, Jesus continually turns to a rhythm of God’s Sabbath rest,
taking time for solitude and prayer (Lk. 5:15-16; 6:12-13, Mark 1:12; 1:35-36; 1:45;
3:7, 13; 6:31-32, 46; 9:2; 14:32; Matt. 14:13, 23). The Sabbath rest that Christ
practiced pervaded His ministry and life, and offers ministry professionals a clear
example to emulate.

Rest and Work

Rest brings renewed energy to the work of ministry professionals, and it is given to
God’s followers as a divine gift. In the Kingdom of God work and rest are in
harmony, and they should not be viewed as two competing options. Those engaged
in ministry can thrive, finding a healthy balance in work by embracing the freedom
of God’s rest.
Work is ordained by God, as evidenced in the creation of the world and in the
Garden of Eden. Adam was placed in the garden and instructed by God to care for
and tend to the garden (Gen. 2:15). Yet, in work, God provides balance: rest is also
required (Gen. 2:2; Exod. 20:11; 31:17). To push forward in work without Christ’s
rest is to continue to attempt to gather manna each day as the Israelites did (Exod.
16:17-30). In such an instance work is in vain.
In practicing rest, ministers develop greater trust in Jesus, acknowledging the
work that Christ has already done (1 Cor. 15:3-6; John 3:14-18). Muller (1999)
remarks:

Sabbath requires surrender. If we only stop when we are finished with all our work, we
will never stop—because our work is never completely done ... If we refuse rest until
we are finished, we will never rest until we die. Sabbath dissolves the artificial urgency
of our days, because it liberates us from the need to be finished, (pp. 82-83)

The Sabbath promotes this right ordering of rest and work, providing space for
God to impact the lives of His people. Instead of pursuing lives of overwork and
eventual burnout, Christians are called to the counter-cultural practice of Sabbath
rest. As followers of Christ, ministers are to live out a Sabbath rhythm of rest by
casting their cares on God (Prov. 3:5-6) and allowing the peace of Christ to rule in
their hearts (Col. 3:15). Sabbath rest provides God’s ministers with an opportunity to
set their hopes on something far greater than their work. It provides space for
ministry professionals to worship God in the realization that one’s pursuit of work
is subject to the will of God. Sabbath is counter-cultural in that it invites individuals
and communities to orient their hearts towards what is of lasting value, a vital and
healthy relationship with the living God. In training ministry professionals and
pastors, educators must emphasize the very heart of service and ministry, which is
a sustainable relationship with God in Sabbath rhythm.
Gallagher 143

Rest and Sabbath rhythm

Sabbath is rooted in God’s time (2 Pet. 3:8; Ps. 90:4). Sabbath, therefore, requires a
spiritual perspective, recognizing that Sabbath is more than a day, or a year, or a 50-
year marker to which to adhere. Sabbath can instead be observed as a spiritual
discipline, along with prayer and solitude, to be practiced regularly as a rhythm in
each day. To create space for God in Sabbath rhythm, ministers must first consider
the impact of time and culture in North America.
Every culture is influenced by a distinct concept of time. Individuals and entire
communities often uphold cultural norms without analysis or further consideration.
In North America, people engage with time as a monochronic society, utilizing
deadlines and separating work from play. Bass (2000) notes, “Our approach to time
is so deeply ingrained in our habits that we are unaware of how powerfully it shapes
us at every level. We become accustomed to a certain tempo, to unspoken rules, and
soon these patterns come to feel like second nature” (p. 5). For many North Amer-
ican Christians, time is also compartmentalized and the practice of Sabbath obser-
vanee is separated from daily life. A North American cultural lens continues to
influence the understanding and practice of Sabbath rest among ministry profession-
als. Yet God is spiritual, living beyond our culturally-bound, and often fragile
understanding of time (2 Tim. 1:9; Isa. 57:15; Ps. 102:12, 24-47; Titus 1:2).
Rabbi Abraham Heschel (1951) regards Sabbath outside of space (p. 10), likening
the Sabbath to preparation for eternity (pp. 73-76). He comments, “Unless one
learns how to relish the taste of Sabbath while still in this world, unless one is
initiated in the appreciation of eternal life, one will be unable to enjoy the taste of
eternity in the world to come” (p. 74). He continues, “Judaism teaches us to be
attached to holiness in time, to be attached to sacred events, to learn how to con-
secrate sanctuaries that emerge from the magnificent stream of the year” (p. 8).
Unlike the festivals and celebrations of remembrance, the Sabbath is not determined
by a lunar calendar. Rather, “On the Sabbath we try to become attuned to holiness in
time” (p. 10).
Edwards ( 1992) suggests, “An understanding and living of Sabbath time can help
support a sane and holy rhythm of life for us. With it, we are given an alternative to
the culture’s growing movement between driven achievement and narrow escape
time” (p. 18). Sabbath rhythm is to be practiced as an attitude of orientation towards
the living God in each day, and as a sacred time to pursue God in each week.
Sabbath time calls for a natural rhythm of life that intentionally seeks an attitude
of rest during and leading up to a weekly Sabbath observance. In the Jewish cele-
bration of Sabbath, individuals are engaged in both physical and attitudinal prepara-
tion. It is a time of family worship and remembering, and a place where one can learn
to know self, others, and God better. Peterson (1989) relates the rhythm of daily life
as a time of preparation for God’s grace and rest. He recalls, “The Hebrew evening/
morning sequence conditions us to the rhythms of grace. We go to sleep, and God
begins His work... We wake into a world we didn’t make, into a salvation we didn’t
144 Christian Education Journal: Research on Educational Ministry 16(1)

earn” (Peterson, 1989, pp. 68-69). Unfortunately, churches often “aid the destruc-
tion of the Sabbath when they misunderstand or ignore its dimension of authentic
rest and effectively turn it into another busy day of work” (Edwards, 1992, p. 72).
Like the rhythm of Jewish Sabbath, there exists a natural pattern in creation in the
rising of the sun in the morning to the setting of the sun in the evening.
Sabbath is much more than just the absence of work, but it is the presence of God;
an outlook that nourishes the soul because of the time spent with God and the time
spent listening to God. There is great joy in immersing oneself in God’s company, a
lightening of heart through the work of the Holy Spirit, as He renews and re-orients
our lives.

Incorporating Sabbath rhythms in Christian ministry

As Christian educators who seek to equip pastors and lay-ministers for effective and
lasting ministry, we must train up ministers to embody a theology of rest, imparting
practical spiritual tools for Christian ministers in today’s contemporary society.
These tools include creating sacred space for God, embracing rest holistically,
engaging in the spiritual discipline of Sabbath, and practicing Sabbath rest in
community.

Creating sacred space

A key element to practicing holistic Sabbath rhythm is creating sacred space for
God. Nelson (1986) asserts that in creating boundaries and setting space and time
aside for God one creates freedom within that space (pp. 30-36). One area today that
will create clear boundaries from work, and increase space for God, is scheduling
time away from electronic devices and cell phones. Technology has increasingly
become a fixture in the workplace, in home life, and during time alone. Cell phones
provide employers with access to employees at a moment’s notice, and many indi-
viduals begin and end their days with a cell phone in hand.
With the advent of technology, work-life balance has blurred at record rates.
Ministers can take measures to prevent burnout through additional measures includ-
ing managing workload. McCormack and Cotter (2013) recommend the following
steps: “(1) Limit hours, (2) learn to say no, (3) delegate, (4) manage time wisely, (5)
minimize electronic interruptions, (6) schedule family time and downtime, (7) take
vacations, (8) increase healthy food, (9) get enough sleep, (10) exercise, and (11)
employ relaxation techniques” (pp. 154-162). These practical steps include many
holistic elements, and they can help to create a healthy lifestyle and work-life
balance. Missing from this list is the inclusion of spiritual practices, nurturing one’s
relationship with God, and Sabbath rest. Fabricatore, Handal and Fenzel (2000)
conducted a study of 120 undergraduate students and reported that depression and
desolation still occurs among those with strong spiritual beliefs and practices; how-
ever, “personal spirituality decreases the negative impact of stressors on quality of
Gallagher 145

life” (p. 225). It can be assumed that a rich spiritual life might also help ministry
professionals and pastors because Sabbath rest acts as a catalyst to liberate individ-
uals from their anxieties, worries, and burdens.

Embracing holistic rest

Sabbath offers ministers holistic rest affecting their whole being. These aspects of
spirit, emotions, bodies, and mind all work together and interact. Therefore, when
one area, such as physical rest, is abused, it can affect all other aspects of life.
Studies have shown that although North American pastors indicate satisfaction
with a high quality of life, they often struggle to schedule time for rest or physical
activity and tend towards obesity (Bama Group, 2017, n.p.; Duke Clergy Health
Initiative, 2014, n.p.). Human beings require healthy habits of physical exercise,
regular eight hours of sleep, nutritious food, and the exclusion of unhealthy habits
such as smoking, overeating, and excessive alcohol. Bass suggests the body has a
rhythm that must be respected. “A collapse of health is often what alerts someone
who is working too long and too hard that he or she must rethink the pattern of his or
her days” (Bass, 2000, p. 32).
Furthermore, to neglect one area of rest can exhaust and diminish the human spirit.
Intellectual rest, for example, can provide space for peace, recognizing that anxious
straining after worldly goals ultimately does not satisfy. Dawn (1989) suggests that
intellectual rest acts as a protection against senseless thinking or intellectual pride.
Sabbath rest also provides opportunity for emotional rest. Dawn notes:

A day of Sabbath rest satisfies our profound need for time to allow ourselves to feel, to
be sensitive, to experience all the gifts of life more thoroughly. We discover all the
emotions we have buried in the rush of work, and then we can appreciate those deepest
feelings that are the genuine components of our personhood. (p. 77)

God meets His people holistically in Sabbath rest, bringing peace and spiritual
refreshment, allowing time for bodies to rest from labor, and bringing healing to
emotions and anxiety emanating from busy lives.

Attending to spiritual discipline

Sabbath is a spiritual discipline to be practiced each day and is an attitude and
orientation necessary for spiritual growth. The spiritual practice of Sabbath has the
ability to refresh and restore the spirit for ministry and for community.
Pastors and ministry professionals can practice spiritual disciplines in tune with
Sabbath rest, including prayer, solitude, simplicity, worship, and play. Oswald (1983)
recommends that pastors “may not always find spiritual nurture in... churches, so
rediscovering some spiritual practices that help [pastors] deal with stress and burnout
may take [them] beyond the organized church” (p. 91). Practical steps for living out a
146 Christian Education Journal: Research on Educational Ministry 16(1)

theology of Sabbath rest include spiritual reheats, connecting with a spiritual director,
and inviting the Holy Spirit’s presence in the home, at work, and in church life.
Holistic Sabbath rhythm can also include a posture of listening to God’s presence in
practical daily tasks such as laundry, walking, or in conversation. Holt (2018) suggests,
“A good spiritual practice names the presence of God already with us... An effective
discipline is an act of presence, the choice to be fully in the moment and its tasks, no
matter how ordinary they seem, for in them we can know the divine (pp. 39—40).
Spiritual disciplines and habits provide a sacred space for God, preparing the heart
and soul for ministry. For example, Merton (1981) mentioned, “it is in deep solitude that
I find the gentleness with which 1 can truly love my brothers. The more solitary 1 am, the
more affection 1 have for them, ft is pure affection and filled with reverence for the
solitude of others” (p. 261). Nouwen (1998/1975), likewise suggested: “In solitude, we
can pay attention to our inner self... In solitude we can become present to oursel-
ves... There we also can become present to others by reaching out to them, not greedy
for attention and affection but offering our own selves to help build a community of
love” (p. 20). In developing spiritual disciplines and habits of spiritual, emotional, and
physical rest, ministers create space for relationship with God, with self, and with others.

Practicing Sabbath rest in community

Along with individual spiritual practices, Sabbath rest has collective implications for
relationships within families, communities, and the Church. Through sharing meals
together, songs, and stories, the people of God join together to resist overwork,
proclaiming the life of freedom that God offers.
The gift of Sabbath is to be experienced where the joy of the day can best be
shared, in the body of Christ. In the fellowship with believers, ministers can be
energized in their work with God, and encouraged by peers’ stories of building trust
in God. Churches, Christian universities, and ministry organizations are called to
promote an environment and work culture that exudes Sabbath rest. Particularly as
communities that seek to worship God and engage in lasting and sustainable king-
dom work, Christian organizations should model for society the creation of sacred
space for God in rest and holy Sabbath rhythm.
The practice of Sabbath rest has societal implications. In Sabbath rest, Christ
orients his people’s hearts to his kingdom work of compassion, justice, and prayer.
As a church, we are called to a counter-cultural Sabbath practice that looks towards
the margins of society, addressing discrimination, poverty, and social injustice.
Followers of Yahweh are called to put on the Sabbath like a garb, realigning our
perspective and need for God’s mercy and grace.

Conclusion
The development of a robust theology of rest is an essential addition to ministerial
training and curriculum. In today’s organizational climate, employees routinely
Gallagher 147

experience stressful work environments and are at increased risk of burnout. The
effects of prolonged stress and burnout among ministry professionals has directly
influenced the rate of attrition among pastors and negatively impacted their health
and well-being. Thoughtful theological reflection and the practice of Sabbath
rhythm, however, can effectively reduce instances of burnout and chronic stress
among ministry professionals.
The development of a theology of rest is increasingly relevant for ministers
working in the North American cultural context. In order to impact the church,
however, a theology of rest must extend beyond theory into praxis. By embodying
a Sabbath rhythm, pastors and leaders can engage more fully in God’s counter-
cultural kingdom work. Practical spiritual tools to incorporate Sabbath rhythm
include creating sacred space, embracing holistic rest, engaging the discipline of
Sabbath, and practicing Sabbath rest in community. In conclusion, a practice of
Sabbath rhythm and a theology of rest can greatly impact how ministers approach
their work, developing healthy ministry practices and strengthening their daily
awareness of the presence of God.

Note on contributor
Luisa Gallagher (PhD, Gonzaga University) is Adjunct Professor of Theology and
Pastoral Studies at Portland Seminary, Portland, OR.

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