My pause
Photograph by Eye for Ebony via Unsplash
Rev. Sandra Dorsainvil
When colleagues or friends find out that I pause all ministry interactions for four weeks in the summer, I often receive either a wide-eyed reaction or the “how” question. How is this possible given the demands of ministry? We have many examples in the Bible where we see Jesus embracing ways to enter and embrace pause. In the gospel of John chapter 2, we see Jesus enjoying himself with friends at the wedding in Cana, before his mother Mary asked him to intervene and address beverage needs. What I hear in Jesus’s response in verse 4 (“My hour has not yet come”) is a desire to uphold some boundaries.
Jesus paused during a storm and went to sleep. This is referenced in the synoptic gospels of Mark 4:38, Matthew 8:24 and Luke 8:23. I hear in Jesus’s response an example of how to respond to storms. Jesus embraced sleep, away from the disciples attempting to manage the boat. Jesus chose to uphold a nap ministry. Might it be that in order to face the rhythms of storms, we need to quiet ourselves and seek holy guidance through full-body rest?
My history of welcoming and scheduling summer pauses dates back to decades of observing the elders around me and how they would slow down their own work activities for a time in the summer. During those days or weeks when household activities had also slowed down, I remember noticing an increase in family gatherings taking place, and hearing more laughter and storytelling. I have adjusted these family-learned lessons to what suits me better in this season. The yearly pause has become non-negotiable these past four years. It helps that I don’t need to adhere to institutional work schedules anymore. The summer pause does not have me meeting with clients, nor facilitating spiritual retreats. It has me giving my full attention to my whole being. I guard several consecutive weeks to attend to self-care, adventures with the grandchildren, or more relaxed fun readings or house projects that see a beginning and an end within a specific timeframe. At times, I may carve days to attend silent retreats, and to delve more into writing projects. The obedience is in not overbooking the calendar. I enter each day of those weeks with a simple question: God, what shall we do today?
A lesson I learned from the institutional dos and don’ts of firm work schedules, is to guard my respite time, my self-care and soul care recovery. The expectations imposed by institutions or various traditional work settings may convince workers to put aside their self-care and soul care for later. I humbly suggest that the North American work culture needs to honor and validate the full well-being of their employees, and more so within faith-based settings. The renewing that takes place when workers are given time for siesta, nap, or uninterrupted quiet days translates to validating humanity over deliverables.
Might it be that in order to face the rhythms of storms, we need to quiet ourselves and seek holy guidance through full-body rest?
As we know, ministry is a demanding field. The years in seminary give us a view of what pastoral ministry expects as we learn to navigate the multiple deadlines for assignments, enormous reading materials, and more. Our “yes” to serve and share the gospel to the Jerusalems and Samarias of this world does not equate to a heightened weariness of our body, God’s temple. Our basic physiological needs must be met. They will impact our ability or inability to be fully present while serving. Maslow’s pyramid of the hierarchy of needs shows it well. To reach self-actualization, creativity, and purpose, physiological and safety needs must be attended to first.
My yearly summer pause attends to making sure that those physiological and safety needs are prioritized. Might such a summer pause rhythm be possible in more traditional work environments? I humbly suggest again that it is in how we negotiate what we value and how the work environment honors and authenticates self-care for employees. Faith-based organizations who claim to value the wellbeing of their employees, may want to reconsider the yearly work pace, and what makes sense to honor employees’ wellbeing. I encourage us all in ministry to be courageous in asking about sabbath time, self-care, and soul care as part of the beginning interview journey. God created humans in God’s image. God rested after each day. God did not plan for humans to be robots.
Kara Martin writes about work-life balance in her book Workship 2: “We need to know what is important to God. That means we need a biblical view of home and community; to sustain us socially and be a place of sanctuary, respect, and grace…We also need to seek God’s guidance in managing our priorities.”[i]
My summer pause is managed as a wellbeing priority with God. It might be interpreted as a time of sabbath in some settings or authorized leave in other settings. The summer weeks with God are an opportunity to open my heart to God’s touch and knowing that my heart and soul will be renewed. May you find courage to make weeks of pause a priority and incorporate moments of divine rest. May it be good for your soul!
An ordained minister with ABC-USA, Rev. Sandra Dorsainvil serves as a Ministry Coach and Women’s Group Retreat Facilitator with the Center for Career Development & Ministry. Fluent in English and French, she has had cross-cultural lived experiences in several countries in Africa, Europe and North America. Rev. Sandra is a published author of three devotionals, “Walk with Generosity,” “Beacons of Hope” and “Luces de Esperanza,” as well as co-author of a leader’s guide for leaders of short-term mission teams of volunteers, “Short-Term Mission Team Essentials – Together on The Journey.”
The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of American Baptist Home Mission Societies.
[i] Martin, Kara. Workship 2: How to Flourish at Work. Singapore: Graceworks, 2018, pp. 47-48.
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