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What Does Your Sabbath Look Like?

We may understand the importance of taking a sabbath from our regular activities for our spiritual and personal renewal. However, do we as women in ministry take a sabbath? And what does a sabbath look like in the real world of women who may also be moms, doing grocery shopping, laundry, preparing for final exams, and performing Sunday services? So we asked the question, “What does your sabbath look like?” to several women in ministry. Here are their responses.

Alicia Chole

Founder of One Whole World, Inc., and committee member of the Network for Women in Ministry, Missouri:

Pastor and author Henri Nouwen recommended 1 hour a day, 1 afternoon a week, 1 day a month, and 1 week a year for the cultivation of a sabbath lifestyle. I’ve adopted something similar. The first block of each day—after getting the kids dressed and starting home school—is for devotional rest. Sunday is an unplugged day of rest for our family. One day a month is devoted to a personal 24-hour prayer retreat, normally at a Bed and Breakfast. Then I go for a 5-day desert prayer retreat each year in Arizona. The rhythm works well for my soul.

Kerry Clarensau

Pastor’s wife and training coordinator for the Assemblies of God National Women’s Ministries, Kansas:

My husband and I try hard to keep Mondays as a day to cease from ministry activities, but it can sometimes be difficult. For example, we’ve had two funerals on the past four Mondays. When we do get it off, we sleep in, go to our favorite breakfast restaurant, linger over breakfast with conversation, take walks, watch movies, shop, plan meals with our kids, play games, or read. We have discovered regular, deliberate time away from ministry is extremely important for our emotional, spiritual, and relational health. This may seem harsh, but we don’t plan any activities with individuals from our church on our day off since we have found it usually turns into ministry. A few times a year we try to take 2 to 3 days off in a row. There are times when one day off isn’t enough to refuel.

Beth Davis

Director of AGWM Missionary Care, Missouri:

My ideal sabbath includes times of reflection, solitude, and play. Any of the following might happen on my sabbath: listening to pipe organ music; reading a book that I am not required to read; prayerfully walking in nature; picnicking; taking a bike ride with a cappuccino break along the way; playing tennis with people I love; talking with friends who allow me to “be”; or soaking in a bubble bath.

Jodi Detrick

Life coach, director of women’s ministries for the Northwest District Council, and committee member of the Network for Women in Ministry, Washington:

While finding a larger block of time—a whole day or even several hours in a row—is optimal for having a sabbath, there are some weeks when that doesn’t happen for me due to ministry and life obligations. Because Jesus is “Lord over the Sabbath” and Lord over my life, I’ve learned that I can ask Him to help me create “sabbath moments” in the middle of my busy days when I stop, still myself in His presence, and refocus on Him. It’s amazing what even a few minutes of honest reflection and authentic worship can mean to my soul that is constantly in need of being restored.

Deb Galyen

Assemblies of God missionary to Spain:

My husband and I are itinerating missionaries, so our weekends are crazy and our weekdays are unpredictable. We try to keep life "normal" for our three kids, taking breaks and worshiping as a family when we can, but it’s very messy. At the moment, sabbath for me means not worrying. It means that when I’m not working, be it for a few hours or a whole day, God is still at work. I can rest because my faith is in the God who never sleeps.

Kate Gordon

Director of the Network of Hope and committee member of the Network for Women in Ministry, Pennsylvania:

When I worked fulltime without a husband or child, my sabbath was on Mondays. I guarded this day with my life. I had no schedule, but it was a day of rest. I read, I napped, I took long walks, I prayed, etc. That day of rest gave me the strength and clarity I needed for the rest of the week. Currently, I’m not ministering on Sundays, so that is my sabbath. My family and I attend church and then spend the rest of the day together. I also get to take a long nap because my husband watches the baby for me. I do not do any housework and we bring home take-out for dinner. In the morning before church, I try to take an extended time to pray and read—but it doesn’t always happen. God gave the Sabbath for us. That is the principle I try to remember. Often, I am hard on myself if I don’t spend enough time in prayer or reading, and then God lovingly reminds me He gave me this day to rest and reflect. So I calm down and enjoy the day.

Lisa Jayne

Member of Convoy of Hope’s U.S. outreach team, Missouri:

I appreciate having a sabbath so that I can get a long run in for the week. Long runs for me are not about speed or time, but endurance. During this time, I’m able to reflect upon my week or get prepared for the next. I also enjoy using this time to communicate with God and invite Him to speak to me. It is a nice break from everything else I do, not to mention it’s healthy.

Joni Middleton

Training and network consultant for Project Rescue, Calcutta, India:

I sought counseling for stress about 10 years ago. I had a busy and overwhelming year in Nairobi, Kenya at Rosslyn Academy. Kenya was rationing electricity for everyone in the country—12 hours on and 12 hours off. Many nights, I came home to have the electricity come on at 6 p.m. for my “12 hours on” and then go off at 6:20 p.m. for the rest of the night. The last month before I returned to the U.S., Nairobi erupted into riots. Once home, I met with a counselor who asked me when I took a sabbath rest. I said, “On Sundays.” He told me I could not count Sundays as my sabbath because I would read and mark papers or minister in church on Sundays. After a few more sessions, he finally looked at me, and said, “Joni, you have been living in sin for over 20 years of your ministry.” I was horrified. I had done all I could to keep from living a sinful life. He went on to tell me that because I had not taken a regular day for sabbath rest, I had broken one of the Ten Commandments. Ten years later, I still struggle to make sure I have one day of rest every week. When I arrived in my present city, I let people know that Saturday is my Sabbath and that I did not want to work on that day. I was amazed at how understanding people have been. I refuse Saturday appointments when I can, but if I have to attend, then I take a day off the next week. My diligence has helped my stress level and to be an example to others in ministry.

Ava Oleson

Pastor and women’s ministries director, Washington:

Being in full-time ministry and raising children, Sunday has always been one of my busiest days. It truly is an ongoing struggle for me to take a sabbath. So Idecided to take Friday off. Since my children are in school and my husband at work that day, I have dedicated Friday morning to the Lord. I make no appointments that morning and use it as a personal worship time. I even get out the hymn book sometimes, study, journal, and end with prayer. Some Fridays it doesn’t work because of things outside of my control. But I don’t worry about that because, like Jodi Detrick said earlier, Jesus is “Lord over the Sabbath” and Lord over my life.

Bettina Richardson

Pastor and committee member of the Network for Women in Ministry, Texas:

A day of rest is Godlike. If I cannot—or will not—calm myself and my activities for one day a week, what does that say? My ability to focus on sabbath rest was instilled very early in my life. I can still hear my mother say, “It is not about taking a nap. Sleep is not required, but you will lie down and rest before the Lord.” She would send me and my sister to our rooms, current editions of HiCall and Live in hand. As a result, my soul, my mind, my body, and my family are conditioned to accept Sunday afternoon for resting. Our home is quiet and calm on Sunday afternoons. It is during the quiet moments on Sunday that I often sense the Lord’s direction. As with our tithe, the Sabbath belongs to the Lord. It is not an available resource for any other purpose. I guard it with a vengeance.

Deanna Shrodes

Copastor with her husband, Florida:

We—my pastor-husband and I—take Fridays off. We used to take Mondays off, but later realized there were many things to follow up from Sunday, and our minds were still on church issues, whether good or bad. If a ministry event falls on a Friday, we take another day off that week. During our day off, I always let my calls go to voice mail and only return those that are urgent. Fridays are really sacred to me. If I don’t take them off, pretty soon everything begins to show it.

Lori Warning

Pastor’s wife, Missouri:

About 3 months ago, I considered my schedule and questioned how I fit God into my life. How awful is that? Fit God into my life! I would love to say that since then I have spent an hour a day in the presence of God, reading His Word, filling pages in my journal with deep thoughts and sermon ideas, but I haven’t. What I have done is begin reading my 1-year Bible. I am task oriented and my 1-year Bible gives me a beginning and end with dates. I don’t have to think about how long I should read to meet my spiritual quota for the day. I have been amazed how God has spoken to me through these pre-selected readings. Secondly, I have tried to take 10 minutes a day to be still before the Lord. Sometimes it is when I am on the treadmill, other times it is at 6 a.m. before everyone else wakes up when I sit in my rocking chair in His presence. I am trying to schedule moments, minutes, and even up to an hour of time where my husband and kids know that Mom has an appointment with God she cannot miss. All this to say, I would love to have 30 minutes a day to spend time with God, with no distractions or interruptions, and be able to walk away with a strong sense of God’s presence and leading. The incredible thing is that I can find God in quick moments on the way to Wal-Mart, and if necessary, in the few extra minutes stolen in the privacy of a restroom. He is an incredible God who works in my life in the stolen moments, the silent pauses, and the planned minutes of privacy with Him.

Joanna Weaver

Best-selling author and pastor’s wife, Montana:

While I try to rest and relax on Sunday afternoons, my true sabbaths are those half day or full day periods that I try to schedule after especially intense times of busyness. Sometimes the day is given to prayer and reconnecting spiritually, other times it means sleeping in, reading a good book, or walking in the mall. I like how one author describes this time of ceasing: "Sabbath allows our souls to catch up."

Brandy Wilson

Single missionary to Argentina:

A quiet evening with worship music in the background while sitting in an overstuffed chair, drinking coffee, reading the Word, and talking to Jesus about what puzzles me in the passages. Sometimes there is no Bible, just the comfy chair, me, a cup of coffee, and Jesus. It is rare to stop long enough to enjoy a cup in one sitting during any other time of the week. But usually Friday evening, the Lord and I have coffee and chat longer than usual. It’s my favorite part of the week. I try to sneak in at least a couple shorter times of the same during the week in addition to, of course, regular devotions.

Dr. Peggy J. Wobbema

Hospital Chaplain, Missouri:

After Sunday morning responsibilities are covered, I take a long afternoon nap. I read a book. I sometimes sit quietly and let my mind wander and reflect on those things through the week that seemed to grab my attention. If I have another day off beside Sunday, I do the same thing, plus all my errands, clean house, buy groceries, etc. Once a year, I spend at least a 3-4 day weekend in a lakeside cabin. I take nothing but books to read and my Bible. I walk, I sit by the water, I reflect, I pray, I read, I sleep, and I journal the ups and downs of the past year, reflect on completed goals and on what still needs to be accomplished. Then I begin dreaming new things, examining new visions from the depths of my heart. By the end of the long weekend, I am refreshed, renewed, and experience a clearer view of the past and of what God desires for the next year and beyond.

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