Sabbatical in the Office
Greg Asimakoupoulos
Instead of taxiing down the runway towards a three-month getaway, I embarked on a day-to-day hike through the wilderness of weariness — a sabbatical in the midst of work.
— Greg Asimakoupoulos Emotional exhaustion, physical weariness, spiritual anorexia. Twelve years of task-oriented ministry had taken its toll. I was battling pastoral burnout, and I was losing. Ironically, the very week the Allied Forces were claiming victory in the Persian Gulf War, my own spirit was surrendering to battle fatigue. As I prepared my messages for Holy Week, the cross of Good Friday became a symbol of my mental anguish. I was hanging lifelessly on the cross of depression, laboring to breathe under the suffocating weight of routine pastoral demands. In a conversation with my superintendent, I confessed despair. He suggested a four-syllable remedy: sabbatical. An extended time away from the never-ending responsibilities of the church (with full pay) was not a foreign concept to me. Two of my closest colleagues had been granted twelve-week sabbaticals the previous summer. For both, the experience involved travel, rest, family reunions, and solitude. No degree was pursued. No article published. No manuscript written. Yet each returned home focused, fresh, and infused with a renewed desire to preach. In the midst of my melancholy, the thought of "getting away from it all" had presented itself as a welcome hope even before the superintendent's call. His endorsement fanned my flickering fantasy into a burning desire. I approached members of the congregation whose support was unquestioned. I confessed my frayed state. I expressed my hopes that the church leadership might endorse a sabbatical leave. Their responses were less than encouraging: "A sabbati ...
Like the preview? To read this complete article
and 18,013 more in the archive—JOIN NOW!
Easily find high-quality, well-researched materials that provide a Christian perspective on topics ranging from headlines to history.
Start using this invaluable tool TODAY for preparing your Bible studies, presentations, class lectures, sermons, meetings, and more.
|
It's easy and quick to join:
Brought to You by Christianity Today Int'l |  |
|
| 
Find similar articles
E-mail this page
