I recently attended a retreat for pastors. The facilitator led us through times of worship and discussion about Sabbath-keeping and self-care. The need for this is pretty well documented. The statistics tag pastors with poor physical and mental health relative to the general population. We had gathered for a short 36-hour period to learn, be fed, and just take a Sabbath together.
At one point, the facilitator asked us the primary question from the Lily Endowment’s Clergy Renewal sabbatical grant: “What makes your heart sing?” It’s a profound question that we discovered can be hard to answer. During the retreat, I gleaned some of how my colleagues would answer that question. Some would be more general and expected, like family, hobbies, music, or a favorite destination. But there are others, all of which deeply resonate with me: Giving hope. Praying with people. Relating spiritual truth to real life. Mentoring young people. Fostering and experiencing diversity. Breaking bread together and modeling Christ-like community. Such are the things that make pastors tick, and it was refreshing to reflect on this together.
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