I for one am thrilled to hear that John Piper has asked for, and been granted, an eight month leave from each of his ministries.
But I don’t quite know why I’m so excited by his decision. After all, eight months is a relatively short amount of time, and I don’t know Piper at all.
But I suspect there’s a lesson here that all evangelical pastors and their churches need to pay attention to. And I hope that Piper’s influence can help them learn it.
Growing up within evangelicalism, I saw almost no emphasis on sabbatical periods for pastors, especially in those evangelical communities that have under 200 members and a small support staff. For them, sabbaticals require a greater level of sacrifice by the whole church community, as most pastors fill roles well beyond the pulpit.
But preaching the word of God every week, even when not writing a book a year, is (I have observed) incredibly difficult work and frequently spiritually draining. While Piper cites a growing pride, I suspect that many pastors who have labored long and hard have a sense of numbness to the power of the Word of God and its ability to transform their own lives.
I don’t know what kind of Biblical warrant there is for this sort of sabbatical (though I’ve always thought that if the land got a break from producing every seven years, we ought to allow our pastors the same). But it strikes me as enormously wise, and as bearing witness to the reality of God’s action in a significant way.
Within evangelicalism, we tend to expect a level of spiritual hyper-productivity from our pastors. And so we rarely, if ever, let them enjoy the sort of sustained rest from their labors that is truly required to replenish their hearts and their minds. Sabbaticals, in their core, are breaks from activity to let God be God, and to create space for him to work in us anew. So it is encouraging to see one of our most prominent relinquish his duties and simply enjoy the world and relationships that God has given to him.
I prayed today–and I don’t often pray for people I don’t know–for John Piper and his wife. And you should too.
But more importantly, I pray that evangelical churches around the United States will seek to follow his example and allow their pastors space to replenish, space to delight in their wives, space to seek the renewal of their hearts in their from their labors.
March 28th, 2010 | 10:15 pm | #1
[...] Read the rest here. « Where the power of faith resides [...]
March 29th, 2010 | 7:10 am | #2
[...] Just found this (via): Within evangelicalism, we tend to expect a level of spiritual hyper-productivity from our [...]
March 29th, 2010 | 7:26 am | #3
Thanks MRWBBII, if that is your real name, for alerting us to the fact that Piper is friends with Mark Driscoll. Those of us who have been reading and listening to Piper over the years are a rather dimwitted lot and have been hitherto unaware of this, but now that we know, thanks to your invaluable ministry of posting the same link at multiple blogs about Piper’s sabbatical, we’ll know to watch out for his obviously dangerous teaching.
March 29th, 2010 | 11:10 am | #4
Sadly, I find the idea of a sabbatical unthinkable. I usually fail at taking one day off a week. How could I take of for eight months? Where would I find money to feed the wife and kids? How would I tell my parishioners who themselves are overworked and have no provision for and extended absence from their labors?
Besides, what would one do? I can see it now, “Honey, I’ve decided to take a year sabbatical.”
“Oh?” she replies. “I anticipate that for a year I’ll have a house that’s all fixed up and spotless.”
March 29th, 2010 | 11:13 am | #5
Jared,
Don’t feed the trolls!
JT
March 29th, 2010 | 2:48 pm | #6
Pastor Philip –
I suspect that you don’t have the pressures day to day that global fame puts on a man. My take on this is that if more guys at the exposure level which Dr. Piper finds himself at took a step back more often, there would be fewer evangelical car-wrecks, ethics and character-wise.
March 29th, 2010 | 2:56 pm | #7
Yeah, what Frank said.
Plus, I figure Pastor John probably gets done in four months what it take me a year to do anyway.
March 29th, 2010 | 3:00 pm | #8
It’s interesting how difficult people find it to take a rest, or allow others to take a rest. Teaching (and I would assume also pastoring and preaching) is incredibly energy-intensive. Writing, likewise. In order to do good work, whether in relationships, or writing, or teaching, you have to have the energy to do it properly.
Work can also become an idol. (I work in an extraordinarily workaholic setting, and I am vulnerable to the temptations of overwork myself, so I have reflected on this a LOT.) Being always on the go, with a planner always full, can become an end in itself. I can see as that would be especially dangerous for a pastor. I commend Piper and any other pastor who recognizes the need to let go, step back, and rest. Whatever the work is, God comes first. If He is not first, then the work is worse than useless anyway.
Our culture pushes a weird combination of hedonism and work-obsession, so it’s essential to have a healthy model in one’s pastor! Work and rest need to both be part of one’s life. Some people need to be encouraged to work more, some to rest more. We need mentors who don’t just tell us, but show us, what a balanced life looks like.
At the start of Lent, when I met with my spiritual director, my director ended up establishing that my Lenten rule be focused on letting go of working so much, and on including sufficient rest in my daily and weekly schedule. As he put it, “It’s a commandment, you know!”
March 30th, 2010 | 7:19 am | #9
[...] to comments With the interest in John Piper’s upcoming sabbatical, here is a post from the First Things blog by Matthew Lee Anderson which points out the positive nature of such [...]
March 30th, 2010 | 12:32 pm | #10
Well said Holly.
My ancestors were either German pastors or farmers for whom work was something of a third sacrament. When one thinks about it, over work has a type of tacit desperation to it, as if we feared that God were not going to give us our daily bread unless we really deserve it.
Frank, and Brad,
Please don’t get me wrong, I didn’t mean to suggest that Piper should not be taking a sabbatical. I was only lamenting that such things are so infrequent among church workers in general.
This reminds me of a lesson given to me years ago by an older pastor. He was always energetic, keeping a fast and full schedule. Then he developed health problems, that forced him so slow down. He said to me that he had read the 23 Psalm a million times but only now did he appreciate that is says, “He MAKETH me lie down in green pastures.”
I recall times past (and I suspect every pastor has had this thought) I would visit someone in the hospital and secretly envy them, thinking, “It might not be that bad to break a bone or two and finally get some rest without guilt.”
March 31st, 2010 | 9:09 am | #11
Philip,
I completely understand what you are saying.
Frank and Brad,
Piper has allowed himself to be placed in that international spotlight. Possibly he should have said “no” to that and just tended to his sheep at Bethlehem.
April 8th, 2010 | 11:33 am | #12
to the pastors who do not take a regular sabbath, its odd that we would not regularly break any other law of God and call it noble, but excuse ourselves regularly here, to feed our addiction or idolatry. it is our blessing to enter his rest.
there is not anything ‘noble’ about breaking the sabbath, we need to repent. (myself included) this goes for however you choose interpret the law.
April 15th, 2010 | 3:14 pm | #13
I have been thinking about this since I have found out. I do credit Piper for his willingness to deal with this “species of pride.” He is leading in humility and honesty for the world to see.
I am also grateful the Lord has provided other elders in the church to tend the flock while he tends to his soul and family. Having had an elder leave our church recently in a less than desirable but sinless way, I was first concerned for his flock.
Having only read 3 sites, I have not read any negative thoughts on this. Thank you Pastor Philip for sharing some concerns! After trying to find anything negative about this, I do wonder how Piper could have allowed it to get to this? Perhaps he recently became aware of this sin. I think it is best to assume so.
However, a valuable lesson to be learned is to deal with our sin quickly and severely, assuming we are aware of the sin. I guess this requires the ever popular “no duh” response. Pride that affects our relationships is serious business, enough to incite the wrath of God against us. How much more for a Pastor in Piper’s position.
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