It’s something we do in IV to reset our time by purposefully not participating in IV things especially where we lead/serve/work to make space for God,  rest where we don’t normally, do things we’ve wanted to but haven’t been able to, & other things. It’s not a way to get more time for homework (that’s an Academic Break in IV, those are cool too but for different reasons). It’s not some necessary vacation at the point of collapse — the best sabbaticals are usually ones where we have energy to put into them.

Like all spiritual disciplines, sabbatical is an intentional, committed time to do something specific that will change who we are & how we are even after it’s over. The “power” of the sabbatical is not in the extra time I get because I don’t go to IV things, it’s the mindset of “I am going to live this week differently, to give God space in ways I don’t usually (even if I am doing things that are good with that time) & commit up front to it” because even though other things are good, taking special focus on God is worthwhile too. We sometimes learn new things about ourselves and/or God.

Sometimes we take them because we have particular questions or things we need to bring before God. God doesn’t always change us/our time or answer our questions right away or in the sabbatical time, but that week we’ve given to it is itself a worship, is itself a disciplined move of obedience & “Here I am God,” not a conditional act, but an unconditional act of offering to God what we have and letting Him decide how to respond.

-SuperHsu