Congregational Leadership and Sustaining Callings to Justice: Practicing Sabbath for Reconnection, Repair, and Resistance

This paper builds upon a research project with New England congregations over the last five years, giving particular attention to congregations pursuing callings to justice. Even as their justice-seeking has borne fruit, many congregational leaders are weary. Drawing on interviews and a series of Sabbath retreats with congregational leaders, this paper explores how Sabbath-keeping supports congregational leaders as they embody and sustain vocations to justice. The paper begins by reflecting theologically on the relationship between Sabbath, calling, and creating just and peace-seeking communities. It then presents key ways that congregational leaders are practicing Sabbath as a means for reconnection, repair, and resistance, as well as identifies some of the challenges leaders face in engaging rest, including challenges related to systemic injustices. It concludes by discussing some implications for helping congregational leaders engage practices of Sabbath and rest as a way to support - and even enact - their callings and commitments to justice.