Seminary Productivity: Sabbath, Family Time, and the Power of Rest

Today is the last Friday of summer, with classes and craziness beginning next Tuesday. I needed this week to rest, recharge, and get ready.

There is ample evidence that vacations and rest are good for you, including that taking vacations can prevent heart attacks. Rest and relaxations also help boost productivity.

This has become a growing edge for me. In my 10 years working in the business world, I rarely took my full vacation time. For a good part of that decade I was running a solo office and didn’t think I could get away. I am now getting in to a line of work where demands of ministry don’t always follow a 40 hour work week.

This past weekend my family and I went on my field ed parish retreat to Shrine Mont, a beautiful place in the Shenandoah Valley. It was good to get away. Our lives are hectic and constant, and being surrounded by nature with limited access to technology was refreshing. I hope to do this more, as it both helps me and perhaps will set an example for my children and future parishioners.

I ended the week by taking our oldest on our annual “big boys trip.” He and I spent two days in Philadelphia, watching the Phillies play the Nationals (go Anthony Rendon!) and then enjoying Sesame Place.

I can be a terrible father, with big expectations and a short fuse. I’m also pulled in many different directions, and my sons sometimes end up on the short side of my attention. I want to build memories with my boys, both of the routine everyday things we do and also in the adventures we sometimes take. This was the latter, and judging by the photo above (taken after 10 hours at the park) I would say that he enjoyed the adventure. And while not exactly “restful,” it was certainly wonderful time away from our everyday life.

As I embark on year two of my education, I am hoping to continue the small routines of sabbath that we’ve created (such as Friday night family movie, where I don’t do anything except watch a movie of my boys’ choosing). I also hope to take more opportunities to get away (by myself, with Elizabeth, and as a family).

These moments of down time are good for the soul, and also good for productivity.