Taking a Chance on a Sabbatical
3 Things you can learn from Chance the Rapper’s Sabbatical
In September of last year, in a performance of a theologically tinged, unreleased song on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Chance rapped about the struggles of touring with his daughter and that “I really need a break. Could really use a nap.” Well, he finally took one.
This December, Chance the Rapper announced that he is on a sabbatical to study the Bible. It’s a story that’s gotten a few minor write ups in the media but no major coverage, so you might have missed it.
It might sound crazy that a chart-topping rapper would care enough about the Bible to take a break. But if you’ve missed the fact that some of the most popular rap artists on the charts consistently reference faith, you haven’t been paying attention. (One of the top tracks from Chance’s album Coloring Book, is basically a gospel choir/electronica version of Chris Tomlin’s “How Great is Our God.”)
Chance has been documenting his sabbatical journey on Instagram. He has been reading Tim Keller, and praying daily from a devotional written in 1937 by Scottish theologian, John Baillie. He has also been taking his daughter to church, posting images of Bible verses highlighted in a reading app, and even reading aloud the book of Galatians on a livestream.
Some may question the spiritual progress of a sabbatical taken by an artist whose albums still carry advisories for explicit content and whose announcement of this sabbatical even used an expletive. But perhaps we should remember that Peter, after following Christ for three years of ministry denied him “with an oath” that the gospel author, Matthew, seemed to find unfit to print. Perhaps we can cut a young, and by his own admission, unstudied disciple like Chance some slack.
Regardless of what you think about the sincerity, fruitfulness, maturity, or value of Chance’s spiritual pursuit, he set out some goals for himself and has done things we all can learn from.
He had an outward, behavioral goal.
Chance has been open about regretting his addiction to cigarettes. He has engaged in a fast from smoking, intending to make it a permanent lifestyle change.
Not every fast can or should be permanent, but a fast during a period of spiritual focus is helpful. It is a measurable goal. It sets a time apart as different. It is a tangible reminder of our sinfulness as we strain to refrain from whatever we have set aside. As Martin Luther says, we should fast according to our lusts.
When you undertake a sabbatical, consider adding a fast of some kind and adding an activity that is out of your norm. Do something physical, tangible, and measurable to mark the time as different.
He had a personal knowledge goal.
Chance admitted that he was raised in faith and believed, but he had never read the Bible and wanted to increase his familiarity with it. He pledged to read multiple books of the Bible, which he seems to have done.
As a second part of this goal, although he made no public statement about it, he also has been reading Christian writers from across the spectrum of faith, such as Tim Keller and John Baillie.
When you engage in a sabbatical, direct engagement with God through the scriptures and prayer should be your primary focus. However, consider adding to your sabbatical some other reading. The actor John Larroquette is reported to once have said he hasn’t read any best sellers because there were so many “dead guys” he hadn’t read yet.
I don’t think one should exclusively read “dead guys,” however, it is likely that we could all stand to expand our reading beyond those who are already in our circle of influence. When choosing reading material for a sabbatical, resist the urge to read that best seller by that famous Christian author or pastor whom you already follow on Twitter. Reach farther.
Chances are there are classics of Christian writing you haven’t read. Look some of them up. Another tip for expanding your reading list is to follow the trail back through history a generation or two and find the writers who inspired the ones you love.
An example of this from my life came when I was reading an updated version of William Wilberforce’s writings. In the forward, it was mentioned that one writer who inspired Wilberforce was a pastor and author named Richard Baxter. I had never heard of Baxter and looking him up led to some wonderful insights and new perspectives, including this one on how we should avoid pride and short sightedness, especially regarding the recent moral failures of Christian leaders.
Another direction would be to try reading outside your usual disciplines. Instead of reading theology, read about data science, or gaming theory, or design thinking, or marketing, or creative solutions in the marketplace. In a future post, Jason Tilley and I will put together a reading list of recommendations. If you‘d like a recommendation now, email us: info@ministryaccelerator.org.
He had a generational goal.
The inspiration for Chance’s sabbatical journey is ministry to the next generation. In the post announcing his intentions, Chance shared a video of him holding his nephew. Chance’s intention in all of his learning and study is to give his nephew “knowledge and tools.”
This should ring loud in the ears of any minister, but especially for those in next generation ministry.
Jesus taught that the Sabbath, and by extension sabbaticals, are for us. But that doesn’t mean that they only focus on our personal needs. Jesus came out of his recorded sabbatical times with power, purpose, and vision for his ministry.
There are different kinds of sabbaticals. Not every sabbatical must be a “working” sabbatical. In fact, if every sabbatical you take has a work-based goal, it might not be rightly called a sabbatical. However, it is good to keep a vision for the future in mind, and to pursue a purpose beyond yourself while in a sabbatical time.
When you enter a sabbatical, have a goal related to how you will pass on, how you will act on, and how you will lead based on what you learn or experience.
A helpful tool for this would be to pray a Prayer of Examen. This prayer is a moment designed to refocus our lives and re-tune our hearts and souls. It is an opportunity to reflect, to find God in our midst, and to assess our motives, desires, struggles, and opportunities. For more on the Prayer of Examen see this short guide from The Park Forum.
Tiny Sabbaticals
Sabbatical times are a valuable part of a relationship with God that we see modeled in Christ’s life. They can, however, seem like a mark of privilege when you are short of resources. You may think, “I can’t do that. I’m not a prestigious pastor with support staff and paid time off. I’m not a rap star who can jet off out of the country whenever I want.”
But you don’t have to go long distances, stay a long time, or spend much money to engage in the practice of sabbaticals. Instead of going somewhere far away go somewhere close. Jesus recommended prayer in a closet. Find a “closet” that is close to home that you can hide away in. It could be a literal closet, a church member’s lake house, a friend’s home out of town, or a neighborhood coffee shop or bookstore with a comfortable chair.
Take an afternoon. Take a day. Take a weekend. Sit. Read. Walk. Pray. It’s that simple and that complicated.
Some churches, like Saddleback Church in Southern California, offer locations and resources for those seeking sabbatical time. Check around your area and you may find a church or denominational resource that does the same.
I also encourage you to take a tiny sabbatical every day. Part of my goal with The Park Forum is to encourage this kind of attitude about spiritual practice.
Think of reading God’s Word not as homework or a research project but as taking a refreshing walk through a park. If you’d like to join our tiny sabbaticals, you can subscribe via this link.
I’ll end with a question that, I’ll admit, is a little bit of an intentional poke in the eye for longtime Christians and ministers like me, but…
Are we as serious about the Bible as Chance the Rapper is? Take a sabbatical.
Ministry Accelerator equips ministry leaders to navigate cultural complexity and experience fruitful ministry. Find us at ministryaccelerator.org.
