Day 54: YOU NEED VACATION!

I think it should be a requirement of all churches to require their Pastor to go on vacation at least once a week. Vacation should truly be a time that you can let your guard down, turn off the gadgets and let you be reintroduced to yourself. For me the vacation this year to Cornerstone Festival begins when I have the truck loaded up and my wife and I begin the descent down from the great white north. I look forward to hearing all of the bands from Glenn Kaiser to ARE YOU KIDDING ME…LIVING SACRIFICE!!!!!?? The most anticipated concert for me on this trek will be Iona.

There is something to warn you about though when you go on vacation. There can sometimes come a point in a vacation when you have had enough. When you get to that point I would encourage you to fight it and really settle in to enjoy the rest of your stay. Perhaps you will be missing kids, home, or maybe even work. I would emphasize that you stay locked into vacation mode until the day you leave so that when you do finally get home, your batteries will be renewed and you will refreshed.

I heard this saying once as I went on a Jesuit silent prayer retreat. The retreat director told me this, “don’t leave before you go.” Think about that for a minute. When I get to Cornerstone I will turn my brain off, get my campsite ready, enjoy some great concerts and teachings but most of all let God return me to my breathing and become mentally sane once again. Whether a vacation is just a campsite down the road or a tropic paradise...if you are on staff at a church..YOU NEED A VACATION!