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My sincere hope is that this article will be an encouragement and help to all of us as we enter a brief period that will be unique in the life of Oak Crest. As I am sure you are aware, beginning in March I will begin a three month period of pastoral sabbatical. I want you to have full knowledge of the reasons for this time and the benefits I am certain it will provide all of us.
Let me begin by saying what a sabbatical is not. A sabbatical is not a fancy word for a long vacation. Although, I will spend a portion of the time with my family in a vacation period, this is not the purpose of a sabbatical. A sabbatical is not a time to look for other ministry opportunities. I am committed to Oak Crest for the rest of my life, if the Lord is willing to allow that. A sabbatical is not recovery from burn out. I am not burned out, and I am thankful for the opportunity to take sabbatical at a time when we are experiencing health as a church. Finally, a sabbatical is not a result of any problem in the life of the church. Our planning for sabbatical has been in the works with the Personnel Committee for several years. So what is a sabbatical? It is a continuation of my pastoral ministry in a different format for a brief period. A sabbatical allows for very concentrated spiritual study and renewal. The word itself is based on the biblical idea of a Sabbath rest. In the New Testament, we have clear evidence that Jesus often withdrew from the crowds for a time of intimate communion with the Father. He was not withdrawing for the sake of neglecting the needs of the crowd, but to be equipped to meet the needs of the crowds in accordance with his mission. A sabbatical is a time of refocusing on the mission. What is God’s desire for Oak Crest? What are areas I have neglected in my life and ministry? What are blind spots I have become numb to after almost 9 years at Oak Crest? These and many more questions will be the subject of my prayer and study over the next three months. What will I do on sabbatical? I plan to be in contact often with the elders, as well as keeping all of you posted on the progress and happenings of my time away. I have a stack of books that I will read and study, not the least of which is the Bible. One of my goals is to plan my preaching schedule of the next couple of years. This planning is always an intimate time with the Lord, and I am excited to do it with 100% focus on God’s will for his church at Oak Crest. During the first couple of weeks, we have planned to spend some time together as a family. I am so thankful for my sweet wife and children. They will be reminded that they are my first ministry responsibility. During this time we will visit several different churches. I am not visiting churches to “get ideas,” rather to be reminded that the Kingdom of God is larger than any one church. Additionally, these visits will allow me and my family to be edified and fed from the giftedness of others. The largest portion of my time will be spent in Boston and the surrounding area of New England. I am excited to immerse myself in biblical and Puritan studies for an extended time. God willing I will have the opportunity to spend some time at the Jonathan Edwards Center at Yale University, as well as visiting other notable seminaries in the area. All of this is with the goal in mind of my own spiritual renewal as well as renewal at Oak Crest. How can you pray for me? Please pray that I will make the most of every moment of this opportunity. Pray that Oak Crest will thrive in my absence as our elders, deacons, and committees look after the flock. Pray that God will grant me wisdom, knowledge, and a deeper love for him. Pray that my love for you and your love for me will grow in our absence from one another. I want to close with a challenge to each of you. As excited as I am about this time of renewal, I do have anxiety. I am not anxious to leave you. I love each of you deeply and I want to see you grow in Christ and share his gospel with others. Please don’t neglect the assembling of yourselves together in my absence. God has granted Oak Crest many men who are apt in the preaching and teaching of the Word. Hearing from them over the next few weeks will bless you and benefit you greatly. Don’t neglect to faithfully support the ministry with your finances and giftedness. The ministry must not slow in the slightest degree. There is too much to do, there are too many needs to meet. There is no vacation from serving Christ, even on sabbatical. This will be a time of testing. Are we as healthy as we hope and pray we are? If we are, the absence of no single individual, even the “senior” pastor, will not negatively impact the church at all. In fact, if anything slows in the next three months it is a sign that something is amiss. Our goal has always been to equip the saints for the work of ministry. Now is the time to exercise that equipping according to your giftedness. May God be glorified in Oak Crest in the coming days. In Christ, Blain Craig
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Over the last several weeks we have been thinking about the nature and value of our shared covenant at Oak Crest. This week we will conclude with the final phrases of the covenant. The conclusion of the covenant states, “to express Christian sympathy; to be slow to take offense but always ready for reconciliation, honoring the teachings of our Savior. Moreover, we covenant that when we remove from this place, we will, as soon as possible, unite with another New Testament church where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God’s Word.”
Within the church, more than any other relationships we have, we should be slow to become bitter or angry. I know how easy it is to be hurt by the words or the actions of others. One thing we can count on is that people will inevitably let us down. Not one of us is perfect. We are humans that make mistakes. We say the wrong thing, sometimes intentionally, sometimes unintentionally. We must truly love one another in the love of Jesus Christ. We must be constantly willing to extend forgiveness and love to one another. We must be willing to seek reconciliation rapidly. If bitterness and unforgiveness are allowed to simmer in the body of Christ, horrible things result. Because we are Christians, bought with the blood of Christ, forgiven of a debt we could never repay, we must willing forgive our brothers and sisters in Christ. There is no hurt you or I could ever endure equal to the hurt our own sin caused Christ on the Cross. There is no offense we could ever experience that equals the offense of our sin before a holy God. Let’s harbor an atmosphere of love and reconciliation according to the covenant we hold together. Finally, the covenant requires that if there is ever a time we leave this place, we must join with another church as soon as possible. There should never be a time when a believer is not plugged into a local congregation. We desperately need the love and support and encouragement of others. We need the wisdom and teaching of others. We need to hear the Word of God through the mouths of others. The spirit of this final part of the covenant is best reflected in the book of Hebrews. “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near,” (Hebrews 10: 24-25). In Christ, Blain Craig The next portion of our Covenant states, “We further covenant to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember one another in prayer; to aid one another in sickness and distress;”
Not only is our responsibility to behave like Christians in the outside world, but also to be Christians in our behavior to one another. We are to watch over one another in brotherly love. That does not merely mean we are to care for each other, although it certainly does mean that. It is more than care, it is accountability. This is something that many, many churches neglect in this modern age of consumer driven church. We don’t like the idea of accountability. We don’t like to think about answering to anyone outside ourselves. We may even say, “I am accountable to Christ alone!” That is true, but the means Christ has established to disciple his people is the church. This mutual accountability is clear throughout Scripture. It is not something to be feared, but embraced. God loves us and through his word provides for our growth and maturity. Hebrews says, “It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? … For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it,” Hebrews 12: 7,11. Please remember, this accountability, this “watching over” is redemptive not judgmental. We need one another to grow in the faith. So what does this covenant of accountability look like? We see it described in the next phrases of the covenant. We must lift one another up in intercessory prayer. If we are all accountable to the Lord, we should pray for one another fervently. I hope you will pray for all the people of our church on a regular basis, not only when they are ill. Pray they will grow and mature in the things of Christ. Pray they will develop a passion and desire for the word of God. Pray that they will be all that God wants them to be at Oak Crest and in his glorious kingdom. Equally, we are to love one another in times of sickness. Our desire for one another should always be health and growth both spiritually and physically. There is nothing quite like facing sickness with the love and support of your church family. Many of you have felt the prayers of our church as you or a loved one has recovered in a time of illness. We need and depend on each other. There is no substitute for a church family when times are difficult. In Christ, Blain Craig |
AuthorDr. Blain Craig 
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