The word sabbatical is drawn from Sabbath. The Hebrew word for Sabbath means to “close or rest” and is connected with the last day of Creation when God rested. (Genesis 2:3) God both models and commands Sabbath rest for his people. “Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy.” (Exodus 20:8-11)
Jesus affirmed the importance of rest saying, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27-28) The Biblical example of Jesus’ own frequent withdrawal to a quiet place to meditate, pray and be renewed is a model. In His ministry, the constant demands of people led Jesus to step away on a regular basis. (Wheat Ridge). As many of you know Pastor Gael and Mike Orr suffered an overwhelming tragedy last October. Their precious daughter Tara passed away. It has been a difficult year for them to say the least. We have mutually decided to have Pastor Gael go on indefinite sabbatical and take as much time as she needs away from ministry at DFC. It is a time of rest from ministry and a time of healing for her. We simply ask everyone to continue to pray for Gael and her family. She expressed her love and concern for the people at DFC, and will miss you all dearly. Thank you for your continued prayer and support of the Orr family.
– Pastor Shawn