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In fact, Baal, Yahweh's principle "competition" in the hearts of His people, was the god of land and fertility. As history proves, the Israelites found it easy to forget Yahweh's care for them in favor of Baal (1 Kings 16:32 , 2 Kings 21:3), who they believed gave the land its fruitfulness.

The sabbatical's purpose for the Israelites was that once in every seven years they would stop producing food from the land. This meant not only that they would be dependent on God for one year, but for three: They would need to depend on Him for the year before the sabbatical, because He promised they would see dramatic increases in production. They would need to depend on him for the Sabbath year, while the ground was fallow. And they would need to depend on him for the year after the sabbatical, since no food was gathered and stored ahead for that year.

What's all this got to do with my pastor?

Good question. Look at it this way: your pastor is the one who is often depended on for spiritual fruit in your church. He is, for better or worse, the soil—the dirt—on which your spiritual and church growth are dependent.

Can I tell my pastor you told me to call him "dirt"?

Please don't.

But think about this: If we were honest, we would admit that churches easily become dependent on their pastors. They look to them for leadership, for help when they're in trouble, for counsel and advice. They look to the pastor to bring people to Christ, to plan and provide Christian education and discipleship, to visit the sick, marry the engaged and bury the disengaged. The expectation is that the pastor is the one who should have a plan to provide people with spiritual benefits. He is expected to manage the maintenance of the church as well, bringing in the necessary finances and numerical growth. One study showed that in a typical church, the pastor is required to wear at least 16 different and distinct ministry "hats."

I'm not asking you to feel sorry for your pastor. After all, wearing all those hats is often what he's called—and paid—to do. But it's unrealistic to think a person responsible for such a huge spiritual role can do it without periodically getting away for an extended time of renewal.

It's time to stop the madness. Break your dependence on your pastor by giving him a break. Don't tell him what you expect him to do during the break, just give him a substantial chunk of time away to be fallow ground. The amount of time will vary depending on your congregation's resources. It could be anywhere from one to six months, but the idea is to bless your leader with an opportunity to reconnect with God, his family, and himself in a meaningful way.

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