For the Life of the World / Yale Center for Faith & Culture Burnout and Sabbath / Alexis Abernethy
Clinical psychologist Alexis Abernethy explores burnout, Sabbath rest, and resilience—reframing rest as spiritual practice for individuals and communities.
“For me, it’s knowing that the Lord has made me as much to work as much to be and to be still and know that he is God.”
On this episode, clinical psychologist Alexis Abernethy (Fuller Seminary) joins Macie Bridge to discuss burnout, Sabbath, worship, mental health, and resilience in the life of the church. Defining burnout through its dimensions of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced sense of accomplishment, Abernethy reflects on how church life can intensify these dynamics even as it seeks to heal them. Drawing from scripture, theology, psychology, and her own experience in the Black church and academic worlds, she reorients us to Sabbath as more than self-care: a sacred practice of being still before God. Sabbath, she argues, is not a quick fix but a preventive rhythm that sustains resilience in leaders and congregations alike. Along the way, she points to the necessity of modeling rest, the impact of daily and weekly spiritual rhythms, and the communal posture that makes Sabbath transformative.
Episode Highlights
- “For me, it’s knowing that the Lord has made me as much to work as much to be and to be still and know that he is God.”
- “Often people have overextended themselves in face of crises, other circumstances over a period of time, and it’s just not really sustainable, frankly, for anyone.”
- “We act as if working hard and excessively is dutiful and really what the Lord wants—but that’s not what He wants.”
- “When you are still with the Lord, you look different when you’re active.”
- “Sabbath rest allows you to literally catch your own breath, but also then be able to see what the congregation needs.”
Helpful Links and Resources
- That Their Work Will Be a Joy, Kurt Frederickson & Cameron Lee
- Howard Thurman, Meditations of the Heart
- Emily Dickinson, “Some Keep the Sabbath” (Poetry Foundation)
About Alexis Abernethy
Alexis Abernethy is a clinical psychologist and professor in the School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy at Fuller Seminary. Her research explores the intersection of spirituality and health, with particular focus on Christian spirituality, church leadership, and group therapy models.
Topics and Themes
- Burnout in Church Leadership and Congregational Life
- Defining Burnout: Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalization, and Reduced Accomplishment
- Spiritual Misconceptions of Work and Duty
- Sabbath as Sacred Rest, Not Just Self-Care
- Silence, Stillness, and the Presence of God
- Scriptural Foundations for Sabbath: Psalm 23, Psalm 46, John 15
- The Role of Pastors in Modeling Rest
- Pandemic Lessons for Church Rhythms and Participation
- Emily Dickinson and Creative Visions of Sabbath
- Resilience Through Sabbath: Lessons from New Orleans Pastors
- Practical Practices for Sabbath in Everyday Life
Show Notes
- Exodus 20:8-11: 8 Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work. 10 But the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and consecrated it.
- Opening framing on burnout, Sabbath, and confusion about self-care
- Introduction of Alexis Abernethy, her background as psychologist and professor
- Childhood in a lineage of Methodist pastors and formative worship experiences
- Early academic path: Howard University, UC Berkeley, affirmation from her father
- Defining burnout: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, reduced accomplishment
- “I’m just stuck. I used to enjoy my job.”
- The church as both source of fulfillment and site of burnout
- Misconceptions of spirituality equating overwork with duty
- Reference: That Their Work Will Be a Joy (Frederickson & Lee)
- Scriptural reflections: Psalm 23, Psalm 46, John 15
- Stillness, quiet, and Howard Thurman on solitude
- “When you are still with the Lord, you look different when you’re active.”
- Sabbath as sacred rest, not a quick fix or pill
- Pastors modeling Sabbath for congregations, including personal family time
- COVID reshaping church rhythms and recalculating commitment costs
- Emily Dickinson’s poem “Some Keep the Sabbath”
- Lessons from New Orleans pastors after Hurricane Katrina
- Sabbath as resilience for leaders and congregations
- Practical steps: scripture meditation, playlists, Lectio Divina, cultivating quiet
- Closing invitation: Sabbath as both individual discipline and community posture
Production Notes
- This podcast featured Alexis Abernethy
- Interview by Macie Bridge
- Edited and Produced by Evan Rosa
- Hosted by Evan Rosa
- Production Assistance by Alexa Rollow and Emily Brookfield
- A Production of the Yale Center for Faith & Culture at Yale Divinity School https://faith.yale.edu/about
- Support For the Life of the World podcast by giving to the Yale Center for Faith & Culture: https://faith.yale.edu/give