Hello my faithful followers! I’m slowly jump starting the ol’ blog again as I head out on sabbatical starting April 2nd (only a week or so away!). I can’t tell you how blessed I feel to be part of and serve a congregation that values Sabbath, as well as the forethought of the leadership some 20 years ago who adopted a sabbatical policy for their pastors. I know many people do not get sabbaticals, though I see that changing in the corporate world.
I wrote an article for our church newsletter about my sabbatical, and I’ll be sending some info out soon about what I’ll be doing. I thought a good re-start for Faith & Coffee might be that article last month. So, here it is…
February, 2024
Nearly 20 years ago, the Presbytery of Grand Canyon urged congregations to establish a sabbatical policy for their pastors to provide for a 3 to 4 month time of rest every 6 years. Session then established just such a policy, and in 2019, I was the first UPC pastor to utilize this incredible gift. Technically my sixth year was 2018, but my sabbatical was delayed due to some personnel changes. On Feb. 14, 2024, I will celebrate my 12th year, and in two months, I’ll embark on my second sabbatical.
Belief has spread that sabbaticals offer great benefits to both pastor and congregation. Yes, it is a long rest from the daily routines of the job (the root word of sabbatical being “sabbath,” from Hebrew meaning to stop or rest). But it’s also a time of reflection. A sabbatical is not, as some suggest, an extended vacation. It is an intentional time of spiritual renewal and reconnection.
It is true that most people do not get sabbaticals. But research has increasingly shown the benefits to both employees and companies. Microsoft, Google, and other companies, big and small, are realizing benefits to the overall wellbeing of a workforce, and, thereby to the company.
A particularly and often overlooked benefit for congregations is a rested and renewed pastor. Pastors are called to high standards (at times, maybe unrealistically high). Their work is sacred, but it can also be emotionally, spiritually, and even physically draining. As the late Christian philosopher Dallas Willard once said in support of sabbaticals, “We need our pastors to be morally fit and spiritually healthy!” In his mind, sabbaticals were an important way for a congregation to help care for their pastor’s wellbeing.
Sabbaticals also encourage a congregational leadership to step up in ways that might otherwise not be expected when the pastor is around. When I returned from my last sabbatical several UPC leaders shared how they saw a renewed sense of commitment and attention to the inner workings of our congregation. Several said they felt empowered and humbled by the experience. A sabbatical can also help a congregation appreciate some of the gifts of your pastor that may be taken for granted. Maybe something about “absence makes the heart grow fonder”?
I have thought deeply about my 2024 sabbatical. My 2019 sabbatical focused on “Reformed and always being reformed,” following the trail of the protestant reformation from Wittenberg, Germany, where Martin Luther sparked reform in the Catholic church, to Geneva, Switzerland, where John Calvin grew the reformation even further. Calvin trained John Knox, who eventually returned to his home in Scotland and sparked what became the Scottish Reformation and the beginnings of what we now know as Presbyterianism. So, I followed Knox to Scotland and stood in the spaces where he preached and taught. It was truly awe-inspiring!
Then I spent an entire month on the U.S.Mexico border with Frontera de Cristo Border Ministry and reflected on the ever changing landscape of religious life in relation to socio-political boundaries.
It was all a truly life-changing and thought provoking endeavor. It pushed my thinking and my faith toward a truly “reformed and always being reformed” way of thinking that led me far beyond what Luther, Calvin, and Knox wrote. You may have heard some of that effect in my sermons over the past few years.
Since 2019, the idea of “pilgrimage” has emerged. Faith is a pilgrimage – a journey. It isn’t about the destination so much as the journey itself. So, I proposed “pilgrimage” to session as the theme of this year’s sabbatical.
I’ll begin my pilgrimage by walking the nearly 500-mile Camino de Santiago (Walk/Way to Santiago) across the north of Spain — it’ll take 35 days. The Camino has dozens of routes that all lead to the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela where the remains (relics) of St. James are believed to be. It is an ancient pilgrimage that began during the Roman Empire, and has been a spiritual journey for millions ever since. As with any pilgrimage, the richness of this journey is not so much its destination as the journey itself.
I heard about the Camino many years ago, before coming to UPC. It has attracted my heart for a long time (maybe connected to my love of hiking and backpacking?). As I’ve heard stories from others who have walked the Camino, like our own Dan Abbott, the call of the Camino has grown ever stronger. It will be difficult, but no journey is worth anything if it does not offer some challenges.
On my way home I’ll swing through the Highlands of Scotland and reunite with some old friends. The rest of the sabbatical will be shaped by several wilderness adventures planned around the U.S., including with my good friend and wilderness partner, the Rev. Dr. Jonathan Malone.
While the root of sabbatical means “to stop” or “rest,” as you might surmise, I won’t be sitting still much. I’ll have rest days between trips, but, for me, taking a break from the routines and ruts that I often sink into will be my sabbath. My hope and prayer is that these adventures will help me step away and discern different perspectives, as happened in 2019.
And don’t worry, you’ll be in good hands. We’re lining up some wonderful pastors to offer worship and pastoral support in my absence. I’ll be sharing more about that and how you can share in my sabbatical adventures in the coming weeks. You’ll even be able to track my progress on the Camino! I appreciate your prayers as I prepare. For now, …
Be of good courage and know that you are loved!