I have been with my congregation for 14 years now, which means this is the year I am due for my second sabbatical. In my branch of the Christian Church we are eligible to receive a Sabbatical every seven years we are with a congregation (there are provisions if you move congregations). For some reason it crept up on me, surprised me. I only realized it when I was putting together my end of year reports saying I had been here 14 years. So unlike last time when myself and my congregation began preparing 18 months ahead of time, we have not prepared, planned or imagined together what Sabbatical would look like at this juncture in our congregational life, much less had I thought about it in terms of any other aspect of my life.
Taking a Sabbatical when
you are a small church pastor is not always easy, convenient, practical, or
ideal. When it is your sabbatical year and your dissertation writing year
collide with congregational transitions which make it difficult to take an
extended leave from your congregation, that is when your highly imaginative,
wonderfully talented, and compassionate people say, "No, pastor it is not
alright for you to simply forgo your Sabbatical." I love it when the
people of God speak up for the health and wellbeing of their pastor!
And then together we
reimagine a Pastoral Sabbatical.
What we came up with is a
Hybrid Sabbatical plan. In which instead of taking a three-month Sabbatical, I will
take series of Sabbatical weeks, two at a time. The purpose of these Sabbatical
weeks is to encourage me to have dedicated writing time for my Doctor of Ministry
in Spiritual Formation dissertation, while allowing others to take over the bulk
of my Pastoral duties. I am also to take time to rest, relax and draw close to
God during these weeks. For this end I am scheduling into these weeks a backpacking
pilgrimage, a silent retreat at a monastery, time to spend with family, time to
rest and relax and of course entire workdays solely dedicated to writing my
dissertation.
As far as I know this is
a unique way of participating in a Pastoral Sabbatical. We will see if it works,
if I am able to accomplish what I need to accomplish; writing, relaxing, drawing
close to God, drawing deep of the deep spiritual wells so that I may be
rejuvenated as a whole person and able to bring that rejuvenation into all
other aspects of my life, as a pastor, as a parent, a daughter, a wife and a
friend.
Join me on what will be
an interesting journey and a grand experiment.
