"Have a Good Sabbatical"

It’s been important to take enough time to plan the sabbatical well. As my plans for the summer continue to become clearer, I recognize that none of them could be rushed or pushed before they are ready.

Our elders have talked about this a good bit, both informally and with me. It is their church, after all, and my upcoming absence will provide a great opportunity for them to claim their responsibilities without my interference.

As for me, I’m returning from a brief conference in Louisville where the grant makers trained us in how to prepare for the time away. It’s heartening to know our planning team has done things “right.” There’s been no rush to make plans, and we’re giving people some time for the idea to sink in. A growing number of voices have begun to join me in planning, even to cheer me on and encourage me, and it’s becoming their idea as much as it’s mine.

At the level of congregational life, I’m sure the men’s group will bust me about “taking the whole summer as a vacation.” But they do this out of love and respect. Many have quietly admitted that they wish the midpoint of their careers would have had some “still time” like this is going to be. And they acknowledge how hard it is to maintain balance between work, family, and rest.

Looking toward the summer, a great deal of anxiety will be averted if I plan ahead with the elders to make sure the weekly pulpit is full and the visitations are covered. Those plans are already underway. We are planning a Great Preachers series for the summer, and the congregation will get a well-deserved break from my voice. We are also digging into a new concept for our deacons which we call “Congregational Care Teams.” This new initiative recognizes, once again, that ministry belongs to all of God’s people. If there are folks with gifts in caring or visiting, we are training them to use those abilities.

I have a hunch that the sabbatical will be a great opportunity to renew a congregation that has reached a plateau. We need some time and space to allow new things to emerge, rather than rush around like anxious radio announcers who are afraid of silence. So what if a few things stop, dwindle, or go on temporary hiatus? A sabbatical recognizes that God is ultimately responsible for the church, not us, and we can deeply abide in that. If there are programs that keep going only because the pastor is pushing them, perhaps it would be a good idea to get out of God’s way. And if we discover in the silence where we need to grow or what we need to do, these would be powerful things.