Those are the questions I hope we’ll answer when our sabbatical is over. They are multi-faceted questions, not just about geography, but also about life-events, life-choices, life-lessons, and more. They are questions that will take time and patience for us to answer.
As a pastor, I will have multiple venues through which to proffer my answers: sermons, newsletter articles, e-mails. I want you to begin thinking about the ways we can give you opportunities to answer these questions. You can probably get permission (from the Session) to preach, if you want, but you don’t have to.
Sabbatical is about perspective, as much as it is about renewal; about examination, as much as determination. It gives us a chance to look at our lives, our mission, our future from perspectives to which we are not ordinarily privy. It’s like changing positions on the team—playing infield instead of outfield; like moving to the other side of the sanctuary or the gym for worship; like going through that desk drawer that we’ve been filling with memorabilia for so many years, reminiscing about the stories that these objects elicit, but also dreaming and visioning where, how, and if they can point us toward and be used in the future that lies before us.
To be sure, we will have some history on which to catch up—what happened to whom, and who did (or didn’t do) what. But I hope that much of what we find the energy to discuss is about what we learned and where we believe God is calling us. I am slowly piecing together my own answers to these questions, and I hope you are doing the same. I look forward to the unfolding of our conversations and answers, as well as to the clarification and energization (Yes, I see that spell-check doesn’t recognize this word.) that are available to us.
Thank you for your thoughts as you journey through your sabbatical. This morning I very much appreciated the water scene. There is something about a view of water that is calming. Just as our water baptisms identify us as belonging to Christ, the need for water is something that gives all of us a common bond with all of our Earth-bound brothers and sisters. There is no doubt in my mind that your work with Living Waters has been a very rewarding experience for you, both in the new friendships made and in new perspectives gained. One of your 1st Presbyterian youth noted that she appreciated the morning energizers of this past week at Montreat. It is good to hear that you are gaining energization in your retreat setting(s). Grace and peace.
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