An Update after 3 Months of Sabbatical

I entered into my sabbatical with a written plan for rest and rejuvenation, and with a commitment to dig into some much deeper soul-care exploration. There are many things I learned that are uniquely for me and my family. Having peeled back some layers and regained some contact with long-lost parts of me, I count the sabbatical as both a success and only a beginning. And, I did achieve much-needed deep, soulful rest. People have asked me often whether I feel refreshed and I can honestly say yes. Time away has made a tremendous difference and I couldn’t be more thankful for the recharge.

To give you a flavor, my sabbatical included regular counseling, spiritual formation, a personal retreat, fun family gatherings, more intentional investment in time with and care for our parents, and a significant amount of traveling to places I had never been to before. Having less to do every day created space for reading, contemplation, walking (usually with the dog), extended and relaxed conversations with Julia (my wife), my kids, my dad, and some other favorite pastimes (e.g. new exercise routines). I just have to be honest and say that not planning a sermon, or for a Sunday service every week was tremendously liberating! It is hard to convey how much those things are always in the background of my mind and heart, and how much it influences everything from personal devotions, to how I structure my week.

I’d love to share about my travel, and for those interested, let’s get together and do it! As an option for you to consider, sometime in the next month Pastor Earlando and I will host a gathering to share pictures and reflect on our journey to Israel. I’ll tease it now to say it was not everything I thought it would be. Stay tuned for an open invitation to join us to hear more.

Generally, and tied directly to this season of Easter, I will share that sabbatical spurred a resurrection of sorts in my soul. There has been a lot of remembering my own story and reconnecting to the core truths that hold and sustain me. My journey has led to greater personal and interpersonal awareness. It is a journey that has required opening to unknowns. It is a journey that requires letting go and yet taking hold. In many ways, it has been a journey unto new life, albeit within the framework of me.

Though my sabbatical comes to a close, it is not over! And, of course, I see the similarity in that there is no “end” to Holy Week or Easter either. The end is yet to come. Easter and resurrection remind us that Jesus’s earthly journey started something new and it will continue until He comes again. His work in us is similarly a journey of a lifetime.

Sabbatical opened me to something old and new; vaguely familiar in some ways, but also unfamiliar. I found comfort in being more deeply connected to myself, with the compassionate love of God continuing to bring greater integration of my soul, body, and mind. I am laying hold of Him to guide me with the help of those who help me see Him, and I pray that in time He will assist me to be more free and open to what He is doing, in me and all around me.

I’ve had to fight hard to not feel some sense of obligation (or even shame) to have a “word from the Lord” for the church. I don’t. This sabbatical was intentionally set to create space for the work that needed to start inside me. I trust you will allow me the grace to reintegrate into the life of this church without the undo burden of looking to me for some new vision. That’s not why I stepped away, and it is definitely not something I have to offer upon my return.

A more authentic version of myself is what I have to give. I recognize that’s all most people really want anyway. I’ll be continuing to dig and uncover more of what that looks like as I move forward. I have learned it will be a journey that takes me into eternity.

Thank you all for the gift of this sabbatical.

Pastor Scott