A Summer Half Sabbatical
I was called to Truro Anglican in September of 2015, so this fall I will finish my 7th year in ministry at this wonderful church. Given Truro’s current moment (namely, an interim period), a traditional, full sabbatical (ie., 3-4 months) doesn’t make sense for the church. The last few years have been particularly tiring, however, and both my body and soul could use an extended break.
I am thankful that Mary+ (our Interim Priest-in-Charge) and the wardens (the two lay-people who lead our vestry/board) have granted me an 8 week sabbatical for this summer, so that I can rest and recharge before a new rector begins at Truro, and to my wonderful co-workers, who will graciously cover for me while I am away.
Here is how I plan to use the time:
Sunday, June 19th: Last Sunday at Truro before beginning my “half sabbatical”
June 20th-26th: Move into our new house (there is a story here, which I am happy to share with those interested!)
June 26th-August 6th: I’ll be away with my family at my parents lake cottage in Upstate NY (the Adirondacks). We’ll spend most of our days here. I’ll take a long weekend away with Jenny in Lake Placid, a solo backpacking trip in the woods for some real quiet, and a few overnight backpacking trips with my boys.
August 7th-15th: Planned family vacation in the Rockies.
August 16th: Return to Northern VA.
Funding: I am thankful that Truro will continue to provide my salary and benefits while I am away. We will cover all other expenses, except maybe a few books.
Study: A sabbatical, while intended to be a time of real rest, isn’t intended just to be an extended vacation. While I do intend to catch up on sleep, spend some real time with Jenny and my boys, and spend a significant amount of time in nature, I am also looking forward to extended time with the Lord (that has nothing to do directly with my job). Beyond daily chapel at Camp of the Woods (where I will be responsible for nothing but receiving/participating!) and plenty of quiet by the lake with my Bible, I’ll also read a few books (probably some Eugene Peterson and Frederick Buechner, because they are my favorites, and perhaps one or two others), but at a “holy-day” pace.
Contact: I don’t plan to check email for the entire 8 weeks, and following the urging of some colleagues, will “zero” my inbox when I return, so that I don’t start completely underwater. If you’d like to follow along on some of my outdoor adventures, I tend to post about those on Instagram (feel free to follow along, but don’t feel bad if I don’t respond to comments/message), but I don’t plan to be active on any other social media platform for the time I’m away. I do plan to write an update half-way through the time away for my church family, and again at the end of my time away (perhaps with a longer report of some kind), sharing a bit about what I’m up to and what the Lord is teaching me, but I have been encouraged not to try to over-schedule or over-strategize the sabbatical, lest I miss the point of slowing down to rest.