This Thanksgiving week, among the many, many blessings for
which I am thankful, I am hugely thankful (in advance) for my coming salbatical.
Nope, that’s not a misprint. Sally + Sabbatical =
Salbatical. And I get to have one in the Summer of 2017! After 33 years of ministry, I will have 3 ½ months of time
away from my pastoral duties through the generosity of the National Clergy
Renewal Program of the Lilly Endowment. My renewal leave will begin the week after
Easter on April 24 and last until August 14, 2017.
“What makes your
heart sing?” That question was central to the grant application, and it set my
imagination going. Of course, my family makes my heart sing, and so the first
thing I did was to build in plenty of salbatical time with my family around the
country. There was something else niggling in my head, and it took me awhile to
figure out what my heart was trying to tell me. I wrote several different
iterations of my grant proposal, but I knew that I had not yet landed on the
answer to this question.
“What makes your heart sing?” That question was stuck in my
head, and then an answer began to emerge, surprisingly, through a memory from
high school. (If you’re like me, remembering high school isn’t exactly the
heart-singing highlight of life.) My high school memory was of taking a class
with my favorite science teacher in which we studied The Ascent of Man, by Jacob Brownoski.
I had loved the pictures and narration of this coffee-table
science book, laying out the beautiful ordering of nature. At the time,
however, this book had troubled my faith, because I was concerned that this
natural order might conflict with Scripture, or that it be somehow surprising
to God. It wasn’t too long before I came to understand that to love and
celebrate creation was to love and celebrate the Creator. Ever since, I have
always turned to God’s world for sustenance and inspiration, finding deeply
spiritual moments in natural settings.
“What makes your heart sing?” God’s creation makes my heart
sing. With that certainty in my head, I turned again to the grant application,
and this time, the ideas flowed easily.
The Clergy Renewal grant will allow me and Andy to explore God’s
creation in some incredibly beautiful settings. I will have time in retreat
centers in the Big Sur area of California. Andy and I will have family time on
our beloved Sanibel Island, FL. The centerpiece of this salbatical will be a
trip for the two of us to Ecuador, to visit the Galapagos Islands which
inspired Darwin in his understanding of creation.
My heart is singing in anticipation of this
once-in-a-lifetime experience!
The church will have their own opportunities to explore God’s
presence in creation during my absence. There will be an abundance of special
speakers and worship opportunities, including internationally-known worship
designer Dr. Marcia McFee. Marcia will create worship experiences that will
highlight the natural beauty of our church’s setting. I can’t wait to hear
about what she does!
Best of all, my church will get a new pastor on August 14.
Their new pastor will be refreshed and relaxed. She will have had some
fantastic experiences to share. She will come back with ideas about how to
utilize our 24 acres in new ways to connect with God. She will have renewed
energy for her coming years of ministry.
This new pastor might look just like me, but these
life-changing experiences will surely change her. In anticipation of all of these things that will begin on April 24, 2017, I am truly thankful
this Thanksgiving week.
