How I’m Approaching My Sabbatical – Part I
Tomorrow I start my three month Sabbatical, that I have been anticipating for the last two years. After 20+ years of ministry, I wanted to take some time to rest, reflect and refocus. My spiritual director practically ordered me to set this time apart. I plan to blog about what I am doing on Sabbatical, because blogging is life giving for me. My blogging will be slightly different during this time, as I will be blogging about the things I’m doing and thinking about.
For each month of my Sabbatical, I have a focus. The first month is simply to rest. The second month is to reflect on the last 20 years of my life. And the third month is to refocus, and seek God for what he has for me in the next phase of life. I will talk about month two and three in the following posts in this series. But here is my focus for month one of Sabbatical.
MONTH ONE (September 2011)
What: Rest, Relax, Rejuvenate
Where: Hawaii (Kauai, Honolulu and The Big Island)
I was able to use my American Airlines frequent flyer miles (only 45,000) for this trip to three Islands. I have former students and friends that I am staying with during the whole trip, which makes this trip extremely inexpensive. God is good!
Description: I will seek to bring my life to a screeching halt, to step on the brakes and connect to my mortality. No deadlines. No roles. Doing those things that energize me. Hiking, surfing, photography, times with friends, reading, films, snorkeling, cheap eats, journaling, concerts. Reconnect to my passions. Live Spontaneously. Don’t over plan. Leave lots of margins. Enjoy the moment. Have uncluttered Space. I’ve picked some films to watch during this time and here are the books I want to read this month.
Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight in Our Busy Lives by Wayne Muller
When the Heart Waits: Spiritual Direction for Life’s Sacred Questions by Sue Monk Kidd
A Life of Being, Having and Doing Enough by Wayne Muller
Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership by Ruth Haley Barton
Henri Nouwen: A Spirituality of Imperfection by Wil Hernandez
I read When the Heart Waits for a class (with Willie of course…sp?). It was a bit of Sabbath in itself. Peace!
April,
That is good to know. Thanks for letting me know.
JR, I pray that your sabbatical is truly restful and refreshing. I look forward to your blogging during this period, and to seeing how it prepares you for what lies ahead.
Jake,
Thanks bro. Are you in England now?
Hi Jr,
So glad to hear you will connect again with your passions..just wondered about the number of passions..hehe
JR, yes, I’m in England now. Been here about six weeks. The transition has been great, very smooth…people have been incredibly welcoming. Does your sabbatical include a trip to the UK?
Sonja,
You are right about that. The second and third month I will try to focus, since as you say, I have so many passions.
Jake,
It’s good to hear about your smooth transition and warm welcome. I wish I could hop over to the UK, but probably not this time. I hope to visit you sometime down the road. Good to hear from you bro.
hope you bought some carbon credits to offset all those miles