A few early reflections on sabbatical leave:
1.
So grateful for three months away from all my
normal leadership rhythms. It was
wonderful. Pastors don’t work harder
than others. EVERYONE deserves these periods
of rest and renewal.
2. The congregation I serve is an amazing, caring, and
talented group of people. They took on a
wide range of leadership roles and kept us moving forward while I was
away. Their generosity towards me and my
family is impressive.
3. I have a great staff (whom I owe big time) –
thank you to Laura, Greg, Gayle, Kathy, Alesha, and Rachel. (I will do my best not to crash back into
your lives in 5th gear, since you all have been hard at it!)
4. Sounds bad to say, but the most unexpected joy
was just spending more time w/ my wife and kids. While I didn’t notice any difference in my
personality, THEY said I was much less angry/stressed and much more
present.
5. It was a delight to reconnect with friends from
lots of places: Oxford, New Haven, NYC, Arlington, Denver, KC.
6. Whatever my sabbatical plan said, what actually
happened was an intensive immersion in beauty and deliciousness (primarily in
forms of architecture, beer, & food), alongside great people.
7. While I read less than I thought I would, I wrote
way more than I thought I would. If you
know me (Enneagram 5, forever stalling to read yet one more thing), this is a
very good thing.
8. Random top two most powerful experiences:
meeting farmer Will Bucklin (of Bucklin Vineyards) and spending Pentecost
Sunday at the Tate Modern.
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