Sabbatical Part 2: Starting to Let Go

Hello again!  Apparently my last blog post didn’t come across the way I had hoped.  A number of people in the church asked me to let them in on the process of the sabbatical, but what I had to say appears to have caused some anxiety.  Maybe a little too raw?  Anyway, since I’m a bit farther along in my sabbatical process now so I figure it’s time for another installment.

We had to make an emergency trip to Southern California to visit one of Eleanor’s relatives who got a cancer diagnosis.  That in itself could easily have been more stressful, but the discontinuity it provided to me was helpful.  What happened initially was that the kids were still in school so once day I was working and the next I was on sabbatical, but there was no marker to help my brain shift gears.  It just felt like a long “day off.”  Then last week I got sick, which didn’t help either.

Getting away – even though it was two days of travel and one day of visiting – was good for me.  Then yesterday, which started terrible, ended up being a great unprogrammed day for our family.  We did some cleaning, some playing,  went for a long walk, and went to dinner together

Also, I feel the prayers of the congregation.  I believe that this sabbatical is a critical learning time for me.  I need to learn to let go and find a new way to be pastor (I’ll blog on that soon), and I believe there’s a spiritual battle around it.  Someone leaked to me that the congregation is praying for me with a new dedication, and I believe that is a big part of the shift I’m experiencing.  Thank you!  The intensity of the anxiety is waning, and I’m feeling a lot more comfort and confidence in God’s love, grace, and power.  (Remember, “Greater things have yet to come and greater things are still to be done in this city.”)

Two things in closing:

1) I believe that “Let It Go” a song by a band called Tenth Avenue North will be my theme song for the summer.  If you want to hear it, there are lots of uploaded YouTube versions.  I’ve embedded a live version below (not the more polished studio version, which is also great):

2) Even though you can see my Twitter updates on Facebook, I’m finding it helpful not to visit Facebook. There isn’t a way to put a “vacation message” on there the way you can on email. I just want you to know I’m not ignoring you – I just can’t see the Facebook comments people may be making.

Eleanor and I miss you all! It’s strange not to see you. One thing I know for sure is that it will be good to see you at the end of the summer.

Your brother in Christ,

Steve