It is hard to believe that in 2 weeks following worship (April 18), I will begin my sabbatical. To be honest, it feels a bit weird during a pandemic to even say the word “sabbatical”! I am deeply grateful to you, the congregation, for valuing your pastors and allowing a sabbatical after 5 years.
As Pastor Laurie wrote before her 2019 sabbatical:
Some may wonder why pastors take 3-month sabbaticals. It is due to the 24 hour/day demands of ministry…and all of the other opportunities to care for the congregation and the wider community. As pastors we get one day off a week and we are on call 24 hours a day. It is an honor and a sacred privilege to be able to walk life’s journeys with the members and friends of the congregation and that is why it is important for pastors to take time to rest and renew.
This is still true today, and there are new overlays on the life of a pastor that weren’t on the horizon two years ago. COVID-19 has changed worship, the nature of pastoral care, and keeping the congregation connected in community. The death of Mr. George Floyd and the events in the days, weeks, and months following have also deeply affected how ministry happens. Laurie has said to me many times how much the rest and renewal she experienced on her sabbatical prepared her for the past year. As we look forward to a time where we can be together once again in worship, this sabbatical will give me a time of rest and renewal, to be recharged, and to come back with a fresh mind and renewed spirit to tackle alongside Pastor Laurie and the rest of the staff what awaits us in the times that lie ahead. During this time, I won’t be checking email or responding to messages through FB Messenger or text.
So, what will my sabbatical look like?
- After worship on the 18th, I will be heading to the regional Camp and Conference Center in Newton for a time of retreat. I will be there for nearly a week, and then come home and get my second COVID-19 vaccine shot.
- At the end of April, I will head out on a 6 1/2 week road trip to see family and friends. I will travel through South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington, for the first 3rd of the trip. There will be hiking and sightseeing in several National Parks along the way.
- In May, Keith (who will be fully vaccinated by this time), flies out to Portland, OR to join me, and we will weave our way down the Oregon Coast, through the redwoods of northern California, spend time in the Bay Area, head to my sister’s in Sacramento, tour Yosemite, and spent time with Mom & Momma both at their place and in the Palm Springs area. Keith flies back to Minneapolis in early June.
- I will continue on to see more family and friends, driving through Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado before heading back to Minneapolis. More National Parks!
- Home in Minneapolis for a couple of weeks before coming back to worship Sunday, July 11.
Some thank you’s are in order:
Thank you to Pastor Laurie, Deb, Anna Bliss, Jen Krengel, Justin Carlson, Kirsten Cackoski, Mike Cackoski, and Melinda Nickerson, who will be taking care of various pieces of my work while I’m on sabbatical.
Thank you to my PRC (Martha Harris, Elaine Tucker, Susan Morgan, Justin Carlson, and Steve Rusinak) for asking the important questions and being so supportive.
And lastly, again, thank you, members of FCC Minneapolis, for allowing me this opportunity for rest and renewal. I love each and every one of you, and thank you for calling me to be your Associate Pastor. I look forward to seeing you all when I return in July, whatever that looks like!
