Pastor ' s Sabbatical Report

As part of BBC's Sabbatical Policy, we are required to share a report about what we did, our learnings, and what we heard from God during our time of rest I figured the easiest way to do this was to break my sabbatical down into six sections (one for each week I was away) and share what I did and learned in that week's span.

Before I do that, I want to say again THANK YOU for this time of rest and recharge! Many congregations do not value such things for their ministers and I am thankful that BBC is not one of those churches!

Week One: Rest and Adjust

I begin this week sick I'd run myself ragged preparing everything for my time away and I d not taken many breaks in the days leading up to Pentecost on May 28. I had a cough, my voice was gone, and I was exhausted. Even so I loaded up my SUV with tea cough drops, and (of course), coffee, and headed to Stoneville, NC to St Francis Springs Prayer Retreat Center.

Generally, when I'm at St. Francis Springs I am there for a working retreat of some sort On those retreats, I have tasks to complete, work to get done, and things to keep my busy. The main adjustment this time was that I had NOTHING to do. I didn't bring any work-related books, I left my computer at home, and I had no checklists to work through (a HUGE difference from my usual start-of-the-week practice of printing my checklist to get going..,).

Instead of following a checklist, I slept in, I read for fun I started the campaign of a video game I'd been holding on to for the start of my sabbatical (Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom), and I caught up on Ted Lasso (barbecue sauce).

But lest you think I just revisited my early undergraduate days of TV shows and video games, I also spent intentional time communing with Christ. I walked the prayer labyrinth, I hiked in Stations of the Cross, I prayed at the waterfall grotto, and I began a few new devotional readings by Fr. Richard Rohr, Mary Oliver, Fredrick Buechner, and Dallas Willard

When I left St Francis on June 4, I did so having accomplished my goal of getting away and unplugging long enough to feel rested I'd also connected with Christ in ways that can be lost in the week-to-week grind of sermon preparation, pastoral care, and administration and being on call 24/7 In other words, I had to focus on ME and Christ spoke through that rest

Week Two: Family

The second week of my time away was spent intentionally with family. I returned from St Francis in time to attend Kennedy's first dance recital and Devon s Cub Scout ceremony (he transitioned from Bears to Weeblos) The days that followed were filled with school award's day (Devon won the "Future President" award for his class), more traversing Hyrule in Legend of Zelda, and cannon-balling into the waters of the Benson Pool It was not a busy week, but it was full!

The second weekend ended --->