Departure


Everything on my to-do list has been completed: preachers are scheduled, tasks have been reassigned, and pastoral care has been turned over to our amazing team. My bags are packed and I am ready to head out on a  3½  month sabbatical.

Presbyterians are generous folks. My church has granted me this time away to disengage from ministry in order to renew, reflect, and reengage in my faith and call. 

To be honest, I'm not sure what to expect. I have my itinerary set - I'll be traveling to Germany, Switzerland, and Scotland for the first leg of the journey before heading to Palestine for a month. Once back in the States, I'll fly to CA and OK to see family and friends. 

But an itinerary does not begin to account for experiences that lie ahead. Who will I meet? What will I learn? How rested and renewed can one feel when staying in different hotels every night?

After months of planning and getting church leadership ready for me to be gone, I wonder what it will be like not to have anything to lead, sermons to write, or unexpected crises to respond to. Leaving the church today, it felt awkward to say, "See you in a few months." While I don't think the tasks of ministry will be hard to release, I wonder if my identity as "pastor" will be more challenging to set aside. The first weeks of travel will be a solo endeavor in a country I've never visited, where people speak a language I have never studied. How will I adjust to being a tourist needing help with everything from ordering food to reading a map in German? 

If I'm honest, I'm a bit apprehensive about this adjustment. I like being the helper and not being the helpless, needy one. Even so, I'm aware that my parched soul is eager to drink in the spiritual food of rest. As I listen to the brawling storm outside, I am eager to rediscover the peace that comes from letting go - how else can I be open to the serendipitous moments that surely lie ahead? 

So I'm off - leaving behind a job I love and people I adore. Will my sabbatical bring about new loves and graces? Of course it will. I can't wait to start this journey and to share it with you. 

Comments

  1. elisabeth southornApril 29, 2025 at 6:46 PM

    No worries! Google translate works using your phone to hover over everything! Menus are easy! And almost everyone speaks English 😂

    ReplyDelete

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