The Journey Begins

In April this year (2011) I decided to take extended leave from my work as a pastor. This will take affect on Dec 1, 2011 and continue through until Aug 1, 2012. These 8 months will be fairly evenly divided between 'holiday' (long service + annual leave) and 'sabbatical'. Both will involve rest. Both no doubt will be refreshing. Both will energize me for a new chapter in work and ministry. The only difference between the two is that the sabbatical portion will be much more intentional in terms of focusing on developing my inner life. I will do this through extended times of retreat in bible reading, prayer, worship, listening, writing and creating. I will also do some further study, but not too much. I will also have a mentor that I will meet with regularly to help guide this time and keep me accountable.

Taking extended leave is something I've wanted to do for a couple of years but it got to a point this year where I really believed now is the time. I don't feel burnt out particularly, but 20 years in full time ministry can leave you a little tired and in need of revisioning and reenergizing. I know that being intentional in drawing aside for these 8 months will help me find strength and vision for a new season.

So, I've decided to blog the journey. The fact is I've already started my sabbatical. Not officially as such, but from around the start of June I found myself moving into 'sabbatical' mode and started practicing what I've called in my journal my 'sabbatical disciplines'. I had a strong sense that I didn't want my sabbatical to be about something wholly different to how I lived. I also didn't want to feel that whatever I might be able to achieve in sabbatical wasn't possible to continue in 'normal' life. I didn't want 'sabbatical' to be something that came and went. I knew my life needed to change and I wanted that to start now. So that's why I'm starting the blog now, because I've actually been on this journey for the last few months and there is much to share.

I wasn't sure if I'd do a blog at all. What is happening for me, is in many ways quite personal and do I really want to put it 'out there'?? So I've thought about that for a number of weeks. Fact is, my growth isn't in isolation from others and letting others into that space might be of encouragement to them, but its also something I need for my own growth and accountability. My church, family, and others have also been very supportive to me over the years, and are supporting me to have this time out, so it only seems fair that I would check in from time to time and share the journey. This journey is going to involve many twists and turns and will be impossible to summarize in a brief report night over coffee with a few friends sometime next August. I might as well get started now!

So that's the introductory blog. Its longer than I plan for any of the others to be. I don't know how frequent these posts will be, but 'welcome', and thanks for sharing the journey.