A couple of friends have asked about what's supposed to happen on my sabbatical, so I thought I'd post an excerpt from the SOTH newsletter article I wrote before my sabbatical began. Here you go!
I hope that being on sabbatical can be a time of rest, study, and re-energizing for me, so that I can return to Shepherd of the Hills ready to step into a renewed, vibrant ministry. Ministry is a wonderful career; I am fortunate to share with you the joys and the sorrows of our community of faith. I am grateful for the opportunity to share God's word with you each Sunday, and I enjoy the challenge of creating a sermon each week that helps you to reflect on and grow in your faith life. I hope that sabbatical will "refill the tank" a bit, to be able to work with new energy and creativity.
The highlights of the sabbatical are two motorcycle trips, one along the west coast from the San Juans to San Francisco, and the other through the Alps in Germany, Switzerland, France, Italy and Austria. I will be blogging throughout the sabbatical at ontherideofmylife.blogspot.com, and I hope you'll read it and stay connected with me.
I'll be reading and studying as well, asking questions about the best practices for reaching post-modern, non-churched folks with the gospel. I will meet with two well-known practitioners, Dr. Len Sweet and Deaconess Sara Miles, to experience their particular ministries. I will also have time for prayer and reflection.
My hope for SOTH is that we can continue to enrich our ministry together--to experience the love of God in Christ, to participate in a grace-filled community together, and to learn to speak the language of love and grace to people who have yet to hear the message of Abundant and Eternal Life.
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