I must tell you that the majority of my colleagues have the same reaction when I tell them that I began my ministry here with a four week sabbatical. Their jaws drop and they ask, “Really????”
The idea of a sabbatical is not that it is a vacation, but that it is a time to do focused work and to “re-create” – to re-balance what often goes out of balance when we get caught up in the routine of our lives and ministries. For pastors that is especially important because when you are creating sermons, counseling, leading meetings, teaching etc., you also need time to refill your own spiritual resources and to go back to springs of inspiration. Ideally a sabbatical is divided equally between academic study, a focus on spiritual discipline, and creative activity that refreshes the spirit. I’m not sure I achieved perfect balance on that point, but it was my goal.
What did I do on my sabbatical? I characterize it as three P’s -- pack, pray, and play.
There was, of course, the sorting through of belongings and consigning some for sale and some to charity. Moving is good for clearing out the ”stuff “ that accumulates around us!
In order to make our move to another state we needed to sell a lake house (bought with pre-parsonage funds) in NY. We spent a number of weekends and two intense weeks doing all the things we had talked about doing for four years – painting inside and out, ceilings and walls; putting down new flooring; sprucing up the landscape. The physical work for me was almost like meditation – it gave me a chance to just let my mind wander and to pray, to think about what I was leaving behind and where I was going, and sometimes to think about absolutely nothing at all.
Because my spouse was still working I was there alone for several days. It felt like being on retreat. I’m a person who enjoys silence and to sit with a cup of coffee in the quiet morning in front of the lake was a real gift to my spirit. Because my prayer life is often “catch as catch can” I began a real discipline of prayer alternately using a Benedictine model and a Celtic model. I’ve found that it creates wonderful spots in my day, morning and evening, and I look forward to it and miss it on those days when I’ve not been able to do it.
I’m not sure if my reading constitutes playing (because I really, really love to read!) or “packing” (i.e., work). I tried to read in a variety of areas related to professional concerns. The books I read were: Preaching That Matters: The Bible and Our Lives (Stephen Farris), God’s Welcome: Hospitality for a Gospel-hungry World (Amy Oden), Down By the Riverside: A Brief History of Baptist Faith (Everett C. Goodwin), My Space to Sacred Space: God for a New Generation (Christian Piatt; Amy Piatt), Never Call Them Jerks: Healthy Responses to Difficult Behavior (Arthur Paul Boers)[Not that there is ever anyone with difficult behavior in my congregation! I was intrigued by the title and have been advised that I need to do work in conflict management], Christianity for the Rest of Us (Diana Butler Bass), and The Bible Makes Sense (Walter Bruggeman). I actually had two file boxes full of books from my “To Be Read” shelf – but I think I did pretty well for the time I had.
The rest of “playing” came in two ways – I worked on finishing up some quilting projects, which is one of my favorite outlets for creative energy. I also had time to find my way around my new area – to discover what roads definitely do NOT connect directly to each other and things like how to get from the church to my house. I got to get a feel for different neighborhoods and to learn where to take care of the essentials for day-to-day life.
How was the sabbatical arranged? I knew when I began conversations with the Search Committee that I was deeply tired and told them early on that if I went anywhere I would need to start with a six week sabbatical. A colleague had recommended that as a “perfect” length for a sabbatical and I figured I’d take his word for it. Because of calendar issues related to my start I cut it down to four weeks – I wanted to be “on board” at a certain point in the year. I had earned one week of vacation in my previous pastorate which helped cover expenses and the new congregation advanced one week of vacation to help me move (so technically it was a three week sabbatical, but I was pretty self focused for at least one week).
The new congregation then provided housing for me for the time I was between locations. This was also a real treat as they arranged for me to stay in the empty parsonage of another congregation in the next town over. This, too, was like a retreat for me. The house was furnished sparsely but comfortably. I declined the offer of the television so I wasn’t tempted to hide from thoughts and emotions associated with the move (though I did watch a DVD on my laptop one night). This also helped as we weren’t able to move into our new home when I began my actual work at the church and I wasn’t moving three times in addition to the other stresses of beginning a new pastorate.
I worshipped “anonymously” with the new congregation one Sunday (we have a balcony where I could “hide”). The Search Committee had indicated that they would really like me to do this, but I didn’t want to step on the Interim Pastor’s departure. If they had been using different pulpit supply preachers each week I probably would have entered into the worshipping congregation more openly and frequently.
This time has been precious to me. I know that it has helped me “disengage” from my previous pastorate and the details of moving so that I can be fully present here. It’s renewed and excited my preparations for preaching. It’s allowed me to re-establish some healthier lifestyle choices. And I believe it will help me be a better pastor to be starting from a position of health and renewal instead of exhaustion. I’m grateful the congregation was willing to think outside the box and I recommend the model to my colleagues!
Susan Panek Polizzi
First United Baptist Church, Lowell, MA