The Next Season

As I prepare to leave for my sabbatical next week, I’d like to share a few thoughts with you all. First, I’d like to thank you all for supporting me as I take this season of rest and renewal. It is a gift to my family and me to be a part of a congregation that values this rhythm of work and rest.

Second, a few practical notes: while I’m away, Dave Akers, our Senior Warden, will have oversight of the congregation, and Chuck Collins, our Associate Rector, will have full pastoral authority. Our Manager of Facilities and Administration, Lynne Petrovic, will manage the administrative and financial affairs of the congregation, as well as tend to any issues that arise with the physical plant. The Vestry and Finance Committee will continue to meet while I’m away (as is our custom, they will take July off), as will the wardens and staff. We are blessed with a wonderful leadership team at Christ Church, and I have full confidence in them as I go away.

Along those lines, on the advice of many—including the Bishop and Chuck—I plan to completely “unplug” from communication this summer. In our hyper-connected world today, this more challenging than I anticipated! So, in addition to voicemail and email, I’ll also unplug from texting and social media. This will be a good discipline for me, as I think that I tend to have an unhealthy attachment to my inbox.

Finally, I’m excited for Christ Church this summer. I believe that the single worship service will be a gift to all who attend (which I hope is everyone!), that Adult Education and Sunday School will provide opportunities for deep engagement with scripture, and that there will be ample time to connect with one another in order to strengthen existing relationships and to develop new ones. I’m also excited about Vacation Bible School, the teen mission trip, and deepening our relationships with local and international mission partners over the next three months.

I’ve said to many of you, only slightly joking, that, when I return, I’m hoping to hear, “We had a great summer, but it’s nice to have you back!” As we release one another for these three months, I trust that God will work in and through each of us, preparing us all for the next season of life together. May it be a season, as Jesus declared, in which we experience life, and life abundantly (John 10:10).