(Part 4 of 6) by Pastor Karl-John
When I began planning my sabbatical, I sat down and wrote a list of all the things I might be interested in doing over the course of 12 weeks. It was a long list. Way too long! It would have exhausted me, which would defeat the point of this gift of sabbath time.
I realized I needed a better balance of activities and rest, rather than trying to cram every worthwhile thing into my schedule. So I considered which of these ideas came with pressure or obligations attached, and which will simply bring me joy? This narrowed it down, but there was still too much. I pared it down again by asking, what do I really hope to gain from this sabbatical?
Growing in my connection with God, exploring some dreams that might be difficult to fit in a “normal” year, allowing time for unhurried pondering and gifts of grace, and finishing with my soul feeling refreshed—these goals helped me form a plan.
I put my schedule into three broad chunks, and this is what I settled on: In May, Beth Ann and I will take a two-week trip to Scandinavia to see the places where my family originated, while also meeting with some cousins I have in Norway and Sweden. In June, I’ll head back to New York for three weeks and spend most of the time at the family cottage in the Catskills Mountains. I want to hike, enjoy nature, and see some old friends. Then Beth Ann will join me for a few days in my hometown, New York City.
In July, I’ll be back in Racine, take a short trip or two, and finish by spending five days at the Holy Wisdom Monastery near Madison, in their “Deep Breath” clergy renewal program. Taken together, I felt this was a good mix to allow the Holy Spirit’s work in both itinerary and improvisation.