I’ve gotten a number of questions from people about my sabbatical, when it starts, and what I will be doing, so I thought I would use my devotion today to bring you up to date. First, our church was fortunate to have its application for a Clergy Renewal Grant of the Lilly Endowment accepted last year. The application is made by the church rather than the pastor and this amazing grant funds the sabbatical in full. I did have an important part in the application process which was to answer in detail the basis for the grant, “What makes my heart sing?” This was actually a more daunting task than I thought it would be. What I finally realized is that mountains have always made my heart sing. So starting May 1 Susan and I will leave straight from General Conference in Charlotte, NC to travel to Katmandu, Nepal for a trek to the basecamp of Mt. Everest. The trek will actually go to an area known as Kala Patthar, another thousand feet above basecamp at 18,500. Susan and I have been training for months and anticipate an incredible experience. We will be part of a guided group using sherpas and porters, so we will be safe and looked after! The best part for me is no huge heavy snow fields to go through (aka, my near-death experience last year in Colorado).
From there we will travel to the alps and spend some time in Chamonix, France which sits at the base of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the alps. I have never been there (and won’t be climbing Mont Blanc!), but we will do more relaxed hiking, reading, and for me, more reflecting.
We will conclude in the Colorado Rockies with our family and then some solitary retreat time for me before returning and resuming ministry at the church starting August 1. So, three of the grandest mountain ranges in the world I know will offer great cultural and spiritual experiences, opportunities to see old friends and connect with family, and very importantly, renew my spirit and fill my soul.
During this time our pastoral team of Jen, Jevon, Mindie, MaryAnn, and Bryan will provide the preaching, care, and administrative leadership. Because MaryAnn has stepped out of retirement to provide interim leadership of congregational care until June, we hope to announce very soon the appointment of a new Congregational Care pastor starting this summer. We will also have a guest preacher each month: Rev. Olu Brown May 19, Dr. Barbara Brown Taylor June 23, and a third speaker for July TBA.
You will hear more in the weeks leading up to my departure about ways you can be engaged in my sabbatical and what we will provide in early 2025 for an all-church retreat, sort of a spiritual sabbatical experience for the whole church.