At 11:59:59PM tonight, my world will change … at least for about 6 weeks while I’m on sabbatical to work on my doctoral thesis. Maybe that sounds overly dramatic, but, at that time, I will turn off my church email, I will redirect our congregational care telephone number, and I will turn my cell phone to DND mode (do not disturb). I will effectively be cut off from my congregation. These are all simple tasks to complete, and I have been preparing with other church leaders and our staff for the last month for this moment. I even confessed to the church last Sunday that disengaging from my email and social media interactions would be something like withdrawal.
Leaving for this sabbatical is more than simply redirecting decisions and technology. Yes, it will be difficult for me not being connected. It will be the personal connections – the laughter and good-hearted ribbing. I will miss simply being in the middle of it all. I don’t always like the business meetings of the church, but I like the interaction and I like hearing what stirs and awakens the faith of our members – I like seeing our people putting their faith into action.
While I admit that the time will be very welcome and I look forward to the physical and spiritual Sabbath, I will miss our congregation. I know … it’s just 6 weeks. What’s the big deal? Well … in many ways, the preparation has felt the same as leaving a job feels. The thing is … I’ll be returning. The congregation and I will both have changed over that period of time, so there will be a time of getting reacquainted.
I found myself walking into the sanctuary this past week to prepare my home communion kit for a visit. I looked around and saw the empty seats and the lights turned off. But my imagination filled the room with sounds of music that is so often present. I could see the familiar faces and hear the familiar voices. I saw the sometimes apprehensive faces of those visiting the church filled with curiosity but also that little bit of fear that may come with visiting a new place where things are unfamiliar. I saw the candles on the altar waiting to be lit signifying Christ’s presence in the middle of our worship (See this 360° view of the sanctuary). And I prayed … “God, take care of those whom you entrusted to my care.” That prayer has been lingering in my mind since then, and I had to remind myself: “Jeff, this is Christ’s church … has He ever stopped caring for these people even though He’s entrusted them to your care?”
I have also found myself thinking about why people become part of a congregation or any other voluntary organization for that matter. I think it has a lot to do with relationships … with being part of something larger than oneself … being part of a community. Sometimes I hear people ask: “Do I have to go to church every week to be a good Christian?” This is a bit of a trick question because it may be that the questioner is asking for permission to not be in church. No one wants church to be mandatory and lifeless. So, no … you don’t have to go to church to be a good Christian. We believe in God’s grace and that going to church doesn’t make God love us any more … or any less. What I am realizing on this even of the first day of my sabbatical is that being away makes me feel less connected and less a part of other people’s lives. One of the worst forms of punishment is isolation – being cut off from other people, especially those who care about you. Yet, many in our society voluntarily put themselves in isolation. Being part of a congregation joins me and my sense of God’s call together with others who are similarly called. We come together under God’s grace to make a difference in our world and to extend the light of Christ – the light no darkness can overcome (John 1). Being part of a congregation is about who we are as well as who we hope to become as we grow into Christ. It’s about who we are together, and who we are under God’s grace.
In Christ,
Pastor Jeff
Epicurious Lutheran 