Returning

This is a picture of a sunset from Navarre Beach, Florida. I made it the last evening of our vacation. Pictures capture memories, or at least they try. The three weeks of sabbatical and one week of vacation are now memories. What did I learn? I kept a sabbatical diary of sorts and want to share portions from my daily diary. They are random and may be a bit confusing. If you don't read any more of this post, please read this - I was very thankful to disengage for a while - but I am also very thankful to be back.

* Home by 3:00 P.M. following a funeral. Fried fresh catfish - yum.

* Morning motorcycle ride with two men from the church. Afternoon in my temporary office. What do I want to accomplish? I don't want to waste the time, it is a sacred trust. But, I don't want the crushing feeling of having to squeeze something from every minute either. Balance!

*Finished the book "When People Are Big and God Is Small". Reading through the Bible.

*Visited church in Bloomington. Only one person spoke to me.

*Finding out the church gets along fine without me. None of us are indispensable.

*Started book "How People Change". Storm broke out, power went out. Hardest thing is prayer - isn't that terrible?!?

*Read 1st and 2nd Kings today. So much death, disobedience, and destruction. It takes time to get used to being off and then, when I do get use to it, it is time to go back. Unharnessing is hard, perhaps getting back in the saddle is harder.

*Went to an Episcopalian Church today. Much different than I am use to - but - I appreciated it. The chapel was very God oriented. The worship service was as well, but, I can see where it can become very rote.

*Praise God for friends!

*Lessons from the sabbatical:

1. Professionalism is dangerous to the pastorate. It is possible to move from being a pastor to being a professional, a suptle but deadly way of viewing ministry.

2. Disengaging from the daily responsibility of pastoring is good, but harder than I thought.

3. Personal discipline is a key to spiritual growth. Rest is part of personal discipline.

4. Cynism is an enemy to ministry.

5. The Holy Spirit works in ways we sometimes dismiss at worst, overlook at best.

6. Spiritual health can be faked but not before God.

7. I pastor a wonderful church and am humbled.

8. The Bible is food and water for all of life.

9. Time flies.

10. My family is a precious gift.

Thanks to the church for giving me the time away and thanks to everyone who filled whatever holes my absence created.
Paul