Dear Servants of Christ,
What an amazing Holy Week! Special thanks to our altar guild and music team who served us so faithfully all week. Also, thanks to Susan Staley and Ramona Chance for organizing our readers for the Passion narrative on Palm Sunday. Two of our college students who had never attended a Palm Sunday service commented to me on how this service in particular moved them to worship the Lord. For me, the highlights were: a special foot-washing on Maundy Thursday, Fr. James’s sermon during the Tenebrae Service on Good Friday, and declaring the Easter acclamation to a small group of faithful Christians at midnight of the Easter Vigil. I challenged you in my sermon on Palm Sunday to enter into the experience of our midweek services. I think those who were there will attest to the rich worship of those services. Look for a survey shortly that will ask you to give us feedback on how those midweek services can be tweaked to better serve the spiritual growth of the parish.
I am now just a little over a week from the start of my ten week sabbatical. Sunday I will preach my last sermon to the congregation before sabbatical. Five years ago, I took three weeks and even such a short time was fruitful in shaping me for the ministry God has called me to here in Gainesville. I am very excited to see what the Lord wants to show and teach me during ten weeks of time away. For those unfamiliar with a sabbatical, here’s a quote from our diocesan policy: “A sabbatical gets [a priest] off the treadmill and provides an opportunity for renewal of vision and hope. It can be a life and soul changing time – a time when perspective and the Holy Spirit can come together.” My leave will involve formal and informal study, travel, listening prayer, and writing, as well as a good bit of exercise, rest, and family time.
The area of study during my sabbatical will center around beginning a Doctoral program from Trinity School for Ministry. I believe this degree will give me more tools and preparation for leading Servants of Christ in the future. Between the stack of books I want to read on my own and assignments for the doctoral class, the Lord will have lots of material to speak into my heart and mind. I want to limit my social media time while I’m out but I will make available the things I’m reading and of course there will be lots of stories to share when I return.
In my absence, Fr. James Manley will be leading our staff and serving as the primary preacher and worship leader on Sundays. Fr. Michael La Cagnina will be leading pastoral care. Ethan Stonerook, our senior warden will lead our vestry and handle any employee issues. As always, contact Mary Langeland for prayer requests to the prayer chain.
During my time away, I ask for your prayers for both Jody and myself. Unfortunately, Jody will not be able to come away with me for most of the time because of her job, though she deserves a sabbatical too! Unfortunately, life gets in the way. There are some of you who also deserve a time out. I realize that and pray that God will grant you times of sabbath in your week. I am praying for you, especially that you will be blessed from my time away. I have been so blessed with how willing the congregation has been to releasing me, and I’m so grateful for the team I leave behind that is completely competent to lead faithfully.
As I said Easter Sunday, if you need to talk to me prior to my leave I am available by phone, text, or email next week, even while attending the American Anglican Council’s Rector’s Summit. This week in Colorado will serve as my transition week into sabbatical. After that, the phone, Facebook, and email go into hibernation. If I don’t see you before April 30, I will catch up with you in July.
In Christ,
