Sabbatical Reflections
The Lord spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying: Speak to the people of Israel and say to them: When you enter the land that I am giving you, the land shall observe a sabbath for the Lord. Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather in their yield; but in the seventh year there shall be a sabbath of complete rest for the land, a sabbath for the Lord: you shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard. You shall not reap the after-growth of your harvest or gather the grapes of your unpruned vine: it shall be a year of complete rest for the land. - Leviticus 25:1-5
This is one biblical reference to a sabbatical which is meant to be a time for rest and renewal. The word sabbatical comes from Latin, Greek and Hebrew words which literally mean “ceasing.”
This is what I will be doing for the next few months as I leave you: ceasing my ministry among you and renewing my soul.
Thanks to the Eli Lily Foundation I have been awarded a grant that is allowing me to live out a dream sabbatical as I refocus my ministry through the lens of a camera. This is how I defined my time away in the proposal I submitted to the folks at Lily, who ask that this not be a time of work or continuing education but a time of renewal and rejuvenation.
Read more about Nancy’s sabbatical plans
My time begins on May 23rd with a photography workshop in Philadelphia led by National Geographic, followed by a trip to Florida to visit with my Dad.
Then I will spend the month of June in a cottage in Maine unwinding and studying photography with New York Photographic Institute via an online program.
In July, I will be in Santa Fe, New Mexico taking another photography class and then exploring the beautiful southwest with my camera in hand.
August will find me in Europe, starting in Russia for a week and then on a 12 day cruise throughout Scandinavia and St. Petersburg. Before returning to Germantown I will have another visit with Dad to celebrate his 92nd birthday!
As wonderful as my trip sounds, I want you to know that it is difficult for me to imagine being away from all of you for such a long time.
I know, however, that you are in good hands as Kevin and the rest of the staff will be ministering to and beside you during this time. You will also have the opportunity to hear different voices in the pulpit as well as Kevin's proclamation of the Word during these summer months. Preaching will be persons from our own congregation, from Philadelphia and from around the country, each with a message of challenge and hope as we seek to be faithful disciples of Jesus Christ.
The good folks at Lily not only fund this unbelievable experience for me but they are sponsoring two parties for you as well. One party to send me off, which will be on May 16 after worship and another to welcome me back on September 12. I hope you will be a part of both!
In the meantime, I'll see you in church!
Nancy