Sabbatical Gifts
Nancy Beach
April 1, 2006
Recently I returned to an official ministry role following a sabbatical. After more than 20 years in leadership, I needed time away to become a quiet, private Christian for a while. Beyond rest and rich family time, I received other valuable gifts, each wrapped in a question. Who am I?
For six months I did not teach, lead, or create anything connected to Sunday services. I wrestled at a deep level with my faith, seeking to disentangle what is most real and basic and true about my relationship with a holy God from the sticky web of professional ministry expectations. I revisited the simple reasons I love my Lord so much, and the reasons that motivated my early decision to serve God and the church. I saw myself again as a precious daughter of God, and basked in the wonder of what grace means for me. Assisted by a skilled Christian counselor, I also worked through some wounds of ministry disappointments and explored unhealthy patterns, both in my leadership style and in key relationships. Although my agenda going into the sabbatical was to discover my next ministry assignment, God had a distinctly different agenda. His priority was not so much where I would be serving, but who I am becoming. What can I learn?
The second gift was the profound privilege of being catapulted into new arenas where I could breathe different air and be stretched and challenged. I read without thinking about how I would use the material in a service. I seized the rare opportunity to visit other churches on Sunday mornings, Episcopal to Pentecostal, small to large. I was reminded of the incredible breadth and diversity of God's kingdom. God is at work in so many different places and in so many different ways! I also had the privilege of enjoying a little travel, ...
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