Sabbatical . . . good-byes and hellos!

I've started this blog to send you messages and pictures from my sabbatical adventures. 

I will be away on a sabbatical from early November through early March. I return to the pulpit March 4th. In the meanwhile, we have a line-up of church members and visiting UU ministers to fill the pulpit. 

In the year when we are focusing on ReCentering ourselves and our CVUU community, this sabbatical offers me a chance to reflect and recenter my ministry. I have three primary goals while I am away: 
1) to complete the book reflecting on grief I started when my mother died, 
2) to spend Christmas in Florida with my grown children and Justin’s family (since I won’t be working Xmas Eve), and 
3) to reconnect with the Unitarians in the Khasi Hills of India (with whom I have had an relationship since 2001). I plan to do some mundane things, (like declutter my house) and some fun things, (like camping and hiking), as well. I am very grateful for this opportunity to rest and recenter. 

This sabbatical time also offers the CVUU Community a chance to Recenter, by doing things a bit differently while I am away. Hopefully this will be seen as a chance for playful growth and experimentation. 

Practically, our Lay-Ministers John Miller and Deblyn Russell will be available for weddings and memorial services as needed. 
Our Caring Committee will be continuing its efforts to provide good pastoral support in times of crisis. 
The Religious Service Committee, headed by Del Carpenter, will be arranging for the Sunday Services. 

And I hope all of you will be good ministers of the faith in welcoming new people in, living in kindness with each other, as well as bringing our message of hope and justice to the larger community. 

Its feeling strange, when so much of days are full of church work, to think of walking away. And I know that I will miss my routines, and most especially so many good people. I really am glad to have you along on my spiritual journey for so many years now . . . and so I am hoping that I can share some pictures and stories from my trip. 

I've been feeling behind in many areas of my home-life recently . . . and so I am picturing having the time to get caught up in some of that. I am starting to picture packing up my camper and heading south, what it will be like to travel in the fall. And do have the time to do yoga and write and hike. I'm thinking about whether I pack my baby Christmas tree, as I think about meeting the extended family for Christmas in Florida. I'm thinking about just how tall the children will be, as I think about returning to idea.  So I am beginning to say "hello" to my sabbatical. 



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