Sabbatical 2020

That is CRAZY, that I am due for a sabbatical in the year 2020!! How cool is that!!?

20/20, get it? Okay, you got it. I knew you weren’t that thick, I just had to make sure. What a great church year campaign, too, though, huh? 20/20 Vision, and I hope the vision isn’t, “Hey, our minister went on sabbatical and we realized we like it better without her!”
I’m not paranoid — have you ever checked the stats on ministerial firings following sabbaticals? They’re HIGH! Make sure you don’t go into and transition out of a sabbatical without being aware of that. I think it makes a lot of sense: absence doesn’t always make the heart grow fonder, and I am frankly a little bit shocked by how many clergy don’t seem to get the point that sabbatical isn’t a vacation we get because we’re such harder-working bunnies than anyone else, it’s a time granted for intentional renewal, rejuvenation, and learning so that we can serve more effectively at its conclusion!

I am thinking ahead a little bit and returning to my sense of gravitation toward Ignatian spirituality. Wondering if any of you have done any Ignatian studies in Spain.

Who knows where the world will be in 2020. It’s just fun to think about the possiiblities of immersion in ancient community practice somewhere.

2 Replies to “Sabbatical 2020”

  1. Thinking about mine in 2019, and it’s pretty damned exciting. I just found out from a colleague in town about Lilly Foundation grants for sabbaticals that give you AND your congregation a bunch of money. She studied needlepoint. They chose a theme of bringing in more joy and gratitude into their community life and got to bring in a facilitator to work with them in her absence. [Guess what? UUs are not eligible for Lilly Foundation Grants because we’re not offically Christian. Huge bummer, right? – PB]

  2. I’m not a minister, but I learned about you from a minister friend before it was ever revealed that you were a UU. (I’m UU, so I care about that.) I read your stuff because you make me Laugh Out Loud (really) more than just about anyone I read. This post is no exception!

    And much of your advice applies to all kinds of people trying to become smart about the image they project in the world.

    Thank you! [Thank YOU!!! I’m so glad you get laughs and good advice from this blog. Thanks for letting me know!! MWAH! – PB]

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