Today is the first day...

Today is the first day of the rest of my sabbatical.

It was supposed to be yesterday but I went into the office (no one else was there!) to clean out my email and clean up my desk. It's a tedious task but it sure felt better. My husband made me promise that if I did go in yesterday that I would not go back until April. He's right, of course, but it feel strange to be sitting here at home typing instead of in my office. Perhaps I'll get used to it.

For those who missed it, the sabbatical sending and blessing happened at the end of worship Sunday, Jan. 1. The service was led by the college students and young adults at Central, but I presided at the communion table.

The college youth shared a skit about Simeon and Anna visiting the infant Jesus in the temple (from Luke 2) and Youth and Family Minister Luis Ochoa shared a faith story. Luis talked about how he felt God's presence this past summer when his sister-in-law died suddenly and his wife struggled with a difficult pregnancy.

During the sabbatical blessing, members of my mutual ministry committee and the incoming/outgoing church council presidents led the liturgy. There was also a call and response reading with the congregation. We promised to pray for one another. I gave Central a candle to light during services when I am gone and I took an identical (smaller) one and it's sitting in our house.

After worship and many hugs as people left the sanctuary, we gathered in the narthex for brunch.

It's hard to describe my feelings. I'm so overwhelmed with gratitude for the support Central has shown me. I miss people already! Yet this feels like the right thing to do at the right time, a sort of "kairos" moment, to borrow a theological phrase.

One of the books I read to prepare for sabbatical said that pastors should expect to be surprised by what happens on sabbatical. The point is that you can't prepare for the experiences and insights you might gain. So, on this first day of the rest of my sabbatical, I'm starting to slow down and wonder how and where God might surprise me.