Grace and Peace,
Last week in this space I spoke of the work that is going on at St. John’s yet is hidden beneath the surface, I alluded to the frantic paddling beneath the otherwise calm appearance of a duck. Yes, the photo was a Canada Goose, but the analogy still holds. And this week these are in fact ducks, Hooded Mergansers to be exact; and there is still paddling beneath the surface.
In 2019 discussions began concerning the clergy sabbatical that is a part of best practices in the diocese and the Episcopal Church (and is included in my Letter of Agreement with St. John’s). Typically, a sabbatical is offered every five years as a way for both clergy and the congregation to enhance and sustain the quality of ministry that they share together. The sabbatical is a time of renewal, not a vacation; for clergy it is a time of intentional reflection and drinking from God’s life-giving cup.
In a normal cycle, the sabbatical would have been during 2021; but of late we have not experienced normal times. The first consideration was related to the demands of a capital campaign and building project so the decision was made to delay the sabbatical until 2022. Then the pandemic struck and the fortuitous nature of this delay became apparent. With thanks for vaccines, 2022 is now the scheduled sabbatical time.
The specific time for the sabbatical is still being framed, but is likely either early spring or late fall of 2022. The three month period of the sabbatical will likely include a significant season of the church year; however, the rhythm of St. John’s will not be disturbed as Mother Shivaun has offered to serve as Acting Rector during my absence. This will maintain continuity within the parish’s ministries and worship while exercising Mother Shivaun’s talents.
The importance of sabbaticals is such that the Lilly Endowment, and other sources, offer funding in the forms of grants. An application for funding is being prepared by Mary Ann Britton, Nancy Olkewicz, Lois Taylor, Stephen Simpson, and me; we will know the result of these efforts in August of this year.
The focus of the sabbatical is on being “rooted”. Rooted in nature. Rooted in worship. Rooted in scripture. When I first began to explore my call to ordained ministry I was deeply committed to training in martial arts. The very nature of martial arts requires that you are rooted, planted firmly in your stance, and that connection between bare feet and mother earth was an important part of my spirituality. Now much older, and with a more mature body, I am seeking that same connection but with different physical demands (meaning I no longer am willing to break my body) so I am hoping to either begin or conclude the sabbatical with a 3-day Tai Chi retreat. This is why exact timing is still unknown, event dates for 2022 have not been announced by many groups.
Knowing, and celebrating our roots is also important. While traveling in the desert Southwest I want to experience how the traditions of the indigenous people of the area are interwoven with the traditions of Christian worship; this is to provide insight into how St. John’s might include the traditions of our parishioners who identify as African or Caribbean diaspora, as Asian, or other congregational members who bring another cultural background. I also have interest in seeing the role of the elders in the indigenous community as a way of honoring the deeply rooted experiences of our own elders.
At times the limits of the spoken word become apparent, it is then that we find our expression through art and music and we become rooted in this creativity. In the past we have used art such as icons or sculpture from Tanzania to enrich our services. With the advent of our recent digital worship, art has become a more integral part of our worship; I want to see examples of how others use art in non-traditional ways as part of their spirituality and worship.
Rooted in our cultures, rooted in our creativity, and finally rooted in nature. It is my intention to begin a photo project that will result in symbolic and representational images from nature to be used in worship for the observance of The Stations of the Cross. When completed, each of the 14 stations will include an image, envisioned as a black & white photo, that will provide a focal point for reflection during the prayers.
This ambitious agenda requires care lest it become overwhelming. To manage this, and to provide more opportunities for being rooted in nature, much of the travel in the desert Southwest will be done while camping in National Parks and undeveloped federal lands (Bureau of Land Management and US Forest Service land).
This time of renewal will encourage me to return to St. John’s with ideas rooted in nature, worship, and scripture. It will permit us to take new steps that will breathe new life into the many flourishing ministries of St. John’s. It is an exciting time for the St. John’s community, and this is only the beginning.
God be with you until we meet again,
Fr Henry+
