What is a sabbatical?
The word sabbatical has its roots in the Biblical concept of Sabbath (“to rest” or “to cease”). Sabbath keeping is setting aside time that God consecrates and makes holy. According to the 4th Commandment, Sabbath is for all.
The prophet Isaiah talks about rest and renewal this way: “For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, ‘in returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and trust shall be your strength’” (Isaiah 30:15). Our own namesake Psalm 23 describes rest too: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.”
By extension, a clergy sabbatical is a time designated is a time of restoration of soul and body, a break from routines of regular ministry. Instead, clergy take times of rest, study, exploration, reflection and prayer. Times of sabbatical give clergy the opportunity to shape themselves as better shepherds and leaders for the church and give rise to a deeper reliance on the Holy Spirit in life. The intent of the sabbatical is for the priest to return to the congregation refreshed and renewed, ready to move forward into the next season of life together.
While a sabbatical is a full leave from ministerial duties, it is different than vacation.
Recognizing the spiritual and practical need for sabbaticals, the Diocese of Western North Carolina prescribes sabbatical time for its full-time clergy a minimum of every five years. This provision must be part of the agreement between a priest in this Diocese and the parish he serves. Accordingly, Fr. Rob's letter of agreement with Good Shepherd calls for such sabbatical time.
Other advantages of a sabbatical:
How can I best support Rob and our church throughout this sabbatical time?
Dates and Activities
Fr. Rob will be on sabbatical from August 17 – November 10, 2022. His last Sunday before the Sabbatical is August 14, when we will prayerfully send Linda and him forth. His first Sunday back will be November 13, when we will prayerfully welcome them back and have a reception following the 11 am service. During his time away, Fr. Rob will visit (with Linda) holy and historical Christian sites in Italy. Stateside, he will spend time with family and also focus on ‘loving our neighbors’ and connections between discipleship, mission, and racial reconciliation.
Can we contact Fr. Rob during the sabbatical?
No, the sabbatical is a time for Fr. Rob to have a complete break from his ministerial duties and thus, he will not be available to the congregation during this time. Our professional staff, lay leadership and many dedicated volunteers are prepared to deal with all the usual matters of congregational life, including emergencies. Alison and Ellen will inform Fr. Rob about emergencies.
Will we hear from Fr. Rob during his sabbatical?
Yes. Every three weeks, Rob will send a hello, a picture or two, and a brief update, and it will made into an eblast for the parish.
Our Sabbatical Clergy
The Rev. Alison Schultz continues with her full-time ministry, and our adjunct clergy will be called upon as needed for help with pastoral care and worship, as will members of the vestry and other parish leaders.
Church Operations
Duties related to the day-to-day operations of the church will be apportioned between, Ellen Albright, Alison Schultz, Laura Lankford, Peter Keck and others.
Sabbatical Itinerary - August 17 until November 10, 2022
August 17 – September 4
Visit with family, unwind, read, prepare for the trip to Italy.
September 5 to October 5 (with Linda)
Visit Assisi and learn about St Francis and St. Claire (one week)
Hike through Tuscany (4 days)
Visit holy sites in Siena and Florence (one week)
Visit holy sites Rome: the Vatican, St. Peter’s, the Sistine Chapel, the catacombs (4 days)
Visit the Amalfi Coast (5 days)
Note: part of this time is preparing for a parish pilgrimage—hopefully in the Fall of 2023
October 6 – November 9
Stateside visits to explore reconciliation, justice, and to understand the past:
Absalom Jones Center, Atlanta
Legacy Museum, Montgomery, Alabama
National Memorial of Peace and Justice, Montgomery, AL
Different places along the Trail of Tears
Museum of the Cherokee, Walhalla, SC
Museum of the Cherokee Indian, Cherokee, NC
Town Creek Indian Mound, Mt. Gilead, NC
Museum of the American Indian, Pembroke, NC
Fernbank Museum, Atlanta, GA
Indian Springs State Park, Jackson, GA
Rock Eagle, Georgia
Etowah Mounds, Cartersville
Columbus Museum, Columbus, GA
Chieftains Trail, Canton, GA
Lastly, from Rob and Linda, THANK YOU! Having a sabbatical is greatly appreciated. We look forward to our time of renewal and to rejoining Good Shepherd refreshed.
A sabbatical for the parish? What does that even mean?
It’s true Rob+ will be away. We will be here and what will we be doing? We will engage in a bit of renewal ourselves, a time of discernment. This really means a time for being a bit more intentional about our life together. Because who we are and what we do will continue as it does when Rob is with us. This is the joy of renewal periods -- they are purposely and gloriously superfluous. In refusing to serve the immediate, we might open space for the deep and expansive. Sabbatical time is not designed as congregational strategy sessions about worship, church growth, financial matters, etc. Just as, while on sabbatical, Rob+ steps away from the day-to-day demands of ministry and leadership in order to focus deeply on spiritual growth and renewal, so too the renewal period can be a time for our parish to indulge in the blessed luxury of asking questions about joy and meaning.
The truth is sabbaticals can have two emphases -- greater congregational leadership and deeper time for exploring questions of what gives our parish life – and these are not opposed. The former can draw out the latter, and vice versa Increased leadership and increased reflection go hand in hand. During this time of renewal, we will draw on and enhance these twin goods: encouraging leadership among congregation members while also creating space for reflection as we marvel together at the goodness of God. It’s an exciting time.
The word sabbatical has its roots in the Biblical concept of Sabbath (“to rest” or “to cease”). Sabbath keeping is setting aside time that God consecrates and makes holy. According to the 4th Commandment, Sabbath is for all.
The prophet Isaiah talks about rest and renewal this way: “For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, ‘in returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and trust shall be your strength’” (Isaiah 30:15). Our own namesake Psalm 23 describes rest too: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.”
By extension, a clergy sabbatical is a time designated is a time of restoration of soul and body, a break from routines of regular ministry. Instead, clergy take times of rest, study, exploration, reflection and prayer. Times of sabbatical give clergy the opportunity to shape themselves as better shepherds and leaders for the church and give rise to a deeper reliance on the Holy Spirit in life. The intent of the sabbatical is for the priest to return to the congregation refreshed and renewed, ready to move forward into the next season of life together.
While a sabbatical is a full leave from ministerial duties, it is different than vacation.
Recognizing the spiritual and practical need for sabbaticals, the Diocese of Western North Carolina prescribes sabbatical time for its full-time clergy a minimum of every five years. This provision must be part of the agreement between a priest in this Diocese and the parish he serves. Accordingly, Fr. Rob's letter of agreement with Good Shepherd calls for such sabbatical time.
Other advantages of a sabbatical:
- It creates time for physical, emotional, and spiritual health.
- Giving time and energy back to family.
- It gives staff, vestry, and parish opportunities to lead and gain experience.
- It creates space for priest and parish to establish healthy patterns for the future.
How can I best support Rob and our church throughout this sabbatical time?
- First, remember the Church is the Body of Christ. It is about people, not person. We are the church and membership of any congregation goes far deeper than the leadership of a single person.
- Second, lean in, not out. The church is a body that needs all of its parts doing what they do best: Reflecting God’s love through our faith in action. Our church needs you and we hope you ‘lean in’ and find new ways to call this place home.
- Finally, pray for Rob and Linda. Pray for their journey through sabbatical and for Rob’s leadership to be renewed so that the church may benefit from what God is doing in them. They will be praying for us too.
Dates and Activities
Fr. Rob will be on sabbatical from August 17 – November 10, 2022. His last Sunday before the Sabbatical is August 14, when we will prayerfully send Linda and him forth. His first Sunday back will be November 13, when we will prayerfully welcome them back and have a reception following the 11 am service. During his time away, Fr. Rob will visit (with Linda) holy and historical Christian sites in Italy. Stateside, he will spend time with family and also focus on ‘loving our neighbors’ and connections between discipleship, mission, and racial reconciliation.
Can we contact Fr. Rob during the sabbatical?
No, the sabbatical is a time for Fr. Rob to have a complete break from his ministerial duties and thus, he will not be available to the congregation during this time. Our professional staff, lay leadership and many dedicated volunteers are prepared to deal with all the usual matters of congregational life, including emergencies. Alison and Ellen will inform Fr. Rob about emergencies.
Will we hear from Fr. Rob during his sabbatical?
Yes. Every three weeks, Rob will send a hello, a picture or two, and a brief update, and it will made into an eblast for the parish.
Our Sabbatical Clergy
The Rev. Alison Schultz continues with her full-time ministry, and our adjunct clergy will be called upon as needed for help with pastoral care and worship, as will members of the vestry and other parish leaders.
Church Operations
Duties related to the day-to-day operations of the church will be apportioned between, Ellen Albright, Alison Schultz, Laura Lankford, Peter Keck and others.
Sabbatical Itinerary - August 17 until November 10, 2022
August 17 – September 4
Visit with family, unwind, read, prepare for the trip to Italy.
September 5 to October 5 (with Linda)
Visit Assisi and learn about St Francis and St. Claire (one week)
Hike through Tuscany (4 days)
Visit holy sites in Siena and Florence (one week)
Visit holy sites Rome: the Vatican, St. Peter’s, the Sistine Chapel, the catacombs (4 days)
Visit the Amalfi Coast (5 days)
Note: part of this time is preparing for a parish pilgrimage—hopefully in the Fall of 2023
October 6 – November 9
Stateside visits to explore reconciliation, justice, and to understand the past:
Absalom Jones Center, Atlanta
Legacy Museum, Montgomery, Alabama
National Memorial of Peace and Justice, Montgomery, AL
Different places along the Trail of Tears
Museum of the Cherokee, Walhalla, SC
Museum of the Cherokee Indian, Cherokee, NC
Town Creek Indian Mound, Mt. Gilead, NC
Museum of the American Indian, Pembroke, NC
Fernbank Museum, Atlanta, GA
Indian Springs State Park, Jackson, GA
Rock Eagle, Georgia
Etowah Mounds, Cartersville
Columbus Museum, Columbus, GA
Chieftains Trail, Canton, GA
Lastly, from Rob and Linda, THANK YOU! Having a sabbatical is greatly appreciated. We look forward to our time of renewal and to rejoining Good Shepherd refreshed.
A sabbatical for the parish? What does that even mean?
It’s true Rob+ will be away. We will be here and what will we be doing? We will engage in a bit of renewal ourselves, a time of discernment. This really means a time for being a bit more intentional about our life together. Because who we are and what we do will continue as it does when Rob is with us. This is the joy of renewal periods -- they are purposely and gloriously superfluous. In refusing to serve the immediate, we might open space for the deep and expansive. Sabbatical time is not designed as congregational strategy sessions about worship, church growth, financial matters, etc. Just as, while on sabbatical, Rob+ steps away from the day-to-day demands of ministry and leadership in order to focus deeply on spiritual growth and renewal, so too the renewal period can be a time for our parish to indulge in the blessed luxury of asking questions about joy and meaning.
The truth is sabbaticals can have two emphases -- greater congregational leadership and deeper time for exploring questions of what gives our parish life – and these are not opposed. The former can draw out the latter, and vice versa Increased leadership and increased reflection go hand in hand. During this time of renewal, we will draw on and enhance these twin goods: encouraging leadership among congregation members while also creating space for reflection as we marvel together at the goodness of God. It’s an exciting time.
Where is Rob today? |
Updates from RobUpdates from Rob will be posted here throughout his sabbatical.
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