Rector's Rambling - August 21, 2011 - In three weeks

Three weeks from tomorrow I leave for my ‘sabbatical’. I have put ‘sabbatical’ in quotes because it is really an extended vacation, which I am taking in the place of a formal sabbatical.
By God’s grace I have now been Rector of St. John’s for 10 1/2 years. It seems like just yesterday I came here as a young man in my mid-thirties. A part of the original template provide by the Diocese for the contract I signed to become the Rector included a clause for a sabbatical after 10 years of service, an enticement to plan on staying put in one place for an extended period of time. The new diocesan template provides for a sabbatical after 7 years. The sabbatical is to be 3 to 6 months long according to the contract.
I don’t want a sabbatical. Quite honestly, I don’t want to be away from St. John’s or my home for 3 months (most sabbaticals include traveling away for study). I don’t want to write a book, earn another degree, or master some obscure new skill (all of which is frequently done on a sabbatical).
So for the second time in 10 1/2 years I am going to take all four of my Sundays off, plus one (we will be away three consecutive Sundays). And as much as it will be hard to be away for that long, I am looking forward to traveling with my family out West to see extended family and to see a few sites along the way.
Thankfully, we have Fr. Bedford here to lead worship and take care of pastoral emergencies, and the competent staff to hold down the administrative fort. And of course I EXPECT TO HEAR GOOD REPORTS that everyone was in Church while I was away! Sunday School and the various programs will get underway while I am gone, and I look forward to returning to a parish family busy at work for the Kingdom.