1. The thing missing in every church I visited was a sense of belonging.[1]
2. All pastors/churches do the same sorts of things.[2]
3. Time with family and friends was the best gift of my sabbatical.[3]
4. Trinity United Church of Christ in
5. Lutheran theology is our greatest gift.[5]
6. I cherish Lutheran liturgy.[6]
7. I am replaceable.[7]
8. Work is a blessing.[8]
9.
10. God is good and the world is big![10]
[1] In retrospect this seems obvious, but still it came to me as something of a surprise more than half-way through my sabbatical. There is a big difference between visiting a church and being a member. Nurturing a sense of belonging should be a priority for congregations.
[2] No matter where I went on Sabbatical, from the biggest to the smallest, from the most traditional to the least, all pastors and churches do a handful of very common things: announcements, collect an offering, sing, etc.
[3] The hardest thing about being a pastor is having a schedule that runs contrary to most of the world. So while my family and friends are working primarily Monday through Friday 8-5, I am working many evenings and most weekends and holidays. Conversely the best gift of my sabbatical was time with family and friends.
[4] Trinity is an African-American United Church of Christ congregation located on the south side of
[5] The heart of Lutheran Theology is a belief in “Justification by Grace through Faith.” This belief guides our preaching and teaching. Its presence or absence in a congregation’s life is palpable on Sunday mornings.
[6] While I attended several very nice “praise services,” a worship service without the liturgy just doesn’t feel like church to me. That is, I want and need to hear that my sins are forgiven. I want and need to confess my faith and pray with others. I want and need the gift of his body and blood.
[7] By all accounts, pastors Holmes and Woodley and our congregational leaders did a great job in caring for the people of Grace and their ministry this summer. This congregation survived without me. It is bigger than me. On some level I’ve always suspected that this was true, but it is helpful and humbling to experience it.
[8] By the second week of August, I was excited about getting back to work. In addition to the people of Grace, I missed the rhythm of my work and the sense of purpose that it provides.
[9] I experienced 15 different congregations during my sabbatical. Their settings and size and theology varied quite a bit. In each congregation, I found things to admire and appreciate. Mostly, they made me appreciate and miss my congregation:
[10] I enjoyed my time away from home: Adel,
