I'm back. And this time it's personal

Last Saturday’s affirmation of Dan Dupree as a Baptist minister and the commissioning of the Dupree family to go and live in Albania marked my return from 11 weeks of sabbatical leave.  It was a memorable day, with many there and taking part.

My sabbatical began on Easter Sunday as we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus in the Hadleigh Roundhouse, with breakfast, the amazing log fire, songs, the Easter story, praying for one another and the Easter Egg hunt.  As we heard then, Sabbatical = Sabbath which means ‘STOP!’

Stop the treadmill, the email, the phone and the flattering voices all needing attention.  Stop answering the call to be needed. To be necessary. Stop identifying myself by my roles or my productivity.

Plenty of friends from other churches asked me “What are you doing with your sabbatical?” Although they asked in a kindly way, the question suggested that sabbatical couldn’t possibly mean rest, recharging, listening, slowing down. Stopping. 

It was sometimes hard to do less. I am an activist – I love to be doing. There is also another part to my working life which didn’t involve stopping for 11 weeks, so each week was a blend of activity and quietness.

My friends in Church from Scratch by and large didn’t ask “What are you doing with your sabbatical?”  They understood and supported my break and steered clear of emailing or phoning about ‘work’.  They gave me space.  And I want to say a big Thank-You to CFS and to those within it who carried some of my usual workload. I really appreciate you.

Over the next few days and weeks, I will share some of what may be God-thoughts I jotted down while on sabbatical. Some will go firstly to the partners in CFS to think and pray about and test.  Many friends made welcome suggestions for meeting new people, reading, watching, listening and thinking and I will share here what I found fun and useful from these suggestions.

It is too soon to name all the lasting changes that may come from the past 11 weeks.  I have a final sabbatical week in the autumn which means I have the summer to gather my thoughts and make some sense of them.  

What I am clear about is that I will no longer be trying to ‘tick so many boxes.’ I am the person that I am. I have some strengths, skills and experience and I am going to be working on the basis of these in the future. Which means that I may not do all the same things as before.  I'm back - and this time it's personal.

There is much more to say. But for now, once again: Thank-You.