The time has finally arrived – Pastor Jim’s sabbatical starts right after worship this Sunday. He has earned every second of this time. We wish him the very best as he journeys. There are a couple of rules while he is gone: 1) He’s not allowed to contact us, and 2) We’re not to contact him.
Sabbaticals are times to explore what Howard Thurmond calls an “Island of Peace within one’s own soul.” Thurmond’s thesis is that deep within our soul is the holy of holies where God dwells – not the God of our society, our government, our church, or our family, but the God of our hearts. It is there we find our true, authentic selves and come alive; it is the Island of Peace.
We have assembled a great team to fill in the many roles Pastor Jim plays. Will some things fall apart in his absence? Probably. Will some things be awesome? Certainly. Will we be glad when he comes back to us on September 5? Absolutely!
His assignment during sabbatical is the same as ours – Authentic honesty – discern who we are, what our plans are, where we are heading in life.
All of that is available to us at the holy of holies on this isle. If you have not found your Island of Peace within your own soul, there is no better time than now to journey there and come alive! Life is too short for anything else.
Shalom, Paul