November 5thA Gift of Time and Noticing
Tim's Reflection on the Gift of Sabbatical
We watch as the fading sun bathes the hills of painted forest leaves in a moving evening display. My companions and I have spent the day immersed in spiritual reflection and prayer. Individually and collectively we have shared faith callings, personal struggles, and inner stirrings of the Spirit. It is a Holy Moment, this last light of the fading day, proclaiming the movement to night, heralding a shift to the gift of rest and providing a moment of connection with God, with others, and with all of God’s creation.
This fall I was blessed to receive a profound gift of the church. After 8 years in my role as Executive Minister, I was granted a 3-month leave to refresh and refocus my approach to ministry. The biblical concept of Sabbath sets aside time for rest and spiritual reflection within the regular rhythms of life. Within church ministry sabbatical periods echo the “Sabbath Year” of scripture, pausing from ministry duties and responsibilities to provide opportunity for spiritual renewal and revitalization.
The moment described above took place during a 4-day spiritual retreat, and stands out as a touchstone memory. Stepping away from formal ministry gave me the opportunity to appreciate the gift of life that we all receive as part of God’s creation. There is nothing that I did to “make” that sunset-moment happen. I just needed to place myself in a space where I could stop and notice it. I needed to join with others seeking a deeper experience of God’s presence. I needed to yield to the leadership of retreat planners that opened us to experience more fully the world around us, to notice both human and non-human companions on our journey, to recognize the deep and pervasive presence of the Divine, and to appreciate the gift of life we have been freely given.
As I reflect on my time away I am struck by another gift we have as followers of Jesus, and that is the gift of calling. August was intended to be a time of vacation, and while I was able enjoy some trips to the mountains it took more than a month to fully disengage from ministry duties. Some were things that could not be set aside, and some responsibilities took time to hand off to others. Ultimately I had to let go in trust in order to reset and open myself to hear God’s calling anew.
A two-week trip to Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary provided a significant break in setting and schedule, as well as a wonderful opportunity to explore further Christ’s call to the church. In addition to volunteering and attending a 3-day conference, I had the chance to meet for coffee and conversation with professors, church leaders, and other people passionate about their faith as together we explored the calling of the church in today’s world.
My prayer is that this gift from the church of sabbatical time will ultimately be a gift for the church. I come back to my ministry role with energy, a renewed sense of my own calling, and deeper perspective on the call we experience together as part of Christ’s church. I bring a renewed commitment to attend to rhythms of reflection and discernment as we journey in ministry together. And I bring a deep appreciation for the gifts we all share from our generous God.
Praise be to God, for God’s many gifts!
Group picture from the spiritual retreat Tim attended in early October. It was led by Tanya Dyck Steinmann, former counsellor and co-director of Camp Valaqua from the 1990’s and early 2000’s. Tanya now lives in Southern Ontario where she is a spiritual director and retreat facilitator.