sabbath

SABBATICAL DAY 5: CONFERENCING

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This sabbatical feels different from my last. During the last sabbatical my mother was just entering the most intensive part of her medical need. Travel was not really an option. Now Mom is gone. I guess I could go anywhere I want, but I don’t really have any desire to go anywhere.

I know many people think of sabbatical as a vacation. I don’t. I see it as a necessary change of life rhythm for the purpose of clarifying vision. I really need that. I feel more deeply than ever before that I need to see what is coming down the road. More than that I feel like I am commanded to it.

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One thing I did learn about sabbatical from last time was that the rhythm and events of sabbatical are only truly determined by God. I made intricate plans last time and God intervened heavily in my plans to change them. I didn’t get done all that was on my list, but I know now I did get done what I needed to do.

This time my plans are not as detailed, but I feel like I have come closer to matching God’s plans for this sabbatical. This first week of sabbatical was given to prayer and conferences. I attended several prayer services at TWR House of Prayer as they held their annual growth conference. Yesterday I was at Liberty Church in Shrewsbury MA for their L2L conference. Today I was at my own church for our Better Man Conference. I have pages of notes to pray through this next week as I seek vision from them for our church.

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This next week I am spending time in deep prayer, in working around the Vicarage, and in planning administratively for the church: I have budgets to do; missions job descriptions to update; and infrastructure plans to consider; I also think it is time to fill out the paperwork for the next step in my ministry licensing process.

My son and his wife are signing papers this week on a condo so I am beginning a big fall cleaning as they prepare to move at the end of the month. It feels like threads are coming together and I am beginning to see the tapestry, streams are blending in a divine confluence. I certainly am not the only one sensing this. I don’t even understand the bigger parts of it, but I am very clear on the fact that I need to understand my own small part of the stream. I think much depends on it.

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DO YOU FEEL THIS NEXT YEAR WILL BE DIFFERENT THAN THE LAST?

SABBATICAL EVE

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I begin a month long sabbatical tomorrow. Yesterday was my last day in pulpit for five Sundays. I preached from Revelation 22 about THE INVITATION TO THE FUTURE.

YOU CAN WATCH IT HERE.

It was also a day of celebration. It was our church’s annual Crockpot Cookoff.

It was a great way to launch into this sabbatical. 130 people came out to try 17 different crockpot dishes. The prize went to BAGEND BEAM, one of the Sunday afternoon groups. All the crockpots were excellent.

And the community sharing life together was awesome!

This is my second sabbatical and it is shaping up to be very different from my last sabbatical. This month is a month of conferences. All this week I will be spending time in prayer at The Worship Room House of prayer as they hold their third annual growth conference. On Friday I will be heading out to Liberty Church in Shrewsbury MA for a leadership conference. Saturday I will be back at Cornerstone for our annual men’s conference. Next Wednesday I will be in Sturbridge MA for our network leadership tour. There is a prophetic conference in Springfield MA on October 17-20. I am still toying with the idea of going to that. Then at the end of the month I will be going to our fellowship’s Minister’s retreat in Plymouth MA.

Sabbatical is a time of rest, prayer and visioning for ministers. For me it is a time to find the next steps for our church and the prophetic message God would have me share in sermon form for the next few years.

I have asked all of our groups to pray for a word from God for 2025 and 2026. When I come back I will go to each group and listen to what God has told our church body about next steps.

I AM VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS NEXT MONTH. I FEEL A STIRRING IN MY HEART TOWARDS ADVENTURE.

What’s Happening At the Vicarage This Week 6-26-24

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Today is my sabbath. I started the morning by drinking mint tea from my garden in the outdoor prayer chapel during Prime.

I have a pretty long to do list that I have compiled over the last week. I will probably get some of it done today, but it is Sabbath so a relaxed rhythm is in order.

Join me in my walk around the Vicarage gardens.

The day lilies are in full bloom now.

So is the giant hosta.

I love the delicate flowers of the lady’s mantle.

The fleabane is also in full bloom. These tiny white flowers on 3 foot stocks attract lots of pollinators to the garden. So many people pull these out of their gardens considering them weeds, but I love how they fill out space around the yard and bring in the bees.

The whole yard is filled with the scent of honeysuckle. It is really strong this year. I can smell it no matter where I am on the property.

This year the forest garden is attracting a large number of birds.

I have to pick up more suet for the feeders today. We have five or six hungry woodpeckers that are hanging around.

I have also set up an extra hummingbird feeder. I have a larger than average population of hummingbirds and they are constantly warring over the one feeder I usually put up. The second feeder seems to have solved the problem.

My Sabbath day is going to be filled with prayer and gardening and cleaning.

How are you going to spend your day?

A Day Off At the Vicarage

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Sabbath days at the Vicarage come on Wednesdays. One of the things I’ve learned about Sabbath is that the rest that comes with it is really just a change of rhythm.

I spend a lot of time in prayer on Sabbath. That is not different than any other day, but I am not preparing for a ministry work on Wednesdays so the prayer I do on Sabbath is more of a restorative prayer.

I love to start the sabbath with a gentle walk through the gardens.

Again,that is not different than any other day, but the purpose is different. On my sabbath, I walk the garden to notice what is growing, to take time to enjoy the scent of the garden. Every other day of the week I am planning on what job I have to do in the garden.

This morning, I walked the garden with my cell phone as I was talking to Brenda. She enjoyed the garden with me.

I had Sevy with me for the sabbath morning. Again that is not different than any other day. I have been watching him while his mother works at the local community college. Usually my daughter Amanda watches him, but she is recovering from surgery so Sevy has been staying with “Oz” (that’s what the grandkids call me).

Today, Sevy and I went shopping for some new summer shirts, but only after we watched a few episodes of what he calls “Bickey Bouse”

Then we went to one of the local playgrounds.

After picking up my daughter-in-law from work, I went to have fun in the garden.

After some more prayer and a supper of pork Sinagang, white rice and watermelon, the dogs and I are enjoying a cup of coffee while the sun sets.

It was a perfect day off.

What’s your idea of a perfect day off?

SABBATH THOUGHTS ON READINESS

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I am getting myself ready for Sabbath tomorrow. I will probably be spending a good deal of the day in prayer and in gardening. I am preparing for the summer…and beyond. Here are some of the meditations I will be considering on the subject of readiness.

WOW! I NEED TO THINK ON THIS ONE!!!

MY THOUGHTS ON SLOWING DOWN

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I had a morning drive out towards Boston today and I had some time to think. Everyone around me was going so much faster than I was. I was still going over the speed limit but everyone else was passing me like I was standing still. It bothered me a little, to be honest. First because I felt like I was holding people up with my slower pace. Secondly, because I felt like I was being left behind. Thirdly, because I felt like our world has become addicted to rushing towards oblivion, and that makes me mad?….frustrated?….anxious?…. Sad?….Anyway it makes me feel not good. SOOOOO, today I am thinking about slowing down.