Wow! One month from today my sabbatical begins! For three months I'll be taking off, leaving behind my duties as pastor of Chalice Christian Church in Gilbert, AZ. I hope to travel to the places where my "grandmothers" in the faith helped form the early church. I'll also spend time back in Missouri where I grew up, visiting the churches I attended, reconnecting with old friends who were in my Sunday school classes, checking out the church camp grounds at Grand Oaks, in every place remembering the people and events that shaped me spiritually. I can't wait to "go home" geographically and metaphorically.
No doubt I'll miss my friends back here at Chalice while I'm gone, so I decided to create a blog where members and friends of Chalice could communicate while we're traveling. I want all of you to contribute as often as you can.
By the way, life will continue as usual at the church during this sabbatical summer. The Sunday schedule will be 9:30 Faith Development for all ages and worship at 10:45. Bob Howard (Rev. Dr. Robert R) will be the interim sabbatical minister while I'm gone. Check out the Chalice web site to learn more about him and about sabbatical. http://www.chalicechristian.com/
The theme of our sabbatical summer at Chalice is "Going Home... Coming Home." On May 4 I'll commission the congregation to make their own pilgrimages home, planning trips back to the places they were formed into the people they have become. Children will be going with their parents to their "home" places, and spouses traveling long distances to find out how it was that their life partners became the people they grew to love.
So let's start planning those journeys "home." Start thinking now about where you will go and whom you will see. Renew some old acquaintances. Take some pictures to share. Explore some legendary memories. Better yet -- create some new legends!
Anybody know where you're going this summer? or what to expect? Tell us about it!
Blessings!
Pastor Linda
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where Tony's house sits (see April 28 post)
Abundance Street in New Orleans
where Tony's house sits (see April 28 post)
2 comments:
I was going home...coming home just now. The fields are black with rain and the grass smells sweet. The first row of unidentifiable-to-my-untrained-eye planting is in the garden, and it was trampled Saturday night by the fierce Pryor 3 (and the back porch shower is full of mud and grass from the aftermath), so all is well in the universe and as it should be. Can't wait till we're all there next month.
Grandpa will need Grandma's attention, and we need not to take her away from him. He was very angry that we took her attention this weekend, and he said he was neglected. She did tell him she was proud of him for working so hard on his speech and physical therapy exercizes. He turned to me as an aside and said, "She's bragging on me," with a sly grin.
See you soon!
xo
Hey, Slug Bug! I can smell the wet, black dirt and the green grass! And I can imagine those little girls covered in the mud. And I can't wait to get home.
We'll give Mother & Daddy lots of space & quiet evenings, & we can find some rooms in town. Daddy needs to get his rest so he can spin his stories for me.
He went to church yesterday for the ordination of their pastor! Mother said he wanted to go for a drive after, but they came home to rest first. He was so tired he said maybe another day. Good signs, I think.
Coming home sounds good. See you soon.
Ma
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