Dear Christ Church,
I want to share some personal and exciting news with you: In one month I’ll begin a sabbatical for this summer.
When our vestry invited me to serve as Rector of Christ Church, they generously and wisely planned for me to have a sabbatical for rest, reflection, and renewal that recognizes my 8 years of priestly ministry at Christ Church.
The word sabbatical is the same root word as sabbath and comes from the Hebrew word shabbat. And while the concept might be familiar to you from the academic world where professors take academic sabbaticals to engage in other work like research and publication, that is not the root idea of a sabbatical. Nor is a sabbatical like our modern notion of a vacation, though a sabbatical can include some level of a vacation.
If a sabbath is the weekly pausing of work to be present to God and others, a sabbatical is the seasonal pausing of daily work. The purpose of the sabbatical is to step away from the daily productive life in order to rest but more importantly, to reconnect with God and be renewed.
American work culture teaches that everything must always be moving “up and to the right,” including the productivity of a leader. But the new kingdom Jesus inaugurated is opposed to this idea of unceasing production. Humans are not solely producers—we are whole-bodied beings that fit into rhythms of work and rest. That’s the gift of a sabbatical. It’s also why we encourage the weekly practice of Sabbath. If you want more information about sabbaticals, this excellent teaching by Pete Scazzero, founder of Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, explains it well, including how a sabbatical helps the whole organization—not only the leader.
One of my hopes as your Rector is what Eugene Peterson described as a long obedience in the same direction. I want to lead as your priest with fullness of heart and from a place of nearness to God for as long as the Lord calls me to be at Christ Church. This sabbatical, wisely established by our vestry for our previous rector, Cliff, is an intentional strategy for long-term, faithful, priestly leadership.
So what are the details?
I’ll be away from Austin and with my family from May 18th through August 20th. While I’m gone I won’t be answering email or returning calls, and I’ll stop my workplace communications.
Michael and Wes will lead our Sunday services, with assistance from Nancy. Operationally, Kim Polk will oversee our staff and the Vestry, and our Finance Team will continue to oversee our budget. This is a great time for me to step away, and I’m confident you’re in good hands.
My hopes for you:
While I’m on sabbatical, I also hope you take time this summer to rest. One effect of a sabbatical is that the organization slows down while the leader steps away. Christ Church might feel a bit slower this summer, and that would be a good thing.
What if we all leaned into rest and practiced Sabbath this summer? You might begin a practice of winding down on Friday or Saturday evening with evening prayer among family and friends. You could cook a good meal each week and set out your fanciest tableware to eat by candlelight; talk with loved ones about where you’ve seen God in your life that week; then rest and wake up to a day of delighting in God’s presence. Marva Dawn’s excellent book Keeping the Sabbath Wholly (which you might consider reading) identifies four verbs that encompass sabbath: Ceasing. Resting. Embracing. Feasting.
Christ Church, I’m excited for this Sabbatical and the personal renewal with the Lord. I’m also excited to come back in the Fall and greet you with fresh energy and enthusiasm as we step further into the areas of mission God has for our church.
Peace,
Matt+