Sabbatical Q&A
FROM THE RECTOR
Starting June 1, I will be on sabbatical for three months. As that date has gotten closer, people have asked me what my plans are and what my time away will mean for St. Paul’s. Although I do not have all the answers, here are some thoughts about why this summer will be good for all of us.
Q: What is a sabbatical and why are you taking one now?
Rooted in the word “sabbath,” a sabbatical is a time for intentional rest, recovery, and restoration. Just as Leviticus 25 prescribes a sabbatical year during which fields are left fallow so that they might be rejuvenated, the church encourages its clergy to take a sabbatical once every seven years in order that they might be renewed. Like university professors, clergy need time apart from their normal work to refocus on those things that fuel their vocations. While we never stop reading, praying, studying, and worshipping, clergy must often put on hold their own spiritual and vocational pursuits as they attend to the demands of caring for others. This sabbatical is principally an opportunity for me to deepen my faith and strengthen my vocation so that I can return to St. Paul’s with renewed energy and focus.
I have been ordained for seventeen years, but I have never had a sabbatical. (Can you tell?) Ideally, I would have pursued one a long time ago, but things kept getting in the way. I had plans to take a sabbatical in the summer of 2018, but I accepted a call to come to St. Paul’s as your Rector. I would have taken one a few years ago, but Covid happened. Now, after five years as your priest, with the shock of the pandemic behind us, and because our clergy and staff team continues to excel, the vestry and I feel like the time is right.
Q: What will you do while you are on sabbatical?
In short, I will do all of the things that give me life and that renew my spirit that I cannot pursue while I am working at St. Paul’s. For me, that means going to church instead of going to work. It means returning to a life of prayer that is not governed by the rhythm of our congregation but by the rhythms of my own life. It means reading books not in preparation for a Bible study or discussion group but for my own formation. It means writing not for an audience but for myself and for God. It means spending time with my family and reinvesting in their lives and in our relationships as primary. It means travelling, resting, playing, birding, exercising, exploring, gardening, and relaxing. And it means not doing any of the ordinary things that I do at St. Paul’s.
Q: Who will fill in while you are gone?
One of the great privileges of working here is sharing ministry with a large group of talented, dedicated colleagues. Sara Milford will be here to continue to preach, lead worship, and provide pastoral care as well as to support our staff as they carry out their ministries. She will be assisted by our dedicated clergy team, which includes Lora Walsh, Kathy McGregor, Chuck Walling, and Lynne Spellman. In addition, I am delighted to share that the Rev. Danny Schieffler, former Rector of St. Mark’s in Little Rock, will be at St. Paul’s for four weeks in June and early July. Also, with the support of our vestry, I have invited Lowell Grisham to return to St. Paul’s as Rector Emeritus. For the first part of the summer, he will be at St. Peter’s in Oxford, Mississippi, filling in during their Rector’s sabbatical, but he will be back in this community to assist us in August.
Of course, most of the ministries of the church are carried out not by clergy but by the laity. Our staff and volunteers will continue to do the work of formation, pastoral care, community engagement, and administration. I will delegate some of my responsibilities—like approving check requests and chairing vestry meetings—to others, but, for the most part, I expect that the ins and outs of parish life will carry on without much change.
Q: What happens if there is a crisis or emergency at St. Paul’s while you are away?
If a situation arises that cannot be resolved without my involvement, Sara Milford will be able to get in touch with me, but I trust that our staff and vestry will handle everything that comes their way. I will not be checking email or voicemail, and I will not be returning phone calls during my sabbatical. Otherwise, this time of intentional renewal could quickly become subsumed by the demands of normal life.
It grieves me to think about it, but I suspect that, while I am gone, a few people will go into the hospital and one or two may die. I have a hard time anticipating how I will feel, knowing that I will be unable to care for someone I love, especially at the end of their life. One of the lessons that a sabbatical will teach me (and us) is that, even though I like to think of myself as a pastor to the whole congregation, I am not the one who cares for you—God is. God uses all of us to be the hands and feet of love, support, and mercy that we need from each other. None of us carries that burden alone, and this time apart will help us refocus on that truth.
Q: What do you hope will be accomplished in this sabbatical?
When we moved here five years ago, I discovered how quickly and eagerly I like to put down roots in a new place. I became a fan of the Razorbacks. I thought of myself as an Arkansan. I called our church and this community my home. This summer, I hope to spend some time exploring this state more fully so that I might develop a deeper sense of belonging here—one that will carry us through the years ahead together.
I believe that the clergy-parish relationship is a beautiful, holy, God-filled thing, and I hope to come back from sabbatical with a new appreciation for the ways in which God is present in our love for each other. By stepping away from day-to-day ministry, I hope to expose some of the hubris in my own self-importance, and I hope that the parish will also learn that it does not need me as much as either of us thinks it does.
Most of all, I hope to come back with a greater appreciation for why God has called and continues to call me to be a priest and to serve as your Rector. I love working here. I love our church and what it means to this community. I love getting up every day and going to work alongside the best and brightest people in the church. I believe that taking this time away will help ensure that our relationship is healthy and lifegiving for years to come, and I count it as a great privilege to be able to take this time for my own renewal. I pray that it will be a time of renewal for all of us.
Yours Faithfully,
Evan D. Garner