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A Brief Sabbatical Report
June 4, 2020
 
Dear People of Hope,
 
God’s peace and joy be with you!
 
I want to express my deepest gratitude for the support you have given to me and my family over these past months of sabbatical. The time has been such a renewing gift to us! And all this in a very difficult time of unchosen sabbatical for the whole world.
 
I dearly hope that all of you have been keeping well through the midst of uncertainty, anxiety, financial hardship, relationship stress, disconnection from friends and extended family, and adjustment to strange new routines. I even dare to hope that you have also experienced some unexpected gifts—like renewed closeness to nature, more time for yourself—to read a book or get in better physical shape—and new connection with your family. All of these negatives and positives have been part of my experience of the past four months.
 
I very much look forward to reconnecting and hearing your stories as I resume active ministry at Hope later this month. Meantime I’d like to tell you a bit more about the specific gifts I have received through my sabbatical time. I’ll prepare a fuller report later, but for now here are some highlights:
 
Physical self care. As work and life get busier, I’ve found it all too easy to neglect my physical wellbeing. During my sabbatical I had resolved to pay better attention to my body, and this turned out to be one of the biggest gifts of the time! I have eaten better, fasted regularly, and exercised frequently with my favorite activities: XC skiing last winter (until the trails were closed!), mountain biking this spring, and a new sport: running. The result of all this is that I feel more energetic than I have in a long time.
 
Spiritual renewal. An ironic thing about being a pastor is that is very easy to neglect your own spiritual needs while in the midst of caring for others’. And you don’t always realize it because you’re praying and reading the Bible daily, just not for your own spiritual growth. It was a wonderful gift to be able to establish a daily routine of meditation, scripture reading, and prayer. I feel more grounded in my own spiritual life, and better able to walk with others in theirs.
 
Studies. While daily study time is supposed to be part of every pastor’s work life, I know few who maintain this discipline, myself least of all. There are just so many other things that are more urgent and immediate! I’m so glad to have been able in the past six months to devote concentrated time to reading and writing. I was able to wrap up a course on the liturgical year, and just this next week will be launching into a new course on the sacraments. I’ll follow up with a more complete report on my studies within the next month.
 
Retreat days. Since January I have spent a lot of time at my family’s cabin in the parkland east of Red Deer. These 24-hour retreats have been little sabbaticals within the sabbatical, concentrated times of rest, reading, and prayer.
 
Church visitation. Before the pandemic hit I was able to attend, semi-regularly, the local Anglican church and have a taste of attending worship with no obligations of leadership. Also I was able to visit a variety of other churches in diverse traditions. The best part of these experiences was to be able to sit and worship with my family.
 
For all these gifts I give God thanks and praise, and to all of you, gratitude. New habits and ways of living have taken root, and I plan to carry them into my future. Again, I look forward to connecting with all of you over the summer months, whether by phone or computer.
 
God’s peace and blessings be with you.
 
Pastor Kristian