Long Silence

My original plan was to write this post much sooner. I figured after eight days of silence, in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains, I’d have plenty to write about. Somehow it just didn’t work out that way. For starters, long road trips require quite a bit of preparation and I was busy till the moment we pulled out.

My time in Colorado at the Sacred Heart Jesuit Retreat Center was wonderful. It was long, but never seemed unbearably long. My days were filled the gift of silence and attention to God’s presence. 

Each day I spent and hour with a Spiritual director who listened carefully and gave me suggestions for how I might use scripture or prayer practices for the following 24 hours. 

It is strange to have so much time free of distraction and I think I’m still coming to an understanding of the those eight days. I did not experience a great epiphany while wandering the foothills of scrub along the Frontrange, but I did begin to understand how my ongoing life of faith and ministry could be strengthened by a deeper more focused prayer life.

I’m grateful for the experience of such a long silence and will look forward to how it will influence my life as your pastor in the coming years. 

Running the Race

Today was my last day at LVPC for a few months. I am ready to take a step back from the routine of the last eight years, but at the same time it feels strange. It feels a bit like coming to the end of a semester of college with the anticipation of a summer working at camp (but it has been over 20 years since I’ve done that).

It is a unique gift to step away from one’s life in this way and I am praying that I can absolutely make the very most of it. To live in the moment of each day not worried about tomorrow, or the next day, month, or year. Maybe more than at any other point in my life I am moving into each day with a sense of expectancy for what the Holy Spirit will reveal today.

Kim and I will also be running in a race one week from today. It may not seem like a restful way to begin a sabbatical, but there is something about the challenge of a marathon that seemed an appropriate way to enter into a period of reflection and contemplation. The challenges that lie ahead on the edge of the Pacific Ocean will no doubt serve as an ongoing metaphor throughout my sabbatical.

Many of you have asked about keeping track of us while we run. The easiest way to do this (assuming you have a smart phone) is to download the Big Sur International Marathon Events App. It is free and fairly easy to navigate. You can track up to thee runners and get our progress at several intermediary points along the course. Our bib numbers are 3176 and 3177, but you can search us out by name too.

Finally, I’d like to express thanks to the whole LVPC community for all the support, encouragement, and well wishes. In do time I will be looking forward to returning to ministry along side you all.