The elders of my church graciously offer all full time pastoral staff a six week sabbatical every seventh year. It is hard to believe that as a musician I’ve been able to hold down a job for more than two years, much less seven… But here I am…
I plan to spend a week at the beginning and end in solitude, beginning with the Abbey of Gethsemane where Thomas Merton lived, and ending at a retreat center in Cincinnati. In between will be a weekend in Chicago with my wife, and trips to Florida and Colorado with my family.
A few friends have asked what books I’m taking on Sabbatical. While I only hope to read 2-4 of them in their entirety, I’ve got 11 books on the docket:
The Abbey of Gethsemane:
The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence
Answering God by Eugene Peterson
New Seeds of Contemplation by Thomas Merton
Chicago:
Prayers for Married Couples by Bartkowski
Florida:
The Dangerous Act of Worship by Labberton
The Effective Father by MacDonald
Colorado (Denver, Boulder):
Wide Awake by McManus
A Generous Orthodoxy by McLaren
Cincinnati (in solitude):
The Pursuit of Man by Tozer
Dangerous Wonder by Yaconelli
Schools of Conversion: 12 Marks of New Monasticism
One thought on “Summer Sabbatical”
Nice list. I’d be interested in a few of those.
I’m praying for you on your travels, and am excited to hear the things that God shows you. Drive safely, live soberly, love dangerously.