Well, Linda and I are finally on the road for my sabbatical. It is such a lovely gift for a congregation to give to their pastor! Many folks have called it "well-deserved"--and that may be the case, but mostly I think of it as a gracious expression of a congregation's care!
We have quite a journey planned. We have already dropped off our cat Tiny at "Camp Laurie"--the home of a dear friend in Ocala who watches Tiny whenever we are gone for more than a day or two. And this afternoon we arrived in Americus, Georgia. We are staying at a grand old hotel, the Windsor. We plan on visiting the headquarters of Habitat for Humanity (there is even a Millard Fuller Road here in town!), Koinonia Farms (a community that played and plays a key role in the struggle for civil rights) and the birthplace of Jimmy Carter (planned many months ago, but suddenly very timely!)
From here we head to Charleston, South Carolina, where we will be staying with a seminary buddy and daughter Elizabeth's godmother, Sue Ingham. There we will be visiting several significant sites in that storied old seaport. We are especially anxious to visit Mother Emmanuel to pay our respects. So much good work has happened over the last many years since abolition, but so much still needs to be done!
From there we plan time in Cape May, NJ, Easton, PA, and then on to Bayhead, NJ (on the Jersey shore), where we will stay for two weeks in a rented house. Bayhead is on the commuter line to New York, and I will travel into the city two or three times to do some research. I am doing some work on the abolition movement, and in particular the role played in the same by John Quincy Adams. Stimulating and important stuff! I hope to produce a course that I will teach this spring on Sanibel, perhaps an article for publication and a monologue.
Our five-and-a-half week journey then takes us to Lake George and Gloversville, New York, for some family visits and some real rest. And then, as we wend our way home, a stop in Kentucky to visit my mother. My siblings will all converge there at the same time--so a mini-reunion of sorts.
Last Sunday, many good folks wished me well as they left church on Sunday. I received several nice notes and e-mails from people with similar wishes. Ironically, one of them came from a very dear parishioner who died suddenly just before I left Sanibel. A memorial service awaits my return. Life works that way sometimes.
One parishioner who is currently up north, wrote, "Your grand road trip sounds wonderful . . . your itinerary sounds delicious . . . ." What a great word! Delicious! My mother is fond of saying certain things feed your soul. That I trust will be the case with this delicious sabbatical.
As one parishioner was leaving service on Sunday she tucked a piece of paper in my hand. It was an offering envelope she had taken from the pew rack. On it she had written: "John, I will pray some time each day for you during your sabbatical. I pray today for your safety as you start your venture
tomorrow. Blessings." You see what I mean about it being a gift? Your prayers are welcome as well. For my part I'll keep you posted through this blog--and no doubt Linda will be making smart comments on Facebook!
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