A Crimp in My Schedule

Not sure if it was the clear, cool mountain air, the sudden change of schedule, or my cooking, but when I got home from McCall last week my leg and lower back were a MESS. I had come home on Saturday, struggled a bit on Sunday worshiping with a congregation in Boise, and by Monday I was in a pretty bad mood.

Decided finally to get myself to a chiropractor. Tuesday was the beginning of the next stage of my sabbatical, which meant quite literally being on my back, icing and moving about very gingerly. I saw the chiropractor Tuesday, and Wednesday, and Thursday, and Friday, and when he was through with me on that day, said "I'll see you Monday." I'll visit him three times this week as I slowly get myself back (no pun intended) among the living.

This kind of pain is different from low back discomfort. It's deeper. The aches are different, and if you're not part of the club, (if you haven't experienced this yourself) you'll just have to take my word for it, that it's not a fun time. At all.

So I spent all of last week reclining, holding a novel (The River Why) above my face, and I finished it in record time (I'm a slow reader) I'm sure partly because the words just fell off the pages and into my head by sheer force of gravity.

I'm ready for this to be behind me (again, no pun intended) so I can do other stuff with this time. Theologically speaking, perhaps Christ needed to start his time with me by giving me an adjustment. Fitting. Now I'm ready to step, even gingerly, toward the next thing. Hopefully the ground will be level.

A Pastoral Connection - FINALLY

My route to McCall took me along the Oregon Slope to Weiser Idaho. As I drove I remembered that I had been to the cemetery that you drive by after turning toward Annex and Weiser. There was a family that I was with, at a graveside service, but for some reason I couldn't remember who had died and which family was involved. In fact this had bothered me for quite awhile because I had stopped at this cemetery before, wondering who had invited me to be with them there for prayer and scripture.

I'm usually pretty good at remembering, but for some reason the pieces were just not fitting together. So this time, I had already driven past the cemetery, but decided to turn around.

I was so glad I did. When I got to the cemetery, there was a very new-looking gravestone. It was for Bob Davis, and when I saw it, everything rushed back to me. Vera, Cheryl and the rest of the family, my apologies for "blanking out" about this very important place for you and your family. When I was there, I thanked God for the Davis and Reever families, and I thanked God for the memory of Bob Davis.

I've been hoping that my sabbatical would be a time for God to re-connect with me in areas where my faith, imagination and energy have perhaps slipped away. What I'm realizing is that God doesn't ask me to work harder, rather, I think God is asking me to be more attentive to the ways Christ is already at work in my life and in the lives of those around me. Listen. Watch. Feel. The Spirit of Christ is at work in this world. We are witnesses to this mighty and gentle God.

I have a sabbatical hat

When Dawn and I went on a special trip for our 10th wedding anniversary (a cruise to Mexico), I bought a hat. I found it at the docks in Acapulco. It sold a few weeks ago at our yard sale because I decided it didn't fit so well, in fact it gave me a headache.

When Dawn and I were guests of the Mission Builders in Carefree Arizona, we poked around Scottsdale ("Old Scottsdale", which is a fun touristy place), I bought a hat. I'm afraid that I'll soon have to get a storage bin for all my doggone hats.

As I pulled into McCall I stopped at the grocery store for some milk. You guessed it, they had hats! I thought to myself that I really "need" a sabbatical hat, so for $10 I got a real deal. What a great way to mark my time of renewal.

Ponderosa Pine cone Potential

I walked along the cart paths at the McCall Golf Course late last week. Along the way I found an awesome Ponderosa pine cone. I realized, that while walking I wanted to be holding something, so the pine cone was it.

Tuning into the wildlife, listening to the water flowing under the snow, holding that pine cone, the thought struck me. This looks so much like a grenade. I've held a blank grenade before, can't remember when, but the shape and design were so similar from my point of view. Exponentially heavier, but similar nonetheless.

Then I thought about the divergent purposes of each of those, the grenade explodes suddenly, designed for destruction. Noisy. Depending on the situation, its purpose is death. The pine cone doesn't explode per se, its shrapnel simply falls off and is buried.

There's a verse in scripture that says something about death being but for a moment, but life eternal.

Think of the potential of the quiet pine cone. What if only one of those shrapnel, buried, springs to new life. And what if over time, that new Ponderosa drops 10,000 grenades, rolling, floating, blown about by the high mountain winds. And what if only one of the shrapnel from each of those 10,000 cones springs to new life, suddenly from one seed there is 100,000 relatively young Ponderosa Pines.

I'm no botanist, but the point I'm considering is this: death is but for a moment, but life eternal. I thank God that the power of the grenade is nothing compared to the power of the pine cone.

Recreational Reading

Oh man, if you're interested in summer reading, pick up this. David James Duncan, The River Why. Fishing is the context, searching for meaning the theme. The writing is excellent. It's a great way to unplug for a time. I read this book about 10 years ago and have wanted to get back to it for a long time.

On to McCall

This is the first day of my three month sabbatical leave. For a long time, I've wondered how a time away like this would be. I know others who have had sabbaticals, both clergy and academic, and I've seen renewal in them. How it "looks" for each of those individuals is different.

I will miss: the relationships I have with the people of St. Paul, leading worship, preaching, and being involved in the community as the pastor of St. Paul. The Tuesday morning text study group, being involved with our kids.

I will enjoy: Time to myself to structure however I'm led, worshiping with other congregations, long drives and our family trip.

More to come! I'm heading to McCall Idaho this morning. My car is loaded up with books. I think I'll bring my guitar. After hugs and kisses from my daughters and wife, I'm ready to "unplug" and spend a few days in personal retreat.