Dear UCG,
As you may have heard, I’ll be taking a sabbatical this summer: officially beginning on May 13 and returning for the Gathering of the Waters service on August 11. What you may not have heard (though we’ve had it in a host of newsletters and emails) is that UCG has received a grant as part of the Lilly Endowment’s Clergy Renewal Program to fund that sabbatical. This is big news, and an incredible gift and opportunity. The Clergy Renewal Program is highly competitive, and I have rarely been so grateful to read an email as when I got the one informing me that our proposal had been funded last August.
The Call for Proposals describes the program’s intent:
“The Lilly Endowment National Clergy Renewal Program at Christian Theological Seminary (CTS) seeks to strengthen Christian congregations by providing opportunities for their pastors to step away briefly from the demands of daily parish life and engage in a period of renewal and reflection.
“We recognize that clergy take on a variety of pastoral roles within their congregations: preacher, teacher, spiritual guide, counselor, friend, confidant. The demands of ministry can feel relentless. Keeping pace with these demands can be tiring. Drawing on practices of sabbath rest, we recognize that pastors occasionally need time to replenish their spiritual reservoirs and regain energy and strength for their calling. Sabbath rest includes time for pastors to renew themselves physically, emotionally, relationally, and spiritually.
“Clergy renewal periods are not vacations; rather, they provide opportunities for discovering what will make the pastor’s heart sing through well-planned purposeful activities. Renewal leaves allow for times of intentional exploration, and reflection, and regaining enthusiasm and creativity for ministry. Life-giving experiences—strengthening relationships, renewing a sense of call, meeting and serving the neighbor in a new way, finding joy and purpose in a simplified life, traveling to new lands and unfamiliar territories, creating opportunities where members of the congregation can exercise their gifts for ministry— are common themes of these renewal times. Profound discoveries that pastors and their congregations describe as “life-changing events” occur as they participate in this program.
“Renewal leaves can take many forms as each congregation and pastor uniquely answer the question, “What will make your heart sing?” One pastor traveled to South Africa to immerse herself in contemplation of reconciliation and forgiveness in action. Another pastor remained close to home but spent time engaging in art, rekindling creativity in his being. From the Holy Land to the holy spaces in pastors’ lives, clergy and their congregations have used these grants to rejuvenate their heart’s song, to the benefit of their shared ministries.
“Together the Endowment and CTS believe in the profound importance of pastoral ministry, not only to the people directly served, but also to the larger community and society. We celebrate the wonderful diversity of U.S. congregations in terms of their size, locale, culture, language, and more. And so, we are committed to offering these programs in ways that make them as accessible as possible to the wide variety of congregations as they pursue faithful ministry.”
When I reflected last year on what would make my heart sing, the answers were immediate and clear: time spent with my spouse, our kids, my friends, and family. Time to read and write and travel. Because these grants are once-in-a-lifetime for an individual pastor, I wanted the traveling to include as many things that our family could enjoy together that we were also not likely to be able to afford again. (Until we win the Powerball or Josh’s or my next book hits it big, at any rate.).
The grant was due in March of 2023, and in the past year certain things have changed that have altered the schedule slightly. We thought we might be searching for another pastor; or finishing a capital campaign. I thought I might be starting a Doctor of Ministry degree. Instead, we’re hiring some new staff, and navigating a reorganization, and I’m doing a program at Princeton Theological Seminary instead of Drew. (Though they are both in New Jersey.)
But this is Fiona’s last summer before graduating from high school, and I am burnt out — exhausted — after a move and starting at a new church in the midst of a pandemic, of working nearly non-stop for close to four years. My heart needs time to sing this summer. Sandy and Larry reassured Talia and I months ago that there may never be a good time for a sabbatical, but have offered to cover for two weeks so Talia can get some vacation, too. Additionally, the Lilly grant provides funding for guest preachers, extra staff and ministerial support, among other congregational renewal activities.
A team led by the ever-brilliant Helda Montero has put together a wonderful series for UCG’s summer of renewal. As for me? My schedule will look like this:
May 1-5 — Josh and I will go to the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage festival.
May 6-10 — I’ll head to Princeton for the first session of “Iron Sharpening Iron,” an executive leadership program for clergywomen.
May 12 — I’ll be at UCG to preach on the last week of our Pop! Series, and our middle daughter Callie will be confirmed.
May 13 — Sabbatical starts (though I got summoned for jury duty. Sad trombone.)
For May and most of June, I’ll be spending time with Josh and the kids: painting a bedroom, catching up on reading, and working on a long-neglected book project. Callie will be at theater camp at the Hippodrome, and Josh and Fiona will head onto work tour. Once they’re back, we’ll drive as a family to Chicago, leave the dog at Camp G-mama, and fly to London.
I studied in London for a semester in college, and I’m looking forward to the kids having an opportunity to explore from a neighborhood home-base. We’ll see museums and shows, explore other nearby cities and towns, and also spend time in Paris and Edinburgh. As a family, we love history and theater, so we’re so looking forward to this time together.
We’ll be overseas for most of July and will return to Chicago. The girls and I will stay to see friends and family for a few days, while Josh gets ready to head back to work. The sabbatical ends with a celebration after the Gathering of the Waters service on August 11, but there is some remaining funding we’ll use later: for some writing days with my writing friends outside Boston, and a Thanksgiving week in New York with Josh, the girls, and my mom.
I’m so grateful for this time, and these funds, and the knowledge that this congregation will have its own opportunities for reflection and renewal this summer. Talia will be a wonderful Head of Staff in my absence, and will be well supported by Dar Mikula as interim support staff, and Ellen Ribe and Chad McGinnis offering ministerial support. You will be in good hands!
Grace and Peace,
Bromleigh