Week 2

So far the sabbatical is proving fruitful. I was told that it would take two weeks before I really felt like I had disconnected. I'll admit that on Friday I was reflecting about what I would preach on Sunday when I realized that I wasn't going to preach on Sunday. As part of the sabbatical grant from Samford, I was given the opportunity to take the Birkman Method which is an assessment tool for helping individuals move towards "self-awareness and awareness of others" especially in relation to vocational issues. On Friday I met with executive coach and counselor Michael Tate to go over the results of the assessment. I spent two hours with Mr. Tate and learned a lot more than I expected. The good news is I am well suited for my vocation. Along with the possibility of teaching school, counseling, and technical sales (?), serving as a clergy person fits my "personal behavior, motivations, styles, and stress." I learned a lot of things about myself that will prove fruitful, but one of the things that surprised me is that much of my personal stress is located in the slow pace of church decision making. Apparently, I prefer to make quick decisions and the longer it takes to make a decision, the more stressed I become and the less likely I am to make a decision. The assessment accurately described me as someone who likes to persuade and motivate others, cares deeply about issues of fairness and justice, and loves to communicate both in the written and spoken word. I am also a bit of a perfectionist and highly critical, although I am able to temper these traits with a bit of empathy and compassion. I'll be digging through the assessment over the rest of the sabbatical and hopefully will be able return more with some strategies to better manage some areas that create stress for me.

I've been attending different churches, so last Sunday I attended Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran in Inverness. Since it was my first Sunday out, I wanted to attend a church that was similar and would know it was Pentecost. I really enjoyed the church and its worship and the preaching was thoughtful. I attended the early service and was surprised to have music including an excellent vocalist with guitar accompaniment. I have not been a fan of the newer worship music, but there seems to be ways to incorporate some of these newer styles of music without selling out and this congregation did this well. 

This Sunday I did a twofer. I first went to the early service at Briarwood (Presbyterian-PCA). I arrived on time and was surprised at how late most of the congregation arrived. I'd estimate 1/3 of the congregation still had not arrived 20 minutes into the service. Getting into the church proved to be a challenge as I had to work my way through several waves of greeters. They had a blend of music including a full choir and an orchestra, a praise band, and the final hymn on the pipe organ. I watched the congregation sing and some were really into it, but most mumbled along with the words projected onto the giant screens. During the congregational hymns, the church had one of those choir director guys up front directing the congregation, and I found him to be distracting. He overwhelmed the hymn texts with his loud singing that didn't quite match the hymn tune. The pastor emeritus preached and he dropped names and told rambling stories that I assume were edifying for the listeners although I didn't really find it compelling or helpful. Honestly, I was surprised at how underwhelming the experience was. I didn't expect to agree with the theology, but I did expect the music and preaching to be excellent, and I was disappointed at how average everything was. I did get to see Kelly Chandler who used to teach at AEK, and she is always a delight.

 In Week 2, Part Two, I'll write about my visit to Disciples Fellowship in Hoover...

About My Grant...

It Begins

I started my sabbatical on Monday. So far there isn't much to write about. I had a good orientation with the staff at the Resource Center for Pastoral Excellence. Then, I spent the rest of the day contemplating my river trip down the Buffalo River in a few weeks.