Tim: Sally, I'm thinking back to last July when you were about to begin your three-month sabbatical as minister at Trinity United Church in Vancouver. You invited me to come to Sunday worship and have a conversation with you during the sermon time. You thought that would be a helpful way to introduce to your congregation the reason for the sabbatical program that has now become a regular feature of congregational life in the United Church of Canada. So, we sat for about 12 minutes in front of the folks who had come to church that July 22nd and had what I recall as an engaging and spontaneous dialogue. As I recall the part that was most original for me in what we said was that a sabbatical is not a break from ministry, but a part of ministry. I talked about the sabbath experience as being an aspect of an ancient contemplative tradition, in addition to being a value and principle of the spiritual life as described in Hebrew Scriptures. I think that I talked about the practice of contemplation being a way for people in ministry to renew and deepen their relationship with the sacred in all things so that they would be more available for spiritual leadership in the congregation. Now, here you are at the end of your sabbatical and I find myself wondering if you experienced something like that - a renewal of your capacity of offer spirited leadership in the congregation?

Sally: Sally: Tim, the texts you suggested for that service stayed with me during my sabbath journey. Both the reading from Isaiah (52:11-14) and the Gospel story of Jesus falling asleep during stormy weather (Mark 4: 35-41) reminded me of the need to honor this time set apart. To recognize how often Jesus needed to rest in spite of the demands and storms that surrounded him. And even Jesus needed to be pushed off the shoreline: And leaving the crowd behind, they took Jesus with them in the boat, just as he was, in the boat. On my first day of Sabbatical (August 27, 2007) as I was flying away from Vancouver for 7 weeks, I read Walt Whitman's words: Now voyager, sail thou forth, to seek and find. Thus began my journey into unknown landscapes - both inner and outer. I left more at ease because we had brought the congregation into "A Conversation that Matters." Inviting them into the understanding of the tradition of sabbatical and allowing me to voice my fears and wonderings at why ministers 'get sabbatical', knowing that there are many around our council table who could also use a sabbatical. It helped to name this with them and to have you respond to my wonderings through the lens of both United Church policy and spiritual direction.

Another important part of the liturgy was the Commissioning that became a blessing at the end of the service. I began with a prayer and then a long-standing member of council lead the congregational response:

Blessing while Rev. Sally Harris is on her Sabbatical
God of our journey together and apart:
You are our strength and the touchstone of our life together. I now place the congregation of Trinity United Church into your hands.
Hold them in the palm of your hand while I am away. Amen.

Response:
We send Sally forth to deepen her ministry among us and so we pray:
God of our journey together and apart:
You are our strength and the touchstone of our life together.
We now place in your hands Sally
as she enters into an intentional Sabbath time.
Bless her and keep her O God,
Hold her in the palm of your hand,
watch over her and guide her back home
renewed and refreshed for having been set apart for awhile.
Amen.