Today is the first day of my sabbatical.
So far being on sabbatical feels identical to not being on sabbatical, except for this one adjustment to my daily schedule: I went for a run this morning. It was terrible.
My sabbatical goals are modest. It took a surprising amount of thinking and planning to reduce the goals to modest. In the months leading up to this extended season of time off, I’ve felt significant pressure—self-imposed—to maximize it. In the end, I’ve decided to prioritize resting and writing.
When it comes to resting, my plans are vague. Strange as it sounds to admit it, I’m not good at resting. I’m good at working myself to exhaustion and then vegetating. I’m good at feeling guilty about not resting. So there’s a lot to sort out there. Ultimately I hope to find and implement sustainable rhythms of rest.
When it comes to writing, my plans are much more concrete. I’ll complete a revised and expanded edition of my first book, The Strategically Small Church (2010). Revisions will include a new cover (thank God. I never liked the original one), updated statistics and case studies, and incorporating presentations I’ve developed over the years for workshops on the topic.
The book's thesis will remain the same: small size isn't a problem to solve or a liability to overcome but a strategic opportunity to leverage for the Kingdom's sake. If you read the first edition and have suggestions for improvements—or want to share what you particularly liked—please share your thoughts below.
Additionally, I plan to work this summer to develop sustainable rhythms for writing regularly. I’m happier when I write everyday. The people closest to me are happier, too, because I’m more centered and settled. Somewhere along the line, I convinced myself that writing was selfish, that other priorities were more pressing. I realize now that regular writing is crucial both to my public work and my personal sanity. And so this summer I plan to reboot my writing rhythms.
To be honest, I don’t know what sabbatical means for this substack. I might publish more and I might publish less. Either way, I’m always grateful (and, to be honest, a bit surprised) by your support and enthusiasm here.
Presentation Recordings
Back in April, I had the opportunity to speak at two chapel services at the University of Northwestern in St. Paul, Minnesota. The two presentations are linked below:
ICYMI: Reading the Bible in Three Dimensions
There are three dimensions in play when we read the Bible—all the time, whether we realize it or not. The more aware of them we become, and the more we engage them together, the better we can navigate the cross-cultural experience of reading the Bible.