Sabbatical Intro Post...

Today is a weird day. I am thinking a lot. I am mentally, physically and spiritually preparing for a first-ever Sabbatical experience. This is my last week at CCF until mid-August. Sunday will be my last Sunday and the sermon will be my last one I will preach for 11 Sundays (this will be wild...I have not been away from the pulpit for more than 3 weeks in 6 years)! It's just weird and good all at the same time. I have been handing off and wrapping up and delegating to the point that I have less on my task list and calendar for this week than ever in my time here at CCF! It feels so odd!

My task list this week:
-Prepare for Married Life Live
-Prepare to preach this Sunday

I am as nervous as I am excited. But, I AM READY!!! The timing is so right. So right. I wish I could clearly explain why, but suffice it to say:

• I am about to go form some new life-long physical and spiritual habits.
  
• I am about to go fall in love with Jesus like I never have before.
• The church is more ready right now for me to walk off than ever before in my 5 years here. It is also my sense that this experience will be as good for CCF as it will be for us. You may not see it or know how to name it, but it will be!
  
• This time is going to allow me to thank God for the 5 year journey thus far and get geared up and ready for 5+ more! It's weird, but I almost look at this coming experience as halftime for a 10 year ministry experience. This is where I know God has called me to be. I am not saying that I am leaving before or after 10 years, I am just saying that I am in this to stay!
  

I am going to put up a series of posts today and tomorrow that will explain what this Sabbatical is all about. I want to share it early in the week, so that conversations can happen before I unplug from technology on June 1!

More later.....