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Blog Post: Thoughts on Clergy Sabbatical / Rev Dr. Charlotte Morgan, Mdiv. ND
I had thought long and prayed many, many times about taking a needed "break" from preaching each Sunday. Our church has been "Going Through It." In 2019, which now seems so long ago, we were growing out of our space, really needing a new, larger worship area. A small group gathered as we had found our "perfect" space. More than double the size we had been squeezing into. We were to move into our new home on January 1, 2020. As we learned later, it was not meant to be. The space was not quite built out, and we waited for the re-build until March 2020, when everything shut down due to the Covid-19 pandemic. With no one able to leave home, we created a Zoom account, utilized Facebook and held services on the internet. Our church of nearly 80, quickly became 30 - 35. Months went by. Each service, crafted with music, prayer, reflection, communion and a homily continued week after week. Sunday after Sunday. Holidays, birthday, anniversaries went by. My living room turned into a sanctuary space filled with 4 chairs, video lighting, photo backgrounds, a lectern, photo tripods, Bibles and the few people that were safe to stay 6 feet a part and host the service safely. As more time passed by, frustrations mounted and the little rectangles of Zoom video feed with church members dwindled to about 14 members. The rest left in frustration of not being in person, frustrated with me, or just church. All searching and asking the same "why" questions. Those who remained, prayed for the rest and for our entire world. We faced those who were stuck at home, those who passed away with no in-person visits or funerals. Along with prayers for those in the healthcare trenches, not able to miss a day of work subject to the virus each day. Meanwhile, members of our congregation became 8-10 and then in the past year, 5. With the loss of members, was the compete loss of giving. Even recently, more members just stopped. No email, no phone call, no explanation. Just quit, stopped, left.
For Sunday after Sunday, just like everyone who joined to worship, I wondered if we were doing the right things. I asked God, "Should we partner with another church? Should we shut down the church completely?" The answer, was to just go through it.
This is what we are doing, "Going Through It, Together." Church is still here, still a living thing. All of us, together. So, subsequently the name of the blog: Going Through It: Together.
A sabbatical is not an ending, but a time of rest, renewal and revival. My time as a called Pastor is special and I take very lovingly and seriously. For those who have left, or have stopped supporting Indigo Valley Church, it was your journey to move on from. For us, we are all moving forward together, with God. So here we are, Going Through It: Together.