We’re in the middle of a six month sabbatical by Amy Zucker Mor- genstern, our senior minister. How is the sabbatical going?
First, I have to apologize because I’ve fallen a little behind in email and routine administrative tasks. With Amy on sabbatical, a little extra work winds up on my desk; not much, but just enough to make me fall behind during the busy start-up season for Sunday school. Our half time sabbatical minister, Mary Ganz, is doing more than her share. As Sunday school and youth programs get underway, I’ll be able to clear up my own backlog.
Now, back to the question of how the sabbatical year is going: From what I can see, it is going very well indeed. While Amy’s ser- mons are missed, many of us are interested to hear the different perspectives provided by Mary and the various guest preachers. And though Amy’s leadership is missed, the Board of Trustees and other lay leaders are providing excellent leadership. If we continue in this way, I think we’ll find that our congregation’s horizons have been widened by this sabbatical year.
Although I’m not in touch with Amy while she’s on sabbatical,
I assume her sabbatical is also widening her own horizons. Her purpose in going on sabbatical was to work on her spiritual practice of making art, while also working on her Spanish. The last time she came back from sabbatical, she returned with renewed vigor for leadership, and many people found her sermons had gained addi- tional depth and richness. I have every expectation that we’ll see this happen once again.
In the mean time, Mary and I will continue providing ministry, the lay leader will continue providing strong leadership — and I promise to catch up with my email within a couple of weeks!