Sabbatical Reflections Part I, How I Started My Day

For the next little while, I think I'll take some time to write about what I had the chance to do on my sabbatical, and maybe some of the things I learned along the way.

One thing I decided to do during the 12 weeks was to try and read the entire Bible from cover to cover. This was a great opportunity I thought to break in a new Bible (my old one was falling apart), to maintian focus, and to get me in a good rhythm. My friend Ed had made up a reading plan for me, giving chapters to read each day from May 7 to July 18 (about 15 chapters per day). I have read the Bible through many times before (especially in the past decade of seminary and ministry), but never this fast and with no other agenda but to experience it.

With a busy family and kids who needed to get up for school pretty early, I thought it was going to be a bit of a struggle. Questions rang through my head. What if I get behind? What if I get bogged down in Leviticus? Will I learn anything from such a fast read? But on Monday, May 7th at 6a.m. with cup of coffee (or two) in hand, I started Genesis 1.

And I can honestly say it was one of the best experiences of the entire sabbatical.

I think I had forgotten a little bit of what it is like to read the Bible devotionally rather than academically or professionally. The story of God's love, of humanity's brokeness, of God's redemption rang throughout the Old and the New. Even the "boring" parts like Numbers and Leviticus showed themselves to have purpose and content that still rings true in our current context. The persistency of a God who loves people won me over once again, and my spirit received new life. Every day, I couldn't wait to get up and get back to the text. Rather than a chore, it turned into a relationship that has been a struggle over what can be the grind of professional ministry. I got to the end on July 18th and was elated and bummed at the same time that it was over. What it really did though was make me hungry for more. It made me realize the power of the written Word and its ability to breathe life into souls that need its fresh air. I think to myself, "Why didn't I do this sooner?" But having enough time set aside to want to do it rather than have to made all the difference.

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