Gratitude. Beginning from a place of gratitude is always, “a very good place to start”. It is the platform that gives birth to expressions of kindness, love, hope, reconciliation, and more. Right now, I am grateful for the gift of a sabbatical, to last three months, gifted to me by you, the congregation. It is a gift of time: time to rest, reflect, read, weep, wait, and wonder.

The time of sabbatical begins on May 24. It will also a time for the congregation to embrace a way of being together that embodies sabbath rest. Sabbath is a time for seeking those connections and experiences in which our true identity as God’s beloved is nurtured. For instance, Mike and others are planning a monthly breakfast for the entire congregation. It is an opportunity to connect with other people of faith at FCC Pomona and create new experiences of community.

I leave for a contemplative retreat on May 24 in Oregon at the Oregon Extension at Lincoln in the Cascades. After that, plans are still unfolding for where I might find spaces of connection and restoration, with God and with people who are part of my life outside church. Many of you know that our daughter, Sharon, and her husband, Thomas, are expecting a baby in July. I’ve been asked to be present and helpful for the first two weeks after the birth. Thanks to this sabbatical, I am available to be fully present.

It is my hope to return to you restored for what lies ahead, as together we endeavor to provide a place of “Christ hospitality” in and from our community of faith we call First Christian Church of Pomona.