Sabbatical, Imago Dei

My vision for sabbatical is not near as grand as Anne’s was, but the purpose is the same.  Sabbatical is not an extended vacation (like taking a Disney cruise or sipping a mai tai on an exotic beach somewhere).  The word “sabbatical” has its etymological grounding in the biblical (especially Genesis and the resulting Judaic tradition) concept of “sabbath” during which God rested from and took delight in the work of creation, from whence comes the idea, not only of rest and delight, but renewal - being re-created and more capable for the ongoing work of ministry.  I’ll be away on sabbatical for two months, from May 19 through the middle of July.  (I am an alternate deputy to General Convention, which is June 23-28 in Louisville, KY, exactly when I return will depend on whether I am called up to serve at General Convention during that week.)

My focused attention will be what is already grounding in my daily prayer life, though going ever deeper.  That is, imago Dei, seeing the image of God in who and what God created (like what we talked about during the opening forums this past January).  More specifically, the “who” is based in our Baptismal Covenant promises of seeking and serving Christ in all persons, striving for justice and peace, and respecting the dignity of every human being, as well as the scriptural imperative to love God, neighbor, and self, which includes elements of racial and ethnic equity.  The “what” is a focus on the natural world, caring for God’s creation, which, if you recall, was God’s first command to humanity.  Or as I pointed out in January, having the eyes to see that the creation reveals its Creator.

I’ll be going to natural areas like the Smoky Mountains on the North Carolina side, the Okefenokee Swamp in south Georgia, and the Boundary Waters area in Minnesota. 

There are a couple of other places I’ll be visiting with particular resources for attending to the natural world, including where I went to seminary in Sewanee, TN, and at Purdue University in Indiana.  While on that trek, I’ll be seeing the outdoor drama Unto These Hills in

Cherokee, NC, which tells the story of Cherokee history, including the Trail of Tears; and a little later, traveling to a site in southwestern Kentucky (Hopkinsville) marking one of the routes of the Trail of Tears.  I’ll also be perusing noteworthy historical sites in Montgomery, Selma, and Birmingham, Alabama.

My sabbatical will also include relatively significant time with family in Tennessee, Indiana, Kentucky, and Virginia. And yes, a quick stop at Disney World; following the lead of a group known as Disney Monastics (you can see the image of God in the imagination and creativity at Disney - if you have the eyes to see). Family (and to some degree, even Disney) is an essential aspect of how I take care of myself - renewing and re-creating myself - so that (with much gratitude for the gift of sabbatical, I might add) I return more capable of serving God among the people of St. Andrew’s.

— Marc Vance, Associate Rector