Rector's Reflections

Taking Time

Sabbath observance invites us to stop. It invites us to rest. It asks us to notice that while we rest, the world continues without our help. It invites us to delight in the world’s beauty and abundance.

~ Wendell Berry

Dear friends,

When was the last time you allowed the world to continue without your help?

I confess that I have never been very good at this. I have struggled since childhood just to “be”: Convinced that my worth was tied up with what I accomplished, I found – and still find – it difficult to sit still, in silence, listening for God’s presence as near to me as my own next breath. 

I’d like to tell you that ordination has made it easier for me to rest in God, but that wouldn’t be true. It actually has made it worse, giving me yet one more thing about which to feel inadequate and guilty. I tell myself that, as a priest, I “should” be more quietly prayerful, or I “should” be more disciplined – and, indeed, there definitely is room for improvement in both of those areas. And…

As my long-suffering Spiritual Director has helped me to understand over the past many years, that just isn’t how God made me. I am not wired as a contemplative; I am much more of a "Martha" than a "Mary."

Be that as it may, I still need to be reminded – frequently – that the world will, in fact, continue without my help. God’s got this, and a little humility on my part would not go amiss. Like all of us, I am completely and utterly expendable: I may be unique in all the world, and I am replaceable. Both/and. My ego and my soul need to recall that from time-to-time.

I wonder if any of this rings true for you, as well?

This is precisely why the ancient Jewish tradition, grounded in Scripture, of sabbath rest is so important. According to Torah, the weekly sabbath is to be a day of no work, a time of prayer and dedication to God. The sabbath re-orients us toward the God of the universe and away from the false gods of ambition and accomplishment and self-aggrandizement.

Sabbath is a Really Good Thing, and I encourage you to carve out an intentional time of rest this summer – if not weekly, then at least occasionally, to start. Your heart, mind, soul – and loved ones – will thank you.

Blessedly, the Church in her wisdom provides for clergy to take a more extended sabbath, or sabbatical, every few years in order to refresh and recalibrate. Each Diocese establishes its own timetable, and in ours it is meant to happen after every five-year interval of service. As the Diocese of Washington stresses, “sabbatical is not an entitlement for time served, but rather an investment in future ministry.” Only by pausing, by taking the foot off the gas for a time, can a priest have the spiritual bandwidth to lead and minister in a healthy way going forward.

Now that I am in my sixth year as your Rector, I am due for some sabbatical refreshment. It is time. While the Letter of Agreement between me and you calls for three months of sabbatical leave at this juncture, the Holy Spirit and I, with the blessing of our Vestry, have decided to get a bit creative about how that time will be allocated.

In brief: Given that we have a rather shallow staff bench in this parish, and given that two of my children are home from college for the summer, I do not want to be away from church or family for a protracted period of time. That would be counter-productive, as I would be more stressed than had I not gone anywhere! 

Instead, I proposed to the Vestry that I mete out this sabbatical over the next year or so, taking "snack-size" portions of leave here and there, rather than consuming the whole three-course meal at once. This will enable me to support the mission and ministry of the parish without disruption while at the same time enjoying authentic, meaningful sabbath. It also will allow me to be a better steward of this incredible gift, because I will be able to design my sabbatical in conversation with the Spirit over time. I covenant that I will take the full twelve weeks; I’m just stretching them out a bit.

As a start, I have several things planned between now and November:

Beginning this Friday, I will be in my home state of Massachusetts for about a week, first at a beautiful retreat center I’ve long wanted to visit north of Boston, then taking some time with Randy to see family and friends.

At the end of August, I will travel to Duke University for the first weeklong residency for my Doctor of Ministry degree. I can’t wait!

In September, I will return to Duke for a few days for a symposium on Theology and the Arts.

In early October, I will attend a women’s conference led by one of my heroes, the Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber. 

And later in the fall I will be in Jacksonville (hopefully after hurricane season!) for CREDO, a clergy wellness retreat sponsored by the Episcopal Church. As I look toward marking my 25th year of priesthood in 2026, this seems like an important moment to reflect on my ordained ministry thus far.

I can’t yet predict what other opportunities will present themselves in the coming year, but I trust that these first several experiences will help shape the rest of the sabbatical.

I am tremendously grateful for this gift of spiritual renewal, and I look forward to sharing my learnings and discoveries with you. 

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about these plans. I promise to communicate more specific details as they unfold.

With love and blessings,

The Rev. Patty Alexander, Rector