Bryan's Sabbatical 2024
Growing up as a medically fragile child, God was always my companion. I don’t remember a time when I doubted God’s existence. That is not to say that I did not have moments of irritation and anger towards God, but never doubt. This is what brought me to ordained ministry. While I like to say I got the call in a class on Hinduism and Buddhism and the way it made me understand my traditions, what really got me excited was Barth’s theology of the Missio Dei and that God calls us into mission with God. That theocentric focus has carried me through the most difficult of times, yet I am at a point where I am struggling to see God.
This is not about doubting the existence of God. It is my awareness that I am missing the connection and comfort that I used to have with God. This is a connectedness that carried me through some of the most difficult moments of my life. This broken relationship has also brought me to a place where I feel as if at times my ministry is merely going through the motions with my role being a provider of services over being a fellow journeyer with my congregation and the people to whom I minister.
Thus, for my sabbatical, I am setting off on a journey to find God. OK, not really; rather my hope is to rediscover that companionship with God through renewing relationships and building new ones as I travel through the United States and talk to people about who God is to them. I want to go to communities that are not often represented or are underrepresented in faith studies and ask the simple question, “Who is God to you?” and see what happens. I plan to do this by going to public places, bars, events, etc., and engaging people, then ultimately asking if they would participate and then record their responses.
I did a similar approach with my doctoral project, “Changing congregational discourse through the telling of faith stories,” where I gave no instruction beyond the question “Who is God to you?” Magically, that approach allowed the responders to cut through the political answer because I was not looking for the correct answer, I was looking for their answer. This sabbatical will allow me to do that. For me, listening to how others engage or don’t engage with God will help me to find and renew my relationship with God.
From this point, I also want to create an Adult Education Curriculum where I can take these videos, organize them, and present them in a way that would allow churches to move beyond particular theologies and dogmas and rediscover God for themselves.
I plan on doing my sabbatical in one continuous journey from April 1-October 1, 2024. As indicated in my outline of the renwal program, I plan to traverse the United States in this journey of reconnecting to God. Being that I am following the spirit I also realize that the particular route I have proposed will probably change due to weather patterns and schedules of others which is why the last three months of the trip are left more flexible.
I will spend about 20% of my time on the “Who is God?” interviews. Another 20% of my time will be time to intentionally re-engage some relationships that I have let go due to the work of my ministry. As a single pastor, it is easy to let church work overwhelm. I have allowed some of my best friends to slip away. In my travels, I want to reengage and build back some of those relationships before they are lost forever.
I want to spend about 30% of my time getting lost. Many years ago, I had the opportunity to travel with a group of clergy to Spain, and we purposefully only had a beginning and end. The rest of the time was made up choosing our path through talking with others and finding out what is best to do next. For me, one who often schedules my life to the minute, I think that I miss a lot of God moments because I am so focused on what needs to get done. I am not spending enough time being present in what I am doing.
While I plan on limiting my digital connectedness, I do plan on spending about 10% of my time giving updates on social media, cataloguing my interviews, and making daily vlogs about my journey. 10% of my time will be travel, and I am planning on 10% of the time to be focused on contemplation and spiritual activities (i.e. worship, prayer, meditation).
This is not about doubting the existence of God. It is my awareness that I am missing the connection and comfort that I used to have with God. This is a connectedness that carried me through some of the most difficult moments of my life. This broken relationship has also brought me to a place where I feel as if at times my ministry is merely going through the motions with my role being a provider of services over being a fellow journeyer with my congregation and the people to whom I minister.
Thus, for my sabbatical, I am setting off on a journey to find God. OK, not really; rather my hope is to rediscover that companionship with God through renewing relationships and building new ones as I travel through the United States and talk to people about who God is to them. I want to go to communities that are not often represented or are underrepresented in faith studies and ask the simple question, “Who is God to you?” and see what happens. I plan to do this by going to public places, bars, events, etc., and engaging people, then ultimately asking if they would participate and then record their responses.
I did a similar approach with my doctoral project, “Changing congregational discourse through the telling of faith stories,” where I gave no instruction beyond the question “Who is God to you?” Magically, that approach allowed the responders to cut through the political answer because I was not looking for the correct answer, I was looking for their answer. This sabbatical will allow me to do that. For me, listening to how others engage or don’t engage with God will help me to find and renew my relationship with God.
From this point, I also want to create an Adult Education Curriculum where I can take these videos, organize them, and present them in a way that would allow churches to move beyond particular theologies and dogmas and rediscover God for themselves.
I plan on doing my sabbatical in one continuous journey from April 1-October 1, 2024. As indicated in my outline of the renwal program, I plan to traverse the United States in this journey of reconnecting to God. Being that I am following the spirit I also realize that the particular route I have proposed will probably change due to weather patterns and schedules of others which is why the last three months of the trip are left more flexible.
I will spend about 20% of my time on the “Who is God?” interviews. Another 20% of my time will be time to intentionally re-engage some relationships that I have let go due to the work of my ministry. As a single pastor, it is easy to let church work overwhelm. I have allowed some of my best friends to slip away. In my travels, I want to reengage and build back some of those relationships before they are lost forever.
I want to spend about 30% of my time getting lost. Many years ago, I had the opportunity to travel with a group of clergy to Spain, and we purposefully only had a beginning and end. The rest of the time was made up choosing our path through talking with others and finding out what is best to do next. For me, one who often schedules my life to the minute, I think that I miss a lot of God moments because I am so focused on what needs to get done. I am not spending enough time being present in what I am doing.
While I plan on limiting my digital connectedness, I do plan on spending about 10% of my time giving updates on social media, cataloguing my interviews, and making daily vlogs about my journey. 10% of my time will be travel, and I am planning on 10% of the time to be focused on contemplation and spiritual activities (i.e. worship, prayer, meditation).
sabbatical proposed Itinerary
April 1, 2024-October 1, 2024
April 1-8 South Lake Tahoe: 4 hour drive. Activities include decompressing from Easter and church. Move into the mindset of the sabbatical. Begin the “Who is God?” project. Do any disconnecting that was not accomplished prior to starting the sabbatical. Hike around Lake Tahoe.
April 8-18 Portland: 2 travel days. Spend the night in Bend, OR. Activities include hiking and exploring Portland and the area around it. Attending the Saturday and Sunday Markets and continue the “Who is God?” project.
April 18-21 Boise: 1 travel day. Activities include connecting with a former member of the congregation. Explore the local Hot Springs and set my intention for the rest of the trip.
April 21-24 Rochester: 3 travel days (no pre-planned over nights) visit a clergy friend.
April 24-28 New Glarus: 1 travel day. Activities include visiting historic sites/graveyard. My great, great, great grandfather was a founder of this town as an immigrant from Switzerland. I want to make a connection there. Continue “Who is God?” by going out to rural Wisconsin, taking in local festivals and gatherings.
April 28 -May 7 Chicago: 1 travel day. Activities include using my brother’s house in Sugar Grove, IL, as a home base. I plan to reconnect with people with whom I went to high school during the week and spend May 2-6 in Chicago. Continue “Who is God?” by meeting people on North Halsted and the Wrigleyville area.
May 7- 16 NYC: 2 travel days. Activities include reconnecting with old Friends and spending time at Stoney Point Conference Center. Continue the “Who is God?” Project interviewing people in the West Village.
May 16- 19 Hightstown: 1 travel day. Activities include reconnecting with people in my former congregation. Utilize the resources of Princeton Seminary for the “Who is God?” Project while doing some more interviews.
May 19-21 Outer Banks: 1 travel day, Activities include visiting my former church in Swan Quarter and enjoying a beach day.
May 21- June 9 Atlanta: 2 travel days. Stay over in Myrtle Beach. Activities include going to Columbia Theological Seminary and utilize the library and other resources. I will go to some of the festivals and community events to get more content for the “who is God?” project.
June 9 - 17 Austin: 3 travel days (no pre-planned over nights). Activities include reconnecting with a former staff member, spending time in Austin land, and get lost in the live music scene. I will hike in the Hill Country and secure more content for the “Who is God?” project.
June 17-23 Albuquerque: 2 travel days (no pre-planned over nights). Activities include reconnecting with seminary friends, spending time in reconnect with the places I visited with my grandparents as a child, and secure more content for the “Who is God?”
June 23-29 Santa Fe: 1 travel days. Activities include visiting a friend from San Jose, talk with the Native American Artists, and secure more content for the “Who is God?” project.
June 30-July 7 Ghost Ranch: 1 travel days. Activities include taking an arts focused class and obtain more content for the “Who is God?” project.
July 7-10 Council Bluffs/Omaha: 2 travel days (no pre-planned over nights). Activities include visiting Council Bluffs, IA, meeting with old colleagues and friends. Also, try and connect with people in the Old Market Area for the “Who is God?” project.
July 10- 15 Indianapolis: 2 travel days Stay over at my parents’ house. Activities include reconnecting with old college friends and continue the “Who is God? Interviews.
July 15 - 22 Parents house, Central IL: 1 travel day. Activities include relaxing with the family, clean out the vehicle and basically re-group, work on the “Who is God?” project by beginning to organize and database the video clips in a more structured way that will make it easier to edit them when that time comes.
July 23-August 24 Off grid camping through Colorado. 2 travel days (no pre-planned over nights). Activities include super limited digital exposure and finding cool places to camp by talking with locals and other campers. Continue to record testimonies for the “Who is God? project.
August 24-31 Vail, CO: 1 travel day. Activities include cleaning out the vehicle and re-group after being off grid for a month, work on the “Who is God?” project, and organize the work done while off grid.
August 31-Sept 5 Palm Springs, CA: 2-3 days. Travel (Memorial Day weekend no pre-planned over nights) Activities include reconnecting with old friends and doing more interviews for the “Who is God?”
September 5-16 San Diego, CA: 1 travel day. Activities include reconnect with old friends, visit my uncle’s husband, and my uncle’s grave, visit an old member of the church, relax, and enjoy the ocean again. Do more interviews for the “Who is God?” project.
September 17-25 Travel up HWY 1. Activities include camping at state parks and beaches along the way, having one more opportunity to disconnect from digital things. Do more interviews for the “Who is God?” project.
September 26-Oct. 1, Santa Cruz: Activities include giving myself space to do the mental transition back to “normal” life.
October 1 Home
April 8-18 Portland: 2 travel days. Spend the night in Bend, OR. Activities include hiking and exploring Portland and the area around it. Attending the Saturday and Sunday Markets and continue the “Who is God?” project.
April 18-21 Boise: 1 travel day. Activities include connecting with a former member of the congregation. Explore the local Hot Springs and set my intention for the rest of the trip.
April 21-24 Rochester: 3 travel days (no pre-planned over nights) visit a clergy friend.
April 24-28 New Glarus: 1 travel day. Activities include visiting historic sites/graveyard. My great, great, great grandfather was a founder of this town as an immigrant from Switzerland. I want to make a connection there. Continue “Who is God?” by going out to rural Wisconsin, taking in local festivals and gatherings.
April 28 -May 7 Chicago: 1 travel day. Activities include using my brother’s house in Sugar Grove, IL, as a home base. I plan to reconnect with people with whom I went to high school during the week and spend May 2-6 in Chicago. Continue “Who is God?” by meeting people on North Halsted and the Wrigleyville area.
May 7- 16 NYC: 2 travel days. Activities include reconnecting with old Friends and spending time at Stoney Point Conference Center. Continue the “Who is God?” Project interviewing people in the West Village.
May 16- 19 Hightstown: 1 travel day. Activities include reconnecting with people in my former congregation. Utilize the resources of Princeton Seminary for the “Who is God?” Project while doing some more interviews.
May 19-21 Outer Banks: 1 travel day, Activities include visiting my former church in Swan Quarter and enjoying a beach day.
May 21- June 9 Atlanta: 2 travel days. Stay over in Myrtle Beach. Activities include going to Columbia Theological Seminary and utilize the library and other resources. I will go to some of the festivals and community events to get more content for the “who is God?” project.
June 9 - 17 Austin: 3 travel days (no pre-planned over nights). Activities include reconnecting with a former staff member, spending time in Austin land, and get lost in the live music scene. I will hike in the Hill Country and secure more content for the “Who is God?” project.
June 17-23 Albuquerque: 2 travel days (no pre-planned over nights). Activities include reconnecting with seminary friends, spending time in reconnect with the places I visited with my grandparents as a child, and secure more content for the “Who is God?”
June 23-29 Santa Fe: 1 travel days. Activities include visiting a friend from San Jose, talk with the Native American Artists, and secure more content for the “Who is God?” project.
June 30-July 7 Ghost Ranch: 1 travel days. Activities include taking an arts focused class and obtain more content for the “Who is God?” project.
July 7-10 Council Bluffs/Omaha: 2 travel days (no pre-planned over nights). Activities include visiting Council Bluffs, IA, meeting with old colleagues and friends. Also, try and connect with people in the Old Market Area for the “Who is God?” project.
July 10- 15 Indianapolis: 2 travel days Stay over at my parents’ house. Activities include reconnecting with old college friends and continue the “Who is God? Interviews.
July 15 - 22 Parents house, Central IL: 1 travel day. Activities include relaxing with the family, clean out the vehicle and basically re-group, work on the “Who is God?” project by beginning to organize and database the video clips in a more structured way that will make it easier to edit them when that time comes.
July 23-August 24 Off grid camping through Colorado. 2 travel days (no pre-planned over nights). Activities include super limited digital exposure and finding cool places to camp by talking with locals and other campers. Continue to record testimonies for the “Who is God? project.
August 24-31 Vail, CO: 1 travel day. Activities include cleaning out the vehicle and re-group after being off grid for a month, work on the “Who is God?” project, and organize the work done while off grid.
August 31-Sept 5 Palm Springs, CA: 2-3 days. Travel (Memorial Day weekend no pre-planned over nights) Activities include reconnecting with old friends and doing more interviews for the “Who is God?”
September 5-16 San Diego, CA: 1 travel day. Activities include reconnect with old friends, visit my uncle’s husband, and my uncle’s grave, visit an old member of the church, relax, and enjoy the ocean again. Do more interviews for the “Who is God?” project.
September 17-25 Travel up HWY 1. Activities include camping at state parks and beaches along the way, having one more opportunity to disconnect from digital things. Do more interviews for the “Who is God?” project.
September 26-Oct. 1, Santa Cruz: Activities include giving myself space to do the mental transition back to “normal” life.
October 1 Home