I start sabbatical this Thursday. Our church knows about the unique pressures of pastoring and the need to decompress. Every five years the church encourages me to take some extra time to recharge. I have delayed this trip due to COVID, but the sense is that now is the right time.
My mentor, Henri Nouwen, wrote extensively about the spiritual need that leaders have to withdraw, as Jesus frequently did, to deal with the stress of ministry and to create opportunities for the Spirit of God to do things that only happen in an unhurried and reflective way. I have designed my sabbatical around the themes Nouwen articulated in his book, The Way of the Heart: Flee-Be Silent-Pray.
The first two weeks of my time away will be spent high in the mountains of central California, near Yosemite. The first several days will be filled with acclimatization hikes helping my sea level lungs get ready for the rarified air about 10,000 feet. Then we will start the 43.6 mile multi-day hike from Onion Valley to Mt. Whitney and then exiting at Whitney Portal. Twenty of the first thirty five miles are uphill, starting at 9,200 feet and ending at 14,500 feet on the top of Mt. Whitney (the highest point in California, the highest point in the lower 48 states and Kyle’s 41 highpoint).
The picture above is the contents of my backpack. It is the essentials as far as I can calculate (except water, which is in a specialized container). I have packed and repacked over the last few months. Each time, I pick up an item and ask myself, “Is this absolutely necessary?” If it is necessary I ask, “Is there any way to make it lighter?” For instance, the blue lightening charging cable (left side) is necessary for me to be able to charge my phone, which has my maps on it, my GPS, and my camera for the trip, but it is too long and so I’m replacing it with a much shorter cable. The shoes (top left) seemed for a long time to me to be extra, but in reading blogs of people who have done this trip, everyone is united that to care for my feet, I need to let the inside of my boots dry each day, therefore, it is necessary to have an extra pair of shoes. This pair is the lightest I could find.
I don’t have any idea how much it all weighs. I’m not sure I want to know. It is what is required to accomplish the task, therefore, it is essential and knowing the weight will not change that reality.
We all have burdens we have to carry. Jesus wants to help us. “Cast all you anxiety on him because he cares for you,” says Peter. I’m swapping one burden for another over the next couple of weeks. I’ll be out of cell coverage, I’ll be away from media. We will be miles from most other people. We will be in the beautiful mountains and inch by inch listening for the Spirit of God. I’ll be praying for you. We covet your prayers for us. (More next week on phase two of the Sabbatical).