In today's blog post, Natasha shares about how she spent her recent four month sabbatical.
After 8 years of ministry at Fleetwood CRC, it felt like it was time for a sabbatical. Pastors are typically given a sabbatical every so often for the purpose of rest, refreshment, and personal growth, usually in the form of study or research. My body, mind and heart were telling me I needed all these things!
In 2019, I started my Masters studies at Regent College in Vancouver. For the last couple years, I have studied as a part time focus, however, I knew that I’d like to try doing one semester full-time. Being full time would allow me to really get back into student life and focus solely on my studies for a little while. After a particularly challenging year at FCRC due to staffing changes and the pandemic, it felt like last fall was both the best time to take a break, and the worst time. Going with my gut and the prompting of the Holy Spirit, I asked council for a sabbatical and they graciously agreed that I could step away for a while.
Regent College at the UBC Campus in Vancouver - Photo Credits: Regent College
Where did I go? Well, nowhere, really, but I sure dove into the student life head first! I stayed living at home just a few blocks from church and continued my studies at Regent, taking on four courses for the semester. For a while I commuted to the Regent campus at UBC twice a week and had plenty of time to people watch on the bus and sky train...it was nearly a 2-hour trip each way! However, the long commute became too taxing and I began attending all my classes virtually, on Zoom. So, I really did not travel far for this sabbatical! (I did enjoy a week in Tofino with some of my family in October, and a few days at Rivendell Retreat in November.)
Despite not doing much travelling or “going away” as is common in a sabbatical, I travelled via books and ancient writings and connecting with students from all over the world. I took my first dip into learning the Greek language of the original New Testament, and I read the early church Fathers like St Gregory of Nazianzus, Irenaeus, Augustine, and St Basil. I learned from the greats like Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Karl Barth. I read modern theologians such as Kathryn Tanner and David Bentley Hart, and modern philosophers and church scholars like James K.A. Smith and Michael Goheen. I also learned more about the practice of exegesis, a way of understanding and interpreting the Bible from its original context. Lastly, in the course Missional Church, I was taught and inspired by pastor and professor Mark Glanville (formerly pastor at Willoughby CRC) to read and interpret Scripture “missionally” in a quest to explore how this missional theology ought to inform our way of doing church and engaging in our neighbourhoods as Christians.
Stack of books that Natasha read
As you can imagine from the previous paragraph, it was a very full, intense, thought-provoking semester of learning. One for which, despite the challenges, I am immensely grateful. In additional to my studies, I also had the opportunity to worship in-person and online with a few different churches. What a treat to show up to church right at 10am with no responsibilities, and sometimes I even showed up late! The biggest treat of course, was worshipping with brothers and sisters of different denominations and backgrounds and seeing just how unique is each little gathering of God’s people on Sunday mornings.
Not only did I learn and experience new things, but I also now enter back into life in this community refreshed, with new perspective, and renewed joy for the work to which God has called me, and us.