Reflections from a Sabbatical

Sabbaticals are a gift—an intentional pause that allows you to step out of your routine long enough to gain perspective. Over the last month, I’ve had time to think, pray, observe, and simply be. No meetings. No sermons. Just space to notice things I might miss in the busy rhythm of pastoral life. In this post, I want to share a few reflections that have surfaced—not as conclusions, but as starting points for deeper thought about church, marriage, and even the small joys that make life more human.

Over the past month, I haven’t been the Pastor—I’ve been a guest. And let me tell you, there’s a world of insight to be found on the other side of the pulpit. Visiting a different church allowed me to experience ministry from the perspective of the people we serve every week. It reminded me of why I read biographies: I don’t just study other people to learn about them—I study them to better understand myself. That’s exactly how I felt attending a church that wasn’t mine.

When you’re preaching every Sunday, leading teams, and navigating the day-to-day needs of a congregation, it’s easy to get lost in the weeds. Most pastors spend so much time working in the church that we rarely step back to work on the church. But time away provided a kind of mirror—a way to see First Baptist Fernandina Beach more clearly by seeing it from a distance. I took mental notes, asked hard questions, and sensed the Spirit pointing out areas for renewal. In the days ahead, I plan to write more specifically about what I observed and what that might mean for how we grow together in our local church.

For most of the month, it was just Julie and me. Cole and Caitlyn joined us for a couple of weeks, and even spent time serving in Tegucigalpa—but for much of the trip, it was just the two of us. And honestly, that’s something we’ve needed.

We celebrated 25 years of marriage this summer—our silver anniversary. I still think getting married in the year 2000 was a stroke of brilliance (makes the math easy). But more than marking a milestone, this sabbatical reminded us that while we love being parents, we really enjoy being husband and wife. Sometimes the best gift you can give your marriage is simply time—unhurried, unstructured, undistracted time to just be a couple. One day it will be just us again. This time away helped us remember that’s not something to dread—it’s something to look forward to.

This may not sound groundbreaking, but I rediscovered a simple joy this month: I like to draw.

Normally, I produce a couple of pieces a year—something quick between projects or during an especially restful Saturday. But over the last few weeks, I found myself reaching for sketchpads and paintbrushes again and again. I created more in a month than I typically do in a year. Don’t expect to see my work hanging in galleries anytime soon, but I did find that paint is cheaper than therapy and twice as clarifying.

I’ll include a few of the pieces I worked on below. Not because they’re masterpieces, but because they’re reminders—sometimes the most important part of rest is rediscovering what makes you feel most alive.

Now that I’m stepping back into normal life, I do so with a full heart and a fresh lens. Sabbaticals don’t change everything, but they do change something. They help you recalibrate. They renew your vision. They deepen your gratitude—for the church you love, the spouse you cherish, the gifts you’ve been given, and the God who walks with you through every season.

If anything here resonates with you, I hope it encourages you to pause once in a while—whether for a sabbatical or just a Sabbath. God speaks in the stillness. And sometimes the most fruitful seasons begin when we stop long enough to really listen.