Rochester, MN UCC - Pastor's Summer Sabbatical Plans
This summer, from June 1 through September 1, Pastor Andrew and Pastor Shannon will be on sabbatical – a time for rest, renewal, and study. During these months, Pastor Andrew and Pastor Shannon will be spending much of the summer in St. Louis to be close to family.
A central focus of Pastor Andrew’s sabbatical will be spiritual development through the practice of a “rule of life” — a pattern of intentional spiritual practices designed to deepen one’s relationship with God and create a sustainable rhythm for faithful living. He plans to devote time each day to morning and evening prayer, silence, theological study, and physical exercise. His plan for theological study centers on three texts: Augustine’s Exposition of the Psalms, Martin Luther’s Commentary on Galatians, and Karl Barth’s Church Dogmatics Vol 4.1 on The Doctrine of Reconciliation. He will also be attending a seminar course on the Book of Revelation at Eden Theological Seminary entitled, “The Big Reveal: Reading and Responding to Revelation.”
Pastor Shannon will attend Georgetown University to complete a week-long certificate program through the Center for Faith and Justice. During this time, she hopes to reflect on our community's experiences during Operation Metro Surge – specifically how Christians from diverse traditions came together with others to meet the needs of our neighbors and advocate for justice. Shannon is particularly interested in understanding how churches can help people move beyond ideological divisions to work together for the common good, and how the UCC can reclaim ecumenism and Christian unity as core commitments while maintaining integrity around inclusion and justice.
As in past summers, the Greenhaw-Smith family will also attend a week of programming at the Chautauqua Institution, in New York State. They will participate in an interfaith lecture series titled “Truth, Trust, and the Sacred,” that will examine how moral and spiritual frameworks can help rebuild trust in public life, strengthen media literacy and foster communities capable of deep listening. Time will be spent exploring the ethics of speech, the power of storytelling and the responsibility of faith leaders in a rapidly evolving media landscape.
We are excited to share the fruits of their sabbatical with the congregation, and have begun making plans to do so through new small group ministry programs starting in the fall. These small groups will give our members a chance to develop their own “rule of life,” as well as a community in which to cultivate deeper relationships, meaningful spiritual conversations, and opportunities for prayer and service.
Rev. Andrew Greenhaw and Rev. Shannon Smith