Davison's Doodle

Sabbatical: Week 3

Staff meeting begins with a devotional. Back on January 2, we gathered to catch up after Christmas and look out to a new year. The calendar is full with activity, meetings and events, but it appeared to be running over this time. We each noted, in our own way, the three fewer persons in the room. One way to think of our Regional structure (that is denominational specific speak for religious middle judicatory) is through the lens of a non-profit. In my denominational expression of Christianity, Regions are a melting pot of services: information management, age appropriate events, retreats, and summer camp, leadership development, resource filter, and counseling spiced with conflict resolution, congregations seeking another minister, ministers seeking another congregation, and listening for the call of God in the lives of those desiring to serve in ordained ministry or commission ministry. Yes, many days it is a run-on sentence, and even on the bad days it is what I am called to do.

Dwindling dollars given by congregations and individuals to keep our melting pot gently boiling forced the Region to downsize two part-time employees, and one full-time Associate Regional Minister. Downsizing, right-sizing, layoffs, furlough, fired is happening in many places: non-profit, for-profit, and public. That decision, based in budget numbers not performance, placed a burden on those loosing their jobs in our office and on the deciders. Like closing a church, death, leaving a job, changing attitude, changing behavior, or saying goodbye, it is all grief work and it is hard.

So, with a melting pot set to simmer and a calendar boiling over, we gathered for staff meeting. The devotion invited us to pull a star from a box of stars, twenty or so in the box, and each one had a different word on it. That word would help guide me during the coming year. We each took a turn drawing a star. You may have done something similar. As luck, karma, fate, the universe’s sense of humor, or God would have it, I pulled “humility”. A long time ago, I scored INTP on the Myers-Briggs (my companion scored INFJ). I was experiencing humility just sitting at the table that day. That star made me laugh, a little nervous laugh like when a joke or parable turns into a teaching moment. And then I thought of Mac Davis’s song, “It’s Hard to Be Humble”.

Humility (def): freedom from pride or arrogance : the quality or state of being humble

(def for English language learners) the quality or state of not thinking you are better than other people : the quality or state of being humble

(Merriam-Webster Online: humility, accessed January 22, 2019. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/humility)

As my third week of sabbatical begins I am aware that I have not gotten the hang of it, and may not. Last week, sitting around the table in my parent’s house, my father asked me how I was doing with my sabbatical. I responded, “I’m not sure I’m doing it right or will do it right. Try as I might not to be a workaholic your example kinda rubbed off on me.” Then, pop said what I knew was coming, “You’ve got to have the Right Mental Attitude, Mike.” That was comforting, but he went on. “I worked a lot of hours that didn’t mean anything to the company or the customers, and missed out on some of you and your sister’s growing up. I did the job the way I thought it was right to do. That made me feel proud, but I missed some things. I can’t go back, but I know you can learn when to say that’s enough for you. You gotta find the balance, son.” My companion and I are childless by choice. I’m the oldest of two. My sister and I were always encouraged to reach for the next rung on the ladder of personal achievement and enrichment. My father is still teaching his 50 plus year old son.

Here in week three, my writing projects are on schedule. I’m self publishing three books through Apple Books. Sacred Steps, is a resource to help create the children’s sermon/moment, or for Sunday school conversation, or for the preacher wanting a different perspective. Each book follows a year of the Lectionary. The books available from a link on this blog soon; and two can be found in the iBook store right now. Oklahoma Disciples congregations and clergy can get it for free (next month). All others the books are $10. And, I’ve digitized a Word Search Puzzle book I created during my congregational days for children to use during worship. The puzzles are biblical stories. That too will be available from this site. The children’s bulletin project may wait until sabbatical segment 2.

I’ve done a bit of reading, my thought projects are percolating, and the gift of a turn-table from my parents has allowed me to unpack my vinyl collection which hasn’t been played in 15 years. My companion and I are not using the formal dining room as much as we want which is totally within out control. Confession: we spend more time eating in front of the TV and other screens rather than dining. And, I’ve broken sabbatical a couple of times, not more than thirty minutes, to handle details that could not be pre-programmed before January 7, and cannot wait until February 2. More of that will happen.

This week a friend and colleague will visit for a couple of days, and I’ll see clergy colleagues and friends at an educational event at Phillips Theological Seminary. I scheduled my sabbatical segment 1 departure float (H2O Float) for February 1. These words from the marketing guy I like, Seth Godin, resonate today.

Don’t steal metrics
A thoughtful friend has a new project, and decided to integrate a podcast into it.

Talking to a producer, he said that his goal was to make it a “top 10 podcast on iTunes.”

Why is that the goal?

That’s a common goal, a popular goal, someone else’s goal.

The compromises necessary to make it that popular (in dumbing down the content, sensationalizing it, hunting down sort-of-famous guests and doing a ton of promo) all fly in the face of what the project is for.

It’s your project.

It’s worth finding your metrics.

Seth Godin, “Don’t steal metrics”. January 16, 2019