Dear Redeemer Family,
This Summer, after fifteen years of full-time ministry (6 in Charlottesville, 2 in Falls Church, and 7 in Richmond), I will be taking my first Sabbatical. This is something that we originally planned back in 2016, before our family had yet moved to Richmond to plant Redeemer. We told ourselves, back then, that at the seven year mark, we would take a three month Sabbatical. And now the time is here! I can hardly believe it…
I’ve put together the following FAQ section to help address any questions or concerns that anyone might have.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to one of our excellent Wardens or Senior Directors:
Senior Warden, Jim Reynolds
Junior Warden, Sarah Byrd
Senior Director of Ministries, Lane Cowin
Senior Director of Operations, Jeff King
Redeemer family, I am so grateful for this time of rest and I pray that it provides refreshment for our family so that we can continue to be on mission together for many, many years to come!
SABBATICAL F.A.Q’S
WHAT IS A SABBATICAL?
The word Sabbatical has its roots in the word Sabbath - a stopping, a pausing, a time of rest, a time to slow down and remember that the Lord is God. Throughout the story of the Bible, God continually calls and commands His people to practice Sabbath rest. This takes the form of the weekly sabbath for the people (one day out of seven) and annual sabbath for the land (one year out of seven).
A Sabbatical is “a healthy and effective means of preventing burnout and of renewing and enhancing a professional’s capabilities for dealing effectively with problems facing those who need help...the overall goal is rest and renewal, not rigid adherence to a prescribed plan of action. [A sabbatical] might involve study, travel, writing or some combination of all three, blended with a good measure of relaxation and family time.”
“The sabbatical tradition began in the universities at the time when the university was part of the church. The idea was that the university professors (who were often ministers) needed one year in every seven to become students again and to refresh their spiritual calling.”
Over the centuries, the practice of a priestly or pastoral sabbatical developed. This has taken different shapes and forms in different denominations and times in history, but the norm seems to have settled around something like three-to-six months off every seven years or so.
WHAT IS REDEEMER’S STAFF SABBATICAL POLICY?
To that end, Redeemer has developed a Sabbatical Policy for all full-time staff.
Rector — 3 months every 7 years
Senior Director — 2 months every 7 years
Director — 1 month every 7 years
Before embarking on a sabbatical, a staff person must cheerfully, and without reservation, commit to 2 additional years on staff. Our hope is to develop a leadership culture where staff can be regularly refreshed for new seasons of ministry.
WHEN IS MY SABBATICAL HAPPENING?
My last Sunday will be May 28th, Pentecost Sunday.
I will return to Redeemer on August 27th for our Fall Kick-off.
IS SOMETHING WRONG? AM I LEAVING?
No! There isn’t anything wrong that is causing the Sabbatical (this was planned back in 2016). I have absolutely no plans to leave or to do anything else. When invitations to pastor other churches have come, I have gently, but firmly refused all of them. No interviews. No visits. Nothing.
Of course, the Lord may do whatever He likes with me and our family, but for now - the only plan we have is to return to Richmond and re-up for another great season with Redeemer.
WHAT WILL THE MAROTTA FAMILY DO?
We will be out of town for nearly all of the three months. The goal is not to “go on vacation,” but rather to relocate family life and settle into new rhythms there. We are so grateful for friends and relatives who have offered us free or discounted places to stay during this time in:
Charlottesville
Chesapeake Bay
Montana
North Carolina
We plan to enjoy spending a lot of time outdoors in God’s beautiful creation. We will likely focus much of our time on things like hiking, swimming, fishing, reading, writing, drawing, painting, cooking, and saying “yes” when my kids ask me if I can play with them!
WHAT ASPECTS OF MINISTRY WILL I STOP?
On the afternoon of May 28th, I will take off my clergy collar and, barring an emergency, I will not put it back on until the morning of August 27th. I will be taking a break from my priestly work of celebrating the Eucharist, preaching, administering the sacraments, counseling, and leading our parish. This also means no guest preaching or speaking anywhere else!
WHAT NEW INTENTIONAL PRACTICES WILL I TAKE UP?
I will begin the Sabbatical by spending a week in silence and solitude at a Benedictine monastery in New York.
Bible reading and prayer will be a significant part of every day.
My fly rod will be coming with me everywhere I go this Summer and I hope to spend many golden evening hours knee-deep in a river hoping for a fish to rise.
I also plan to do a little bit of writing for a new book. However, this is not supposed to be a writing sabbatical, so I won’t be working under any deadlines.
I have a stack of books that I’ll be bringing with me that includes:
The Sabbatical by Michael O'brien
Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry
Jack: A Life of C.S. Lewis by George Sayer
The City of God by Saint Augustine
The Divine Comedy by Dante
Timothy Keller: His Spiritual & Intellectual Formation by Collin Hansen
Surrender by Bono
A Burning in My Bones by Winn Collier
A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean
And, of course, Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, which I reread every year.
WHAT IF YOU WANT TO CONTACT ME WHILE I’M GONE?
Unfortunately, I will not be having any contact with Vestry, Staff, or parishioners while on Sabbatical. My email address will be suspended and all emails sent over the Summer will be deleted. I also plan to leave my laptop and my cell phone in my office and not touch them until we return.
If you need anything in the way of pastoral help while I’m gone, please contact another member of our staff.
I am doing this on the recommendation of other older, wiser pastors who have encouraged me to be truly gone so that upon returning I can be truly present.
*Note: The exception for this would be if a parishioner passes away while I’m gone. If that happens, then I will immediately drive or fly back to be with the family and to conduct the funeral. The Senior Directors and Wardens will have contact information for me and they will get in touch with me if there is any emergency.
WHO IS IN CHARGE WHILE I’M GONE?
According to our bylaws, our Senior Warden, Jim Reynolds, is in charge while the Rector is away. However, to share the burden of leadership, our Senior Directors - Lane Cowin and Jeff King will be in charge of running most of the day-to-day operations and ministries of the parish. Additionally, the Canon for Church Planting for our Diocese, the Rev. Tuck Bartholomew, has agreed to serve as Redeemer’s Priest-in-Charge in my absence. He will be present to celebrate the Eucharist, preach, and provide pastoral guidance to our staff and Vestry when needed.
All told, I think Redeemer will be in great (probably better!) hands while I’m gone!
WHY IS THIS TIME IMPORTANT FOR REDEEMER?
Now, when the Lead Pastor or Rector goes on Sabbatical, it’s an important time for everyone in the church. This is an opportunity for all of us to grow. I know that my temptation is to find too much of my identity in being the Rector of this parish. So one big challenge for me this Summer is to remember my identity is in Christ and not in this job!
In the same way, it can be a temptation for parishioners to overly identify a church with the Lead Pastor or Rector. So one big challenge for some of you will be to embrace a version of Redeemer that doesn’t include me!
There is an invitation here, from the Lord, for all of us. Let’s all go into this Summer season with a heart that is open and receptive to whatever the Spirit of Jesus wants to reveal to us. May we all become more fully devoted to and dependent on God through this time.
IS THERE ANYTHING FOR YOU TO DO?
Yes! There are three very important things for you to do this Summer while I’m gone:
Pray: Would you please pray for me and for our family?
Support: Would you please support the leadership of our Wardens, our Senior Directors, and Tuck?
Own: For many of you, this Summer will be an opportunity for you to step up and take more ownership and responsibility for an aspect of our parish life. Please do so with humility and courage.
Redeemer Family, I love you all dearly. I will miss you terribly! I’m glad we have a few more weeks together before we spend some time apart.
May our Lord continue to guide our little parish as we take this maturing step together.
In the Father’s love,
