Planning ahead

A lot of planning surrounds a sabbatical. Right now, we are planning for the fall program at the church. A full slate of adult education classes has been sketched out. The planning team for our arts series has selected a number of concerts and events.

And in a couple of weeks, we will have our major planning conference with our worship staff, in order to map out all the worship services for the next thirteen months -- all the hymns, all the scripture lessons, even the sermon titles!

We have been doing some of this planning for years, but with the sabbatical just a month away, it is all the more important. If we have a clear idea of what we are doing in the fall, it will be much, much easier to relax in the summer.

Meanwhile the time is ticking down. What's on the calendar before I leave? Three baptisms, a round of ordinations and commissions, a time to welcome the confirmation class into church membership, and a time to recognize the 2013 graduates. One of them is going to preach a sermon with me on the first Sunday of June!