*For questions or additional information, please call the church office: 970-247-5310.

Note: Pastor Tim will be gone on his Renewal Leave from June 6 to September 19, 2022. 

I began the early stages of planning for my sabbatical in May 2019. That means that I’ve been working towards and thinking about and planning for this upcoming period of rest and renewal for three years. Three years! And now, it’s here. I will begin my Renewal Leave in ten days (as of this writing)!

Over the last year, I’ve used these newsletter articles to talk about the kinds of things that I plan to do during these fifteen weeks of time away. I’ve talked about my hope for this period of leave to help me tend to my roots – those formative pieces of my life that make me, me: my faith, my family, and my (inner) self. Practices of rest, prayer, travel, staying put, hobby-ing, reading, writing, playing, swimming, hiking, playing racquetball, and lounging will form a new rhythm of life for me during this time away. I am so excited and grateful for the gift of this time.

And yet, there is a part of me that has been struggling over the last month or so. As my Renewal Leave has steadily approached and become ever more a certainty, I admit that I have felt a kind of anxiety arise within me. At first, this anxiety seemed to arise because I have never had the gift of time off like this before. I have been in school or working my whole life. So, to suddenly have fifteen weeks away from work feels jarring. After sitting in that unease for a while, a new emotion sprung within me: sadness!

It’s an unexpected feeling, to be sure, but – on further reflection – it makes some sense. Part of my Renewal Leave involves intentionally separating myself from Christ the King Lutheran Church. On the one hand, this is practical and necessary from a leadership point of view: Deacon Mandy is the one who will be taking the lead on many aspects of ministry while I’m gone, and if I keep showing up it makes her job very difficult. Furthermore, the work of my Renewal Leave is precisely NOT TO WORK! And while my work here often doesn’t feel like work because you all are such dear wonderful people and friends, I have to be mindful of my boundaries. The downside to all of this is that, by not being here, I am consciously excising myself from a foundational community to which I belong. It’s like removing a part of my identity. And that makes me sad.

Still, I’m ready to begin this time away. And I’m ever so grateful for your generosity in gifting me this time away. I will look forward to September, when I will return and we can share all that this summer has meant for us.

Peace,

Pastor Tim

Note: Pastor Tim will be away on his Renewal Leave from June 6 through September 19, 2022. 

I have a document folder on my computer entitled “Tim’s Filing Cabinet.” This folder is special and accessible pretty much anytime from any computer or even on my phone. It contains notes or a full manuscript for every sermon that I have ever preached since 2003. It includes all of the sermons I preached when I began seminary and began working and preaching at David Lutheran Church in Canal Winchester, Ohio, my Ministry-In-Context congregation. It includes all of the sermons that I preached during my year of internship at Christ Lutheran Church in Dallas, Texas. It includes all of the sermons that I preached while working as the Senior Seminarian at Epiphany Lutheran Church in Pickerington, Ohio. It includes all of the sermons I preached while serving as Pastor at Messiah Lutheran Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico. And it includes all of the sermons I have preached in my time at Christ the King, too. 

I say this because – when I counted the number of documents in that folder today – I realized something astonishing: I have written and preached 951 sermons!

My mind can barely conceive of that number, but between regular Sunday services, funerals, weddings, midweek services and other special services I’ve been a part of, Advent & Lenten midweek services that I led for many years in other congregations, it’s true! 951! Sheesh!

When I answered the call to Word & Sacrament ministry – that is, when I started this path to becoming a pastor – I knew some of the stuff that such a call would entail: pastoral care visits, meetings, lunches and other gatherings with prospective members, leading worship, teaching, being involved with administration and equipping leaders. But the amount of writing that I have done in my time as pastor has been astounding! It’s not just sermons, but also newsletter articles, Bible study presentations, annual reports, Council reports, references, strategic planning and visioning documents, liturgy materials – indeed, writing is a major part of my work life.

Thankfully, I really enjoy it. I have found that I process and distill my thoughts best in the written word. (This, incidentally, is why I continue to preach using a full manuscript, rather than just notes or no script at all. If I don’t write it down, I find it incredibly difficult to say what I really want to say.) If nothing else, it also gives me a way to remember what I said about this or that topic or Scripture reading x number of years ago!

Over the years, many people have asked if I have ever considered writing something to be published. I’m flattered by the question, but, honestly, no; I think my writing is far too occasional and intended for a very particular audience rather than a broad word for the masses. In my mind, that doesn’t make for a very interesting read for people beyond my scope.

Still, I can’t deny that writing is and will continue to be an important part of my life. This will especially be the case even during my upcoming Renewal Leave. I do intend on doing quite a bit of writing during this time as a way for me to process the things that will inevitably arise as I spend those fifteen weeks tending to the roots of my family and my faith. What will come of that writing? I don’t know. Perhaps nothing. Perhaps something. But the focus for me is more about the process rather than the end result.

One thing I know for sure: the things that I learn over my renewal leave will be written down, and they will certainly find their way into future sermons as I march ever steadily toward Sermon #1000!

Peace,

Pastor Tim

One of the hazards of my profession, I suppose, is the fact that I find it incredibly difficult to just participate in worship. Worship has been the venue for work for me in one way or another since I started seminary in 2003. For the most part, I don’t really notice this anymore. It’s just part of the gig, you know? But every once in a while, I am suddenly aware of how much I thirst for a worship service when I can just be in worship. Frustratingly, however, even on the rare occasion when that does happen, I often find myself critiquing various aspects of the worship service I’m in rather than just worshipping. It’s aggravating.

During my Renewal Leave, I will have fifteen weeks in which I will not be working during worship for any reason. Fifteen weeks of time to simply be a worshipper. Fifteen weeks of not writing sermons, planning sermon series, or writing liturgies. Fifteen weeks of rubbing shoulders with other worshippers who are simply there to offer their praise and prayers to God. Fifteen weeks. I hardly know what to do with that yet.

What I do know is that I’m grateful for the sudden advances that most churches experienced during COVID to offer online worship. This will enable me to be able to worship in different venues every week during my Leave, experiencing different formats, voices, and worship experiences from the comfort of my home. There will be a few weeks, at least, when I know I’ll be able to experience worship in person when we’re out of town, too. But my commitment is this: I will not work during worship over the summer. I will simply participate, enjoy, and savor the way worship feels from the congregation’s point of view.

I’m looking forward to that a great deal.

And, hey, while I’m on the topic of online worship, let’s talk about YOUR summer plans. I know that summer is often a time for vacations and outings. But now, thanks to estate gifts and skills and expertise of David Gonzales and others at CtK, we have an amazing livestream of our worship services every Sunday! You don’t have to miss a thing! You can still worship with us whether you’re here in person or you’re in Timbuktu. Just log on to ctkdurango.online.church from your home computer, laptop, tablet, or cell phone every Sunday at 9:30am (local – MST) to join us!

Peace,

Pastor Tim

Note: Pastor Tim will be on Renewal Leave from June 6, 2022 through September 19, 2022.

Today, I’m praying.

Today, the only story plastering the news is about the Russian invasion of Ukraine. And I’m praying.

Praying for peace to prevail instead of war.

Praying for a world of mutual encouragement instead of hate.

Praying for hope in the midst of the despair certainly felt by those in harm’s way.

Today, I’m also taking time to pray with my silence.

Today, I’m breathing in the tender ferocity of the Holy Spirit, and straining my ears to hear what words she has to say to me, to my hurting heart, to my frantic mind.

Today, I’m praying.

 Prayer is an essential discipline to the Christian walk of faith. Through prayer, we become connected – intimately, spiritually – with others and with God who sits with us, listens to us, and attends to our needs and cries. Often, my time for praying is brief. Often, my prayers are one-way communications where I make known my needs and desires to God. But on days like today, I find that my words fail me, and I can only sit and trust that God knows what my sighs mean.

Today, I’m praying.

 Prayer will have a central place during my Renewal Leave this summer. When other distractions are gone, when I am blessed with time to focus on my health, in all of its dimensions, prayer will be a practice that will enable me to center myself and take nourishment from the roots of my faith. I’m looking forward to the ways that time spent focusing on this gift will enable me to be renewed. May you find your prayer life to do the same for you.

Pastor Tim