The Rev. Elizabeth Shows Caffey on Sabbatical

A Note from The Rev. Elizabeth Shows Caffey
I am excited to share that I will be taking a period of sabbatical leave May 15 through Aug. 15. It is common practice for clergy to take a period of extended leave, or a sabbatical, every five to seven years. This will be an opportunity for me to step away from my regular tasks and to create space and time for rest, reflection, and re-creation. It is in this extended sabbath that a liminal space is created—letting go of what was, the routines, the productivity, the meetings, etc., and leaving open a space for what may be. Liminal comes from the Latin term for “threshold,” which points toward a state of being not quite in one place nor out of another. It requires that we leave the safe comfort of the familiar and predictable and venture into a state of being that opens us to possibility.
This opportunity will require important support from St. Luke’s. First, I am truly grateful for time away. It will be necessary for me to completely disengage, so to that end, my email will be shut down for the duration of my sabbatical. There will be a message of who to contact if you need support in my areas of responsibility. I would also cherish your prayers for me during this time. Knowing this amazing community is holding me in prayer as I venture into this time will give me courage to sit with the delight and discomfort of liminal time to remain in touch with the source of my life and strength, as I seek to renew and refresh my spiritual energy.
Madelynne, Chloe, and I have some fun travel planned. We will be taking some new adventures, and traveling to visit friends and family. I will definitely be taking some time at the beach, which is my soul-restoring place, and will relish staring out at the ocean’s horizon and just being. I hope that each of you finds time for yourselves this summer to rest, re-create, and revive your spiritual selves. Sabbath rest is what restores our hearts, our minds, and our bodies, opening us for creativity and creation anew.