So(ul)journ!

It’s a question we often ask when we come to the apparent end of a project, program, or pathway (you can continue the alliterations if you desire). Tomorrow, I return to my professional life after being away for 105 days (not that I’ve been counting down) on a planned renewal leave. This journey began four years ago when I brought up the idea with our staff parish team, sparking a lot of discussion and planning to bring this time apart for clergy and congregation to fruition. What wasn’t planned was this blog. This idea was born out of a suggestion from our council chair, who thought it would be nice if I occasionally shared a video or some photos to keep the congregation updated on my time away.

Having created online worship videos throughout the pandemic, I knew the time and work it takes to create a video, even a short one. A blog became the middle ground—a way to share without the production demands of video. And so, Souljournpm came to life, a diary of my time on renewal leave. And it’s been a joy to write and share with you!

Soooo, now what?

Jacki and I just returned from visiting our son, Wes, in Colorado. It was a short five-day/four-night trip to the mountains, snow, and ice.

We traveled home yesterday. I don’t suggest traveling on your birthday—it’s hard to get a good dinner between connecting flights! Wes treated us to breakfast at a local bagel shop where he posed the question, “So, now that you’re going back to work, what are you going to do with your blog?” That’s the longer version of “Soooo, now what?” Yeah, I’ve been thinking about that!

Endings and Beginnings

A sojourn is meant to be a short time away from the regular responsibilities of life. To “sojourn to the shore” implies a few days of watching ocean waves and the beach compete for the same space. In the grand scheme, this renewal leave has been a brief departure from my usual responsibilities. Souljournpm was created to reflect upon our travels and adventures during our time apart, a way to share the spirit of this journey with you. I’m grateful, yet I find myself with mixed emotions, like watching the finale of a beloved show and not wanting it to end.

Just before visiting Wes, I got hooked into a book that was supposed to be a “one and only” (it was advertised as such), only to discover it was the first of a series of nine books! I’m frantically reading these, knowing there’s no way I’ll finish before going back to work. Yes, the last book looms on the horizon, but I don’t want the series to end.

But sometimes, closing a book after investing in its story brings its own satisfaction. There is a sense of completeness when you read that final page, the perfect ending, and it just feels right.

Has Souljournpm reached that point?

The core intent of this blog was to share my reflections during a time of renewal. In other words, will I “jump the shark” by continuing a blog whose lifetime has a beginning, middle, and end? Do I end it here, or would that be cutting it short? Don’t get me wrong—my blog’s readership is pretty minuscule compared to most, but each of you has given up ten to twenty minutes of your life to reading this blog and its almost weekly articles (okay, sometimes more in a week, but there have also been some longer gaps between posts). As a pastor, I put a lot of thought into my weekly sermons because a hundred or so folks will be sitting and listening as I reflect upon scripture, its context, and its importance to our lives today. That’s a lot of people and time invested, particularly when you multiply that number by the length of a sermon. A ten- or fifteen-minute sermon expends a thousand to fifteen hundred “man-minutes” (16-25 man-hours of time). You can bet I don’t underestimate our time together, especially knowing folks can spend their time on a thousand more meaningful things than listening to me drone on. Every minute you’ve invested means a lot to me, just as I deeply value the time I share with my congregation each Sunday.

I do enjoy our time together! I hope you can sense that. There is something deeply satisfying about writing as someone who is moved to reflect on life. When I experience something meaningful, I sometimes feel compelled to write about it. I’m finding that life itself becomes more reflective as I go, seeking blog-worthy events. Rather, as I experience life, I think, “That’s something I’d like to share.” You may be the only person reading, but it’s nice to know that you see something of who I am and what’s important to me—and that it may also interest you.

Would you encourage me to continue? More importantly, if I were to continue, would you tell me if I started to “jump the shark?”

Stand-alone or More?

Maybe this is book one of a nine-book series, and while neither of us signed up for that, perhaps we could still benefit. Perhaps book two is A Soul’s Journey—an opportunity to celebrate the completion of this Souljournpm and to recognize that life is full, offering endless new opportunities to explore and share. Would you join me for it?

One Last Thought

This reflection comes on the heels of a particularly intense political (yet, another alliteration) season. As it comes to an end—and whether we’re content or distraught with the results—it’s time to take a breath. Too much vitriol has been unleashed before, during, and following this election. For all of us, both inside and outside these United States, it is time to pick ourselves up and face each new day with a sense of wonder and possibility. There’s so much potential in how we react: positively or negatively, empowering or devouring, building up or tearing down, praising or chiding. Our story is not over. Every good story has a conflict, a rise to when things seem unbeatable, and then a resolution. You, along with the chorus of some 150 million people, will write the next chapter. You may feel minuscule in that context. But just as in my sermons, don’t underestimate the power of multiplication. In a few seconds of a social media blast (or in ten to twenty minutes), you touch the lives of others. We may not realize the ripple effect of our choices, but this I know: kindness, goodness, and openness are potent forces.

Each of us writes the next chapter of our lives. Let us live in a way that leads our story, our shared story, to a hopeful and compassionate end. Our collective “So, now what” depends upon how you answer that question for yourself.