“What Did Pastor Jeff Do During His Sabbatical?”

by Rev. Jeff Gannon, Sr. Pastor

What exactly did I do during my mini-Sabbatical? As is my custom, each July is an opportunity to do a variety of things to be renewed in mind, body, and spirit.

During the month of July, I take a couple of weeks and go to where Luke is golfing. This year, we were in Texarkana, Texas and Springfield, Missouri. It is a joy and privilege to watch Luke pursue his passion. This year, Meredith was sick with a virus and was not able to join the fun and long walks around the golf course four days in a row. Fortunately, she is feeling much better.

In addition, I do a lot of reading and listening to lectures and the like. I am not only filling my cup, so to speak, but also getting ideas for my role in teaching, preaching and leading. I am purposefully eclectic and spend as much time listening to secular authors as authors within the Body of Christ. I am working on my Courageous Conversations series and am looking forward to launching that in October.

Books I have read….

“Jesus and the Disinherited,” by Howard Thurman.

‘When the Church Woke,” by William B. Lawrence

“The Good Shepherd,” by Kenneth E. Bailey

“The Good Shepherd: Image, Meaning and Power,” by Jennifer Awes Freeman

“The Great Story of Israel,” by Bishop Robert Barron

“Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools,” by Tyler Staton

“The Bible Today,” Biblical Anthropology (May/June, 2023)

“Catching Fire, Becoming Flame,” by Fr. Albert Hasse, OFM

“Constantine’s Sword,” by James Carroll

And a few others which are not handy as I write this….:)

Blessings to each of you as we seek to be faithful and fruitful for the cause of Christ’s Kingdom!

Pastor Jeff