Greetings, brothers and sisters. Now that I’ve reached the halfway mark in my sabbatical—that went quick!—some of you might be wondering what I’ve been up to and what comes next? Let me summarize those things, but first express my gratitude for granting this unusual and fruitful season in ministry. It has been a great blessing to me as well as to my family.
Bear Canyon Lake
I began with a number of goals related to my roles as family man, pastor, and disciple. At the top of the list was to spend extended time with my boys who are now ages four and six. Besides more time playing on the splash pad at home, we went on two camping trips totaling a week. We worked on basic camping, fishing, and bushcraft skills. Then at night, I enjoyed peace and quiet to read, think, and pray.
Speaking of reading, I’ve read more in the past six weeks that I had in the previous three or four months, at least on subjects unrelated to my preaching. Some titles that stand out are Augustine’s Confessions and City of God, and J. C. Ryle’s excellent books, Old Paths and The Upper Room. Other titles were related to parenting, biblical history, the attributes of God, and the doctrine of man. It’s been a time of spiritual and intellectual feasting!
Since a portion of all that reading was audio-format, I was able to do some woodworking while listening. For the parsonage, I built a folding table and backsplash. I also built a box for serving communion to homebound people. Doing so reminded me that I am “less than a carpenter.”
Another major project has been on my radar ever since we received the Trinity Psalter Hymnal. Namely, to build a spreadsheet to help select songs for services. Basically, I went through all 800+ psalms and hymns and noted which songs fit different parts of the worship service, including which verses apply best. Moreover, I got input from the pianists and Rev. Smith to rated the overall “singability” every tune. No small feat! It was an undertaking, yes, but one which I trust will not only improve and streamline the selection of songs at PURC, but will be of value to pastors throughout the URC.
Lately, I’ve written broad outlines and begun research for my next five sermon series. It feels good to have a clear view of where we are headed!
One personal highlight occurred last week. I went on a four wheeling overnight trip with several men from the church up Harquahala mountain. We brought along telescopes and enjoyed the beauty of God’s creation, including good views of the Needle and Whirlpool galaxies as well as the great globular cluster of Hercules (M13). However, not all of God’s creation is equally beautiful, at least to me. I was reminded of this just before going to sleep on the ground. A centipede as long as my hand came crawling by. You won’t fault me for changing plans and sleeping atop Brett Danzeisen’s truck.
Finally, here are things coming up. Ashley and I will be taking the family to California to visit the grandparents. We will also be celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary on June 1! After that, I will be providing pulpit supply at a church in Idaho and conducting a wedding in Minnesota. Then I’ll be leading worship at the Cadet campout. We’ll probably attend worship at several local OPC and PCA churches here. As for ministry, I hope to prepare several recommended reading lists to share with the church (I get asked for these frequently) while continuing to plow through books, myself. God helping me, I wish above all to re-read the entire New Testament and invest a larger proportion of time in prayer and fasting than normal.
I simply want to thank you again for being supportive of my family, ministry, and me personally. God knows it is far more than I deserve. By his grace I hope it returns back to you in joyful, effective service.
Gratefully,
Rev. Michael Spotts
