Deacon Leah Sandwell-Weiss will take a three-month sabbatical this summer, beginning this Sunday, May 11.

While deacons are encouraged to take sabbaticals every seven years, doing that can be challenging. Deacon Leah has been ordained for 14 years but never thought about taking a break.

But last November, during a spiritual direction session with Archdeacon Veronica Ritson while at a retreat at Chapel Rock, Deacon Leah was invited to seriously consider taking a sabbatical.

What is a sabbatical? It’s a three month(ish) pause from deacon responsibilities to take time for reflection, spiritual development, and discernment.

In practical terms, it means Deacon Leah will not serve at the altar or attend services at Saint Philip’s until the sabbatical ends in mid-August.

She plans to attend other local Episcopal churches and to spend time in prayer and reflection to help discern where and what God is leading her to do. She also plans to spend about two and a half weeks touring Roman and Anglo-Saxon Britain in July.

Deacon Leah expects to return refreshed and re-energized to do the work God has sent her to do.