During this trip across the big pond, I guess you could say I have three primary goals: education, inspiration, and recreation.

Education: I want to learn more about the Celtic tradition while in Scotland, especially the influence of the Celtic tradition on Baptist theology.  I began this pursuit during my 2012 sabbatical and hope to glean a little more insight while here.  I also hope to explore a few of the reformation sites while in Switzerland during the final days of our trip. This will be new territory for me.

Inspiration: I find the pastoral settings of Scotland and the Alpine landscapes of Switzerland to be extraordinarily inspirational.  These two settings spark good thoughts and rhythms in my heart, mind, and soul.

Recreation: As a bonus, I was fortunate to watch a few of my favorites golfers play in The Open Championship on Friday at Carnoustie.  After visiting a few rural villages and churches for the next couple of days, I will return to St. Andrews to watch the practice round and the first two rounds of the Senior Open.  And I expect to play a round of golf, maybe two, while in the area.

Relaxing doesn’t come easy for me, especially on Sunday mornings. While I have enjoyed my tenure as a pastor, across the years, Sundays have been anything but relaxing. On Sundays, I have typically been focused on the sermon that keeps playing in my head like a ticker tape. I have remained on high alert for guests, and for the occasional critic who brings a petty complaint to my attention right before the service begins. (“Pastor, there is no toilet tissue in the ladies’ restroom.” “Pastor, there is a misspelled a word in one of the announcements on the back of the bulletin.”  “Pastor, can you adjust the thermostat? It’s too cold in here.”  And yes…. these are real life examples.

Today,  I knew deep down that I needed a break from the busyness of travel.  After a week of travel delays, detours, and the nuisance of lost luggage, I needed a “sabbath” day even more than usual.  So I decided to kick back, rest, relax, and refresh my soul in preparation for the next few days of travel.

Sabbath for me doesn’t involve sitting quietly in the dark and enduring a prolonged period of meditation.  It is a “change of pace, change of place,” a relinquishing of  responsibility and the anxiety that often accompanies that responsibility.  Here is a sneak peak at my sabbath morning :

• Sleep: I slept in until 7, which is really late for me. I function fairly well on 6-7 hours of sleep. But last night I enjoyed a recuperative 8 hours of sleep.
• Check in with Amanda:  Amanda is currently on choir tour in Switzerland while I am visiting Scotland. I will rejoin her in Prague for the final couple of days of choir tour. Until then we check in by Wi-Fi phone early morning and late evening.  I enjoyed hearing about her adventures in Alp and telling her about my “castle” accommodations.
• Devotional time: I began the day with a Celtic devotional reading. The Celtic tradition is highly incarnational. And today’s reading focused on God as “Artist,” which is so appropriate as I bask in the beauty of one of this scenic quadrant of God’s world.
• Breakfast: The Scottish breakfast buffet was terrific, especially the toasted multi-grain bread with strawberry preserves, the ever so lightly scrambled eggs, Canadian bacon, fresh fruit, and Muesli.  I skipped the baked beans and Haggis, although I have had both before.  The coffee was the best yet, a fresh brewed Americano rather than instant or cappuccino.
• Newspaper: I read a hard print Sunday paper for first time in years.  And just like in the US, I found a little bit of news between the advertisements.
• Reading: I am really enjoying reading Parker Palmer’s new book, Grace, Gravity, and Getting Old.  I am also beginning John Grisham’s new novel, Rooster Bar.  What a contrast!
• Worship: Since there is no church within walking distance of my hotel, I joined one of our US churches for an early worship service via streaming. The music was uplifting and I am reflecting on the excellent sermon on salvation, aptly illustrated by the rescue of the boys on the Thai soccer team.   Streaming is “the next best thing to being there.”
• Walk:  I took a slow morning walk along the nature trail with views of the Edinburgh airport, the large windmills, the Forth Bridge, and a pasture full of sheep.  The walk brought fresh air and fresh perspective.
• TV: I am currently watching the final day of The Open Championship on Sky Sports. As always, I tend to pull for the players from the US. But I enjoy watching all of the players and hearing a little about their life story and philanthropic interests.

Eugene Peterson proposes that, “If you keep the Sabbath, you start to see creation not as somewhere to get away from your ordinary life, but a place to frame an attentiveness to your life.”  Today is my sabbath. The pace will pick up again tomorrow, but today is a day for rest, refreshing, and re-creation.   And a day for re-framing attentiveness.

(Barry Howard is a retired minister who resides in Pensacola, Florida, He currently serves as a leadership coach with The Center for Healthy Churches.)