One of the questions I’ve been asked about my upcoming sabbatical is, “What are you planning to read?” It’s a great question because books have always been faithful companions in my journey with God, and this season away will give me the rare gift of reading slowly and prayerfully. As I begin this sabbatical in mid-September, I want to hold it before God as a time of fruitful contemplation so that I may be the leader God is calling me to be.

The reading list reflects the hopes I have for this sabbatical. Some books will help me think more deeply about pastoral ministry and leadership. Others will invite me into a richer life of prayer, contemplation, and spiritual formation. A few will accompany me as I visit places, like multiple national parks and the basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, helping me pay attention to God’s presence in both creation and history.

Here’s what will be on my nightstand (or more likely, in my backpack):

• Leading a Transforming Community: Foundations, Practices, and Strategies for Opening to God Together by Ruth Haley Barton
• Some of the Words Are Theirs: The Art of Writing and Living a Sermon by Austin Carty
• St. Francis by G.K. Chesteron
• Into the quiet: Following Jesus in a world of noise by John Mark Comer
• The Sense of the Call: A Sabbath Way of Life for Those Who Serve God, the Church, and the World by Marva J. Dawn
• At Home with God: How the Cross Transforms Us by Jason G. Edwards
• Every Somewhere Sacred: Rescuing a Theology of Place in the American Imagination by Benjamin Norquist and Brian J. Miller
• The Contemplative Pastor: Returning to the Art of Spiritual Direction by Eugene Peterson
• Eager to Love: The Alternative Way of Francis of Assisi by Richard Rohr
• Sacred Fire: A Vision for a Deeper Human and Christian Maturity by Ronald Rolheiser
• Confessions of an Amateur Saint: The Christian Leader’s Journey from Self-Sufficiency to Reliance on God by Mandy Smith
• Theodore Roosevelt on Leadership: Executive Lessons from the Bully Pulpit by James Strock

My sabbatical begins on Monday, September 14 and my first day back at Ardmore is Sunday, November 29. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be writing to you more about the plan for leadership while I am away, how you can be praying for me specifically, and the tangible things I’ll be working on producing during this time of reflection and prayer.

Thank you again for giving me this gift of sabbatical. I hope to return not only rested, but with new stories, fresh insights, and a deeper love for God and for the wonderful people of Ardmore Baptist Church.

Grace and peace,

Rev. Dr. Tyler Tankersley