In this episode of The Storied Outdoors, we’re joined by pastor and writer Joel Busby to talk about sabbatical, family, fishing, the desert, and the lost art of paying attention.
After years of pastoral ministry, Joel and his family spent his recent sabbatical exploring seven national parks across Colorado and Utah. What began as an opportunity to rest and invest in his family became something deeper—a chance to step away from the routines and distractions of ministry and rediscover the importance of simply being present.
Joel shares stories from the road, including catching his personal-best cutthroat trout on a San Juan worm and a startling near-miss at Black Canyon of the Gunnison, where a mudslide washed out the road just minutes after his family had turned around to retrieve his wife's sunglasses.
But beneath the adventure is a larger conversation about attention. Joel reflects on how time outdoors—especially in the wide-open landscapes of the desert—can strip away the noise and distractions that keep us from noticing what is right in front of us. Mountains, rivers, desert, stars, family, and even the rhythms of our own lives become invitations to pay attention.
For Joel, this isn't simply an idea for vacation. It has implications for pastoral ministry, spiritual formation, parenting, and what it means to be fully human. His sabbatical reminded him that rest isn't merely about stepping away from work; sometimes it's about recovering our ability to see.
Join us for a conversation about the gift of sabbatical, the spiritual practice of paying attention, the beauty of desert places, and why getting outside might help us remember how to be human.
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