decompress*… / ˌdiːkəmˈprɛs /…
to relieve (a substance) of pressure or (of a substance) to be relieved of pressure
Usage: What does  decompress  mean?  Decompress  means to release or reduce pressure. This literal meaning of  decompress  can be used in several contexts. Divers who’ve spent time in deep water  decompress&n bsp;by coming up slowly. Divers and other underwater workers sometimes  decompress&n bsp;by using a  decompression chamber. The goal of these processes is to return the body to normal  atmospheric pressure  in order to avoid  decompression sickness. In a medical context, to  decompress  is to release pressure in the body, such as from inside the skull through surgery.  Decompress  can also be used in a  figurative  way meaning to relax or unwind. This sense of the word likens stress to pressure within the body that needs to be released. A close synonym is  destress.  An even more informal way of saying this is  blow off steam.  In all senses of the word, the process of  decompressing  is called  decompression.
* from dictionary.com.

I’m writing this entry as I begin the first full day of the annual Davis Family exodus to the Outer Banks of North Carolina – a tradition that has endured for decades. This year is different than my most recent eleven years… I was retired by the Virginia Annual Conference in June, and I chose to not take an appointment in retirement – there are several reasons for that decision, not the least of which is that I am getting old, and have yet to discover a solution for that. In the short time of my retirement thus far, people have asked me if I am enjoying my retirement, or how is my retirement going, so far? I’m not entirely sure of how to answer such questions – I am still trying to adjust to a new rhythm of life and a new purpose. I think the best word for me right now is decompressing.

My clergy colleagues will agree with me when I say that being a pastor can be rather stressful at times. God is always there, right beside you during both the good and tough times, but stress is stress. Since retiring, I find I can get back to sleep easier when I wake up in the middle of the night – thinking about all I need to get done at 4:00 in the morning is gone. Getting ready for meetings and meetings and meetings is not a concern. I’m losing track of what day of the week it is. My Apple Watch tells me that I have been less active over the past couple of weeks that my usual activity preceding that time (this is a health concern – so I will be looking at that). So, yeah – decompression.

As a retired clergy member, I am expected to declare my “home church” for my conference relationship. Those who know me probably have an assumption about where this might be – but for me it is not so clear. After eleven years of knowing exactly where I am expected to be and exactly what I am expected to be doing on Sunday morning – this new freedom is empowering. There are churches I want to visit, colleagues I want to hear proclaim the Good News… choirs and praise bands to listen to. I’m not ready to put down stakes – I don’t call this “church shopping” – I just want the freedom of becoming a “nomad” for a while. Maybe I’d like to experience Moses’ wandering in the wilderness for a while – maybe I just want to decompress for a bit. Fortunately, I can leave my membership with the Conference for a while – I imagine I might find out exactly how long “a while” truly is when they nudge me for an answer.

In my retirement, there’s my book to write about my reflections of following in Francis Asbury’s footsteps. If you check the archives of this blog (September, 2025), you can learn about In the Shadow of a Prophet. I have high hopes of completing this project in the first year of my retirement – after an appropriate amount of decompression.

Peace,
-Pastor Tim (retired)