June 17, 2009

I am now just a few weeks away from the journey beginning. Here is how I have broken the sabbatical pilgrimage up over the 7 weeks.

1 week focusing on being a dad and loving on my family

1 week focusing on being a husband and focusing on my marriage

1 week of solitude. Just me and Jesus at a monastery.

1 Week of Submerge. Submerging myself in the world around me. I will be traveling to Toronto to spend time with the homeless community and others of the streets of this massive city.

1 week of counter-culture. I have worked in a church, but want to spend some time doing something totally different.

As well I will be visiting many different styles of churches and am looking forward to not worry about details, sermon preparation, and actually be able to just embrace the moments of corporate worship.

I have some other things unfolding as well and will keep you up to date as I progress.

Pray for me.

The Journey begins...

Welcome to my sabbatical journey. This will be a site where you can check in on what is going on during this experience as well as allow you to comment or ask questions. I am at an odd point in thinking about it all. There is some genuine excitement within me for this, but there is also some reservation. 7 weeks seems like an eternity to be away from your church. It seems like a long time to separate yourself from a life you have none as consistent for so long. But I am also excited to see what God may reveal to me. What my times alone with him will be like in this kind of a setting? How will this impact my leadership, my teaching,...me as whole person? What will be the impact on my church? There are so many unknowns, but I am ready to trust God through the experience and grow.

In the next few weeks I will begin to give you some insight into the shape and plan of my sabbatical this summer. See ya then!