Welcome to our sabbatical blog!

Leigh and I (John) are excited for our 2013 sabbatical which starts in February and ends in May.  A sabbatical is meant as a time of rest and renewal so that pastors may step away and be spiritually filled so they can step back in and serve.  A sabbatical gives a pastor time away from full-time pastoral ministry to reflect on the call to ministry, the pastor’s relationship with God and God’s people, and theology and practice that will sharpen congregational ministry. 

What will we be doing on sabbatical?  Here’s the plan:

• Stage 1 - We will spend time at Holden Village Lutheran Retreat Center in the Cascade Mountains.  It's a wonderful place to step away from life in Tacoma and unwind without phones or computers surrounded by beautiful mountains, with daily evening worship and time for reflection and prayer.

• Stage 2 - We will visit New City Parish ELCA urban congregations and partner organizations in community development work in Los Angeles.

• Stage 3 - We will travel to Spain and walk a portion of the ancient pilgrim route Camino de Santiago as a spiritual pilgrimage (about 240 miles).

• Stage 4 - We will attend a marriage workshop at the Gottman Institute in Seattle.

What is our sabbatical theme?

We're exploring the theme of our church this year: “Walking Together: Growing Healthy Relationships in the City with God, Family, and Community.”  Walking together is a great image that comes right out of scripture.  In my calling as pastor at Peace Lutheran Church in Tacoma's Hilltop, our community operates out of a model for mission, God’s work among us, that we may call accompaniment.  Arising from the Emmaus road story in Luke 24, accompaniment means walking the road together, side by side, with no one ahead or behind.  Along the way Jesus is revealed, and hearts are transformed.  Walking a road also brings to mind a pilgrimage, a sacred journey on holy ground.  Leigh and I will be traveling to northern Spain during our sabbatical to walk the ancient pilgrim route known as the Camino de Santiago.  It will be a sacred journey for us, helping us reflect on our relationship with God, each other as a married couple, and the gifts and challenges of community.  

Community Development...

During part of the sabbatical, I will be reflecting on how we at Peace Lutheran Church in our urban Hilltop neighborhood might grow in working toward community development—going beyond a hand out to a hand up, going beyond charity to coming alongside people so they become self-reliant, so people have dignity and honor.  This has implications in the areas of housing, jobs, education, and health.  Leigh and I will explore the ministries of New City Parish in urban Los Angeles, a collective of ELCA congregations reaching out to their diverse communities and seeking community development.  When I return from sabbatical, I will gather a group of interested people to explore implications for our future ministry at Peace Lutheran Church.