Purpose, Plan & resources for Pastor Mark's Sabbatical

Sabbatical Blog of Pastor Mark

PLANS

I head off for South Africa on April 5, 2010, which is the day after Easter Sunday (if you know Claudia, please check in with her from time to time during April and May. Being apart during my time in South Africa will not be easy for her and I).

A Sabbatical is to be a time of renewal for pastor, congregation, and the broader church. "Trinity" is what I will especially be focusing on for my renewal. Too often we talk of "God" in a mostly generic sense and do not plunge more deeply into the mystery of God's three-fold revelation as Father Creator, Lord and Savior in Jesus Christ, and sanctifying Holy Spirit. Plus too often we only talk about God as a defense mechanism from actually entering into a relationship with this God and into that three-fold amazing, wonderful mystery of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

I invite you to join me in this pursuit of a richer wonderment of God and the sheer joy of relationship with God. Of course I'll be using the Bible. I'm also taking along The Shack. It has been a significant force in leading me to think more expansively of God and particularly of the deep mystery, wonder and joy in a loving (image-smashing) Father, a real human (and God) Jesus, and Sarayu Holy Spirit.

There are three secular books I will use to broaden my amazement of God's work. I do this as evidence and support of God's work in the world and of the relevant, recognized need of all people for the Good News. The books are:

1) Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder, by Richard Louv. This is for the purpose of emphasizing our Father Creator and our human need to regularly and deeply connect with creation and God as Creator.

2) Exploring Forgiveness, by Robert Enright professor at UW Madison. This is to emphasize our Redeemer, our human need for community, and the necessity of reconciliation and redemption which Jesus brings for our soul.

3) The Art of Conversation: A Guided Tour of a Neglected Pleasure, by Catherine Blyth. I will use this book to deepen my understanding of sanctification and our human need to listen and trust God's work and presence in the Holy Spirit both in the words of other people and also in the way we converse and care for others.

Three other books I'm taking to South Africa are somewhat related to this "Trinitarian" awareness I want to cultivate:

1) Elephants on the Edge: What Animals Teach Us about Humanity, by G. A. Bradshaw

2) The God of Intimacy and Action: Reconnecting Ancient Spiritual Practices, Evangelism, and Justice, by Tony Compolo

3) The Present Future: Six Tough Questions for the Church, by Reggie McNeal and recommended by Bishop Jim Justman