In 2002, when our family moved to Indianapolis, I asked the church leaders to make a 3 month sabbatical to be part of our "package" - they agreed, probably because they didn't think we would be around that long. By God's grace, in June of 2010, we will celebrate eight years of ministry at Redeemer. They have been rich, joy-filled years.
In Spring 2008, I began to discuss taking a Sabbatical with church leaders and congregation members, and received strong support to pursue it. I attended the Lilly Clergy Renewal Program information session in September 2008 with my wife Jenny and a long-time member of the congregation who both encouraged me to pursue it. Following this I asked Redeemer’s Session (leadership team) for permission to pursue the Sabbatical in the summer of 2010 and my request was joyfully granted. At this time Redeemer’s staff, session team, and deacon teams began discussing plans for our sabbatical absence.
On November 23rd, a cross-section of members of the Redeemer congregation joined together to learn more about the sabbatical, and help plan a sabbatical that would be renewing for us and the congregation. This group became the Sabbatical planning committee which has met together three more times and had numerous e-mail discussions about the plan for and writing of the grant.
That fall, the Sabbatical planning committee helped us apply for a Lilly Clergy Renewal Grant. The question the grant asked was powerful - in your sabbatical What would make your heart sing.
I shared with the Sabbatical committee that over the past eight years, I have become clear that my calling is to be an “urban father”. I shared how God has given me a heart for Indianapolis; how I feel solidarity with the people of Indianapolis and a strong desire to work for the renewal of our city. I shared with them how God has also given me a heart to be a spiritual father: first to my own family, then to my congregation, and then to the children of our city (particularly through supporting IPS, Indianapolis’ Public Schools).
As we talked and brainstormed about What would make my heart sing? we kept coming back to these three themes - Sonship Renewal, Family Renewal, and Urban Ministry Renewal.
In the grant we summarized these three themes in this way:
Sonship Renewal
I dream of being renewed in my knowledge of being a beloved son of God (sonship). My motivation to be an urban father flows out of my own experience of sonship. During my sabbatical I want to grow in a deeper understanding of my sonship: (1) by studying the theme of sonship in the Gospels during a week of prayer and meditation at St. Meinrad’s Archabbey in Southern Indiana; (2) by an intensive week of discipleship called “Sonship”, offered through World Harvest Ministry. This will be a follow up to the sabbatical and will take place in October 2010.
Family Renewal
I dream of my wife Jenny, sons Jacob (14), Julian (11), Judah (9), and daughter, Jackie (6), being renewed in our urban calling by a once-in-a-lifetime road trip. Part of our family heritage is to go on “epic” road trips across the US. As a pastor’s family, we live a very public life. Road trips are a time for us to be together just as a family to share experiences and adventures together. They have also become a great way for us to nurture and challenge our children in their calling to be missionaries in the public school setting (each of our children attends Indianapolis Public Schools). A trip to Great Britain would give us an opportunity to explore our family’s roots (English & Scottish roots on both sides of our family) and to share in an incredible adventure together. I also look forward to spending time with both Jenny and my extended families. We live far from both of our families. We would like to bless our families with a more extended time to be together for rest and relationship renewal. Finally, I look forward to salmon fishing on the northern tip of Vancouver Island, BC near a fishing village named Sointula. My heart sings when I am Salmon fishing. And Sointula is where I experienced my spiritual awakening when I was 18. I am excited to share this place of my “spiritual roots” with my wife and children.
Urban Ministry Renewal
I dream of Jenny and I walking and praying in Indianapolis asking God for clarity in our calling to our city, and then visiting the cities where my “spiritual fathers” have served: Charles Spurgeon, Dr. Martyn-Lloyd Jones and William Wilberforce (London), C.S. Lewis (Oxford/Cambridge), and Thomas Chalmers (Edinburgh). Through growing in my appreciation of their urban ministry contexts, I hope to be able to better reflect on my own ministry calling in Indianapolis.
The Strategic Time of the Sabbatical
As the Sabbatical Team talked about the timing of the sabbatical we felt like this was a strategic time for our family to take a sabbatical for these five reasons:
(1) I was due for a Sabbatical. In June 2010, I will have completed 13 years of ordained pastoral ministry (5 years in Seattle, WA, and 8 years in Indianapolis, IN). My heart and soul needed spiritual rest and renewal for ministry.
(2) Redeemer is in a strong and healthy place. My absence will create space for current paid and lay leaders to step up into new roles and responsibilities.
(3) This is one of the last opportunities for an extended family vacation. Our children are growing up (our oldest will be a Sophomore in high school). This is the chance of a lifetime for us.
(4) This is a precious opportunity to spend time with both Jenny and my parents while they are in good health.
(5) An extended time away will bring us back to the city we love with a new sense of ministry clarity and calling.
Awarded the Grant
The Sabbatical Planning Team did an amazing job thinking through the grant, and determining What would make our heart sing? We are so thankful for their help! Members of this team were Foster and Stephanie Pilcher (Foster served as the chair of the committee), Amy Wilson, Barb Knuckles, Tim King, Mark and Emily Vanest, and Julie Berend. Each played an important role. We submitted the grant in January 2009. On Father's Day Sunday, 2009, when I came early to the church to pray, I noticed two letters from the Lilly Clergy Renewal Grant Program on our office desk. I knew that they contained the news that we had either been awarded the grant or not awarded the grant. So after the worship service, a few members of the Sabbatical Team gathered together and opened the letter. We had received the grant! I was overwhelmed and encouraged (We would have gone on our sabbatical whether we received the Lilly Grant or not; we just wouldn't have been able to sabbatical in such style!).
The fact that it came to me Father's Day weekend - and that I opened it on Father's day - I felt to be a gift of grace and gentle tenderness and care of my Heavenly Father to me.
What the grant coversIn the grant we were awarded:
• $42,000 to cover our sabbatical costs ($5,000 set aside for taxes)
• $8,000 for Redeemer to engage in Sabbatical renewal activities.
Sabbatical Schedule
Here is an overview of the Sabbatical Schedule. I will provide more details later.
De-commissioning
My sabbatical will begin on my 41st Birthday, Sunday, May 23rd with a “De-commissioning” pitch-in lunch and service following our worship service. After the service Jenny and I will spend the day doing a prayer walk asking God to continue to clarify our urban calling in Indianapolis. We will have dinner downtown, and spend the night at the Conrad Hotel. The next day we will continue our walk and prayer through the city we love.
Great Britain "Epic Road Trip"
Our family flies to England on May 25th. Our son Judah turns 11 on the day we arrive in England! We will take the train to Canterbury, England (If you remember you Chaucer, you know Canterbury is the "destination" for pilgrimages; for us it is the beginning of ours). I also want to visit Dover. This is the site of the famous Dunkirk Evacuation of WWII (I'm becoming a big fan of Churchill). It is also the place of the "White Cliffs of Dover" a song my mother would sing at home, and which, I think, began my love for England.
From Canterbury we will take the train to Cambridge. We have old friends from Seminary in Cambridge - Julian and Deborah Hardyman - who we will visit. Julian is the pastor of Eden Baptist Church in Cambridge. Julian influenced us in our naming of our son, Julian. Among other things, I'm looking forward to visiting Cambridge University (where C.S. Lewis taught, Charles Simeon preached, etc.), punting on the river Cam, and spending time with our friends. I'm looking forward to worshipping at Eden Baptist on Sunday, May 30th.
After a few days in Cambridge, we will take the train to York. York is in Yorkshire (the area where James Herriot, the famous vet worked as well as the region where William Wilberforce, the member of Parliament who gave his life to abolish slavery lived). In York, I'm especially interested in visiting Yorkminster, the beautiful cathedral in the heart of the city.
After a night in York we take the train north to Newcastle-on-Tyne. Here we hope to visit Hadrian's Wall. We'll spend the night in Newcastle then travel, the next day, to Edinburgh. In Edinburgh we will stay with friends of ours from Seattle, Matt and Rachel Round. They have graciously welcomed us to stay for five nights with them.
Both Jenny and I have Scottish Roots (She is of the Wallace clan, she can trace her ancestry back to the William Wallace made famous in Braveheart; I'm of the McKenzie and Campbell clans). I joke with her that my clans were the ruling clans and hers the peasant clans, and she laughs and tells me to watch Braveheart.
We're looking forward to seeing Edinburgh as well as renting a car and seeing Scotland. I want to visit St. Andrews, the home of golf (my father loves golf so I thought this would be cool!). We will then travel to Edinburgh in time for our son Julian’s 13th birthday. On June 8th, his birthday, we will visit the William Wallace Memorial and Stirling Castle and celebrate his coming of age there - perhaps with bagpipes, ancient scottish rites, some swordplay, signing his name in blood and a shot of whiskey.
In Edinburgh I look forward to visiting the church where one of my spiritual fathers, Thomas Chalmers, ministered.
From Edinburgh we will take the train into the Lake District famous for its poets and writers (William Wordsworth, Beatrice Potter, etc.). We will spend a night in Grasmere where I'm looking forward to visiting the Heaton-Cooper gallery. This is a family that shows the art of generations of family members who are artists. I hope that it gives me some ideas for how our family of artists.
From Grasmere we take the train through Liverpool (visit Beattle's sites there) to Stratford-Upon-Avon the home of the great bard, William Shakespeare. Besides visiting the sites we will see a Shakespeare Theater Production of "Morte D Artur".
After a couple of days in Stratford-Upon-Avon we will take the train to Oxford. I'm looking forward to visiting the University and especially the places where C.S. Lewis worked and lived (Magdelen college, The Eagle & Child pub). On Sunday, June 13th, I'm very much looking forward to worshipping at St. Aldates church (www.staldates.org.uk). This thriving Anglican church has a powerful ministry of prayer and spiritual formation that I'm interested in experiencing and learning more about. I also hope, that Sunday, to visit Bleinham Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill.
From Oxford we take the train to Bath. We've heard that this is one of the most beautiful towns in England. Jenny is particularly excited to visit the Doll House store there that Laura Grammer told us about. We also will have dinner with Laura Dare who worshipped for a while with us at Redeemer (while she did an internship at Rolls Royce).
From Bath we take the train to Penzance, located in Cornwall, the Southwest coast of England. I've always dreamed of doing and walking tour along the coast of England! And we get to! We will walk from Penzance to Land's End. Spend the night in a Bed and Breakfast in Lands End (the westernmost tip of England) and the next day walk around the tip of England to St. Ives. I'm looking forward to tea and scones in St. Ives after a long walk. One cool thing about this area of England is that it is fabled to be the birthplace of King Arthur. Jenny is a big fan of the stories about King Arthur so I'm excited to share this with her.
From St. Ives we take the train to Portsmouth. We'll spend a couple of nights there, and enjoy some time on the beach.
From Portsmouth we take the train to our final destination in England, London. We are so thankful to Laura Dare's parents, who we haven't met and yet who graciously are allowing us to stay in their home in London. From their home we plan to visit London. On Saturday, June 19th we will visit the National Gallery (art) and see Les Miserables at the Queen Theater in Convent Garden. On Sunday we hope to worship at Westminster Chapel (where one of my heroes, Dr. Martyn-Lloyd Jones preached). We also hope to visit Westminster Abbey (Evensong, 3pm). On Monday, we hope to explore the Houses of Parliament, the Cabinet War Room, 10 Downing Street and Buckingham Palace. On Tuesday we plan to see the British Museum. And somewhere during this time we hope to visit with Chris and Josephine Hatch, missionaries Redeemer supports who are ministering to East Asians in London.
We fly out of London to Portland, Oregon, on Thursday, June 24th.
Family Renewal
With Jenny's family
We'll spend a couple of days in R & R at Jenny's parent's home. Then with Jenny's family we will head to the Oregon coast and spend for days together at a retreat house (June 27-30). With Jenny's parents, we'll travel down the coast to North Bend (we'd like to 4 wheel at the Oregon Dunes). From there we'll drive to the Redwoods to camp for a few days. (Many years ago our family camped in the Redwoods; it was one of our favorite vacations!) From the Redwoods we'll drive down Highway 101 to Eureka, California where we'll stay in a hotel (Hopefully better than the Eureka hotel that Jenny and I spent the first night of our honeymoon in, June 1992). From Eureka we'll cut across the mountains to Redding. Both of Jenny's grandmothers live in Redding and she is looking forward to spending some special time with them. On July 8th, we head north. We'll arrive in Salem, OR and stay with Jenny's parents a couple of days. I'm looking forward to playing golf with my best friend from college, Scott Miller, and visiting the church that he pastors in Albany, Or. After church on Sunday, July 11th, our family will drive up to Camano Island, where my parents, my sister and brother-in-law live.
With my family
The first four days on Camano our family will be staying at Peacehaven, a cabin/house reserved for pastors for their rest, renewal and recovery. After this we'll spend a couple of nights with my sister April and her family at a Beach house on Camano. Then, on Saturday, July 17th, my dad and I will leave early and drive up to Vancouver and take the Ferry to Nanaimo, Vancouver Island. From Nanaimo we will drive to the Campbell River which is world-famous for its salmon fishing. Dad and I will spend a couple of days at Painters Lodge. We'll spend two days fishing. I'm super excited to be able to share this time with my dad. He enriched my life so much when I was young by taking me salmon fishing with him!
On Monday, July 19th, Jenny and the kids, my mom, my brother and sister-in-law, Renae will meet us at the Campbell River. We will drive together north to Port McNeil on the northeast coast of Vancouver Island. We will camp at the Cluxewe Resort. My sister, April, brother in law, Roger, and their family will join us later in the week. This will be a time to be together as a family and, for some of us, (me) fish! Port McNeil is near a small island town named Sointula, where I experienced a spiritual awakening at the age of 18. I look forward to being able to introduce my family, my siblings and their children, and my parents to a place where I first came to experience my sonship. We will return to Camano Island on July 29th.
Return to Indy
On Sunday, August 1st, we will worship at Green Lake Presbyterian Church where I served for five years. We are looking forward to spending time with beloved friends there. We will fly to Indy on Monday, August 2nd. We will take a week to recover from our travels and prep for school (August 2-8). On Monday, 9th, I will spend a week alone at St. Meinrads, in southern Indiana. This will be a time for me to reflect on the sabbatical, tie the loose ends in my heart and mind about my urban calling together, rest and rejoice in my sonship, and, hopefully, spend plenty of time just walking, thinking, reading and praying.
What the Sabbatical Renewal Means for Redeemer
I am praying for these blessings from our Heavenly Father to my Redeemer spiritual family during my sabbatical.
(1) a time of rest, sabbatical, and space to mature and develop apart from my day-to-day leadership,
(2) an opportunity to focus (with me) on the gospel theme of sonship,
(3) and intentional time to reflect on our church’s calling to be an urban congregation – in the city and for the city.
I want to take a moment to reflect on these themes:
Sabbatical Rest
I believe that times of rest and renewal are a biblical concept (for example, the Old Testament’s Sabbath rest and Year of Jubilee). My sabbatical will also give our congregation a period to rest and reflect - to remember our dependence on our true Shepherd. Redeemer has a strong staff, session and deacon team. They are well equipped to lead us through this time of rest, reflection, and renewal. I'm excited that Mark Vanest is taking the lead in my absence; it is great to see him, and other members of the staff step up into the places I've vacated.
Sonship
At the heart of our spiritual family is the reality of sonship - that by his grace, God has made us his sons and daughters. This is our highest privilege. This is what binds us together as a church. All other identity markers - race, $, gender, status, politics, etc. - are trumped by this common, shared identity as sons and daughters of God through the grace of Jesus Christ. I'm praying that this core identity will continue to mark our church for decades to come.
Urban Calling
Redeemer was launched 12 years ago to be a gospel-centered church in the city and for the city. As our church has grown, members have been drawn to aspects of Redeemer without acquiring the original vision. This sabbatical will be a time for our congregation to grow into our vision. This is God’s city, He goes before us, His work and presence are around us, and He calls us to serve with him. We need to have new eyes to see His kingdom around us, to sense His heart, and recognize Him in the rich tapestry of people in the city. We will accomplish this by: (1) Developing a sabbatical sermon series that reminds us of our congregation’s roots and history, that calls us to remember our empowering relationship with God, and that opens our eyes to God’s desire for renewal of the city. (2) Going on 3 trips to urban areas and seeing the unique ministry God is doing at each (The Makuku's ministry in the Kibera slums, Naroibi; The ministry of New City Fellowship in St. Louise; and a ministry in Huntsville, Alabama). Following up on these trips, we will hold forums and small group meetings to learn from our experiences and seek the congregation’s experiences of who God is in the city, and share our God-sightings with each other. (3) Documenting our shared stories and gathered insights from people beyond Redeemer’s original core of people. Stay tuned for more details.
Re-Commissioning, August 15th
I will return from our sabbatical and be "re-commissioned" on August 15th. I do not know what surprises of grace God has in store for our family - and our congregation - during this time. But I look forward to see how God both deconstructs and heals us.
Finally, I'm so thankful for the love and support of our spiritual family at Redeemer. It is an honor to serve Christ and life up his name among you.
Grace,
Jason
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