Palm Springs Pastor's Conference

Pastor Johnny Hunt

The final experience of the sabbatical is a pastor's conference in Palm Springs California.  I tried to organize the aspects of the sabbatical to include things that would aide, both in disconnecting from the church in the early stages of it, and reconnecting with it in the later stages.  It's not that I want to get away from the church.  I don't.  But I realize that it is healthy for me to draw away from time to time to get perspective that cannot be gained in the middle of things.  It is also healthy for the church to learn how to function independently of the pastor at times. 

I chose to attend a Timothy-Barnabus Pastor's Conference.  These are led by Johnny Hunt, a well-known Southern Baptist pastor out of Woodstock Baptist Church near Atlanta, Georgia.  Pastor Johnny is known for the great passion he has for the church and for his heart to minister to pastors and their wives.  I had hoped to attend one closer to home, but the one in Palm Springs was the one that fit in with the summer sabbatical schedule. 

The conference is really good about calling leaders back to the basics of being with the Lord, being grounded in the Word, growing your heart for Him, and then ministering out of the overflow of the work that God is doing in your life.  The warm desert setting has also provided an ideal setting for praying, planning, and thinking about how to lead the church in the coming days and months.  I have also thoroughly enjoyed the heat!  I think it has been over 100 degrees every day.  I have done my best to spread wide my solar panels and soak in the sun.  I hope I can draw on it during the long, cold winter months that lie ahead.  It has been an awesome experience. 

This is the final leg of the sabbatical journey. I return to church the Sunday of Labor Day weekend.   Since the theme of the sabbatical has been "going to the water's edge," it may seem odd to finish in the desert.  But the water's edge for me has really been the California coastline. 

On my first day here, I drove up to see some dear friends that used to attend our church, but now live here.  The journey to their place took me on a drive several miles up the Pacific Coast Highway, arguably the most scenic terrain that we experienced this whole journey.  It was a fresh reminder to me that, even though there may be many desert times, the Lord will bring you back to the water's edge for times of refreshing.  He is, as John 4 says, the Living Water that those who come to Him will never thirst.  I'm hope to make it my daily practice to come to the water's edge for refreshing myself in Him. 

I have been so grateful to have had the opportunity to experience this sabbatical!  I'm grateful to the Lilly Foundation for providing the means to do it.  I'm so appreciative of the Oak Creek Church family and their willingness to support this for me and my family.  And I'm so grateful to the Lord for His unceasing blessings, times of refreshing, and constant Presence during these summer months.  Thanks to everyone for traveling with us on this journey. We are looking forward to a joyful reunion!

Denver Counseling Intensive

Most of the elements so far in the sabbatical have been focused on reconnecting--reconnecting with my wife, my kids, my family of origin.  The last two elements planned are sort of "reentry" events.  They are planned with the idea of helping to return to church life and seek to maximize the ministry that God has given to us.

A fundamental principle of ministry is that: you lead out of who you are. That means that you cannot separate the ministry a person does from who he is.  Unhealthy people cannot produce long-term healthy ministry.  It takes a healthy person to be able to do ministry in a way that is healthy.  And so these events are designed to make sure that I am moving towards personal, mental, spiritual, and emotional health. 

The first event is called a "Counseling Intensive."  I'd never heard of it before planning a sabbatical.  But it basically is what it says--it is cramming 6 months of intensive counseling into a single week.  Sounds great, right? :0)   To be honest, I have been dreading it somewhat.  But I know that it is an important part of the sabbatical and I believe that it will pay tremendous dividends in the months to come. 

I didn't seek this out because I'm having a breakdown or anything.  All in all, things are good.  But I wanted to participate in this for a couple of reasons.  One reason is that from time to time situations and emotions come up in ministry that are confusing.  Sometimes I wake up angry and don't know why. Sometimes I'm a grouch when there is no discernable reason for it.   I wish I could just go see a counselor at these times and talk through what I'm feeling, but the high cost of counseling prevents it.  I usually will talk things through with a friend.  But the grant has provided the unique experience of providing access to professional help.  (If you've ever heard someone say about me, "That guy needs professional help!", I finally getting it!)  I wanted to take advantage of the unique opportunity that these funds provide.

Another reason for planning this is to get perspective.  Sometimes sharing your life with someone who is totally objective can provide insights that you'd never get otherwise.  I've given the counselor the freedom to point out any blind spots that he sees in me that will limit my effectiveness in ministry.  I'm hoping that he will help me identify any areas that might be detrimental to me or the people I love and lead. 

And finally, I planned a counseling intensive because I believe God has called me to do ministry in a way that is sustainable.  Lord willing, I'm about halfway through my working years.  Sometimes you experience things that cause you to feel like you are becoming jaded or that your heart is shrinking. You wonder how long you can keep it up. As a pastor, you get a front-row seat to a lot of the hurt in the world.  And so I'm seeking counsel about how to get to the end and still be a sweet spirited, godly, faithful husband, father, and servant of God.  I'm opening myself up to someone to point out the ways that I'm living or doing ministry that cannot be sustained over the long haul. 

So I have traveled to Denver, Colorado to meet with a ministry called Restoring the Soul.  I meet every day for half a day with a counselor and then have follow up assignments between sessions. They call it a "tune up" when you're not in any crisis but are just seeking to make sure that you're on a good path in ministry.  I was told that by the end of the week I will be exhausted, but I am the one who planned this event.  I signed up for this. I don't want my own shortcomings to be impediments to the work that God wants to do in our church. 

I'd covet your prayers during this time as it's very personal and challenging.  I'm so grateful for the opportunity to get this perspective on my life and ministry.  I hope that it will pay great kingdom dividends in the days to come. 

Sailboat Trip

After a time of recovering at home, Stacy and I left on a trip that we had planned for us to be together.  I'm not sure why, but I have always had a fascination with boats.  If we are near any water, I can usually be found wandering around on the pier looking at the boats. I've always wanted to go on a cruise where we were the crew on a sailing ship.  In doing research for the sabbatical, we found a couple who has a heart for pastors who opens up their boat to them.  We booked it.

We weren't really sure what we were getting into.  We looked at the pictures online and read the description, but there was a lot that we didn't know.  All we knew is that we were going on a 36 foot sailboat with another couple who would be the experts.  That was enough to get me on board.

Our Sailboat--the Twocan

Stacy is not necessarily a boat person.  I think she just went along for my benefit.  But when we met the couple who owned and lived on the boat, Keith and Brenda, we immediately felt at home with them.  The boat was docked at the marina that is at Cedar Point Amusement Park.  The marina is just about 100 yards from entrance gate to Cedar Point.  Our hosts have had their boat there for several years. 

We slept on the boat the first night in the Cedar Point Marina.  The sleeping quarters was really

small, as you would expect on a boat, but we were comfortable and slept well.  We got up in the morning and after a great breakfast, we sailed across Lake Huron to Put-In-Bay.  It was such a scenic trip.  You could see Canada from the middle of the lake. 

I was surprised when part way across the lake, Keith, who is a certified Captain, asked me if I wanted to drive.  I was excited to do that.  It's really something to travel with no noise from the motor.  Just the sound of the wind in the sail.  Whenever the wind would blow strong, the boat would tilt to where the bow would go down into the water and you could hear things falling out of the cabinets below deck. That concerned me and made sick.  But I figured the captain wouldn't let me crash his boat and he had a big smile on his face, so I just kept driving away. 

We tied up to a  mooring ball when we arrived at our destination and that was really neat.  There was a regatta the next morning so there were lots of boats in port.  I'd always wondered how people who were tied up to those buoys were able to get ashore, and learned that there is a water taxi who you called and told your buoy number and they'd pick you up. 

We toured around Put-In-Bay and enjoyed this pretty little town.  There was a monument there that was dedicated to the battles that were fought on the Lake and to the longstanding peace that was struck between the United States and Canada.  We really enjoyed visiting with our hosts and seeing the beautiful scenery that you can from a boat.  Our hosts were impeccable and we were so blessed to get to spend time with them.  They had a remarkable story of how God had used them and brought them to the place where they did this ministry. 

We enjoyed the time on the boat, even though we each had a little bout of seasickness.  It was everything that I hoped it would be.  We sailed back to Cedar Point and this time Stacy got her turn to drive.  We slept on the boat again and then headed back home in the morning. 

It was risky to try something like this that we've never done before.  Keith and Brenda gave us a vision for what life could be like if we ever retire.  They are active in ministry.  They make an investment in pastors and their wives and recognize some of the unique struggles that they face.  It was also good for Stacy and me to be together in this unique environment.  We love being together and experiencing new things together.  We were blessed to have this time to share aboard a boat that literally took us to the water's edge. 

Arkansas Trip

One of the challenges with having been a church planter is that we have lived a LONG way from our families for these past 23 years.  We have missed getting to be near my relatives and so we planned a part of this sabbatical to be with our families in Arkansas.  I was so grateful that my dad and stepmom, my brother and sister, and my mother in law and nephew made the time to be together during this time. 

Our original plan was to stay at our family's lake house in Arkansas, but my dad was able to sell it recently, so we were able to scope out a cabin near where my dad grew up in Jasper, Arkansas.  This was a great time to connect with my family.  I've really regretted not being able to be closer to my brother and sister and their families to share in their lives.  They are such neat people and I really enjoyed getting to see their families and catch up with what was happening in their lives. 

It's also a great time for our family to just play together. We have always been big game people, so we played lots of games of joker and cards.  We also ate tremendous food and got to see some of the places that I went to growing up. 

The cabin was up the hill from my dad's homestead and so we were able to go down there, fish in the ponds, swim in the streams, and enjoy some of the places where I went as a kid. Fletcher especially likes this place.  He loves looking for crawdads in the stream and we had fun fishing in the ponds. 

We took the whole family floating in canoes on the Buffalo River.  This is such beautiful territory and is nostalgic for me since I grew up doing this.  It's fun to share those things with your kids and see them enjoy them.  The river runs along majestic cliffs and it's just beautiful. 

It was also such a treat to get to hang out with
some of my cousins, aunts, and uncles that we don't get to see very often. I'm blessed to have a family that has some very godly and neat people in it.  It was good to get to catch up with them. 

I was fortunate to grow up in a home that was family oriented.  My parents tried to make sure that our

family came first.  We still hold one another dear, even though we aren't able to connect as often as we'd like.  I once heard Andy Stanley say that his definition of success for raising his kids was to have kids who wanted to be together even if they didn't have to be.  That's definitely true for our family. We WANT to be together even if we can always be.  And this part of the sabbatical was so important to reconnect with these folks. 

My brother Lyle, Me, and My sister Tammy

After the time with my family in Jasper, we headed down closer to where Stacy grew up to visit with some of her friends and family.  Stacy's mom was gracious to let us stay with her and we were able to head out from there to see these folks that we hadn't gotten to be with in a long time.  While Stacy was visiting her friends, I got the chance to fish some of the ponds in the area.  Her Uncle Bill and friend Tina were gracious to let me fish their ponds.  I loved it!  And I was fortunate to have great success in finding the fish. 


We also had a great time seeing Stacy's cousin Betty Rose and visiting with her friend Tina.  We love these folks and always enjoy the opportunity to catch up with them. 

The culmination of our time in Arkansas was a gathering for Stacy's 30 year high school reunion.  Stacy graduated in a small class--about 15 students, but she really enjoyed getting to catch up with her classmates for the first time since graduation.

It was such a treat to get to go to Arkansas for an extended visit.  The territory is so familiar that it is peaceful.  Seeing the people was rejuvenating.  And my family is so dear to me and being with them was a breath of fresh air. 

Time to Rest

Between each of the experiences during the sabbatical, we planned times to be at home and rest.  The goal of the sabbatical is to be refreshed and it isn't likely that if you traveled for three months you would be in very good shape at the end.  So we planned some time, especially after this Europe trip to be at home and recover. 

Honestly, this part of the trip was hard for me.  I'm used to going and so I've had to be okay with just being at home and resting.   We are so grateful that the folks from the Lilly Foundation required this kind of stress and release in the sabbatical.  It has been good to be at home and recover.

Rome

The Colosseum

Our final destination in Italy was Rome.  We felt like there was so much to see that we decided to spend several days there. 

We were really excited to see the Colosseum.  It was ridiculous how old this place was!  I was under the impression that some pretty bad stuff happened here, but didn't know just how bad.  I figured there were some periodic festivals where people were put to death there, but we learned that people were put to death here just about every day!  The Romans would capture prisoners alive and save them for the Colosseum.  The daily entertainment in Rome was to watch people fight for their lives.  It was free to watch, so most people made it a part of their regular routine.  Gruesome! 

At the Forum in Rome

Of course, some of those who were put to death were Christians who were persecuted and martyred.  The floor of the Colosseum, which is no longer there, housed a system of pulleys and trap doors where victims or animals could be raised to give the element of surprise.  There is an intricate maze of cells where inmates or animals were held.  It's difficult to imagine folks being entertained by watching people be mauled or devoured, but that was the case. 

Near the Colosseum was an area called the Forum which was a strip of land that has been left untouched since ancient times.  Still standing are some ancient pagan temples, some columns, and some historic sites, such as the place were Julius Caesar was put to death.  It is remarkable to be able to walk the same streets that have been used for thousands of years, where the history that you read about actually happened. 

The Pantheon

We also saw the Pantheon, one of Rome's most spectacular and historic buildings.  It was erected on the site where legend has it that Romulus, Rome's founder, was taken up by Eagles to be with the gods. Built in 80 A.D., it has one of the largest domes of any building and it is an architectural wonder, especially for its day. 

We enjoyed wandering the streets of Rome and finding these ancient buildings, fountains, and sites.  Many of the spots we know from movies--the Trevi fountain has been featured in several.  It was under renovation at the time of our visit, but it was still fun throwing a coin in it. Legend has it that if you throw a coin in, you will find true love.  It worked for me... retroactively 27 years ago!

At St. Peter's Cathedral

We were staying right by the Vatican and so a visit was in order.  We went through the most
magnificent church I've ever seen, St. Peter's Cathedral.  It is such an imposing structure and an architectural marvel to behold.  To see it, I was inspired by the degree to which people have gone to show their devotion to God.  But I also felt a little uneasy as there were huge monuments, shrines erected to St. Peter and all of the popes in the history of the church.  I can't help but think that Peter would be embarrassed by such things. 

St. Peter's Cathedral

We also went to the catacombs on the outskirts of town.  The story is that the cemeteries of Rome were full and dead bodies were beginning to stack up and were causing disease and death.  A law was passed requiring that people burn the dead bodies of their loved ones.  Christians, believing in bodily resurrection, went to great lengths to ensure that their departed were buried intact.  They found that the old quarries worked nicely.  The soil was made of volcanic ash that was very easy to dig, but once it was exposed to air, it hardened and made a solid structure. 

Unlike the catacombs in Paris which was filled with fully exposed bones, the catacombs of Rome were graves that were dug and covered with a headstone.  Many of the graves have been ransacked over time by invading armies, but there are still many that were intact.  These are covered with Christian symbols that are still used in the church to this day-the ichthus fish, the anchor, and the dove.  I think I was most moved by the fact that Christians have held the exact beliefs and used the same symbols for thousands of years. Pictures were not allowed in the catacombs. 

We went through the Vatican Museum as well.  It is one of the largest and richest collections of religious art in the world.  It was overwhelming to try take it all in. The crowds were shoulder to shoulder (not fun), but the art was incredible.  I think we were all most excited about going through the Sistine Chapel.  As you enter the Chapel, no talking is allowed.  The ceiling is covered with the most phenomenal paintings.  We were searching for the famous hand of God reaching out for man, which we discovered was right in the center of the ceiling.  Again, no pictures are allowed in this room, but it was such a blessing to get to see this in person. 


We also went to some of the lesser-known sites in Rome.  We climbed the Spanish Steps and looked in several of the fancy shops that are situated at the bottom.  One morning I went through Castel Sant Angelo, one of the homes that the Pope has held in history. You are struck by the fact that there was such a struggle for power in the church.  The pope literally was running for his life much of the time.  The pope had his own army at one time!   It's amazing to see learn how the church has struggled throughout history. 

We also ate lots of gelato every chance we got.  We struggled with the food at this point in our journey.  The kids were tired of eating pizza and were so ready for some real Italian food from someplace like Olive Garden!  We managed to find a good Chinese place near our house which helped get us through. 

We feel so blessed to have had the chance to make this trip, especially this part in Europe.  After being gone for a month, we were all ready to come home.  We took a short flight from Rome to Istanbul, Turkey, and then a 12 hour flight back to Chicago.  It was good to be home!

Assisi

Assisi is a small mountainside town best known for St. Francis. The town is filled with churches, one of them dedicated to St Francis. We stayed in a home that was owned by a couple who owned a restaurant in town.  They treated us to dinner in their restaurant that was built on an ancient site.  They were able to show us how they had incorporated the columns that were thousands of years old. 
The home we stayed in was a part of a castle structure and it said it was built in the 1200s.

We arrived late but decided to trek out around

the city.  The streets are curvy and steep so it is very difficult to see where you're headed.  We decided just to follow the lights and actually wound up at the beautiful St Francis Cathedral at about 10:00 pm.  We were surprised to find that the building was open and wandered in to have a look around.  As we were taking in the beauty of the church, we saw a procession of people headed to the basement--so we decided to follow them. 

Tomb of St. Francis of Assisi

Turns out that the tomb of St. Francis is under the church, or the church was built over his tomb and there was a mass that was about to be held there.  We had mistakenly wandered into a mass at his tomb!  The mass was attended by about
50 people and was read from a bulletin.  As soon as it was over, the worshippers all moved forward to lay hands on his tomb and pray.  That's kind of odd to us, but we later discovered that that has been common for thousands of years. 

Assisi was so beautiful that you forget that most of the structures are medieval.  We have so many areas in the states that are decorated to look like Tuscan villas.  Assisi was the real deal. I kept looking up close to see how they painted it to look so old.  It really was old, but beautiful.   You can see why it would imitated.