Preparing

I knew when I started to prepare for my sabbatical that this would be an extraordinary opportunity to do something out of the ordinary.  And so, I began to think about what it was that this 12 weeks might offer.  Applying for a sabbatical grant motivated me to think clearly about what I wanted get out of this time.

First up was rest and family time (see previous posts). 

Secondly, I wanted to get regrounded.  To take time for prayer and reflection without the pressure of sermons, teaching and administration.  To try to rediscover Jesus behind the business of church life.  I took on the project of reading the Gospels again, front to back, one chapter a day.

Next up was adventure.  What could I do that would connect with my ministry, but also give me an extra-ordinary time away?  My thoughts turned to the opening passage of Thomas Cahill's book The Drama of the Everlasting Hills. Cahill shares a story about the Sant' Egidio community in Rome www.santegidio.org.  This community started with the simple commitment to gather for prayer and to carry out Christ's ministry in the local neighborhood.  It has evolved into into a community of 50,000 worldwide that does everything from negotiating peace in war torn countries to advocacy for children everywhere.

So, I decided to go to Rome, to visit Sant' Egidio and see what made this community thrive in the midst of an increasingly secular Europe.  Little did I know that this would lead me to reading about history, mosaics, architecture and anthropology.  As I prepared for my trip my interest was piqued by a larger question: What is it that has made Christian communities vital throughout history?  How have the followers of Jesus engaged their own cultures, impacting and transforming lives?

What better place to start to seek the answer to this question than the Trestavere neighborhood of Rome.  It was here that the large Jewish community in Rome became the seedbed for the Christian faith as early as 40 CE.  It is here in the oldest church in Rome, that the Sant' Egidio community gathers to pray, and then to go out and serve the poorest of the poor in Rome.

That's where I'll be day after tomorrow!  See you there on my blog.