MAY 2008
Sabbatical Update
Sorry for the confusion in my sabbatical excerpt last month regarding the date of my departure. It was originally intended to be May and was moved to June.
Here is a second excerpt from the Lily Grant Proposal:
I intend to immerse myself and my family in Japanese culture, to retrace the path of my youth, to discover the missionary passion that I grew up with and to find solace surrounded by my family. As I ponder these opportunities, now more cherished from my pastoral experiences as an adult, my heart warms with remembrance.
Japanese was my first language, and while I’m excited to see how well I recall it, I must also rely on the hospitality of the Japanese people to navigate this experience. One friend whom I will contact was a young convert to Christianity; Isao Ito became part of our family and is still like an uncle to me. I will visit the woman who was my nanny, Aiko San. I will visit churches where I worshipped, and preach for them, if they desire. I will visit the Lutheran College and Seminary in Tokyo and the schools I attended. The Lilly Endowment Grant will enable me to take my family to Japan so that they may
experience the culture that influenced me and nourished me in my faith. For my wife Patricia, who has been a faithful partner in ministry and probably deserves a sabbatical more than I do, and for my
son Samuel, who is 15, and my daughter, Mary Love, age 10, the shared experience can give us all a window into service and our missionary heritage. My father and mother have agreed to join my
family and make the tour a threegeneration adventure. To share this experience with my loved ones will deepen the meaning of this pilgrimage. I include them in the timeline of my proposed activities.
In Tokyo, my family will spend the first week connecting to my past and observing the culture of the present day church. We will explore the neighborhoods where I grew up, visit the American School that
I attended and visit Yomiuriland, a theme park I enjoyed as a child. We will also visit the Lutheran Seminary and the National Office of the Japan Lutheran Church to observe our church’s current
role in global mission activity.
In the second week, we will retrace my early years; and to enhance this time, we will visit cultural and historic sites. We will take the train to the southern tip of the main island to visit Ube and Asa, the villages where my parents served their first missionary tour. We will worship in the church of my youth and return to the preschool and kindergarten I attended.
We also plan a visit to the Peace Memorial in Hiroshima, and an excursion to the Hot Springs of Beppu to stay in an onsen, a traditional inn featuring natural hot spring baths.
The third week will be spent at Camp Nojiri, the summer missionary village where my family found community, the place that cradled my love for outdoor ministry. Continuing relaxation and sightseeing into the fourth week, we visit Kyoto’s famous temples and its gardens, which are ideal for meditation and contemplation.
We will then ferry to nearby Miyajima, one of Japan’s most scenic islands which I visited as a child.
Finally, to relive with my family the fun experiences I knew as a child and to further explore Japanese culture, in the fifth week we will venture to Nagoya and take in a Sumo Basho. The conclusion to our Japanese adventure will be a return to Tokyo with the intent to climb Mt. Fuji.
Your Servant in Christ,
Pastor Steve
Ponderings Archive
Go and Do
Heart To Heart
Humble Hearts
Sowing and Reaping
Cheerful Givers
What Master Do You Serve?
Where Your Heart Is
