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Sabbatical

 

Notes from Pastor

 

 

Mariposa Spanish School

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June 3, 2007 

June 26, 2007

July 30, 2007

August 1, 2007

Report to the Congregation - August 12, 2007

September Perspectives

October Perspectives

Sabbatical helped pastor reconnect with faith* - AAS - October 6, 2007     Click-2-Listen*

The Vista, November, 2007 p. 8

Proposal

Draft Agreement

Nicaragua photos

 

June 3, 2007

 

Saludo from Nicaragua. I finally made it to the internet café in San Marcos. Yes, San Marcos. A bit different from the town south of Austin, though.

I am doing find and have now completed two days of classes. I went horseback riding through the town yesterday and got a sense of the extreme poverty that is such a reality for the people of this country. It was, to say the least, overwhelming. I also moved in with my host family. It is basically a family compound with grandparents, children and grandchildren all together. I’m staying in a very Spartan but nice room. There are lots of noises at night which made sleeping difficult until I put in my ear plugs. No more roosters, cars and trucks all night after that.

The Mariposa Spanish School is WONDERFUL. Paulette, the director, is a PhD from England and is doing amazing things besides running the school and eco-hotel.  She offers employment to people through direct work at the school and through purchasing needed supplies from local businesses. The grounds of the hotel are absolutely amazing. Flowers and other plants are blooming everywhere. Plants we grow in pots inside are just bursting out all over here.

I have gotten a bit lonesome for home, but in general I’m doing well, “muy bien” as they say here. I hope everyone there is well. Please give my love to everyone. I am keeping you all in my thoughts and prayers.

 

Peace,

Pastor Brian

6/3/07 

http://www.spanishschoolnica.com/

 

See “Sabbaticals are a win-win”* in The Lutheran, July, 2007, p. 30.

 

 

 

 

 

June 26, 2007

 

From Pastor Brian in Nicaragua:

Don’t worry; I haven’t fallen off the face of the earth.  Seems there’s a major problem with electricity in Nicaragua.  We’ve been without power most every afternoon this week as well as into the evening.  [Afternoon is when he has free time and can get to the internet café to send out a message.]  Despite the inconvenience I’m doing well. It’s very hot and humid, but that’s no surprise.

We have visited the old colonial town of Granada.  It’s a really cool place with colorful buildings, history and great food.  Another day we visited Masaya, a big market town about an hour from the school – lots of hammocks, pottery, leather goods and clothing.  We also have spent time in San Juan de Oriente, a village where they make beautiful pottery.  I tried throwing a pot but botched it at the last minute.

The volcano at Mombachu is amazing.  There is lush vegetation with species limited to the particular ecosystem there.  It offers incredible views of the town of Granada and the lakes nearby.  There’s a fiesta at the school later this afternoon.  I’ve been asked to play my clarinet.  It should be interesting.

Hope you all are well.  I’ll write again soon.

Brian

6/26/07 

 

http://www.spanishschoolnica.com/

 

See “Sabbaticals are a win-win”* in The Lutheran, July, 2007, p. 30.

 

 

 

 

 

 

July 30, 2007

 

Dear Saints,

 

Just a quick note to let you know that I’m back from sabbatical--well rested, refreshed and renewed. 

 

I look forward to seeing you all soon, to share my journey with you as well as to hear about all the wonderful things that you’ve been up to over the past three months.

 

Peace,

 

Pastor Brian Peterson  

 

 

monkey

 

 

Get this monkey off my back!

 

Dear Saints,

 

Here’s one of my more memorable Nicaragua photos…

 

Maybe we could have a contest as to the best caption.

 

Pastor

 

sabrep

 

 

REPORT TO THE CONGREGATION ON MY SABBATICAL

 

August 12, 2007

 

 

What did I do?

*  2 months of immersion Spanish study in Nicaragua

*  Intensive Vocational Assessment

*  Self care including personal retreat, regular spiritual

   direction, journaling and therapeutic massage

* Celebrate the gift of life with my family and friends

* A typical day in Nicaragua…

 

What did I read?

* Psalms ("The Message"), Eugene Peterson

      (A fresh reading of heartfelt lament and soaring

       praise to God the Creator)

* "Finding Meaning in the Second Half of Life" James Hollis

     (A Jungian approach to midlife issues)

* "Eat This Book: A Conversation in the Art of Spiritual

  Reading" Eugene Peterson

     (A guide to reading beyond the words of Scripture to

      Word at the heart of life and faith.)

 

Who were some of the interesting people who shared my journey and that I wish you could meet sometime?

* Dr. Paulette Goudge - Owner/Director Mariposa Spanish School and Eco-Hotel, San Juan de la Concepcion

* Germinna Goudge – Paulette’s Daughter

* Bergman and Eva Maria

* Yvonne

* Alexa Gilmore – Massage Therapist

* Linda Jones - Spiritual Director, Austin, Texas

* Dr. Ross Peterson - Director, Southwest Ministry Development, Dallas, Texas

 

What did my sabbatical experience me to me…

A. Personally - My sabbatical experience afforded space and time for me to more fully sense the presence of God in my life as well as to know and embrace the deep rest and renewal that is God's desire for me.

B. Vocationally - My sabbatical experience helped me to clarify my own sense of call, particularly in coming to terms with some of the core reasons why I entered ordained ministry in the first place.

C. Congregationally - My sabbatical experience provided some significant opportunities for the congregation, opportunities for genuine learning and real growth.  New gifts of ministry were called forth from the community including preaching, calling on the sick and homebound and administration.  I sense that they've come to recognize that as a Spirit filled community, they are capable of far more than they ever imagined.   

 

What was the most surprising discovery you made while on sabbatical?

The most surprising discovery was the gift of living life fully in the moment, especially during my stay in Nicaragua.

 

What has been your experience as you’ve returned to your particular place of ministry?

As I suspected, returning to my place of ministry has been an interesting and challenging experience.  The first few weeks back have generally gone very well.  Starting back in the office mid week, I appreciated not having to prepare a sermon the following Sunday and the warm welcome I received.  I confess that it’s been a bit difficult finding a sense of routine.  (Maybe I have to find a new meaning to what counts for routine.)

 

What would you have done differently?

As to what I have done differently, I think I underestimated my overly developed sense of responsibility and need to be needed.  Recognizing that about myself, I probably should have devoted more time away in personal retreat at the beginning of the sabbatical.

 

What did you learn/discover through your experience of sabbatical?

 My sabbatical helped me more fully embrace the gift and promise of each new day.  I came to regard time not so much from the standpoint of its duration--days, hours, minutes and seconds lived in succession, one after another, but to embrace its content, the hope, the promise, the grace in each moment even if I wasn't in a position to fully understand it.  I learned to appreciate the gift of community--not as something I am responsible for creating, but as one player in the organic, living reality happening all around me.  I learned something about myself, a clearer sense of my own gifts and limitations, of what is important to me and what I am passionate about, of what has led me to choose the path I have chosen and that I am not forever bound to it, but free to choose as the Spirit leads me.  Finally, I learned how profoundly the Spirit blesses us with gifts for ministry, a truth no more evident than in the congregation I am blessed to serve.  People's willingness to assume responsibility, to step outside the box, to embrace different roles in my absence underscores the vitality, the creativity, the power of God at work in and through us all.

 

What effect will your sabbatical experience have on your practice of ministry?

 I anticipate that what I have learned will have profound effects on my practice of ministry.  First and foremost, I see that in many ways, I simply need to let go, to "get out of the way", to stop doing for others so that everyone, myself included can truly "grow in faith, love and obedience to the will of God."  I am confident that my experience in Central America will lead me to be more engaged in economic justice issues, in advocating on behalf of the economically, socially and politically marginalized.  For the time being, I freely choose to live out this commitment in the context of my current ministry.

Pastor Brian Peterson

perspsept

 

SEPTEMBER PERSPECTIVES

 

“So how was your sabbatical?”

I suppose you shouldn’t be surprised to learn that I have been asked that question more than a few times over the past six weeks. Likewise, my answer probably won’t surprise you either. “My sabbatical was FABULOUS!”

The eight weeks I spent in Nicaragua were unlike anything I imagined they’d be, an adventure in the truest sense of the word. Learning Spanish was a challenge, all the more so in that I lived with a family who spoke no English at all. I peered into the crater of an active volcano. I clung for dear life to the frame of a jam packed microbus speeding down a hillside road. I hiked two hours down a muddy road in tropical downpour. I danced the Nicaraguan version of the “May Pole” dance. I feasted on Nicaraguan cuisine (and ate only one hamburger). I tried my hand (or rather body) at surfing. I watched stunning sunsets and met many wonderful, beautiful people who helped me to see the world, myself and God in new and amazing ways. And the last ten days there, I was blessed to share with Jenny, Max and Luke.

Of course, there was more to my sabbatical than my eight weeks in Nicaragua. I spent time in spiritual direction, thinking about what God is up to in my life. I went fishing with my dad and two sons. I underwent a intensive vocation assessment, a two day long process that helped me recognize my many gifts and passions. I shared time with dear friends and family, some whom I hadn’t seen in a long, long time. I stayed two days and two nights at the Laity Lodge Quiet House near Leaky, Texas, delighting in the beauty of creation and spending time in silence, listening for that “still small voice” of God. And, yes, there were even a few days spent just hanging around the house doing not much of anything which for a guy who like me who has tended to define himself by what he does to keep busy was definitely treading into unfamiliar, but most welcome territory.

The time away gave me the chance to reflect on my life and ministry, to find deep rest, to learn a new language and to live life in a completely different culture. But the greatest gift I encountered in those three months was life lived entirely in the moment—without regret for yesterday or worry for tomorrow.

So, what now? Well, after three months away, it has been a bit of a challenge to get back in the saddle again. In truth, the saddle doesn’t quite feel the same as it did, but then again, life never stays the same, for me, for you, for all of us whom the Spirit calls, gathers and enlightens.

Finally, I can’t thank you enough for the countless ways you supported me during my sabbatical, for your thoughts and prayers, as well as for your willingness to jump in and take responsibility for the work of ministry here at Ascension, for your trust in the Spirit to move us all in unexpected and surprising ways.

Peace,

Pastor Peterson


perspoct

 

OCTOBER PERSPECTIVES

 

One of many things I appreciated about spending time in Nicaragua this summer was the sense that every day was an adventure, or as I learned to say, “una aventura!” Although I usually had some general idea about the day’s agenda, I never quite knew what to expect.

At the top of the list of my adventures was a visit to the mercado or market. Every large town had one, or two, or in the case of Managua, even more. There were modern grocery stores around, but like their counterparts here in the US, they lacked a sense of character that makes for a meaningful adventure.

One afternoon, another student and I along with one of our Nicaraguan friends traveled to the Mercado Oriental in Managua, one if not the largest open air markets in the world—30 square blocks of everything you could imagine and then some. All of the tourist guide books advised foreigners to avoid the Oriental at all cost due to the high crime, mostly pickpockets, a warning that we viewed as our challenge. So with empty pockets (I confess I had a $10 bill tucked into my shoe) the three of us made our way there.

What a place! The Oriental was everything we’d heard it was and more—a labyrinth of stalls and shops and things—clothing, washers, dryers, building materials, the latest Hollywood movies, live animals, candy and piles of fresh meat piled up on tables. It was to say the least, a dizzying experience. Had I lost sight of our guide, Mario, I probably would have still been there.

Of course what makes an adventure meaningful is what you happen to discover. Some parts of the market were downright entertaining-watching people engage in the art of bargaining, beholding mountains of fruits and vegetables many that I didn't even recognize, listening to vendors doing their best to in customers. “Hey Gringo! Over here!”

On the other hand parts of our market adventure were sad and disturbing. One of the most troubling things I discovered had to do with of all things, rice.

Rice is a staple commodity in Nicaragua. If you ever go there or to any other Central American country you can expect to eat it along with beans at just about every meal in what is commonly known as Gallo Pinto. People spend a lot of money relative to income in Nicaragua and that means they spend a lot of money on rice. But due in large part to US agricultural subsidies, Nicaraguan grown rice is MORE expensive in the mercado than that which is grown in the US, almost 40% MORE to be exact. As a result Nicaraguan farmers simply cannot compete and will soon be put out of business, while big corporations and stock holders in the US and elsewhere rake in the profits! And who knows, when the Nicaraguan suppliers are out of the picture, there is no reason why prices won’t jump by 40% or more!

Our adventure in the market that day left some big impressions on me as a person of faith, not to mention as a human being. I felt and continue to feel a sense of anger about a world, an economic system that allows others to be exploited in the name of “good business” and “free trade”, a world that affords me great benefits to enjoy at the expense of others.

The words of the prophet Amos ring as loud and true today as they did centuries ago, a word of woe to those “who trample on the needy and bring to ruin the poor of the land...who buy the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals and selling the sweepings of the wheat.” Maybe we need to consider these words more carefully these days as we go about our shopping and spending.

And yet, anger is not a place to stay permanently. I pray that the Spirit would move us, from righteous anger to faithful action on behalf of our neighbor, the poor, that all the world may be clothed and fed. Peace,

Pastor Brian Peterson


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