I will be on sabbatical from Concordia University, St. Paul, MN from August 1, 2007-June 30, 2008. The sabbatical projects flow from a five year process of discernment in seeking the direction for my own Third Age service and vocation. It is my intent to pursue exploration of spiritual formation and discernment as a spiritual director and to use these skills and gifts in a number of settings. In addition, my intent is to deepen my own self-awareness as I work in the Clinical Pastoral Education process at University of Minnesota Medical Center (UMMC)-Fairview.

Contrary to the expressed views of many, sabbatical is not about taking a year-long nap. Sabbatical is a time of renewal where one spends this gifted time in projects and learning experiences that will renew and stretch the individual. It is a year of intentional growth and service.

My projects:

• Clinical Pastoral Education units at University of Minnesota Medical Center-Fairview beginning August 27, 2007.
• Develop and lead a series of men’s retreat exploring aspects of male spiritual formation.
• Present a series of retreats dealing with prayer and spiritual formation.
• Develop materials, workshops and retreats to support Third Age Life Planning from the Christian perspective.
• Continue work on a Master of Arts from Luther Seminary:  Principles of Iconography (Fall, 2007); Romans (Spring, 2008);  Emotional Life of Older Adults (Spring, 2008); Cross Cultural Gerontology (Spring, 2008).
• Continue my reading in these and other selected areas. Click here to read book reviews on what I have read.  If you have read any of these books I would love to hear or see your comments, please feel free to make your views known.