Mike Collison's Sabbatical 2008

Out of Narnia - Thanks - Soli Deo Gloria

Sat, 31 May 2008 07:28:00 -0400

This week concluded my sabbatical time. In some ways it felt like visiting Narnia. I stepped out of my regular work life and rhythms into an adventure and just as suddenly stepped back out with seemingly no time gone by.

Seven weeks was wonderful. Long enough to slow down and reflect, but short enough to not lose my enthusiasm.

Like a great salad bar, I was able to taste and enjoy a variety of foods. I read, I did some teaching and work at home, I visited friends, I made new friends, I sat in unfamiliar churches, I missed my church family.

I wrote, I had my writing critiqued, I exercised, I played, I drove, I reflected, I wrote down my reflections, I prayed, I journaled, I enjoyed the moment, I pondered the future.

I sensed the presence, direction, and blessing of God in many different ways. Soli Deo Gloria - Glory to God Alone!

I am grateful to my church for the opportunity. I return to you a little fresher, a little healthier, a little wiser, a little more aware, and a lot more thankful to be living with and serving you.

Thanks to all who brightened and colored my sabbatical.

All my love and prayers - Mike May 31, 2008

Visited the Gathering at Wooddale

Mon, 26 May 2008 18:46:17 -0400

My brother Dan’s church offers an electic worship experience, using the weekend sermon. A cool environment and atmosphere.

The Gathering - at Wooddale

Mon, 26 May 2008 18:44:39 -0400

The Gathering - at Wooddale

Carolyn with one of her three kids. The church is currently...

Mon, 26 May 2008 18:40:00 -0400

Carolyn with one of her three kids. The church is currently meeting on the U of M campus, but will be moving to a local high school. In spite of its hiddenness, the church is growing fast. Mostly because friends keeps inviting friends. Lots of unbelievers checking it out. Great energy.

Visited Substance Church

Mon, 26 May 2008 18:37:22 -0400

On the recommendation of Tony Dunham, I checked out the church he attends when he is at Bethel. I was able to worship first service then sit for an hour with Carolyn, and associate pastor and the senior pastor, Peter’s wife. She shared their story and core values that drive Substance Church.

Anti-spectator and are committed to creating a culture of connection - they tell everyone you must have 4-7 friends and ministry to serving in.

They have broad subgroups - open small groups, passion-based, limited length, in the spirit of Fly Fishing and Dog Training.

Then they develop intimate Christian relationships/groups - they call S.H.A.P.E

S - same sex

P - prayer

A- accountable

C - confession

E - equal passions

Substance Church Website

Mon, 26 May 2008 18:11:18 -0400

Substance Church Website

Link to Holly's music and website

Sat, 24 May 2008 23:30:37 -0400

Link to Holly's music and website

Two much prettier faces. Linda and my sister in law Holly.

Sat, 24 May 2008 18:26:40 -0400

Two much prettier faces. Linda and my sister in law Holly.

Two smooth operators. My younger brother Dan turns 40 next...

Sat, 24 May 2008 18:05:55 -0400

Two smooth operators. My younger brother Dan turns 40 next week. We both got our undergrad degrees in music and both have chosen vocational church work and now are both bald. Weird.

Breakfast with an elder. Chris Matula took me out to Perkins. ...

Sat, 24 May 2008 17:58:04 -0400

Breakfast with an elder. Chris Matula took me out to Perkins. We had invigorating discussion about everything from theories on classic rock to the role of Bible commentaries, all over biscuits and gravy.

A book I'm reading on Humility

Mon, 19 May 2008 07:48:05 -0400

A book I'm reading on Humility

"Humility, the place of entire dependence on God, is, fromt he very nature of things the first duty..."

Mon, 19 May 2008 07:46:26 -0400

“Humility, the place of entire dependence on God, is, fromt he very nature of things the first duty and highest virtue of the creature, and the root of every virtue. And so pride, or the loss of this humility, is the root of every sin and evil.”

- Andrew Murray, Humility

"The subjects we teach are large and complex as life…The students we teach are larger than life..."

Mon, 19 May 2008 07:44:47 -0400

“The subjects we teach are large and complex as life…The students we teach are larger than life and even more complex. But there is another reason for these complexities: we teach who we are. Teaching, like any truly human activity, emerges from one’s inwardness, for better or worse. As I teach, I project the condition of my sould onto my students, my subject, and our way of being together.”

- Parker Palmer, The Courage to Teach

Here’s the window view of W. Miner Lake in the Chain...

Mon, 19 May 2008 07:38:00 -0400

Here’s the window view of W. Miner Lake in the Chain O’ Lakes. It has all the serenity and inspiration you’d expect from a cabin.

Which cabin you ask?

Mon, 19 May 2008 07:23:54 -0400

Okay, it wouldn’t be a Mike story if something didn’t go wrong. I don’t try to make this go awry, but I’m pretty sure its genetic.

Not thirty minutes after I told the blog I was in Ripon, I travelled out to the cabin (10:30ish). As I pulled up to the dark cabin and started to unload, I heard a dog bark and a light came on inside. I rechecked my confirmation letter and, though I had the cabin reserved, someone was in it. Cue the rain. Feeling flustered and not wanting a situation, I took off. As I drove away, I remembered that my friend Paul had given me a key to his cabin in Waupaca weeks ago. So I got out the map and headed north.

It was a long hour of driving roads with numbers but no names. It was raining and deer kept running out to meet my mini van. I was tucked into bed by 12:30 at the other cabin. Classic.

A book I'm reading on leadership and personal disciplines

Tue, 13 May 2008 22:33:00 -0400

A book I'm reading on leadership and personal disciplines

At the Cabin

Tue, 13 May 2008 22:30:59 -0400

It Tuesday night and I’m out at the cabin in Ripon for a few more days of prayer, reading, writing, and reflecting. Actually I’m parked behind subway snaggin’ free WIFI and listening to the Cubs on my grainy AM radio.

What a great game. Lotsa hits. Lotsa runs. In the first, Ryan...

Tue, 13 May 2008 22:28:45 -0400

What a great game. Lotsa hits. Lotsa runs. In the first, Ryan Braun blasted a homerun right over my and John Hartenberger’s head. The guy directly behind us snagged it. Molina was ejected, Tony LaRussa was ejected, and a drunk who hates my Cubs hat was ejected. Great fun!

Josh is back in town. You might remember Josh Chappeau, the...

Mon, 12 May 2008 08:58:56 -0400

Josh is back in town. You might remember Josh Chappeau, the intern from St. Louis that rode back to Appleton with us last summer. Over the last year, Josh has visited a few times and stayed connected with some of our students. He will be interning again this summer and needed to vacation early, so he and his friend Taylor drove up to go to a Brewers/Cards game. Oddly fortuitous, today is also the day ACEFC is taking a group, so we will be able to tailgate together.

I miss my church family

Mon, 12 May 2008 08:54:52 -0400

Sabbatical has taught me this. I miss my church family. It has been good to see the Kingdom of God being expressed in different places in different ways. But as this extended time away continues and my pile of not-my-church bulletins grows, I feel the tug of our unique and truly amazing church body. I especially miss the laughter and off-beat style.

I know that being in a community is clumsy and lots of work. In a real community you are known more than you want to be. You know others more than you might like to. But for all its rigors and trials, it is better to be in community with others than to not. It is healthy and important to know others and to be known.