As we approach the end of our 10-month sabbatical, you may be wondering, “What’s next for the Stewart family?” Or you may be asking, “What, they’ve been in America for 10 months??” Well friends, let me say a bit about each of those (stay with me, this gets progressively more interesting as it goes). First, our sabbatical has been amazing – restful, memorable, shaping, fun.  We have so much to write about our time that I will start a little “series” tomorrow on sabbatical highlights (in no particular order).  Much of what we have experienced and learned is shaping our sense of what’s next.  And I know that many of you really want those details.  So…

The next 3 weeks

• We are having a goodbye party this Saturday (15th) in Fresno!  It’s on open house, come by whenever, stay as long as you’d like deal 12:00-5:00.  Here’s the event link on fb or contact me if you want details.
• We are speaking at Friends Community Church (Fresno) this Sunday morning, then having a birthday party for the boys in the afternoon (including Arthur Paul’s baptism)
• Next week will be our last week in Fresno
• We are heading down to SoCal May 22-30. We will be at Foothills Community Church (Pasadena) on May 23. We have some people to visit and a few fun things to do during the week, but if you would like to see us, let me know and we might be able to make it happen
• On June 1, we are getting on an airplane and flying back to South Africa

June and July

We will spend two months (June and July) discerning God’s call for our family to be in South Africa. This is what we have felt for some time, and now we need to listen together on the ground. Is Cape Town the right place for us now?  We also want to reconnect with lots of friends and colleagues. By the end of July, we will decide if we are staying in South Africa or if there is a better place for us. If we stay, we will be leaving our current missions agency to partner with local people and ministries.  If we are leaving, we will say goodbye to South Africa and join an existing Church Resource Ministries team outside SA.

That’s the pragmatics.  But what is this Cape Town thing all about?  Very simply, we want to see people – ourselves included -  live the lives we were created to live. We believe the God who created and loves us makes this possible as we follow Jesus and allow his Spirit to continually awaken our deepest hearts and freeing us to become the amazing, beautiful, different, yet TRUE US. We also believe that we need each other to help us be different and together make a difference in our neighborhoods and world. This can take place LOTS of ways, so here’s where praying and exploring and asking God: who God has made us to be + our experiences, skills, and desires + the realities and needs of our family + the people and place we think God is calling us to be with = WHAT?

We think it might look something like this for us:

Living in a diverse neighborhood, loving neighbors, bringing people together. We are feeling the Woodstock neighborhood in Cape Town could be the one because of friendships we have there, its urban/cosmopolitan needs and opportunities, and the way we can picture our family living and flourishing

Helping people (particularly those who are often overlooked or left out) connect with, experience, and grow in God – especially in new, different, and “outside the box” ways that help change lives… one-on-one, ongoing groups, events, etc.

Working with local non-profits, ministries, and churches through teaching, training, and lending a hand – we want to help others who are also making a difference

Encouraging and equipping local leaders to have a reaching and lasting impact on their communities, especially through new and different types of faith communities

Participating in a regular friendship with other local and global practitioners – finding ways to collaborate for greater impact and strengthen one another in our journeys of following and serving Jesus

Oh, I could write so much more here, but this will have to do for now.  This was, after all, supposed to be an update – not a presentation! This is what we are going to explore. We will be in the place. We will be with the people. We will see what what God does and says. We are trusting that the specifics and next steps will become clear in the process.

Here’s where you come in!

1. Pray for us – now as we wrap everything up here (craziness, I tell you) & and as we listen with God there.  We will be updating/reminding you throughout
2. Do it with us – stay in regular conversation, find ways to help, support our family in this ministry with some monthly money, love us.  I feel a little weird asking for these, but know we need them!

More to come, but figured this would give you a little to chew on for now.
with love,
Arthur for the Stewarts

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In the rush to get our sabbatical started, pack up our entire house, and move from South Africa to California for the year, I haven’t sat down to write in detail about this sabbatical thingy.  But, with a little room to breathe, I wanted to start giving our friends more information on what we are up to.  I am sure this will turn into a multiple-post series, especially as we process and can begin to share what God is doing in us through the process.

In wrapping up our time with NieuCommunities in Pretoria and before starting for something new in Cape Town, we have a unique and precious window of time to let God prepare us in significant ways.  For today, some basics on the PURPOSES of our sabbatical…

1. The first purpose of our sabbatical is rest from several years of cross-cultural living and ministry.  We need to decompress, have time as a couple, and opportunity to do things as a family that we haven’t made as much time for in the last several years as we would have liked to.  We believe this will put us in a better place personally, spiritually, and relationally.

2. A second purpose of our sabbatical is restoration.  This is part of the reason we needed to leave our normal environment so we have time, space, and freedom from our normal obligations that can detract from making growth a top priority.  We are in the middle of a great program at Link Care in Fresno specifically designed for missionaries and their unique needs.  We will continue counseling throughout our time in Fresno as part of the process of continuing to grow into the people God wants us to be.  A big part of what we anticipate is deeper intimacy with God, one another, and all those God brings into our life.

3. A third reason for our sabbatical is reflection on the past several years of life and ministry.  What has taken place in our personal lives, what have we learned about life in community, how has God shaped and used us in South Africa, and what does all this mean for the future?  Expect lots of writing…

4. The final purpose for our sabbatical is preparation for what God has in store for us in this next season of life and ministry.  We have some pretty good ideas about what that will look like, but want God to confirm and clarify.  We expect God to further reveal hopes, details, and specifics.  We also anticipate this leading us to further training and learning to get us ready.  And, we want to use this time to develop the patterns and habits we will need to continue successfully in the next season.  Of course, you will hear more and more as we do, and as we gear up for all that is to come when our sabbatical ends on May 31.

For now, we are settling into life, school for the kids, and soon a new house (renting from friends) in Fresno!  More on all that, and some pics, soon

In the meantime, would appreciate your comments and prayers.

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Tonight is our last night in Pretoria.  Tomorrow, we pack away last things, take care of final details here, and head to the airport.  It’s hard to believe that we are moving and ending our time with the team we have worked with for over 6 years.  Yes, we know this season is done and God has new and exciting things ahead.  Yet we are feeling somewhere between sad and surreal in leaving.

Thanks to all who have made these last years so special.  And here’s to all those we jounrey with in days ahead!

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other than the obvious, we live on the planet, so need it to actually function….

thanks to Melanie for sharing this with our community yesterday.  simple, direct, not too long

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“God’s heart is broken for this world and He has given each of us a unique piece of it.  That’s why we all have a different burden for minsitry that we are meant to steward in God’s Kingdom.”

- Hal Burke

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When I was in college, I took a class on the Gospel of John.  It was one of my favourite classes – partially because the professor was fantastic, and partially because that book is fantastic.  I’ve always loved John’s Gospel and find myself returning to it regularly.  A few Friday’s ago, we did an imaginative reading of John 9:1-12.  We read the story of Jesus’ encounter with a man who had been born blind, placing ourselves in the story.

Basics of the story:

• In coming across a man born blind, Jesus’ disciples ask him about the cause of his blindness.  Was it because the man or his parents sinned?  Apparently the prevailing thought was that a condition like blindness was caused by sinful behaviour.  Seem silly?  Pretty sure we’re still trying to figure out WHY things happen, and make false attributions all the time.
• Jesus says that neither the man or parents sinned.  It has happened so God’s work might be displayed in his life.  What??  How can God’s glory be seen in a blind beggar?  And what is God waiting for?
• Jesus spits on the ground, makes mud, puts it on the man’s eyes, and tells him to go to the Pool of Siloam to wash it off (interesting technique).
• The man does, and he can see!

Jesus, you are amazing.  You cut through the superstition and speak truth.  You show your power and the healing available in God’s Kingdom.  I know all this.

But something that struck me from our reading this time through is that like in many other episodes in John, Jesus is demonstrating what he is saying.  Seems like people always wonder why Jesus used the mud as part of the man’s healing.  How about this…  Jesus, in effect, is saying that GOD made the man blind.  He acts this out by putting mud on his eyes.  God has covered your eyes with blindness.  I am covering your eyes with mud.

Why?  So the work of God might be displayed in the man’s life.  Go and wash, and see.  And as you see, THE REST OF US SEE GOD’S GLORY.

I think this is also a case where Jesus is clearly showing that he is God.  If God made the man blind (remember, he was born this way, it was not due to accident or illness), then only God could make him see.  Jesus frees the man to see.  If this healing displays GOD’S glory, and Jesus was the one who healed, then Jesus is God.

I pray: Jesus, you are indeed the light of the world.  You shine loving light into our darkness.  I have so many dark places.  You help us to see what is real, what is true.  Take away my blindness, I want to see.

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the 40 days leading up to Easter.  Symbolic of Jesus’ 40 days in the desert, fasting them tempted by the devil.

In the Church, it is a time of preparation.  Sobriety as we consider the life then death of Jesus.  As such, it is often marked by special observances like fasting, additional prayer, and giving.  Sacrifice from the gracious heart.

Our community spent some time last week considering and praying about how WE might focus ourselves in this season.  Some words/ideas that God gave us:

• refocus
• remind
• busyness.  examining.  why do we do what we do? doing the right things. simplicity of time. making room. creating space for…
• daily “stop” together
• i don’t want your empty sacrifices.  listening and responding to God.
• giving.  spring cleaning. our whole selves. sacrifice. examination
• fight for one another’s hearts. care for one another’s hearts.

This week we will decide on specific steps.

For myself, I am hoping to clear my life of a bit of the clutter that takes up space that could be given to God.  So, I will not do any email in the evenings (I normally do personal email after the kids go to bed).  Rather, I’d like to have more time for prayer, reading, and conversation with Melissa – all places God tends to speak to me.  Not surprisingly, I find myself wondering how I will get to all my emails.  And this makes me a bit anxious, which pretty much leads me to believe that this is exactly the thing I should be doing.  It’s not just “giving up” because of some sense of guilt obligation.  Rather, it’s an opportunity to let God shape me like I desire to be shaped.

May this season be full of Jesus for me and you.

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i struggled with the best word to use at the end of the title above

We began our spiritual practices yesterday.  Each year, our community engages in various spiritual practices/disciplines together to better position ourselves to let God work in our lives.  We listened to a cd of part of a lecture by John Coe, the director of the Institute of Spiritual Formation.  Coe is speaking about resisting the temptation of “moral formation.”  The basic premise is that when we are faced with our sin/failure, we are tempted to perfect ourselves through our own efforts to relieve our feelings of guilt and shame.  We try to be “good people” – generally by our own efforts (instead of relying on Jesus, the one who actually has/can overcome).  This is some pretty good stuff on how self-powered much of religious life can be.

Problem is, I don’t relate.  I walked out of our time wondering what God might want to say to me, since I don’t think this temptation is a great one for me.  Fortunately, God was ready to talk!  See, when I am faced with my wrong or failure, I don’t try to “do better.”  I simply deny or hide.  I don’t try to use effort to get better.  Of course, this is also not a good position!  I was thinking about WHY I don’t try to “be better” like Coe is talking about?  I thought of a few things:

1. I believe theologically that I am a saint who nevertheless sometimes falls short of bearing the Image of God in me.  In other words, I don’t start out believing I am a “sinner” by nature.  We can talk about original sin in another post..
2. I believe in and have experienced spiritual practices as connectors to God, not just means to making myself better.
3. I am far too ok letting walls exist between me and others and thinking I can hide with my crap

As a result, I generally keep people at a distance.  Those who get too close my see the crap.  Or, I let people see my pretty parts, disctracting them from seeing the dirt in the corner.  I’m really good at this (or at least I think I am).  I believe God is/will work on all that junk, but I don’t want other people touching it.

In spending time with this, I began to wonder if maybe God wants to use other people – the ones I try to hide from or distract – to help me?  Will I have the courage to either let people see the crap or acknowledge the crap they see and I don’t want them to see?  God, could this be a key to freedom from those dark places I keep so hidden?  I’ts hard for me to imagine living this way, but what might happen?

Please pray for me as I step into this better way.

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Over the past years, I have discovered that I love to connect God in “traditional” ways.  Incense, candles, and liturgy all remind me of the majesty of mystery of God.  They also make me feel connected to other believers world-wide in worship.  Thank to my friend Myra Perrine for helping me put words and practice to this unique way God has created me.

I have especially come to appreciate praying the hours.  This basically entails, in sometimes varying form, praying at set times during the day.  Different traditions (Orthodox, Catholic, Anglican, etc.) each have their way of honoring this tradition.  Last year, I got turned on to The Divine Hours by Phyllis Tickle.  She has organized set prayers for 4 times of day: morning, midday, vespers (evening), and the night office.  Each time has psalms, prayers, and scripture to be read.  If you are a little wary of “scripted prayers,” let me say that it is also liberating to get to be immersed in so much scripture!

I’ve begun reading this with several friends around the globe.  Each has reported that it has been very helpful to pray with more regularity and speaking out scripture.  As we’ve begun our 2009 NCSA apprenticeship, I think a few may join us in regularly praying this way together.  I love that I can join friends in prayer this way.  Wonder if you’d also like to do this with us?  The books are easy to get (there are 3 books for the year) and pretty inexpensive.  let me know if you’re interested or if you haev questions.

You might also enjoy a website we created last year that posts prayers and creeds that you can say on a daily basis.  Easy to subscribe!

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so amazing!  thank you best friend Andrew Breitenberg for this wonderful birthday gift.

We flew out of the Wonderbook airport and leaped at 11,000 feet.  I will try to get pics from Melissa and Andrew to share with the rest of you…

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