Travelling for Wholeness

Pastoral Pondering
by Pastor Keith Larson

I am looking forward to a vacation. Next week, we are driving to Cañon City, Colorado to visit son Ben and his wife Beth. I visited there 1½ years ago when I attended a retreat at Rainbow Trail Lutheran Bible Camp where Ben works. However, it has been a long time since Ginger and I were there together. It is always fun to see our children, fun to see new places, and fun to get away for a while. I always enjoy road trips, heading down the open highway.

I realize I need to “get out of town” for a while. That is not saying anything negative about my work, the congregations or communities. I have just been focused on work for a while – perhaps that is the danger of late Easters. It has been a long haul since Christmas. I am truly grateful for the vacation time granted me during a year. I wish every organization, every employer knew the value of providing adequate vacation time for workers. I know I will come back home much refreshed, and much more productive.

The Board of Pensions of the ELCA which administers our church’s medical and pension plans recognizes the importance of pastors and all people to care for their bodies, minds and spirits. During the last several years, they have really advocated the concept of wholeness and wellness. How well we care for ourselves has an impact on health care costs for one practical reason. When pastors care for themselves and congregations help care for their pastors another result is longer, more satisfying pastorates.

Wholeness and wellness is a result of many factors. The ELCA has developed the “Wholeness Wheel” http://www.elca.org/Growing-In-Faith/Vocation/Rostered-Leadership/Leadership-Support/Health/Wholeness-Wheel.aspx . When we take care of all of the aspects in the wheel, we will be lots healthier. I regularly refer to this wheel and do some impromptu assessments. Social/ interpersonal well-being is related to maintaining friendships and attending to relationship with family members and co-workers, neighbors and friends. I will be attending to that by visiting with Ben and Beth and Sam and Heidi while on vacation. Intellectual well-being is related to stimulating one’s brain and learning new things. I have not had a television signal for 5 months now. I do not think I have missed much, but I have read many magazines. The area I need to concentrate on is physical well-being. I know I need to watch my weight, eat better and exercise more.

I would encourage you to work your way around the wheel and ask yourself how you might work to make yourselves whole and well. Do not forget about spiritual well-being that encompasses every aspect of our well-being. Our spiritual wellness is related not only to our worship, prayer and Bible study time, but to what we eat and how much, how much we share, how we relate to others and our work.

So, yes I am very much looking forward to a week’s vacation. But you know what they, that is we, all say about vacations. The best part of vacation is usually coming home again.