I desire to reframe the city so that it might be understood as an ideal place for the kind of sabbath that leads to both personal and corporate renewal. Just as the biblical authors did, I am seeking to understand the city as a place of refuge. This will begin with a focus on rest and personal renewal that is grounded in prayer and scripture reading, but has the potential to lead to renewal on the communal levels of both church and city.

Since I am seeking to rest within the city rather than escape from it, I anticipate spending significant times of rest in my own city (Boston, MA). I also intend to travel to two global cities in Asia where I will learn the unique rhythms of city-rest alongside pastoral leaders in cultures that are both familiar and unfamiliar to me as a Korean-American. Having broadened my perspective on city-sabbath, I will then return to my own city for a final period of rest and reflection before I resume my ministerial duties.

Ultimately, it is my hope that this sabbatical will drive me to a deeper understanding of the one in whom true rest is found, the builder of that New City, Christ Jesus.