The Greeks wisely said that “the unexamined life is not worth living”. This also rings true for me as it relates to my personal faith and traditions. This sabbatical allows me to explore the foundations of my ecclesiastical tradition, the Evangelical Free Church of America, as well the faith traditions and practices of related and diverse orthodox denominations. I seek to better understand genuine differences in approaching spirituality while growing in appreciation for spiritual practices that my evangelical background may have inadvertently discarded. I wish to explore alternate orthodox spiritual approaches to foster my inner life, bridge denominational cultures and thus enhance my personal ministry to the congregations and pastors I serve. Two thirds of this sabbatical will be in Europe, a location that will provide time for rest, reading, recreation, wide spiritual exploration and conversations with the diverse church leaders whom I plan to interview. I also intend to fulfill, with my wife, the personal dream of making two pilgrimages: to visit Free Church and Lutheran roots in Norway while walking portions of Olav's Way to the Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim and to walk sections of the Camino Frances to Santiago de Compostela in Spain.