Dragon Ships

This month, during the time of Passiontide, I want to touch on the theme of exploration. You see, I have a confession to make: I have EDD. Have you ever heard of this acronym? Probably not, because I just invented it. It stands for Explore, Discover and Develop. If you think back to the middle ages, this was a time of great exploration, the earliest and most wide-ranging being the Vikings. Being Scottish, Irish and Swedish (Canadian), I figure that makes me pure Viking! The Vikings were famous for their dragon ships. Not only did they sail south and west, but they also travelled by land as far east as Sicily and Constantinople. There are now theories that they reached not just the east coast of Canada, but also the west coast. I wanted to present the image of a dragon ship, as it ties back into my earlier blogs on the Chinese year of the Dragon.

EDD can hit you at any age. Adolescents are encouraged to explore, discover and develop their skills and talents. It's unbelievably difficult for teenagers today to do that. All sorts of things get in the way: television, computers, video games, ipods, cell phones. This age of electronics conspires to create a cacaphony of noise and artificial images, striving to prevent them from doing any real inner work.

In going through a time of change, as I am now, I have to do the same thing. What marketable skills do I possess or could I develop? That's a very hard thing at my age. It's a very interesting thing that 5 or 6 years ago, when I was on the brink of a major change spiritually, the first volume of Esoteric Lessons came into my hands. Now, the second volume has arrived and I have the time and opportunity to discover and explore each lesson.

EDD can apply not just to individuals, but to groups as well. Our congregations are also going through a time of change. The impulse that led to the founding of our little communities is fading. Something new must be "discovered" and "developed". It is a time of "dying" and "rebirth". We are called upon every evening as individuals, and every Sunday as a community, to once again "die into Christ".

This year we mark the 90th birthday of the founding of The Church of The Christian Community, or TCC. (Privately, I like to refer to it as TLC). It's an interesting thing that it falls in the year 2012. We are being called, both as individuals, and as communities, to prepare for something new. Do you know this motto, "Be Prepared"? It's the motto for the Girl Guides. It is also the motto for my alma mater - Nous sommes prets - we are prepared. Simon Fraser University, named after another famous explorer (Scottish), sits atop a mountain in the heart of Vancouver, almost at the foot of which, is our church. For 4 years, I bussed, drove, and traipsed in heavy snow, up and down this mountain. What I could do in my 20's physically, I must now find a way to do inwardly. It means creating a space for movement - a movement of spiritual renewal.

Skol

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