June 2008

Dear Friends,

     I've been thinking lately about sailing.
I used to do a good bit of sailing in New
England when I lived on Narragansett Bay
in Rhode Island and Long Island Sound
in Connecticut. I remember those times
fondly. There is something exhilarating 

about being out on the open water where
the elements of wind, warm sun and salt
water make for great adventures. The idea of sailing
intrigues me as an image for our church, and for us as individuals.

     Imagine our church as a schooner and our journey together through life as a sailing adventure. Our ship has a sturdy structure, yet we are also dependent on much that is beyond us. Wind, water, mast, canvas and crew are all interrelated.

     Imagine the relationship between the wind and the ship, for example, to be like our relationship to God. God is not an object. Rather, God is like the wind -- living spiritual power, always ahead, drawing and driving all of life. Like the wind, the Spirit of God generates a mysterious attracting/propelling power. Like the wind, that Spirit cannot be seen. Indeed, it cannot even be felt unless it is 'caught'--- as with the sails of our ship. In other words, God is the wind propelling our ship, driving it toward its destination.
 

     Where is this ship of ours headed finally? That remains a mystery. But the more we can discern the winds of the Spirit around us, the greater our chances of setting the sails correctly. And while we may not know the final destination, we can still engage in creative, loving human activity, caring for the seas upon which we sail, in harmony with the elements of the natural world around us, finding meaning in the very act of sailing.

     As I mentioned earlier, we can use the image of sailing for us as individuals, as well. Picture yourself as a sailboat: not made to be tied up or grounded; not made to be toted around behind some land yacht; not made to be sitting in a warehouse or garage until retirement or when we have the time.

     Our sailboat is made to be lifted up by the water and carried by the wind. Made to sail gracefully from inlet to port. Made to ride the waves and bask in the sun. One  uses the rudder to steer their life where they want to be. But we also know we are at the mercy of wind and waves, a mercy that comes from the most sacred, holy and life-giving of sources, from God.

     Truth 1: The seas of life are in the business of change and transformation.

     Truth 2: No one runs away from the sea.

     So, keep sailing. Chances are that through the storms, the calms, the exultation and exhaustion, we'll get maybe not where we thought we were going, but where we need to be after all.