Past Parallels

I have returned to Vancouver, and all along the journey I found my imagination jumping back into the past... like a sort of deja vu but not disturbing or a trick of the mind. Simply, I have done this before.

After a winter of feeling "unsettled" and "out-of-place," it was both comforting and disturbing to return to some of the places where I have felt most secure.

The drive from Corner Brook to Edmonton (which I did in May) seemed frequently to be a "turning back" or rewinding of the path - even though I chose major alternate routes at four different points along the way. It was reversing the journey I had taken the previous August.

In July and August I preached at Gilmore Park United in Richmond, BC, and at First United Church in Fort Saskatchewan, AB. Guess what I did last July and August? So much had happened in between, but there I was, in the same places, rehearsing the same roles... I think I was a better preacher this summer than last, though.

When I got to Vancouver in June (staying in the absent homes of others -- talk about feeling out-of-place! -- but many thanks to Elaine, Phil & Diane, and Elsie for their hospitality) I spent an afternoon with Clara and Kristen. It was hard to wrap my head around the idea that things had continued to happen here, while I was away. Because here I am, back, and here is Clara and Kristen just like they were when we hung out last summer. But of course the intervening times were full of challenges, blessings, and growth for all three of us. The confusion comes from the fact that we were all in different cities living in different contexts and facing different realities, and we really have no access to what has happened to our friends while we've been apart.

I also returned to Naramata this summer, though only for one afternoon. Many years ago, Brendan came to Edmonton to see Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone with a group of folks, and we had the brilliant idea to see all of the Harry Potter franchise together. We succeeded in seeing #2 together, as part of a crazy trip to Calgary with Laura and Joanna. The third and fourth installments were impossible, and I always regretted that. So I was committed to seeing The Order of the Phoenix with him. One Saturday, I left Vancouver and drove the five hours to Naramata, where we hauled-ass with a group of summer staffers to Penticton and caught the show. A bonus to this trip was a chance to touch base with Graham, as he has left for internship just as I am returning. Then I drove back. The last hour on the freeway was hell. I think I will never do that again, because of how horrible that final portion of the drive was, but I'm glad I did it overall. The whirlwind trip took just over 18 hours, and the sights of the Hope-Princeton road and Naramata were immensely restorative for me.

I've now returned to VST for another year of school, and this is another experience where the past is parallel. The physical reality of VST has changed immensely in three years, but still I'm having flashbacks. The difference I'm noticing is that whereas three years ago, VST was my destination, I'm now able to plan further ahead, and so being here is no longer my goal. That changes so much of my perspective, and I will be adjusting to that over the next few months.

I've enrolled in a program called Clinical Pastoral Education at the Vancouver General Hospital (CPE@VGH). This will be a big time commitment and a challenging emotional task. It also means I've extended my school program into an extra year, so I won't graduate next spring, but the spring after. I'm looking forward to convocating with Graham, Nick, and Elaine! I'm somewhat apprehensive about the CPE... I worry that my faith might be writing cheques that my emotional stability can't cash. We'll see.

I'm going to choose at least one sermon manuscript from the summer, to publish here. I'll just make sure it's a good one.