Gathering
by Claire Jerram
There comes a moment for a dandelion when it creates a silvery orb. The sun-like flowers give birth to seeds which cluster around a center, each with a feathery wing, and these, together, create the orb. All previous activity of the plant culminates in this silvery sphere.
In May, the seminary community came together for eight ordinations. The activity of the whole community required to prepare this culmination can hardly be grasped. Apart from the preparation on the soul level, getting there physically required an international temporary move on the part of a director’s family, and a two-week quarantine in Mexico for two members of the leadership in Berlin.
For those of us in the first and second years, much effort went into being able to gather this year, for ordinary classes alone. To be in one building with the North American priest circle, the ordinands, both seminary directors and many friends appears nothing short of miraculous.
But like the dandelion’s culmination, the synod and ordination lasted only a few days. Like the dandelion gathering, its ultimate purpose is dispersal, scattering. Like a warm wind, the spirit of the movement will blow each new priest to a new place to begin her work.
But even those of us who remain in Hillsdale will never again be in the place we were before these ordinations.
About the Author: Claire Jerram is a former Waldorf teacher who now runs a gardening summer camp out of her home in Baltimore. She loves to dance the Five Rhythms. Here is a picture of her at the Grand Canyon in 2016.
This is a blog entry by a student at The Seminary of the Christian Community in North America. These are posted weekly by the student editorial team of Robert Bower, Shannon Young and Faith DiVecchio. For more information about our seminary, see the website: www.christiancommunityseminary.ca and for even more weekly podcast and video content check out the Seminary’s Patreon page: www.patreon.com/ccseminary/posts.
The views expressed in this blog entry do not necessarily represent the views of the Seminary, its directors or the Christian Community. They are the sole responsibility of its author.