The weather hadn’t been great, but it hadn’t been horrible. The winds weren’t as good as some years, but we had the sails up every day for at least a little while. But what elevated the week from the ordinary to the spectacular was the scenery. Desolation Sound is located roughly 80 miles north of Vancouver and is in the running for the most beautiful place I have ever been. I am convinced that when God was finished creating the world, there was extra beauty left on the palette of creation and was deposited in this particular corner of the planet. 6,000 foot, tree-lined, snow-capped mountains rising straight up out of the water. Waterfalls of every shape and size wherever you care to look. Water which has turned a milky green from the glacial run-off. Eagles in the air above and harbor seals in the water below. And not a telephone pole or power line in sight. Words are hopelessly inadequate for the task of describing it and even as we were taking the photographs we knew that they would not do it justice. It was a breathtaking, awe-inspiring reminder of the incredible abundance and variety of God’s presence in the world.

It was the morning of the last full day of a spectacular week when one of the crew was browsing through the log entries from the trip. “We haven’t reached our intended destination one single time this whole week.” As we all thought about it, we quickly realized that it was true. Every morning an entry is made in the log which indicates where we are planning to be that evening. And every evening an entry is made which indicates where we have actually anchored for the night. Not one of those pairs of entries matched. The process actually began before we had even left the marina on the first day. Our skipper had worked out a route before the trip which he thought would provide an enjoyable week. But after talking with the owner of the charter company and reviewing the charts of the area, he decided that another portion of the Sound offered much more spectacular vistas. The plans were changed and off we went. Every day we would look at the charts and the descriptions of the area and decide where to go next. And every day those plans would change. We would see something that inspired us to continue past where we had intended to stop. Or we would read about a spot we hadn’t even planned to visit. Or we would find a place too lovely to leave. We were open to new possibilities as they presented themselves. We weren’t so locked in to “The Plan” that we failed to see other options. There are some things you just can’t plan on until you get there. It happened in a variety of ways, but the end result was a trip which none of us could have predicted when we began, and one which none of us would trade for anything.

Such an approach can be helpful for more than just sailing trips. All of life can be that kind of adventure. If we are open to the leading of God’s Spirit in our lives - if we are open to the possibilities which present themselves along the way - we will end up in places we never could have predicted and have experiences beyond our wildest imaginings.

Both scripture passages this morning are about taking the unplanned path. (The fact that both stories also involve sailing is merely a happy coincidence.) When Jesus set out across the lake, he intended to pass by the disciples. We aren’t told why, but his intention to do so is clear. Those plans changed, however, when he became aware of the disciples’ distress. A new factor was introduced into the mix, and a change of direction was called for. Because Jesus was willing to alter course when the circumstances changed, the lives of his disciples were impacted in positive ways.

It was not Paul’s intention to travel to Macedonia. His plans would have taken him no where near the city of Philipi. But he came to understand that he should go there. He allowed himself to be diverted by the leading of God’s Spirit. As a result, he met a woman named Lydia, who became a key player in the development of the Church in that entire region. All because Paul had been willing to change his plans.

My own personal history in the Church is an illustration of this same approach. Whenever I have engaged in the process of seeking a new congregation to serve (including the decision to start the process in the first place), I have sought to be open to the opportunities which presented themselves. Of course I had some plans about where I wanted to go, but they were subject to change along the way. If I had stuck to some pre-determined “Plan,” I never would have ended up in Fort Smith, Arkansas. And I would have missed countless experiences which shaped my life and my ministry in deep and significant ways. The same could be said of my moves to Bellevue and Ephrata. They were not in my plans, but my life has been immeasurably richer because I was open enough to consider them. And that was certainly true of my move to The United Church of Moscow. I was virtually unaware of your existence when I started the search process. Moving to the Palouse was not even a possibility under consideration. It wasn’t that I was opposed to it. I simply didn’t know about it to include it in my plans. But I have been and continue to be enriched by the decision to change my plans to include you.

Of course there is a danger of simply becoming wishy-washy. Going through life just bouncing from one new thing to the next can be as problematic as being rigid and dogmatic about our plans. Being open to life’s possibilities and opportunities involves more than simply “going with the flow.” It requires discernment and discretion in deciding the possible value of the choices before us. But it also requires some risk and a sense of adventure. We have to be able to broaden our perspective enough to at least be aware of other options which happen to stray outside of our planned course. And we must always seek to listen for the still, small voice of God’s Spirit prompting us to new possibilities. The chances are almost certain that we will not always get it right. We will end up sailing in waters we might wish we had avoided. And we will miss out on experiences which could have been enriching. But on the whole I remain convinced that a willingness to change course from time to time is the only way to sail through this life. May God continue to be with us on the journey.