The Main Quest – Closing Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

From birth to the grave we are on a quest.  It is a journey back to God.  We are given the quest.  We did not seek it.  It is our just the same.

The Main Quest is simple:  Seek the Father with all your heart.  Love him.  Love his others creations.  I realize that this seems too simple.  There is subtext but Jesus made it clear that all things are built on this.

I must keep to the quest.  I must make all that I do a part of the quest.  There are sign posts along the way.  There dangers and rewards.  Moments of sorrow and joy abound.  The joy in the journey abounds in following Christ. 

We cannot quest well on our own.  We have fellow travelers.  We have gifts and provision.  We must be wise in our side quests.  We must assure that we follow.  The goal of the quest is home, peace, and life.  I must stay the main quest.

Pilgrims to the City of God – Michael Card

Pilgrims of passion we follow the One

Who holds out a cross and a crown

We travel a dark road that has but one Light

For we have here no lasting town

Sometimes we run by the power of His might

On our own at the best we can plod

What we hopefully look for is just beyond sight

We are pilgrims to the city of God

The stigma of strangers lost in a strange land

In a fallen world that's not our home

But we are not homeless prodigals here

Because we have someplace to go

Sometimes we run by the power of His might

On our own at the best we can plod

What we hopefully look for is just beyond sight

We are pilgrims to the city of God

Behold you have come to Mount Zion

The the City of Great King

To thousands and thousands of angels who've come

Assembled to joyfully sing, they sing

Sometimes we run by the power of His might

On our own at the best we can plod

What we hopefully look for is just beyond sight

We are pilgrims to the city of God

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

The Main Quest – All Those Who Wander

Greetings Dear Reader,

There is something about every great quest that seems hopeless, impossible, or even a little mad.   The quest seems foolish so easily.   I am following by faith someone I cannot see.  I learned about him through an old book handed down for centuries.  I am seeking things that I cannot see.

Everything about my current life is temporary.   Everything I have will be someone else’s trash or treasure some day.  The entirety of my life will be weighed by the value of things that cannot be touched.

To the uneducated eye Christ followers are wandering homeless.  We are not supposed to have a “home” her.  We are on the sea, questing for that undiscovered country.  We are weary travelers in search of rest.  If all this sounds a bit disjointed, then It is because it is.  Although the quest is completely logical it is also mad. 

We are not just lost travelers.  We are pilgrims.  We have a destination that matters.  We know where we are going even when we are not sure how to get there.  Our obligation is to keep moving.  Our job is to follow.

Sail on Sailor – Mustard Seed Faith

Sailin’ over the ocean

In search of life’s mysteries

Torn by tears and fears, forgotten dreams

And rusty memories

Sail on, sailor

Til you find what it is you’re lookin’ for

Trim your sails and turn your ship around

To the Lord

So many ports you’ve seen

And still your search goes on

Hoping that you’d find your way

But loneliness and pain are all you’ll ever find

Until your captain is the Lord

Sail on, sailor

Til you find what it is you’re lookin’ for

Trim your sails and turn your ship around

To the Lord

Sail on, sailor

Til you find what it is you’re lookin’ for

Trim your sails and turn your ship around

To the Lord

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

The Main Quest – What About Side Quests?

Greetings Dear Reader,

There will be side quests.  Some of them can lead to long delays, unnecessary danger, or abandonment of the main quest altogether.  The side quests must be accepted carefully.  Some of the side quest turn out to be part of the main quest.

The idea is to choose carefully the side quests we accept.  We must always consider the danger.  We must always consider the consequences and rewards.  The dangers and benefits must be a part of the equation.  We must use wisdom.   We must be sure that the side quests are still a part of following Christ.

Most of the side quests are useless and unrewarding.   They rob us of time and resources.  They harm us.  They leave with scars and pain.  They are part of the reason we suffer, fail, or completely give up on our quest.

The quest is the thing.  We must follow the main quest without distraction.  There will be side quest that enhance the main quest.  I must be vigilant to choose well.  I must assure that all my questing leads to the main quest.  When I have failed at this is when I have done the most harm and taken the most damage

Sticking to the main quest is where the real reward is It is.  There will still be danger but there will also be wonders.  There will be miracles and magic.  I may even get to fly or walk on water.

Walk on the Ocean – Toad the Wet Sprocket

We spotted the ocean at the head of the trail

Where are we going, so far away

And somebody told me that this is the place

Where everything's better, everything's safe

Walk on the ocean

Step on the stones

Flesh becomes water

Wood becomes bone

And half and hour later we packed up our things

We said we'd send letters and all those little things

And they knew we were lying but they smiled just the same

It seemed they'd already forgotten we'd came

Walk on the ocean

Step on the stones

Flesh becomes water

Wood becomes bone

Walk on the ocean

Step on the stones

Flesh becomes water

Wood becomes bone

Now we're back at the homestead

Where the air makes you choke

And people don't know you

And trust is a joke

We don't even have pictures

Just memories to hold

That grow sweeter each season

As we slowly grow old

Walk on the ocean

Step on the stones

Flesh becomes water

Wood becomes bone

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

The Main Quest – Magical Weapons

Greetings Dear Reader,

In my years of gaming I have created some very interesting magical weapons.   My younger Son, who inspired this line of thought, still talks about his sword that helped make his character very powerful.

We have magical weapons for the quest.  They are only useful for the quest but have benefits far beyond it.  The three most powerful are the obvious ones.  They are our to wield as needed.

The obvious ones are faith, hope, and love.  They are always available through Christ.  We do not need to roll the dice or roll play to avail ourselves of the benefits.  We only need to use what we have been given. 

We even have a metaphor for the other weapons we have.  It has the purpose of helping us stand against the evil we will encounter.  We fight against “the powers who govern this world of darkness, and spiritual forces that control evil in the heavenly world.”

These weapons are:

The belt of truth:  The truth has its own power

The breastplate of righteousness:  Our righteousness in Christ protects our heart

Boots for walking the journey to spread the Gospel:  As we are going we get to share the good news of peace through Christ.

The shield of faith:  Faith protects us from the flaming attacks of the evil.  It is how we live.

The helmet of salvation:  Our head; our thoughts are protected by the assurance that we are going home.  That is our destination.

The sword of the spirit:  We have the Word of God as our weapon.  It is fast and powerful.  It is living.  It discerns between the thoughts and intents of the heart.

 

These are our weapons and armor.  They are magical, powerful, and available to all who follow Christ.  They are ours to use.  They work.  It is up to me to assure that I avail myself of them.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

The Main Quest – Rules of the Quest

Greetings Dear Reader,

In every quest there are rules.  There are guiding principles.  There are imposed standards.  There are guidelines.  These rules are either intended to protect or manipulate.  The rules are either good or bad.  In any event when the one questing violates the rules there are consequences.  Following them can also yield rewards.

It is not my place to dictate rules.  I am required to discern which ones come from the right sources.  The quest is fraught with danger.  Some of the rules; the ones from the proper sources are there to protect the traveler.  They exist to keep us moving toward the main quest.

One can argue all one wishes about the rules and their source but there are some that work at the universal level.

Rules of the Quest:

• Love your guide (Love the Lord God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength)
• Love your fellowship, party, or fellow travelers (Love your neighbor)
• Love the evil wizard, evil dragon, evil killer bunny (Love your enemies)
• Be Good (Lawful, Chaotic, or otherwise)

I realize that sometimes we feel like the game master is just messing around with us.  The problem is that we do not know the end of the quest and he does.  We try to circumvent the rules and meta-game our way through the journey.  This also does not work. 

I must discern if the rules relate to the main rules listed above.  I must understand that the journey is my responsibility and my obligation.  I must follow the leader of the fellowship with all my heart.  It is the only way I can get to the main quest.

Bungle in the Jungle – Jethro Tull

Walking through forests of palm tree apartments

Scoff at the monkeys who live in their dark tents

Down by the waterhole

Drunk every Friday

Eating their nuts

Saving their raisins for Sunday.

Lions and tigers

Who wait in the shadows

They're fast but they're lazy, and sleep in green meadows

Let's bungle in the jungle

Well, that's all right by me

I'm a tiger when I want love

But I'm a snake if we disagree

Just say a word and the boys will be right there

With claws at your back to send a chill through the night air

Is it so frightening to have me at your shoulder?

Thunder and lightning couldn't be bolder

I'll write on your tombstone; I thank you for dinner

This game that we animals play is a winner

Let's bungle in the jungle

Well, that's all right by me

I'm a tiger when I want love

But I'm a snake if we disagree

The rivers are full of crocodile nastiest

And He who made kittens put snakes in the grass

He's a lover of life but a player of pawns

Yes, the King on His sunset lies waiting for dawn

To light up His Jungle as play is resumed

The monkeys seem willing to strike up the tune

Let's bungle in the jungle

Well, that's all right by me

I'm a tiger when I want love

But I'm a snake if we disagree

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

The Main Quest – What is Your Quest?

Greetings Dear Reader,

For some of you Dear Reader this will evoke images of Monty Python.  I am good with that.  I see the levity in the idea of questing.  I also see that we so often forget what the main quest is.

I wish to draw a distinction between something first.  People use the word “religious” to generalize about faith and following.  It is also used to dismiss, reject, and marginalize.  The distinction is that those who follow Christ are not religious.  They are part of a family of faith on a journey home.

The main quest is to get home.  The journey is fraught with dangers and side quests.  So many things work to distract us from the path that leads to our destination.  The quest for now is to follow. 

This begs a larger question for those who do not have faith.  What is your quest?  What is the chief end of man?   There are as many answers to this as there are variants of unbelief or other belief. 

My quest is to follow.  My journey is to get home.  The journey will have challenges, dangers, opportunities, and rewards.   My responsibility is to stay the quest.  There will be guidance when needed.  There will be provision and care.  The one I follow is Cleric, Wizard, Warrior, and Rogue.  How about you Dear Reader?  What is your quest?

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

The Main Quest – Opening Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

My Son Bezel posted a thought the other day that resonates with me.  “I feel like I'm at a point in my life where I know I need to advance the main quest, but instead, I faff about doing side quests because the main quest is intimidating and I don't feel like I've leveled up enough to be able to handle it.”  I cannot find the source of the quote but it is something that is spinning in my mind.

I have been a fan of table top gaming for fifty years.  The idea of advancing the main quest is one familiar to all of you Dear Reader.  It may not be due to hours of Dungeons and Dragons or GURPS.   

First a note to those who see these things as evil or a waste of time.  The truth about gaming is that any it is far from evil.  It is a great tool for teaching creativity, courage, and character.  It is a great way to build community.  Any evil that arises is in the people not the game.  I think that also covers the wasted time aspect.  Anything that builds character is not a waste of time.

I am more interested in what keeps us from the main quest.  What is it that draws our interest from what we desire to do?  What is it that has us chasing small things that do not matter when there is a dragon to slay and a maiden to rescue? 

Thank you Son for something to ponder.  You do that for me often.  Walk with me for a bit Dear Reader and as always I cherish your thoughts.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)