My task is not to describe the contents of tradition, whether Reformed or more broadly Christian, but how we relate to or inhabit tradition.  To do so I want to begin by exploring two metaphors that may help us grasp how we do this and its relevance for thinking about theological education and formation.  The two metaphors are the river and the house.  But keep in mind that metaphors like analogies are never fully adequate; at some point they break down.  Their purpose is to prompt theological imagination and thus open up perspectives that might otherwise be lacking.

The River and the House

Rivers start their journey from a source that might be many kilometers from where we experience them and where they eventually find their way into a lake or the sea.  Rivers vary in size and significance, are fed by different tributaries and often flow, sometimes swiftly, sometimes slowly, through several countries towards their destination.  Many forms of life inhabit rivers drawing nourishment from the nutrients they carry.  They can, of course, also carry disease and other dangers.  Humans depend on rivers for water, for transport, for food, and over time some rivers become sacred, their waters renowned for healing properties.  There are several ways we can relate to a river.  We can stand on the bank and watch it pass by; we can fish in it for something to eat; we can paddle along the banks or boat down to the ocean; we can swim to the middle and tread water; we can float downstream, going with the flow; we can swim like salmon against the tide; and, of course, we can be harmed by pollutants or drown.  So it is with tradition which begins in the distant past but which we experience here and now.  We can observe it passing us by or dabble in it in the shallows; we can fish for nourishment in its waters, or tread water as if to preserve its present form; we can let it carry us along as we journey or we can struggle against it and even drown in the attempt, or we can be hurt and harmed by unhelpful even dangerous elements.  If a river stops flowing, it stagnates, and the life that inhabits its waters perishes. Likewise traditions die if they are not continually renewed from their source, flowing through the landscape, giving life to all that inhabit them, and when necessary changing course.