First Christian Church

Have you ever noticed how some people will track distance by miles and others count the number of hours it takes to drive somewhere? One of the differences between other parts of the country and "The West" has to do with how far people are willing to drive. I recently read "The Legend of Colton H. Bryant" - the life story of a young man killed in an oil drilling accident. Growing up in Wyoming, he and his buddies would often drive 3 hours to the next town to eat a burger...

 

 

Growing up in New Mexico, I took for granted that it was normal to travel far by car. We went to El Paso (an hour and a half / 90 miles away) for doctor's visits and "back to school" clothes shopping. Church camp was outside of Carlsbad (3 ½ hours), and other campers came from as far away as Odessa and Farmington (over 7 hours). Serving on the regional youth council meant a 12-hour drive (or sometimes flying) to TCU in Fort Worth.  I remember one Saturday when my parents drove us from Alamogordo to San Antonio, NM (over 2 hours away) just to go bird-watching at the Bosque del Apache along the Rio Grande and to eat lunch at the Owl Bar and Café. (They make fabulous green-chili cheeseburgers, by the way.) Imagine my surprise, after moving to central Illinois, when I met people who had never been to Chicago because it was "too far away" - a mere 2 ½ hour drive!

 

 

Since settling here the end of June, Charles and I have enjoyed a few "road trips" to get to know our new state... We went to the Denver area for a regional church meeting (4 hours away). In August, a friend from Chicago came out to visit - our first house guest! He and Charles headed off to Yellowstone. When I finished work that Thursday, I drove over to Jackson to meet them. This meant taking state route 20/26 to Shoshoni where it splits just before Boysen State Park, then 26 on across the Wind River Reservation (home to the Shoshoni and Arapaho Nations), through Dubois and over the pass to the Teton Range. The normally 5-hour drive is currently about 6, thanks to road construction.... So I got there by bedtime. We spent that Friday (my day off) savoring amazing views of the Grand Tetons, watching wildlife (pronghorn, bison and even a moose), and giving thanks to God for the glory of creation. I rose early Saturday to watch the rising sun paint pink and peach hues on Teton Peak and then light the crystal clear blue waters of Jenny Lake. As I stood alone in quiet stillness, listening to antelope munch nearby, I offered silent prayers of praise and thought to myself, "This was so worth the drive!" We made it home in time to stop by the youth group pool party before I collapsed, needing a good night's sleep before preaching the next day.

 

 

Last week Charles and I attended the Wyoming Association of Churches New Pastors' Conference at Ring Lake Ranch. I enjoyed watching an osprey on its nest, seeing ancient rock art, and spending time with other clergy. Next weekend, I'll travel with a dozen women from FCC Casper to the Central Rocky Mountain Region's "Women's Renewal" event in Estes Park. I suspect we'll see autumn leaves beginning to turn and perhaps even hear bugling elk.

 

 

My two recent worlds of Illinois and Wyoming intersected when the Broughtons came to visit. Gary Broughton grew up in the church I served in Bloomington, and the last funeral I led there was for his dad George. Now retired, Gary and Donna divide their months between the Jackson Hole area in northwest Wyoming and southern Arizona, depending on the changing seasons. They called and said, "We wanna hear ya preach." So - they drove over the continental divide and across the sage-covered plains just to take us out for dinner Saturday evening, come to early worship, and turn around and head back home. Kind of crazy, I guess, but that's part of living in The West - you're willing to drive many miles just to spend a little time with friends.

 

 

Whether you're traveling far or staying home, may you know that GOD IS WITH YOU. "Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence?... If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me fast." Psalm 139:7,9