Evanston - August 31, 2015

I drove today from Rawlins to Evanston - about a three hour drive. The speed limit on  almost all sections of I-80 is 75 miles per hour; on some sections  it is 80 miles per hour, so one zips along. Evanston is in  the extreme southwest corner of Wyoming. The first 50 miles of the drive from Rawlins were, I will admit, barren. Flat prairie, with no visible cattle or anything else. Just thousands of trucks on the highway. I didn't mind using the time to listen to my CD lectures on Mindfulness (truly). But after 50 miles, the landscape became very interesting again, with enormous sand butes and red rock hills. I learned later that this is called the red desert of Wyoming. Now I am really in the rockies, although not the dramatic part. Directly north of me, about 100 miles, are the Grand Tetons and  Yellowstone, which I will soon be visiting. But for now, I am on the Mormon trail, headed through the south pass of the  rockies, downward into Utah. The Mormons are very good about preserving their recent history, and the saga of their handcart pilgrimage from Missouri to Utah in 1845-48 is amazing. That was only the first wave. Others followed, until the intercontinental railroad was completed in 1868.

The western part of Wyoming is heavily Mormon, by some measures. However, my experience indicates that the cowboy thirst for alcohol has not yet been assuaged. Bar and grills constitute the available fare is most of these small towns. Since Mormons do not drink alcohol, I wonder where these establishments get so many customers.  The Presbyterians are certainly too few to support them. And the amount I've spent on alcohol on this trip so far is, zero. The bartenders are kindly enough to provide me a big glass of water. In that respect, I am more Mormon than Presbyterian.

No great picture today, But, so as not to disappoint, here's the motel I left behind in Rawlins.

Perigee - August 30, 2015

The highlight of my day was waking up this morning at 6 AM, opening my motel curtains, and beholding an absolutely stunning moon, hanging above the  Econolodge sign outside my window. I cannot describe it, except to say it was exceptionally large and clear, shining extra-brightly in a dark azure sky. I took this picture, which in no way captures the  beauty. It does capture the Econolodge and the  rock cliff behind and  above it. I hope you saw it for yourself.

Later, I went to worship at the Rawlins Cooperative Parish, which is a joint effort of the Presbyterian Church in town and the United Methodist Church - each of which owns a nice building with a dwindling congregation. It makes a lot of sense for them to join in an exploratory way. They each have their own building and worship, but, out of necessity, they are adapting. The sermon today was ably given by a Presbyterian elder while the pastor, a United Methodist, is away.  She will return tomorrow, and I hope to have time with her then.

I went to lunch with the elder and his family, where we talked about  the challenges of joining together and the perils of staying separate. The old theological differences between Methodists and Presbyterians about whether grace is irresistible or not don't matter a whit to these folks.  What matters is: what is going to become  of the building and slightly different worship tradition I love? It was good to talk with them, not just about the churches, but about Wyoming in general. Over and over again I hear from very kind people: this is a very conservative state. And, they say, many people just can't live in Wyoming, because the life here is too hard for them. "An acquired taste" one person told me. But once you have acquired it, you really love it. Why is it so difficult? Because of  the barren soil (until the minerals and petroleum were discovered), the difficult climate, and the isolation. What is there to so love about it? As one person explained: "high altitudes and low multitudes." I am beginning to understand.

Travelling- August 29, 2015

I'm sort of tired today, after driving a lot. The ride from Laramie to Saratoga, across the  Snowy Ridge Road through the Medicine Bow National Forest was spectacular. Here are a couple of pictures:

Medicine Bow peak


And, because I cannot resist it, I will add my photo of  the

picture in the bathroom of my motel in Laramie:

I visited two churches today - one  in the  lovely town of Saratoga (population 1600), the other in the less lovely but equally interesting town of Encampment (population 420).  As I am now discovering is characteristic of many Wyoming small towns, only the main street is paved. Both are small churches, trying to hold  their own, They are the main churches in their towns. They say they simply do not talk about the PCUSA's controversial issues. They focus on their community ministries, and, although both congregations are conservative in theology, they feel a deep loyalty to the PCUSA. They are the kind of conservatives who say "my church right or wrong."

I am now in Rawlins, a rough town of 9,500 people on Interstate 80, very near Sinclair, where a very large (Sinclair) petroleum refining operation is located. There are many trucks on I-80, and many motels in Rawlins. All the motels in town can stay full of oil, gas, and railroad workers. I'm lucky to have found a room in a motel that has, sadly, no distinctive bathroom art at all.
More about all that tomorrow. Enjoy the pictures!

Laramie - Bright and Dark - Augusut 28, 2015

Today I had two experiences: one  bright, one dark.The bright one occurred when I visited the United Presbyterian Church of Laramie, adjacent to the beautiful campus of the University of Wyoming, where I had a good conversation with the pastor, Jason Harshberger. The church building, built in the 1950's, has been renovated nicely, to allow for more flexible use. 

The congregation, which numbers about 180, has many ties to the university and the community. Jason is himself a native of Wyoming and a graduate of its university. He went to seminary in Chicago and served a church there before returning to Laramie. The church has invested heavily in children's, youth, student, and family programs, with some success. As might be expected in a college community, the controversial issues of the PCUSA have not caused a great deal  of turmoil in this congregation. Nonetheless, some older and previously loyal members have withdrawn their support. Even so, this church seems vital. 


The dark experience concerned the legacy of Matthew Shepard. Jason  was a student at the University when the murder occurred. Like everyone, he was horrified. Still, he reported, many people in Wyoming and in Laramie especially felt that the press reports portrayed an essentially negative view of the entire community. As someone who lived in Alabama during the civil rights struggle, I understand that feeling of protectiveness - the dismay of feeling that your whole community has been  blamed for the actions that, while disgraceful, did not characterize the whole community. At the suggestion of a friend, I tried to find the lonely spot where Shepard was killed - where he was left to die. It is hard to do. Still , with some computer research, I did locate it. What was mainly barren territory in 1998 is now partially suburbanized. The precise spot carries no monument. The fence has been taken away. Very nice homes  are now visible in the area. Homeowners are understandably reluctant to have the site become a site of pilgrimage. Still, this is where it happened, and the feeling of darkness can not be ignored..There is a  memorial bench for Matthew on the campus of the university.

Laramie - August 27

I had a beautiful drive from Cheyenne to Laramie on Happy Jack Road, avoiding the interstate. Laramie is very much a college town, home of University of  Wyoming, and classes start on Monday - so the town is  full of returning students. You know you are in a college town when you see a sign  like this on a coffee shop door:

I spent several pleasurable hours walking around the downtown area and the university. Then I went to the Wyoming Territorial Prison, a state historic site just outside  of town, very well restored and quite interesting to tour. Its specific claim to fame is that it is the only prison that ever housed Butch Cassidy, where he was incarcerated for 18 months in mid-career. He was released when he promised the governor that he would commit no more crimes in Wyoming - a promise  which gave  him a great deal of wiggle room. As far as we know, he kept that promise.

Contrary to the movie, which ends with Butch and the Sundance Kid being killed in a shoot out in South America, the prison displays a letter from his sister claiming that Butch came home, apologized to his family, and lived out his life as a sheep herder.

Tomorrow back to church thoughts.

Warren Air Force Base - a story - Agust 26

Today is my last day in Cheyenne. I tried to visit the museum at Warren Air Force Base, a home of America's Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles force, but I was not allowed on the base due to heightened security. They would have let me in if I could have found someone on the base who would be responsible for me. I drew a blank. I did get the attached picture at the entrance.

This is the story that I was told yesterday by a long-time elder at First Presbyterian Church.

During World War II, Warren was a Prisoner of War camp for captured Italian and German soldiers. Security was not especially tight. The prisoners were allowed to come to church and to do some work for people in town. One German prisoner was especially close to a camp commander, who was a member of First Church. The prisoner sometimes came to church with him.

After the war, the former-prisoner was repatriated to East Germany, from whence he somehow made his way to West Germany, and thence to the United States, and thence back to Cheyenne. He and his German wife lived in Cheyenne for many years, where through industry and skill they bought and renovated houses. Later, they moved to Florida, where he died, and, recently, his wife also  died. They had no children. The widow left First Presbyterian Church of Cheyenne a multi-million dollar bequest.

which was just received and finalized this summer.

What do  you make of that?

Two Very Different Churches - August 25

I spent much of  the morning at the First Presbyterian  Church of Cheyenne, and much of the afternoon with the First Presbyterian Church of Burns. The two churches could  hardly be more different.

The Cheyenne Church is the epitome of establishment. It occupies a large beautiful stone edifice only a block away from  the Wyoming capitol, and adjoins the Wyoming Supreme Court. It has a gorgeous sanctuary, 500 members, and an extensive staff. It is one of the oldest churches in Cheyenne, and, if truth be told, one of the wealthiest. As usual, my welcome there was extremely warm. The  pastor and elder with whom I met provided accounts of the rich history of the church. The theological tone is quite moderate. They have had a few disgruntled members over the years, some leaving because of personal issues, and some theological. A  few have left for more liberal milieus, and a few have left for more conservative ones. The controversial decisions of the PCUSA are rarely discussed. The pastors have not yet had a request to perform a gay marriage. They will cross that bridge when they come to it. This is the church where people have a deeper commitment to civility than to being right. I felt very comfortable there.

The First Presbyterian Church of Burns is 30 miles east of Cheyenne in a very small, rural community.  The streets are not paved.There is a regional high school there that draws students from a wide area. The church is in an attractive, well-maintained facility, with a  new multi-media audio-visual system. It  has a membership of 27 and an average attendance of about 20. I met with the  pastor and with their entire session (governing body). The people were warm-hearted and  welcoming, and we laughed a lot at their good-natured jokes about liberals. This church is, they say, composed of like-minded people who are all "conservative Christians." They are deeply saddened and grieved about the secular direction of our culture and the accommodation of the PCUSA to that culture. They believe that the church should lead the nation/community toward righteousness, rather than accommodating to its worldliness. They are deeply opposed  to any church sanctioning of homosexual relationships, because it goes against what the  Bible says "in black and white." One person fears that the Bibles sold in the  future will omit certain  passages and change certain words to make it more palatable to a degenerate culture. Similarly, they were deeply distressed about the PCUSA General Assembly's decision to divest from several companies that are deemed complicit with the destruction of Palestinian communities. They see the church as becoming anti-Semitic. The Bible says, they say (and they are right - see Genesis 12:3 for instance) that those who bless Israel will be blessed, and those who curse Israel will be cursed. They see America as now being cursed because of our supposed abandonment of Israel. Interestingly, one person said that, to be consistent, if we  insist that Israel should return land to the Palestinians, then the US should give back all the land it took from the Indian nations. But these people, who could probably tell that I was not in agreement with their position, were personally very warm to me, and they insisted that, in any written report, I should make it plain that they love everyone.

These two churches represent the great conflict and divide, not only in Wyoming Presbyterianism, but in American  Protestantism - indeed, one  might even say, in  American Christianity.They spring from very different ways of interpreting the Bible. The opposing positions are held by good and earnest people. But their beliefs and opinions seem irreconcilable.

Cheyenne Korean - August 24

Today I made contact with Pastor Yoon Kak Cho of Cheyenne's Korean Presbyterian Church, and we met for a while at their building. Pastor Cho was born in Seoul, came to Canada as  an adult, and then to the US, where he has been a pastor in Portalnd Oregon, and now  Cheyenne. The Presbyterian Church has had a long, enduring, and strong missionary connection with Korea, and many American Koreans are Presbyterian. There is, perhaps, a similarity between Calvinism and Korean culture. 

The Cheyenne congregation is small - about 40 people maximum, he says, at a picnic. Winter services are smaller! Pastor Cho estimates that the total Korean population of Cheyenne is about 100, many of whom are women who are wives of American Air Force veterans. (Warren Air Force Base is in Cheyenne.) 

Pastor Cho said that the National Council of Korean Presbyterian Churches recently issued a statement saying that although the PCUSA has recently approved permitting the ordination of gay people and also permitting same sex marriage, the Council has unanimously stated that the Korean Churches will not do either one. Since the PCUSA ruling was permissive rather than prescriptive, the churches have that right. Pastor Cho said that, without such a statement, which was broadcast to the entire Korean-American community through its newspapers, the Korean churches would most likely withdraw from the PCUSA denomination. Koreans, he said, are more conservative, and he perceives no willingness in their churches to accept or embrace this change, either in his congregation or in the Korean churches as a whole. If they are allowed to exempt themselves from this permissive ruling, they can stay as loyal members of  the PCUSA. Other than that ruling, he says, we are Presbyterians.   

Sunday, August 23- God's Providence

The Diamond Horseshoe Restaurant

I decided to attend the  small Highlands Presbyterian Church in Cheyenne this morning, instead of the larger downtown First Church, thinking that I would probably find a depressed congregation. I was right to attend, and I was wrong about what I would find. It is indeed a small congregation (about 30 worshippers today), but it is alive and well in all ways. The newly renovated building is lovely. The people were exceptionally warm and friendly. The worship service was well-designed and very engaging. The "interim pastor", who has been there nine years now, is remarkable. His name is Rodger McDaniel. He is almost my age. He is a lawyer as well as a seminary graduate, and he is a Disciples of Christ minister happily serving this small Presbyterian church. He served in the state legislature.He is an attorney. He ran an unsuccessful campaign (as a Democrat) for the US Senate in 1982. He was head of the State Department of Family Services and Mental Health. He writes a weekly column for the local newspaper. This is an avowedly progressive congregation, yet one of the regular attendees is a Reagan appointed federal judge.

Ironically, I was told that this congregation was formed by persons who split off from First Presbyterian  Church almost fifty years ago when the national church made a donation to the Angela Davis defense fund. For those of you who are younger and unfamiliar, Angela Davis is a person who was considered a radical civil rights activist, who was a member of the American Communist Party, who was arrested, charged and tried for conspiracy in the armed take-over of a California court room in 1970, in which four people died. She was acquitted.  At that time, he PCUSA was split between northern and southern branches; the northern church made the donation to her defense fund. This contribution led to great protest in the church, even though she was acquitted. (One might draw from that fact that we did the right thing in contributing to her defense.) The issue is still controversial to this day, and I hear repeated complaints about it. So it is ironic that this now-progressive church in Cheyenne owes its founding to people who were upset by the church's contribution to her defense. 

What this shows, I conclude, is that turmoil in the church can produce unexpected results. And, for Presbyterians, this is a testimony to the providence of God.

Cheyenne - August 22

Today was a quiet day, with no appointments. I slept very well in my room at the Round Up Motel, which the office lady tells me was built in the 1940's. It's quaint and retro, with far more character that the more expensive brands! I have everything I need. And the office lady also pointed me to the nearby Diamond Horseshoe Cafe for a delightful breakfast. The motel is directly across the  street from a very large compound called The Outlaw Saloon. I am sure I would find it educational to inspect that establishment, but, despite its possible educational value, it is not to my taste.

I used the free morning to go to the Wyoming State Museum, adjacent to the rather magnificent gold-domed state capitol. It's a good historical museum, illuminating special events in Wyoming history, beginning, it seems, with the creation. I was pleased that, in their section devoted to more recent history, they displayed a prominent photo memorial to Matthew Shepard.

After the museum I walked around  the city, and it was a nice moment when I heard, in the near distance, a church bell striking the noon hour, followed by a carillon rendition of "Faith of Our Fathers" (or, as  it  is now often called, "Faith of Our Forebears"). It was especially a nice moment when I approached the imposing stone church and discovered that it was the First Presbyterian Church of Cheyenne - built, according to the cornerstone - in 1923, and, I am sure, much too large for its present congregation. Still, it's nice.

Tomorrow  I  will not attend  worship there. Instead, I will go to the Highlands Presbyterian Church, a small  congregation in another section of the city. Cheyenne is, of course, Wyoming's largest city, and there are three Presbyterian churches here: First, Highlands, and Korean. I will make contact with all of them.

One other interesting moment: at the very grandly restored Union Pacific train terminal, now a museum, a British couple were inquiring whether passengers still used this terminal. When they were told there was no passenger train service to Cheyenne anymore, they registered shock, and the lady exclaimed,"But they have all that track!" Dennis O'Brien once wrote a book, called, I think: God and the New Haven Railroad, and Why Neither is Doing Very Well."  I could not help but think of it.

Fort Laramie - August 21

I am haunted by places where there has once been so much life, but where there is now so little. I want to stop at every historical marker, and I regret that the rush of traffic, or a busy schedule, or my poor vision makes me miss so many of them. The interest in once-lively places that have  become lonely places may have driven me to the Presbyterian churches of Wyoming. It certainly motivated my stop today at Fort Laramie, which was, in fact, the most interesting historical stop thus far in my adventure.

Fort Laramie, which had previous names of Fort William and Fort John, was the only fort that oversaw both the entire migration on the Oregon trail and all the resulting Indian wars. It was first built as a trading fort in 1831, and it became an army military post in 1849 just after the migration west on the Oregon and California and Utah trails began. All trails ran by the fort, where pioneers were able to buy supplies. Ruts made by the wagons are still visible. The fort remained in operation until 1890, when all the Indian nations had been forced onto reservation lands and the  frontier was officially declared closed. Although other forts were built throughout the west to "protect the pioneers", none was built as early or lasted as long. The fort was the site of the two significant treaties that the US made with the Indian nations - one in 1851 and another in 1868 - guaranteeing those nations sovereignty over their land in return for safe travel. Both treaties were blatantly broken by the US. Finally, after the battle  of Wounded Knee, the Indian nations were subdued.

Being at Fort Laramie brought back to me the movies I saw every Saturday as a child - most of which had one plot: wagon trains and get in trouble; the cavalry  comes to the rescue. Seeing Fort Laramie was, for me, a very tangible impetus to reexamine the myths by which we live.

There are Presbyteruian  churches in both the  village of Fort Laramie and the neighboring town of Guernsey. Both are served by one pastor, who has recently moved  here from Pensylvania. She was formerly an Air Force sofficer. While both churches are small, they seem to be active and  untroubled.

Interesting Encounter - August 20

Today was unscheduled, so I took a chance that turned out to be very interesting. There is a small church near Torrington that has left the PCUSA and has become a "non-denominational Community Church." I learned from the General Presbyter, Steve Shive, that the current pastor of this church is a Dartmouth grad, which struck me as a very unlikely possibility. Although I had not planned to meet with him, I thought I would give it a shot anyway. I did not have his phone number or address, so I just drove to the church, and luckily, his phone number was posted on the door. (It is a very small church in a very small place.) I phoned him, told him who I was and that I had been chaplain and Dean of the Tucker Foundation at Dartmouth, and that I'd enjoy having a chat. He came right over, and we talked for two hours.

The Yoder Church

What is significant about this conversation is that it was exceedingly honest and earnest. The pastor's name is Michael Glatze, Dartmouth class of '97. Although few people here seem to know it, he has had a very public life first as a gay activist, and later, after a dramatic conversion, as a conservative Christian opponent of homosexuality. He is not a PCUSA minister, but he was the supply pastor at this small church when it voted to leave the PCUSA because of (among other issues) the denomination's positive stands on gay rights.

I did not know what to expect from Michael. What I found was a warm, caring individual who has firmly advocated a lot of contradictory positions in his life, and who is still trying to figure things out. His faith has grown, and is still growing. He is questioning all his dogmatisms, of which there have been many. It was a pleasure to speak with him.

This, is I realized, is an important part of my project. It is an important part of the story. A little church votes to leave the denomination, perhaps not even knowing that their pastor had been a strong advocate for gay rights. If they do not know it, it is not because Michael has been trying to hide his life. In fact, based on an article about him in the New York Times, a movie was recently made about his life, called I Am Michael,  starring James Franco. It was shown this summer at the Sundance Festival. (The movie has not yet been released to theaters,  but it has attracted a great deal of attention, including reviews in the New York Times and elsewhere.) I am sure that the story of Michael Glatze is not over. (Michael kindly gave me permission to write about our visit in this blog.)

Michael Glatze

Weirdness?- August 19

I write to you from Torrington, Wyoming - where I once again find myself in a weird situation. Trying to find the best motel rate/bargain (no surprise to any of you, I'm sure), I phoned all that were listed in the tourist brochure for Torrington, where I am staying tonight after having visited two Presbyterian churches in the area. I had a choice of Gramma's Motel, America's Best Value, and Days Inn. Gramma's was cheapest, at $51. Bargain - maybe too much of a bargain. America's Best gave me a "special rate" of $82.50. OK, but still too pricey for me. The Days Inn phone was answered by a person with an Indian accent (no surprise) who offered me a special rate of $60. I took it.This afternoon I arrived at the motel, which does indeed  have half of a Days Inn sign in front of it. But the motel has no other signage, and it was completely deserted. It's a big motel  - at least 100 rooms.  No one  was at the desk in the deserted lobby. There was a phone that said dial zero to get an attendant. I did; the  phone rang; no one came. I waited. I decided to leave. As I got in my car, an Indian woman came out and urged me, I think, to come back in. She promised to show me a room. She did; it is indeed a nice room. The problem is: I am the only person in the motel. The huge parking lot is completely empty. There are new mattresses stacked in the lobby and the  hallways. So, after going to a community dinner (pay what you can - a dinner given each week by a local restaurant that is supported by the town churches; it was the Presbyterians' time  this week, so I went to assist as a waiter), I returned to the motel and have carefully locked myself in my room. Internet does work. The  room is nice. The place is beyond spooky.

But, on the good side, my nice picture window faces the railroad track - the  same one I observed in Moorcroft and Gillette. I did have opportunity while  staring out of the window  to count the cars on a fully loaded coal train as it passed by. There were 130 cars. And these trains pass by about every 20 minutes; loaded cars going out, empty cars coming back. I just thought you'd like to know.

My drive this morning from Moorcroft to Torrington  (on the eastern edge of Wyoming) was beautiful. Indeed, I would say that I have never seen more beautiful country-side. People say it's boring. It is not. It is empty (like the motel). I saw only cows for over 80 miles. But the landscape is interesting: rolling hills, devoid of trees, unless they are planted by a remote ranch house, or along a creek bed. There are often interesting rock formations or butes. I was never bored. I set my cruse  control on 65 and  never moved it. 

The Presbyterian churches in Torrington and Lingle (a very small town nearby) are served by the same pastor, an interim pastor who has inherited a difficult situation. Both churches took a vote on whether to remain in the PCUSA, Withdrawing from the denomination  requires several steps - the first being a congregational vote . Those supporting withdrawal must win a super-majorityof 65%. In both of these churches, the loyalists narrowly won. The result has been the withdrawal of many individual members of these two churches, some to join more conservative denominations, other simply to non-activity. Both churches, under an able pastor, are trying  to rebuild and recover. Splits like this are always very disruptive and  painful.

Gillette - Energy capital of the nation - August 18

I spent most  of today in Gillette, looking around, talking to the pastor of  the First (and only) Presbyterian church, looking at coal mines.

To quote from the town brochure: "If Campbell County (i.e., Gillette) were a nation, it'd be the sixth largest coal producing country in the world; as it is, it now mines more than one-fourth of all  American coal. Open-pit mines work round the clock to dig coal that provides one-third of the nation's electricity, and they have become models for reclamation all over the world."

The pit mines are amazing. I watched humongous coal-haulers, twice as big as tanks, moving coal from the pits to the trains today. I have seen trains over a mile long hauling nothing but cars loaded with coal. These trains have at least 120 cars, I am told, each of which holds 130 tons of coal. There are at least 30 trains per day hauling this coal out of Gillette, and of course there are thirty trains returning with empty cars. The trains pass at the end of the street in Moorcroft where my motel is situated. I have watched  them This information is true. (One person told me that many trains have more than 120 cars; although I am prone to counting,I did not verify.) 

Gillette became a boom town in the early seventies. Coal, gas,  oil - it's all here. The town looks like a frontier town in some ways. There is not enough housing for the workers. Trailers are everywhere.

Senator Mike Enzi is from Gillette. He is a member of the Presbyterian church here. The congregation is, I am told, very worried about the mistaken actions of the US government and the Presbyterian General Assembly.The session (the governing board of the local church) has gone on record as opposing the church's redefinition of marriage. Both Senator Enzi and Senator Barrasso are very upset about proposed federal regulations to limit the amount of coal-produced electricity. Let's just say President Obama doesn't have many fans in this part of the world. While those of us who are concerned about global warming may have a different attitude than they do, let's remember: no one (well, hardly anyone) ever agrees with proposals that will limit their livelihood. If you were a struggling rancher who suddenly got rich from the mineral rights beneath your land, you might not look kindly on anything that threatens that wealth. It's  the old story: whose ox is being gored?

But Christianity in theory calls us to transcend our self-centeredness, doesn't it?

Mount Rushmore - August 17

Since I had  free time today, I dashed over the border into South Dakota to see Mount Rushmore. It rained steadily, and sometimes quite hard, as I drove through the Black Hills National Forest. The rain stopped when I emerged from the parking lot at Mount Rushmore itself. I took this as some sort of sign. I think the rain had the advantage  of thinning out the crowd a bit. (As most of you know, I am not a fan of crowds. That is one reason I am in Wyoming.) But there were plenty of people there, and all of us were astounded when a large passenger jet airliner flew, at a very low altitude, in a circle twice around the mountain top. All of us stood transfixed watching it. I am sure I was not the  only one who had uncomfortable thoughts while this was happening. But all was well. Mysterious, but well. Just the pilot giving  the passengers a view of the monument, someone said.

My response to seeing this monument was strong. I am in awe of the workers who hung off the mountaintop for over six years, with chisels and jack-hammers and dynamite to accomplish this task. It is an impressive site. Like Devil's Tower, the scale of the structure is startling. A movie, shown at the Visitor Center, showed old footage of the men hanging in mid-air. This makes me queasy, just as the thought of people climbing to the top of Devil's Tower makes me queasy. Both monuments, for some people, are sacred. I understand and appreciate that response. I cannot say which is the greater mystery.

I regret that the rain discouraged me from stopping to see the monument to Crazy Horse that is still being sculpted. It is appropriate to wonder whose mountains these really are.

Three Interesting Events- August 17

I began the day by worshiping at the Shepherd of the Hills Presbyterian Church, the only PCUSA congregation in Casper. Five years ago there were three. One closed because of dwindling membership, and the second withdrew to a more conservative denomination. But the Shepherd of the Hills is a thriving church. I found  the solid, open, affirming traditional Presbyterian worship service invigorating. People there gave me a very warm welcome, and I enjoyed conversation with several members following worship. I was told that Senator and Mrs. Barrasso are active members of this congregation. Obviously the congregation has a broad constituency.


Then I travelled to the Northeast corner of Wyoming, got a room in a very small but nice family owned motel in Moorcroft, a small town east of Gillette, near Devil's Tower. I spent several hours at Devil's Tower. It is inappropriately named. It is, as the native American tradition recognizes, a holy place. It is stunning  in its majesty.

I returned to Moorcroft to get dinner. It is a very small town, with very few stores. I stopped at a "restaurant" off the main street that was brightly advertised, offering amazing meal deals. It was a large, almost totally empty space. And when I say totally empty, I mean totally. No people. No evidence of decorations. No food. Just a young girl, about 11, sitting at an old  cash  register. She greeted me like I was an angel. I asked if they were really open. She said yes. Her father came out from the  other room. He explained  that they were having a hard time, and had only two items on the menu, both $5.00 I had a lovely sandwich, with the little girl asking me, every two or three minutes, if I needed something else. They gave me a complimentary root beer float. They insisted. They told me I was their sixth customer of the day.


Wyoming is very beautiful. People say it is empty, and there are stretches with no evidence of habitation. But the landscape, far from being barren, is always interesting. And so are the people, It is an unusual place.

Oregon Trail - August 16

I have spent much of today learning about the Oregon trail, both by visiting a great museum/interactive learning facility called the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center, and then, using one of their wonderful (and free) National Park System guidebooks, following the trail over dirt roads and back country from Casper to Independence Rock (about 50 miles). For most of the back country ride, I saw no other cars and no other people. Only occasional cows amid the sagebrush.

Here's what I learned: the Oregon trail, the California trail, and the Mormon trail were in fact one trail through most of Wyoming. All three of them, though having separate endpoints, converged  near Casper (which of course did not exist in the 1840's and 1850's) to cross the North Platte River. The river looks quite tame now, thanks to five dams that have been built. Then it was quite wide, and the crossing was treacherous. It became easier after Brigham Young left a few Mormons  behind to start a ferry service. Truly. And that was quite successful. 

Almost a half million  people made the journey across these trails - all of them through what became Casper - beginning in the 1840's and ending only when the transcontinental railroad was finished in 1869. After bumping along the dirt road for a couple of hours, I could only imagine what it was like to walk, or ride in a wagon, or pull a cart, for four months.

This transcontinental  manifest destiny is a storied part of American history. What is not so well known is the establishment of forts all along the  trail to protect the travelers from Indians (better to say native Americans, or Shoshone, or Arapaho or Sioux ), who either do not appear in the story at all, or appear as threats to the pioneers. But the story of the continuing infringement upon already-constricted native land is rarely told or known, and neither is the fact (I learned today) that of the 450,000 pioneers, only 350 were killed en route. Far more, vastly more, died of cholera or from the strains of the journey. The result of the Westward expansion, however, was the  near destruction of native American livelihood.

And so the question  arises again: Who defines progress, and who pays the  price  for it?

Casper - August 15

I flew into Casper late yesterday afternoon, watching a beautiful full-horizon sunset turn into a totally enveloping azure sky. From the air, the territory south of Casper looks like moonscape. On the ground, it is an oasis of trees surrounded by brown, with a significant mountain range (Casper Mountain) to its south. I drove up to the top today, with enough hair-pin curves, sheer drop offs, and popping ears to make me wonder how I'm going to handle driving in the "real mountains".

Casper is a beautiful and prosperous city. It is, I have learned, all about oil and gas. Private jet terminals dominate the small airport. At a population of 55,000 it's the second largest city in  Wyoming., behind Cheyenne. Headlines in the morning paper make me aware of two things. 

First, in Gillette (the city I visit next week, which produces one-fourth of the coal in the US): "Coal backers blast federal reforms." It was a significant mass meeting. Conservationists were very outnumbered. The meeting was attended by both of Wyoming's US Senators - John Barrasso and Mike Enzi - who, I learned today are not only Republicans (which of course I knew) but they are also Presbyterians.This makes my journey even more  interesting.

The second headline was "Yellowstone park officials euthanize bear that killed hiker". Be warned. Sad for the bear. Much sadder,of course, for the hiker.

A question to consider and explore: Can religious belief ever trump - or transform - economic status? (It is not lost on me that Donald Trump is also a Presbyterian, he  says.)

What is this Project? - August 14

"What is this project?", you ask.
I will visit all 28 Presbyterian (Presbyterian Church USA) congregations in the state of Wyoming, talking with pastors and members, trying  to discover how the changes  in the PCUSA are being received and expressed in the state of Wyoming. Since  Wyoming is  known as a conservative state, and since  certain recent decisions in the PCUSA have moved the denomination toward left of center, I hope to find  out how things are going. This project also gives me a good reason  to explore all parts of the state of Wyoming - a place where I have never been before. I am grateful to the Louisville Institute for  awarding me a Pastoral Study Grant to support this project. I am bound, by the terms of the grant, to communicate my findings, which I will do through this blog and also through (perhaps) an article when the project is completed.