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.