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.