Wednesday, March 10, 2010

A kaleidoscope of reds, blues and yellows...

Brilliant, jewel-toned, saturated color. That was the theme of Day 6 of the Wyoming Walkabout.  Throughout the day, wherever the caravan of bishop nominees went, they were greeted with color, beginning with the brilliant blue sky which led the troupe to the first morning meeting at St. Luke’s-Buffalo where the parish hall was packed and the goodie table laden with eye-catching treats.  The gathering turned into an impromptu birthday party for Father Russ Murphy who received plenty of ribbing for coming to church on his day off wearing shorts.  (It wasn’t that warm outside.)

The bishop nominees were introduced to the parish’s “Bread of Life” food bank – an amazing, lifesaving undertaking to feed the community’s hungry and poor. Regular fundraisers are held in Buffalo to restock the many rooms and shelves with a variety of nutritious foodstuffs.  The project is a reminder that while church attendance in a small town can be slim at times, the mission of the church may be conversely HUGE. The impact of St. Luke’s on the town of Buffalo is readily apparent in the numbers of families the little white church keeps fed year-round. What a heartwarming venture! No doubt Jesus is well pleased with these faithful adherents of Matthew 25:35.

The highway next led to Holy Trinity in Gillette where Father Tom Fiske was outside in his bright red apron, signaling that more food was waiting.  Incredible smells wafted through the door as we entered the building and a slightly perilous trip down a steep flight of stairs into the parish hall was rewarded with the most beautiful beef stew one could imagine.  There were warm greetings all around the packed room and Gillette’s Episcopalians were eager to hear from each nominee.  Father Tom also shared the parish’s ongoing struggle with maintaining the community’s oldest public building and the need to vacate the premises someday soon for a more manageable and affordable church. What a pity – it’s such a lovely place where the sanctuary exudes more than a century of prayer that’s seeped into its walls.

With reluctant good-byes all the way around, the big bus continued east toward Sundance and the slow rise of the Black Hills. Upon entering Good Shepherd, one was immediately struck with a riotous chaos of color. The afternoon sun, streaming through resplendent stained glass, shot a kaleidoscope of reds, blues and yellows through the sanctuary, bathing everything and everyone in brilliant, breathtaking hues.  Larger churches with their lofty, stories-high heaven-ward windows don’t experience such an intimate celebration of their stained glass.  At Good Shepherd, each window is a memorial, keeping loved ones close through the decades.

Amid snacks of Turkish delight, fresh fruit and intricately cut cheeses, the bishop nominees were each gifted with a soft, stuffed doll made by the ladies of the parish as part of their loving outreach to children in need of hugs. The candidates were asked to pass the dolls on to a special child. (The dolls must truly be imbued with magic considering the laughter and smiles they inspired amongst our road weary crew!)

As we traveled further east toward the Black Hills, the scenery was nothing less than spectacular:  Azure sky flowed horizon to horizon where it met increasingly hilly landscape thickly frosted in smooth, almost blinding snow.  The world was bright and clean and beautiful. 

The last stop of the day was Newcastle for a walkabout at Christ Church where the world’s best piecrust maker resides.  This anonymous soul channels the whispers of angels into the lightest, flakiest crust of the ages. The mincemeat and pecan pies were heavenly and the hospitality especially warm. Christ Church is a shared ministry church with one of the “new” associated priests:  The Rev. Joel Dingman (who’s also President of the Standing Committee) travels several Sundays a month from Gillette to celebrate Eucharist with the good folks in Newcastle.
During Monday night’s visit, the attendees were treated to close-knit conversations with each of the nominees and the Newcastle “News Letter Journal” covered the gathering.

The final blessing for the night was a region-wide blackout of internet service so everyone was freed up from email chores and got a good night’s sleep for the next day’s journey to Wright, Kaycee and Casper.

Happy trails continue…

 







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