part 2 of a series
This writer has reflected back on his five past cross-country walks a number of times, besides writing a whole book on the first one to New York City. One recurring thought has been that on the road I spent more time in bars than maybe the rest of my many years combined. The main reason was that in many small towns, the only places open for business during evening hours are the bars. Some villages have little more than a bar, a cafe, and a post office. Some less than that. So when entering a small berg in the evening, the choices have been few and I experienced another view of life.
Well on my recent brief excursion, I had more “churching” times than those in bars. Oh, I did spend a few moments at a bar as the rain was falling as the sun disappeared on my first night out. A traveler in a Mercedes Benz – my first ever ride in a Mercedes – appeared suddenly and drove me up the road a couple miles to the Bar 100 in Judith Gap. I had a pleasant time with the bartender and two folks who lived in nearby Buffalo, MT.
Then I did go to the Winnett Bar and Grill twice. The first time, I sat with a man named Randy who was passing through from the East. He made his income trading stocks and spent much time traveling the road and geocaching. During our visit, I sat with a ginger ale and listened to his story.
Unexpected as much of my excursion turned out to be, I spent a fair amount of time in church and churching – so to speak. I had not churched for a decade or more. While in Grass Range, I walked by its two churches a number of times as I “camped” two nights in the park just down the hill from the churches.
One of the churches in Grass Range was the United Methodist. I had grown up in the Methodist tradition and nearly attended the seminary under Methodist candidacy. So, I got the urge to look up the Methodist minister. Which I did.
Besides preaching to me and telling about his pathway into minstry late in life, Pastor Matthew did me a number of good turns during my brief time in Grass Range. One was to introduce me to Winnett via their weekly senior citizen luncheon at the Petroleum County Community Center. After the meal, the pastor drove us on a quick circle of Winnett. Since the town has less than 200 citizens, the tour didn’t take long.
The first church service which I attended was a bible study led by pastor Bill at the Christian Community Fellowship on a Thursday evening – which I mentioned in the previous blog. Bill’s Sunday service apparently uses music freely to gather people in the pews and hold interest during services. There were all sorts of musical instruments and sound equipment spread around the little building.
There were also numerous churchy books in racks along the back of the sanctuary waiting for eventual readers. I found a little New Testament provided by the Gideons which caught my attention. I picked it up and have just a few pages left to finish the read. Like church going, bible reading until recent moments has been a thing of the past.
At one point, I told Pastor Matthew that I would attend his Sunday service – here or there. The pastor has a three-point charge of Grass Range, Winnett and Roundup. By the time Sunday came, I was in Winnett and walked over to the church. What followed was a surprise – and then some.
You see, attendance at the “church service” turned out to be the smallest I have ever experienced. It also turned out to be the longest one. There were just two of us – only 2 – who sat and shared in the church which probably could accommodate 100 people. So, two in the pews was surprising as well as a perplexing. The two of us sat for almost two hours together – neither praying nor singing hymns nor reading scripture – but just “churching and communing.”
I arrived just a bit early and found a woman getting out of her car in front of the church. It took time for introductions as we settled into one of a dozen pews. Somewhere in the course of our conversation, the churchwoman told me the story of her nickname and other key points in her life. I wish I had had a tape recorder with me.
Squirrel created her own nickname for reasons too involved beyond saying that: Squirrel didn’t like her given name – which was made famous in movies decades ago – and chose a new one based on some personal habits. Squirrel had many stories to tell – details are forgotten or avoided here. The middle-aged woman had grown up in a distant state, spent time in the military, and somehow landed in tiny Winnett a few years back.
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| Namesake from birth - in a famous movie series |
Church and the Bible were important to her as she had become the Sunday assistant for Pastor Matthew who was on the way to Great Falls to attend to family business. At one point when she was especially attentive to the Bible, another pastor had challenged Squirrel to confront a key issue for her in the context of the scripture. She then went to work on the issue and changed her life dramatically. Ask her for details.
The Bible was still important to her. But no more so than the Book of Revelation which was of keen interest. While I missed out on particulars, Squirrel seemed prepared to brave the still relatively undiscovered territory of St. John’s Apocalypse with her own involved interpretations.
Squirrel and I covered quite unusual territory on that Sunday service which I will not forget. It may go down as one of my favorite churching moments.
There have been others. Let me share a few. Just walking the roads, often without cars or houses in sight, can be humbling moments thanks to Nature, which Goethe called “The Garment of God.”
Sleeping under a huge old tree, which may have been growing since George Washington appeared at Valley Forge, is another time to ponder in awe, wonder and praise.
Sensing the elements of Earth, Water, Fire, and Wind can take one’s breath away.
So, there are many ways to Church on the road without entering a man-made building.
