What's In a Name

First stop on my visit to spiritual sites in America was a unique mountain referred to by Native Americans by such names Bear Lodge and Rock Tree. European explorers made an effort to understand the story and name for the mountain, but mistranslated the name as "Bad God Tower", which soon became "Devil's Tower". Along the way someone printing the name dropped the apostrophe, so now most Americans refer to this site as Devils Tower.
The huge rock is a unique formation. Geologists have three theories to account for its creation, but no proof positive about what the rock looked like in its beginnings. The mountain formed somewhere in the vicinity of 40 million years past and is a remnant of a much larger phenomenon. What remains is called a Monolithic Igneous Intrusion, which means that sometime in the distant past an upswelling of magma within softer rock cooled to form the tower. Over time the surrounding softer rock has eroded away from the sculpting of wind and water.

Native Americans of various tribes tell a similar story to account for the spiritual meaning of the place. Assorted stories tell of people, usually young women, who were gathering food when attacked by a bear. The Great Spirit raised the mountain underneath the human beings, while the bear groped and scratched to reach them, accounting for the cracks and columns on the side of the mountain.

Bear Lodge, over the centuries, has remained a profound spiritual location for Native American tribes. Even today people come to the mountain to pray. Modern American use of the mountain for climbing and recreation is often in conflict with the sensibilities of those who worshiped here long before Europeans settled in the area. Climbing is particularly controversial.

During our visit we walked the 1.3 mile path around the mountain. We met excited climbers and saw Native Americans quietly meditating and hanging prayer cloths on trees off the path. I found the place to have a looming, ancient feeling. I feel agitated by the cultural competition around the site. Beneath the ages of human experience I contemplated the mystery of the rock's formation and it's vast age. This area holds some of the oldest exposed rock on the planet; we passed fields of granite 2-3 billion years old.

Bear Lodge/Devils Tower is crumbling and will, one day in the far distant future, be no more. I wonder what the rock would say if it could speak of it's own history, past, present, and future. But the rock is taciturn; there is a mystery about the place that is profoundly spiritual, and unexplainable -- Native American stories and tales of settlers recently arrived account for this but do not explain.

I stand on the boulder field looking up at the imposing wall. Birds cast shadows on the cracked columns. I cannot climb the mountain; I wait in its presence.

Launch Day

Here is the first miracle of our trip -- everything fits in the van! Now we just need to add ourselves, a few sundry items and off we go. Thanks especially to the many folks who will be taking care of the house in our absence. Please be sure to clean up after the parties. : )

Somewhere OTR

Today is our final prep day before departure on our renewal adventure. We begin with six days of camping in the spiritual heartland of native Americans, then point the van to all points east. I've attempted to describe Wall Drug and miles of message signs to my boys but I think they'll have to see it to believe it.

Yesterday I went with Phillip to IF track to run sprint intervals. The boy is fast! While out we enjoyed this magnificent rainbow over the east hills. I look at it as a beckoning gesture -- time to come out for adventure and see what is over the rainbow. We hope skies will be blue and dreams will come true. Eventually we will end up heading across Kansas. We'll keep an eye on the weather and avoid any twisters and wicked witches over the horizon. I'll make sure we pack a pair of ruby red slippers for the return trip! This is the trip of a lifetime for us; but when it's over I'm sure I'll be saying, "There's no place like home!"

I'll be updating my blog about once a week -- nothing for a few days as we'll be in the wilderness!

Dem Bones

As I cycled away from my home to the starting line of the Bone to Back I wondered how difficult it would be to find my team mates, "Bone Doc and the Dislocations". Turned out they spotted me right away. I put on a bright yellow T-shirt for the day, just right because this was the team color, unbeknownst to me. That serendipity gave me a smile and assurance that this would be a good day.

The Dislocations have been running the B - B for somewhere around 20 years. The benefit race has grown from the good soil of their friendships. I will always appreciate being invited and welcome to pitch in. Speaking of pitch they agreed to let me take on the big hill part of the race, five miles pretty much straight up. I wish I could have torched the leg up for them, but feel glad to have made it without hurting myself or dying. Special thanks to the two fellas on the team who ran the last half mile or so with me to the top.

This experience is one I'll cherish. For one day life distilled into simplicity. I was a runner on a team of friends -- just that. And this was highly sufficient. Good practice for putting down the pastor's yoke in a few days.

The Present

I meet early every Tuesday with a St. Paul UMC men's Christ Care group at a local restaurant. We talk, laugh, tease the servers and also share a devotion and prayer. Today's had to do with starting each day aware of a blessing or surprise that God has prepared for us -- something we might miss if we are not paying attention. As busy men we all know how focused we can be on getting the day's work done, getting through the "to do" list, and how frustrating it can be when the day goes sideways because of unexpected crises and factors beyond our control. The message I took was to relax and be ready to go with the flow -- if life happens in a way I don't expect perhaps I can find God's blessing that I would have missed or avoided if I tried to squeeze the day too tight and be too much in control.

All this applies as my family and I are making detailed plans for travel across the country during my renewal leave. In the last few days parts of the plan we thought were set are needing to change. I'm sure once we're on the road we'll need to be flexible and adjust to the current reality. We can plan for the future, but the present will insist on it's right to be a gift!

Along those lines, today, so far, absolutely nothing I had planned has gone as I expected. But in the process of solving new problems I have enjoyed conversations with several people I had never met before, been blessed by their grace and patience, and now have prospects of meeting even more wonderful people. Though some folks might not see it as a gift, my unexpected invitation to join a team of doctors and their friends and families on a relay team for the To Bone and Back race is just a fun thing. I'll be hoofing it up Saturday up in the east hills above Idaho Falls along with a bunch of other crazy people who love to run to the point where a little hurt becomes a lot of satisfaction -- especially done in good fellowship.

BTW most of my critters are adopted out! There are still a few dewey eyed stuffed animals and puppets awaiting a summer vacation. Two Sundays left! Come on by and take a furry friend home with you.

See You Later, Grandma

Adventurous Grandma Turtle, who of all the animals succeeded in bringing up the mud from the depths so God could make dry land, is the first critter to embark on the summer adventure. Have a great time! We'll pick you up in Denver from our friends the Andersons in mid August.

Adopt a Critter This Summer

My Church Critters need caring families to keep them company while I'm away on leave this summer. If you have room in your home and heart for one of my special friends please consider adopting one of them in June. Bob the Giraffe, Rocky the Poodle, Lamb Chop, Belle the Beautiful Dog, Rabbit With Sharp Pointy Teeth, Oo Oo the Gorilla, Merry the Marmot, Tony Tarantula, Daffy Duck, Old Turtle, Tiny Finger Turtles, Sea Turtle, Sparkle Turtle, Green Turtle, Little Baby Beany Bear, Flop Dog, Itty Bitty Bison and several others would love to have their own renewal leave July 4- September 6. Contact me, Pastor Dan, at pastordan@mac.com if you would like to help.