Day 23 and 24-Driggs, Idaho

 Biking to Church

Day 23 and 24-Driggs, Idaho

 

     Driving over the Continental Divide has put me way ahead of my schedule.  I have  5 days to get to bike from Sugar City, Idaho to Jackson, Wyoming (75  miles) which allows me to be more leisurely in my journey.   After Mary Barton picked me up and drove me to their house in the pouring rain she invited me to stay with her family for 2 days.  I was touched by her generosity and gladly accepted her offer.

    Mary and Brad have 3 wonderful young boys; Henry, Leo, and Eli.   Eli, the oldest, is now 10.  They are all very involved in outdoor activities.  As a family they have biked the West Coast (Canada to Mexico) and across the Pacific Northwest.  Before becoming an electrician, Brad had been a professional white water rafting guide along many of the local rivers.  While staying with them, he taught me easier and more effective ways to adjust the disc brakes on my bike.

      They welcomed me to worship at their Mormon Church which was a lovely experience.  On the west side of the Teton pass, where the ground is more fertile, there is the highest concentration of Mormons in the country.  The Mormons tried to settle on the west side of the pass, but poor farm land made it less attractive to them.

    We all got up, dressed (Brad loaned me a tie), and biked together to their church being joined along the way by other cyclists heading to the same service.  The worship was lovely, opening with a sacramental sharing of bread and water (instead of wine) and inviting any who feel so moved to offer a testimony of the blessings they had received that week. 

   In the course of the worship, the read a pastoral letter of political neutrality which was read in all places of worship.  Some excerpts are:

The church does not:

·        Endorse, promote or oppose political parties and their platforms or candidates for public office.  

·        Advise its member on how to vote. 

·        Allow its church buildings membership lists or other resources be used for political purposes

The Church does

Encourage its members to engage in the political process in an informed and civil manner, respecting that fellow members of the Church come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences and may have differences of opinion in partisan political matters.  The Church also encourages its members to keep all communication (including on social media) respectful and aligned with Christ like behavior. 

    I found this a beautiful and helpful statement and one which encourages a conversation with is both respectful and honest.   I wonder if a secular version of this could be included o all election material and embraced by persons writing political commentaries.

     The sun came out during my second day in Driggs, and I was able to hike on one of the beautiful trails in the valley.