Day 8: Elko to Las Vegas

Today was the last, and longest, ride of the trip. As we boarded the bus in the early morning all were conscious of both the sheer mileage of today's journey and the fact that upon arrival in Las Vegas we would begin the process of saying goodbye to each other. The Reverend Reporter was feeling a little melancholy because I have become so fond of all the candidates and their spouses, and was beginning to feel slightly uncomfortable in the knowledge that as a delegate to our upcoming convention I will be one of the people called upon to help choose which of these fine priests should be our next bishop. As the miles and hours rolled by I spent a great deal of time staring out the window struggling with these issues.

Eventually our bus left the monotonous landscape of Interstate 80 and turned onto highway 93 toward Ely. Brown, scrub-covered plains soon turned into fields of golden mustard and flowering sage broken up here and there by irrigated fields. The hills turned into a seemingly-endless array of crags, mesas, and sheer rock walls that pierced a sky that grew increasingly cloudy. The play of shadows between light and darkness changed the colors of the rock, so that while some glowed a burnt red, others displayed cobalt and green tones. At this point The Reverend Reporter put away the computer and spent more time staring out the window in awe. By the time the bus hit the outskirts of Ely I felt drunk on scenery.


St. Batholomew's Episcopal Church is one of the larger congregations on the frontier, and although their priest Richard "Red" Sims was unable to be present we were greeted by members of the congregations and led to the downstairs parish hall for an abundant lunch of soup, salad, and homemade bread. The Reverend Reporter adores chicken soup and good conversation, and enjoyed both with the friendly people of St. Bart's. Following lunch there was an informal question and answer session, and although several excellent questions were asked of the candidates I will post the one which was unique. In reference to the current problem of congregations breaking away from The Episcopal Church in order to join African Anglican provinces, someone asked what would you as bishop do to keep congregations from leaving? Here are the candidate's responses:

Dan Edwards believes that churches should model the Great Commandment of Jesus to love one another as he has loved us, but this doesn't mean that we will always agree. Dan remarked that if we loved only those with whom we agree what we are really doing is simply loving a reflection of our own selves. He believes that all of us need to work harder to remain at the table of God and to carry out the mission of the Church despite our differences.

Al Keeney believes that we need to move beyond our own comfort zones in order to allow people to become part of the larger community. He remarked that true inclusivity had little to do with being liberal and everything to do with making room for people who are different from us and with whom we disagree.

Cathy Deats concurred with what Al and Dan had already said, emphasizing that all Christians are called to bring about the Kingdom of God despite their differences.

Jeff Paul believes that we all need to unify around a vision and pointed to the vision statement in the diocesan profile as an ideal around which people and congregations with differing points of view might embrace. He also remarked that it was necessary for Christians to unify around our mission, not our opinions.

Eric Funston pointed out that the current divisions in The Episcopal Church distracted us from our task of evangelism, noting that people are not going to check out a church which is known primarily for its fighting. He recommends withdrawing from public battles with those congregations determined to leave The Episcopal Church and to concentrate on mission and evangelism instead.

Susan Burns talked about the importance of deep listening, noting that in her experience conflicts arose in communities where people had not felt heard. She believes that the current controversies over sexuality are rooted in earlier conflicts over women's ordination, and while she was clear that she believes that the ordination of women was a positive step, perhaps not enough care was taken to listen more deeply to those with concerns over this change, and that the consecration of an openly gay man to the episcopate was "the last straw" for these same people. She recommended a process of deeper listening and inquiry as a way to keep those who disagree at the same table.

Our time at St. Bart's was all too short, but before boarding the bus The Reverend Reporter took a few minutes to walk around the lovely sanctuary and admire the stained glass windows. We were running a bit late, so we regretfully passed by the local drugstore, which offered an old-fashioned soda fountain and homemade malts. Sigh.

As our bus rolled on toward our final walkabout stop the breathtaking scenery continued unabated, passing by Cathedral Gorge State Park and its bentonite spires. Eventually we reached the old mining town of Pioche and our final stop, Christ Church. There we toured a tiny church that looked and felt straight out of the Old West and chatted with several parishioners. I had the privilege of meeting Jean Orr, Christ Church's priest and still going strong at age 90! The Reverend Reporter sincerely hopes that if God is gracious enough to allow me to live that long that I will be as eager to serve at the altar as Jean is. Although this congregation is quite small its spirit is mighty, and it was a blessing to be there.

Finally the bus pointed us toward the southwest and the bright lights of Las Vegas, where our journey finally came to an end at the same hotel where we started. There the goodbyes began as we left Cathy Deats and her husband so that they could leave for the airport. After a merry final dinner during a rare Las Vegas downpour we laughed, talked, and shared some funny stories. Aftewards we said farewell to Al and Linda Keeney as they too left for their redeye back to New York, and then it was time for The Reverend Reporter to prepare for her own journey home in the morning and a full weekend schedule.


Blessings,
RR+