A Thing of Beauty

Last night as I headed out the door to Bible study, I actually remembered to grab my camera (and my Bible)!  I don't know whether it's the time of day, the novelty of half an hour of solitude or God preparing my heart to study his word, but every month as I make the 25-mile drive alone down that long two-lane South Dakota highway, something takes my breath away.  A sunset.  A storm.  A pumpkin of a harvest moon rising over the hills. Amber waves of grain.  And every time I wish I had my camera and an extra 10 minutes on me.  And this time I did!

The sun was low but mostly hidden by clouds when I left home.  By the time I reached Lodgepole (home of some of the world's friendliest people), it was illuminating the thin, lowest layers of cloud and splashing orange waves across the plains, and over this little prairie church.

This isn't my church.  In fact, it only gets used every other Sunday.  Its congregation and another nearby church joined forces, and neither wanting their building to fall into dilapidation, arranged to hold services alternately at each one.  

It amazes me how churches of different denominations work together out here where congregations are spread so thinly.  The Christian Reformed Church is staffed by the Wesleyan Church's pastor (don't tell anyone, but he's really Reformed).  A CRC, Wesleyan, Lutheran and two other churches join their voices for hymn-sings several times a year.  The local youth group is a collaboration of Lutheran, Baptist and Catholic churches.  I imagine that God looks down and smiles when he sees his children working together and getting along despite their differences.

Anyway, I got a little off track there.  God's beautiful handiwork.  That's what I was writing about.  Or maybe I didn't get so far off track after all.