Events of Sunday, October 3, 2010

The most common grocery store in this region is called Price Choppers. They have already won my allegiance (I now carry their frequent-user card in my wallet) with their good selection and prices. On Friday for breakfast we blitzed through a half gallon of their organic orange juice, and today we enjoyed their pineapple-orange juice. Simple pleasures that keep me excited in this adventure.

We started early today (7:15) because the church service we had targeted started at 9:00.We worshipped with the aptly named Valley Bible Church. The Bible is clearly their joy and focus. The music was an intriguing blend of classic hymns played with folk/rock band instruments (electric guitar, electric bass, flute, piano, drum set). Being the first Sunday of the month, we celebrate the Lord’s Supper (Eucharist). The pastor leading the sacrament reminded us parents to use this as a teaching moment. So, I passed the plate of bread down the row with the traditional words, “the Body of Christ.” The greeting passed down the row. Likewise, I passed the plate of cups down the row with the traditional words, “the Blood of Christ.” The greeting passed from Pam to Lindsey, who asked, “What, juice?” (Once she had been served a cup of wine, which she did not like at all.) So Pam answered, “Yes, juice.” And so it passed down the row: “It’s juice.” “It’s juice.” “It’s juice.” Oh, well.

 

While the church bulletin lists three pastors, the sermon was delivered by an elder. Before preaching he prayed, “Though the people behind this pulpit may change, your Word remains the same.” I appreciated that, for we indeed have had many preachers, but one Word. Now in my preconceptions, an elder should be elderly (duh!), tall and lean, soft-spoken yet stern, wise and concise. This elder, Brian, was in his twenties, I would guess. He was portly, with poofy hair and a stubbly beard. He spoke with authority and passion – and he spoke for nearly an hour.

So much for my preconceptions! Nevertheless, I was raptly attentive to his sermon, “Servants and the Severity of Sin,” which intrigued, informed, and challenged me.

Next we drove back into New Hampshire to visit the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park. Pam led us on an expedition through a graveyard, up a leaf-strewn trail, to a clearing in the woods. There we enjoyed a delightful picnic lunch of French bread, extra-sharp Vermont cheddar, and black grapes. It was a feast for the eyes as well as the palate.

Then we descended to the visitor center where we hooked up with our tour guide, Marjorie. And for the next 75 minutes she introduced us to three men who lived on this property: George Perkins Marsh (attorney, congressman, ambassador, and author of Man and Nature); Frederick Billings (California’s attorney general, community-builder); and Laurance S. Rockefeller (son of John D. Rockefeller, Jr., intellectual and philanthropist). I did not know the history behind these men or their cause, so I was all ears. All three men were pioneers of the American conservation ethic and the idea of land stewardship. As the tour proceeded from grounds to garden to mansion, Marjorie preached to us an intriguing blend of environmentalism, community-activism, agrarian life, and spirituality.

On our way out, we stopped once more to view the Quechee Gorge. It was quite gorge-like with white water rapids at the base of steep rock cliffs, bordered by fall foliage. So it was a surprise to see half a dozen kayakers on the river below, maneuvering around boulders and into rapids. (See our video slideshow for a glimpse of this.) 

We departed Vermont again and found a campground called Mascoma Lake Campground near Lebanon, New Hampshire. Situated at the edge of the lake, it is quite possibly our prettiest campground yet. The view across the lake is a canvas of multi-colored sugar maples pierced by a white church steeple. We enjoyed a dinner of zesty fish tacos, accompanied (for me) by a robust brown ale. We also enjoyed using Skype to connect to my dad in San Francisco and to the Mitzners in Elk Grove. As the sun set, we diligently worked our way through eleven loads of laundry and then closed up for the night.  

One hundred days in, and by God’s grace we’re going strong!