Bible Study online, more snow and avalanches

Greetings from the high country!
We have had snow almost everyday for two weeks. Yesterday, the sun finally came out for the first time in a long, long time. The reason I was aware of it was because we went out snowshoeing and as I returned from the falls behind the Oldemeyer's cabin, I noticed the snowfields high up on Sheep Mountain to the north and Republic to the south. Much of the face of Republic had been swept clean by 45-55 mph winds, with gusts up to 75-85 mph the day and night before. But many of the southern facing slopes have wind-swept snow piled on them, which means the avalanche danger is extremely high right now. Fortunately Cooke City has not had any Search and Rescue calls yet this year, which means the snowmobilers are being reasonably careful...or I am assuming that is what it means.

I hope everyone had an excellent holiday season. I was aware, even as a pastor who talks about Jesus and the focus of the season on a weekly basis, how hard it is to remain in tune with the fact of Jesus Christ, rather than the worries and desires of the consumer culture we live in right now.

My notes from our Bible Study on the Gospel of Mark are now online at our website: www.mountrepublicchapel.org. Please check it out. Since I follow the lectionary, this year (Year B in the lectionary readings) focuses on Mark, so you will be able to follow what I said earlier to see if I am consistent or not.

No picture for this week. However, it has been pretty spectacular with the snow swirling and rising off the mountains. In protected areas surrounded by trees, there is probably about 4 1/2 feet of snow on the ground.
Peace to all!
Pastor Seth

Moose and Haircuts

Finally, the moose are back in the meadow on a regular basis. 2 bull moose are visiting almost everyday. I realized that I missed them over the summer. When they returned, it was like old friends visiting, except I couldn't invite them in for coffee or dinner.

Kate and Rhiannon spent a girl's weekend in Billings. They got great haircuts and Rhiannon visited Santa. And they got caught in the snowstorm that hit on Sunday. Winds, -25 temperatures and blowing snow kept them there until Tuesday. It got a little lonely for me.

I have posted a new monthly letter on the website @ www.mountrepublicchapel.org. Read it and let me know your thoughts.
Have a great Advent and Christmas. May the Lord bless and keep you!
Pastor Seth

We decorated the chapel on Saturday afternoon. Kate, Rhiannon and I simply asked what we could do, while several couples who know the routine went to work. In 2 hours, we created a beautiful Christmas church. I have included a picture of the church at night. I will take one of the interior soon.

There is about a foot or more of snow on the ground now, so I snowshoed to the falls behind the Oldemeyer's cabin Sunday afternoon. It was beautiful and a reminder of our impermanence and dependence on God. The sky was blue and huge ("Sure is a big sky out here!"), and the mountains stood out even more, white as they were.

Sunday was the second week of Advent and we lit the candle of Peace to honor the day. Check out the website - www.mountrepublicchapel.org - if you want to read the sermon for the week. The readings spoke of John the Baptist. He was weird. Really weird. He ate bugs and honey and wore uncomfortable and scratchy camel hair. He carried on about the coming of the Lord and called the Pharisees a "brood of vipers." He was a strange man. But I have begun to think this strangeness is useful to God. More than likely, where we are weird and strange is where we are most in touch with the movement of the Spirit in our lives. Can we all imagine becoming weird and strange for Christ?
Peace to all!
Pastor Seth