Grounded Theology

Friday, 6/27, I rode from Helena, MT to Clarkston, WA through the Clearwater canyon. Beautiful scenery and 100+ miles of nice smooth winding roads (aka “twisties”). Truly a motorcyclist’s dream. I enjoyed HWY 12 through Clearwater in 2017 going in the opposite direction. It was better this time, from the ascent to Lolo Pass into Idaho and then along the river. The pictures are good but don’t do it justice. I stayed the night in Clarkston, resting up for the long Saturday ahead where I will go diagonally across Washington State. (I road the Cascades last time I was out here).  Yesterday was a beast and I was beat! So glad today was a rest day. Very thankful. I road from Clarkston to Port Angeles, WA. (Yes I crossed the Puget Sound on the ferry!) Beautiful ride all around… taxing when going through Seattle and Bellevue. The traffic was miserable.  View of the Olympic Mts on the way to church. I was good to be with Gail and Doug Wheatley and their family again. The last time I sa...

Today I crossed Montana from Billings (near the Eastern Side) to Helena (near the Western Side). You can definitely understand why Montana is referred to as the “Big Sky” state. The views are spectacular. I road to Helena to be with Bishop Marty Stebbins. Marty and I served together in North Carolina and have been great friends ever since. She was elected Bishop of Montana in 2019 and the See of Montana is in Helena. She invited me to stay with her and her husband, Bob for the night. This morning, in Billings (before the ride) I ate breakfast with Stephen Day who is acting as Interim Canon to the Ordinary (transitions). Stephen and I graduated seminary and was ordained the same year. He attended Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS), while I went to Sewanee. We share several collegial acquaintances and friends in common. It was nice to meet Stephen.   About 40 miles out, I stopped for Gas and noticed the snow capped mountains called “The Big Belt” which is part of the Northern Rocky ...

Today’s ride was clear and wonderful! Montana is truly the Big Sky state! The beauty of the colors does not come across in the pictures. I left this morning early and rode from Piedmont, SD to Billings, MT. I am staying with a new friend, the Rev. Gary Waddingham, a retired priest in the diocese of Montana. We were connected by my friend, Bishop Marty Stebbins (Bishop of Montana). I plan to arrive at her house tomorrow. I am grateful for Gary’s hospitality. Gary is cool. He’s an armature radio operator (ham radio). He’s got radio equipment and antenna’s everywhere. 😳 He’s definitely ready for the zombie apocalypse. 🤣 In all seriousness, since I’ve been in the Tennessee State Guard, I’ve developed a lot of respect for this type of hobby that is always an asset in times of disaster. It was a joy to sit and chat with Gary over dinner and talk about church. He’s been a priest for 50 years and is a treasure trove of information.  On the ride today through the tribal lands of the indig...

Today was a great ride to Piedmont, SD via Mount Rushmore National Monument. The whole day was overcast, but the radar said the rain wasn’t going to start until about 6pm. I covered the luggage anyway - better safe than sorry. The terrain kept changing (see yesterday’s post). Things are so far apart out here. Gas stations are few and far between, so I start looking for gas at about 1/2 tank. Mount Rushmore was fantastic. It has been 42 years since my family took a trip to South Dakota. It was majestic and everything I remembered. I wasn’t able to make it to Crazy Horse, but plan to be back soon. I saw it years ago and I know it’s still under construction. It is also a magnificent structure. I promised myself I wouldn’t do “touristy” things on this pilgrimage. However, you don’t get this close to a national monument like Rushmore and not take the 30 mile trek to see it. Sometimes you got to indulge. It was worth the extra few minutes and didn’t throw off my progress too much. Tonight I ...

Today I rode to Nebraska. I don’t think I have ever been in Nebraska. If so, it was just to drive through or fly over. I remember back in January when Bishop Cole visited St. James, he talked about those “fly-over” states. I think he was actually talking about Omaha, Nebraska. Anyhow, I think this is my first time in Nebraska. I’m staying the night at a small quiet motel on the edge of town. It’s a sweet little gem. The ride in was quite enjoyable, starting out at 74° and ending up about 68°. The weather is supposed to start changing (rain and storms) so I’m going to watch it closely. In the video, you can actually see the sky changing. Today, I was mostly thinking about “fly-over” mid-west/western states that are full of pasture and farmland. About every 12-25 miles, I would pass through a small town. About every 6 to 7 miles, I would see a house or a barn in the distance. The terrain changed today from ultra flat to rolling hills. The winds were not as bad as yesterday. What was inte...

Not really. But, wouldn’t that be pretty cool? I rode yesterday (6/21) (through the horrible cross-wind! 🌬️) to Dodge City, Kansas. Dodge City has a pretty interesting and somewhat sordid past. Most folks know Dodge City by the famous TV western “Gunsmoke” which aired from 1955 to 1975. That’s a long time for Martial Dillon, Ms. Kitty, and Cletus making sure things around these parts were kept respectable.  As I said, the ride to Dodge was 85% fighting the 25-30 mph crosswind gusts that wanted me to change lanes! A bit scary at times, but manageable. It was warm toward the afternoon 95° and a bit dusty, but hey, I’m deep in the west now and expect things like that. This morning I attended worship services at St. Cornelius Episcopal Church (ca. 1898). I walked in expecting Holy Eucharist, but experienced a Rite II Morning Prayer. Supply priests in this part of the country are as rare as they are in East Tennessee. The Morning Prayer service was led by a lay person who just happens ...

This morning I got up early and loaded the bike and went to breakfast at Starwood Cafe. An alumni acquaintance from Frederick Military Academy saw the post on social media with Mark Monroe yesterday and reached out. His name is Tony Seid. He is a class of 80 graduate (missed each other by a year) and lives in Allen, TX. Tony met Susan and I at Starwood. It was great meeting him in person and I look forward to carrying on the conversation in August at our school reunion. Ken (‘85) with Tony Seid (FMA class of ‘80) After breakfast, I road to Oklahoma! (Warm ride, but dry!) I stopped in Norman, OK for a late lunch with a classmate from FMA, Jesse Nelson. Jesse and I connected in 2017 when he was in San Jose California. He is an Oklahoma University Graduate and moved to Norman a few years ago to be near family connections. It is always great to see Jesse and talk about all the shenanigans we got into when we were at Frederick. He took me on a brief tour around the OU Campus that he is very...

Yesterday (6/18) after a very long and HOT ride (100°) to the Dallas Fort Worth area of Texas. Yes, I cheated a bit. It would have taken 7 hours to “go around” on back roads away from the interstate (and possibly avoid some heat). But, I had plans and needed to arrive in McKinney, TX by dinner time so I took I-35 North 🤷‍♂️. I finally arrived in McKinney at 5:30 p.m. to stay with a long time friend, Susan Bastian. Susan and I met in California when we were camping next to each other in the summer of 1983. She was with the Gibbons family (Beth Gibbons Tripp to appear later in this story!) Susan attended Johnson & Whales Culinary Institute in Charleston, SC when I was at the Citadel. I was the “guinea pig” and sampled her new culinary creations. We lost touch, but reconnected on social media several years ago. She’s been a great friend for a long time. We went out for a special dinner when I arrived (she’s a foodie and a chef, so good food is what she does!). Today, (6/19) we went t...

Yesterday morning (6/16) I headed for Livingston, TX! I left Metairie, LA and traveled west… Around Houston, TX! The trip was wet from Baton Rouge, LA to Livingston. I was soaked! It was also warm, and riding in a rain suit makes it that much warmer! 🥵 Today (6/17) I arrived in Cibolo, TX. I hung out with Kathy Robinson and her daughters Megan and Bridgett. I knew the Robinson family from my time in Maryland. After Kathy’s husband, Mark, died, they moved to Texas to be near family. The past several years, I’ve watched the girls grow up from afar. It was a treat to go to lunch with Kathy’s mom and dad and then be with them. We watched Bridget play volleyball. It was nice to catch up with all of them. Ministry is a difficult vocation. What makes it meaningful is the lives that you get to be part of along the way. To be with folks during their highs and lows, sharing their joys and sorrows, helping them engage their faith to help them navigate life is why I’m a priest. Life is difficult,...

I went to worship this morning with Anne & Will at St. Martin’s - Metairie, LA. It was an enjoyable Trinity Sunday and a treat to worship with Anne and Will. The Church was a beautiful and welcoming space. The people at St. Martin’s were very friendly and hospitable.  Magnificent Carved Doors The service was a Rite II Eucharist (Prayer B). I was struck by some of the simple liturgical differences. Good, just different (not my style). They sang some hymnody out of Lift Every Voice and Sing (I love that hymnal!) The sermon was interesting and engaging. Overall, a great worship experience. Anne and Will seem very happy there.  After church we went to the Sculpture Garden at the New Orleans Museum of Art in the park and walked  around. It was a beautiful garden park with awesome art creations on display. Needless to say, New Orleans is hot and humid this time of year and subject to pop-up thunderstorms in the mid afternoon.  Tomorrow, I leave for Texas. It has been a...

Yesterday (6/12) I left Freeport, FL and rode to Mobile, AL. Nice ride, hot, but no rain! This was a 1/2 way point for me to get to New Orleans, LA to meet up with my friend, Ann and her family. Ann and I were classmates at UNC Asheville, back in the early 2000s. We were both management majors. Since we were the non traditionally aged students, we often paired up for those horrid group projects, knowing we would both pull our weight. We both graduated from UNCA with honors. I was class of 2003, and she was class of 2005 (she took a year off and was at a slower pace to finish). Today (6/13) I rode from Mobile, AL and arrived in New Orleans, LA (after the last 65 miles of pouring rain!) A thunderstorm came out of nowhere and the temperature dropped from 90 degrees to 73 degrees in about 20 seconds. While I much appreciated the drop in temperature, riding in the rain makes me tense. The extra caution, lack of perfect visibility, wet roads, standing water, etc… it just makes things a bit c...

Today I headed to Freeport, FL to see more family. My cousin Keith (retired COL USAF) and his wife Kim and my uncle Roland (mom’s brother) and aunt Julieanne live in Freeport.  The day started off with breakfast with an old friend, Rusty Burke. Rusty and I attended Frederick together in the 80s (yes, over 40 years ago!). He runs a Karate school in Tallahassee. It was great to see him. The last time we connected was 9 years ago when I came to Florida for a short vacation.  After a short time with Rusty, chatting and catching up, I headed out to Freeport. I thanked the good Lord it wasn’t raining. I believe it’s rained more this trip than it did all of the 2017 trip (but I did have some significant rain days). Anyhow, it was a beautiful trip until the last 10 miles, then rain! 🌧️ I arrived in rain gear, and was greeted by my cousin and his wife. It was great to see them, spend time with them and catch up. We went over to see my uncle and aunt and then went back to their home an...

It was extremely enjoyable to spend Sunday evening, Monday, and Tuesday morning with my Florida family. I hope that I get to see the missing folks soon. (Shout out to Jessica and Sarah!) Today I headed to Tallahassee, up in the armpit of the panhandle of Florida.  I touched base with the Hills who wanted to meet me for lunch! We enjoyed all-you-can-eat shrimp and fish at the Bayport Inn, near Hudson, FL. Maryanne and Ed attended St. James when they were staying with their son in Greeneville before they moved back to Florida. It was great to catch up with them. The reason that I rode all the way to Tallahassee was to meet an old friend for breakfast in the morning. It will be good to see Rusty Burke (FMA “ghost” class of 86). It’s been a while. The people connections on this pilgrimage have been incredible. Rekindling great relationships that go back my whole life (in my Florida family’s case). Tomorrow I get to see Rusty after 9 years (last time I was in Florida in 2016). We have b...