Valdez's Spiritual Side

If I had not already mentioned it in a previous blog, our Sunday journeys took us to different churches. Sometimes we would get ready to go and set out in our truck (with trailer in-tow sometimes)and we would look for a church where people are gathering. Other times, when we had internet provided, I would do a search for the local churches and their times of worship. In the case of Valdez, we went to a community church which took over a small strip mall. We drove by it the day before without even noticing it. We had a wonderful time and the pastor and wife stayed longer to talk and share their lives. We were the last to leave. We had heard in that service that they were participants in a monthly song fest with other churches. The location rotated and those churches that wanted to participate would volunteer their talent. We decided to go that evening. Why not?

What a pleasure we had, strangers in an isolated town, yet not strangers at all. Louise and I attended, dad declining- choosing an early night of sleep. You've heard it, the decry about divisions and denominations. This group of people packing the place and beyond, raised the roof in praise -Catholic, Lutheran, Community, Baptist and four other churches. Eight churches represented. All there were reveling in their common Lord, their common faith -true ecumenicism. They spoke also of their common work to reach out to the disenfranchised and the new students at the local community college. Louise and I were proud to be counted among their numbers.

Valdez is fortunate to have such communities of love and faith! But that wasn't all, a tradition of the town for any community gathering is shared food and desserts. It is part of their normal community life, particularly in the long cold winter months where the sun is a rare a commodity as avacados. A feast awaited us all after the hour long song fest. My favorite was the fresh salmon dip - the best I have ever tasted. We had both wished we had not eaten earlier, but we found room for some great tasty treats prepared by the kind Christian folk of Valdez. Here is a panoramic shot I took on the west edge of Valdez while standing on the docks.