Mountain Sky Appointment Announcements
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Mountain Sky Appointment Announcements
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Above: Moraine Park Amphitheater at Rocky Mountain National Park. Photo courtesy Rocky Mountain National Park
Written by the Rev. Dale Beck
Rocky Mountain National Park truly is a national and regional treasure with more than 415 square miles of protected mountain terrain, wildlife and a huge network of hiking trails and scenic highways. People of all ages and from all over the world are captivated by its majestic peaks, cascading streams, free-roaming wildlife, amazing tundra and vivid wildflowers. For many it is God’s creating hand at its best. From Sept. 4, 2014, through Sept. 4, 2015, Rocky Mountain National Park is celebrating its 100th Anniversary with the theme: “Wilderness, Wildlife, Wonder.”
It is fitting that United Methodists will take part in the celebration as the park enters a new century of inspiration. To take part in the celebration this summer, United Methodist congregations will have an opportunity to lead vesper services at the Moraine Park Amphitheater located along Bear Lake Road near the Beaver Meadow entrance to the park. Rocky Mountain Conference has reserved the amphitheater for each Sunday in June, July and August from 5 to 7 p.m. so that congregations and organizations of the conference can gather to worship and invite park visitors to enjoy worship with us.
This is a great opportunity for congregations to make a Sunday this summer a “Park Sunday.” Take a hike, gather for a picnic. Bring the church bus! The service may be led by pastors, youth groups, UMM and UMW. Bring your choir or musicians — but there won’t be electricity — the service will be unplugged! The amphitheater is in a beautiful spot, surrounded by trees with views of Moraine Park and surrounding peaks. And participating congregations can display the centennial logo as part of their participation.
You can sign your church up for a weekend this summer and get more information by contacting Dale Beck at dabeck49@gmail.com or by telephone at 970-586-3317. Find more opportunities for your weekend at the park at www.rockymountainnationalpark.com. Regular visitors to the park and people who remember it from their childhood and families that want to connect will find this a place of natural inspiration — wilderness, wildlife and wonder.