Saturday, February 22, 2014

Writing and Selling Sci-Fi & Fantasy for Kids and Teens

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Brandon Sanderson Lecture 1: Intro to Sci-Fi/Fantasy Writing (1/5)

Just Cause 2 Boat Stunt Moat Funt (+playlist)

National Cowboy Poetry Gathering: Wylie & The Wild West are "Doin The Yo...

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

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<title>Will the Sparrow Find a Home? (Blessing of the Animals)</title>
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<description><![CDATA[ 
Will the Sparrow Find a Home?
Psalm 84: 1-4 Luke 12: 13-34
How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, indeed it faints for the courts of the Lord;
 my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God. 
 Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God. Happy are those who live in your house, ever singing your praise. – Psalm 84: 1-4
 
 
 
Someone in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.’ But he said to him, ‘Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?’ And he said to them, ‘Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.’ Then he told them a parable: ‘The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, “What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?” Then he said, “I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich towards God.’ 
 
He said to his disciples, ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? If then you are not able to do so small a thing as that, why do you worry about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! And do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying. For it is the nations of the world that strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, strive for his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. 
 
‘Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. – Luke 12: 13-34
 
 
 
John James Audubon was a native of France. In 1803, at the age of 18, he boarded a ship to come to the United States. He would go on to be the greatest ornithologist of all time; an Ornithologist being one who studies birds. He is noted for his expansive studies to document all types of American birds and for his detailed illustrations that depicted birds in their natural habitats. His major work, The Birds of America, is considered one of the finest ornithological works ever completed. In the course of his life Audubon identified 25 new species. The Audubon Society, which was chartered in 1905, continues to be the leading non-profit advocacy group in the world which seeks to both study birds and conserve and protect their natural habitats.
 
 
Audubon would write of an autumn day in 1813 when he was traveling along the Ohio River, moving from his home in Henderson, KY down to Louisville some 55 miles away. He noted that right about noon the skies suddenly grew dark because of a vast cloud of birds that were migrating south. They stretched as far north, east, south and west as he could see, literally shutting out the light of the sun. Figuring 2 birds per square yard, he estimated that by the time he reached Louisville one billion birds had crossed the Ohio River – one BILLION. And still the migration was not over; it continued for a full three days.
 
 
Audubon knew what these birds were – they were very common to all Americans. They were known as Passenger Pigeons. At the time they were considered to be the most plentiful bird in the entire world; in fact, it was believed that they composed nearly 40% of the birds of North America. Audubon’s portrait of this bird noted its regal posture, a small head and neck with a massive breast muscle, and a very long tail and extended pointy wings. Their slate blue color was matched with bright red eyes. Of all domestic birds they were the strongest and most agile. Passenger pigeons flew great distances; indeed, it was documented that they would fly over 100 miles a day in search of food.
 
 
But the massive breast muscle which allowed these birds to fly and roam great distances was also their downfall. Like the steroid injected chicken breasts that fill our supermarkets today, the massive-sized breasts of the Passenger Pigeon also made them great for eating. Restaurants in urban areas of the country would pay up to 20 cents a bird – which was big money back then. And just like frog legs, rabbit, and other on-the-outer-edge meats of our time, these birds were said to ‘taste just like chicken.’ But it was also said that their meat fattened hogs faster than corn. So a huge market developed for these birds as livestock feed.
 
 
At first, hunters fired indiscriminately at these huge clouds of birds; they could drop half a dozen with a single shotgun blast. But in time, professional hunters would develop far more mercenary methods to take pigeons in large quantities. A common practice was to use a live decoy. They would capture a pigeon, sew its eyes closed and then tether it to a stool; this is where we get the concept of a “stool pigeon.” The tormented and confused bird would flutter and flounder around, squawking its heart out. The other pigeons would then come swooping in trying to assist their distressed family member. The hunters would then capture them in huge nets. In the spring of 1878 the largest harvest of pigeons ever occurred in northern Michigan. It was said that every tree was filled with Passenger Pigeons for over 100 square miles. Word went out over the telegraph, and on a specific week over 500 hunters converged on the area. Both using salt spread on the ground, and stool pigeons in numerous locations, nets were dropped down from the trees. These hunters then took clubs and crushed their skulls. And over 1 million birds were harvested in a one-week period of time.
 
 
The opening words of Scripture declare that we as human beings are each created in the image of God, and that God has given us dominion over all the creatures of the earth. Yet in our own foolishness and idolatry we have frequently mistaken this to mean that the Kingdom of God belongs to us. For instance, we now call the land “real estate,” meaning that we can claim it as our own and do whatever we wish with it. Those in the Appalachian region of our nation know the disastrous consequences of such thinking, as abandoned strip mines have left entire counties a wasteland with polluted rivers and streams. Similar situations are found in northern Minnesota; and now, apparently, may be allowed in northern regions of our own state. When it comes to the animal kingdom, there are now approximately 1,300 species on the endangered list in North America alone.1 Admittedly, as Darwin would clearly note, some species go extinct by natural evolution. But the vast majority of these eternal losses are a direct result of our human arrogance.
 
 
Perhaps we take the earth and its creatures for granted because deep in our hearts we think that we will have them forever. We are often like the rich fool who forgot that one day he would have to return all that God had given him. The earth yielded abundantly for him, so much so that he had to keep building larger and larger barns. The earth was his to command; and with the land now under his firm control he was able to say to himself, “relax, eat, drink and be merry.” But God then said to him, “You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” Jesus would then go on to offer an alternative vision. He said to look at the ravens. They didn’t gather things in large barns or storehouses like the rich fool; still, God fed them. And with assurance Jesus noted, “of how much more value are you than the birds!” Therefore, instead of just focusing on our own needs, instead of looking at the earth and its creatures as something to exploit for our own purposes, we are led to keep our reliance on God’s provision. Instead of striving to consume the resources of earth, Jesus would call us to strive for the things of the Kingdom of God.
 
 
In 1857, a committee of the Ohio State Legislature wrote: “The Passenger Pigeon needs no protection. Wonderfully prolific, having the vast forests of the north as its breeding grounds, it is here today, and elsewhere tomorrow; and no ordinary destruction can lesson them.”2 Yet in fact they began to disappear at an alarming rate. The last sizeable nesting was seen in Michigan in 1881. And by 1900, a small boy in Pike County Ohio, using a BB gun he had just gotten for Christmas, killed the last Passenger Pigeon seen in the wild. Soon, the only survivor belonged to the Cincinnati Zoo, a female named Martha. Confined in a 10-foot square cage, she died on September 1, 1914.3 Thus the Passenger Pigeon became yet another name on the list of extinct animals, virtually 100 years to the day since John James Audubon had seen that flock of pigeons which blocked out the sun near the Ohio River. Arrogant humanity took a bird that numbered in the billions and in just 100 years managed to kill off every single last one. And I wonder, will we do the same thing with the 1,300 on our list of endangered animals today?
 
 
As Jesus tells us that we are of more value than the ravens or the birds of the air, I can’t help but think of those wonderful words found in our opening Psalm. “How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O Lord of hosts.” You may not be a member of the Audubon Society. You may not be an avid bird watcher. And that is okay. But in a moment we are going to sing “God of the Sparrow” and “His Eye in on the Sparrow.” And these stories from scripture, along with these hymns, sort of come together to leave us with this thought: if God favors the creatures of the earth and the birds of the air, then maybe we should keep our eyes on the sparrow, too. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Amen.
 
Rev. Eric G. Nielsen – First Presbyterian Church, Eau Claire WI
June 9, 2013 - Blessing of the Animals Sunday
 
1 http://www.mnn.com/eco-glossary/endangered-species
2 Schorger, A. W. The Passenger Pigeon: Its Natural History and Extinction, 
Madison, University of Wisconsin Press, 1953.
3 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passenger_Pigeon
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<pubDate>Mon, 10 Jun 2013 14:27:03 +0000</pubDate>
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<title>Virtual Healing</title>
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Virtual Healing
Luke 7: 1-10
After Jesus had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. A centurion there had a slave whom he valued highly, and who was ill and close to death. When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, asking him to come and heal his slave. When they came to Jesus, they appealed to him earnestly, saying, ‘He is worthy of having you do this for him, for he loves our people, and it is he who built our synagogue for us.’ And Jesus went with them, but when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say to him, ‘Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; therefore I did not presume to come to you. But only speak the word, and let my servant be healed. For I also am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, “Go”, and he goes, and to another, “Come”, and he comes, and to my slave, “Do this”, and the slave does it.’ When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, he said, ‘I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.’ When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health. 
 
Natasha Young was a spirited and proud young Marine when she went to Iraq several years ago. Her task group disabled IEDs - improvised explosive devices, also known as roadside bombs - before they could be detonated by the enemy to kill or injure troops. The unit was always busy at this highly stressful and dangerous work. Staff Sgt. Young did two tours in Iraq, and, on the second tour of duty, six of her fellow Marines were killed when the bombs they were diffusing went off. Each death was a staggering punch to the gut for her and the rest of the unit. The unit's commander took his own life after they returned home. Young broke down physically, emotionally and mentally and was diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which led to a medical discharge from the Marine Corps. She felt very ashamed of herself. And she is not alone. Of the Americans who have been fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan for over a decade, nearly a quarter of a million have been diagnosed with PTSD; it is believed many more remain undiagnosed. Left untreated, these veterans risk a downward spiral that can lead to substance abuse, depression, anger and even suicide.1 
 A new treatment is emerging, however, that may help veterans like Sgt. Young. It's called "Virtual Iraq," and it helps war veterans process their trauma by immersing them in a high-tech, virtual-combat environment, complete with the sounds of gunfire and explosions, the sight of people in the streets, and even the smells of the battlefield like burning rubber and cordite from spent shells. Before entering the virtual battlefield, the veteran recounts his or her experiences to a trained therapist. When the veteran is deemed ready, the therapist fits him or her with virtual reality goggles and earphones and gives the veteran eight exposures to the scene of their trauma - a buddy getting hit by an IED, for example. The scene is played out in detail, including all the associated sights, sounds and smells. The more the veteran can recount the event and talk about it after each session, the less deep the trauma is buried in the veteran's psyche and the more likely he or she is able to be freed from its grip. The treatment has produced some hopeful results. A recent study revealed that 80% of the veterans who underwent the treatment over a period of 12 weeks no longer met the criteria for PTSD.2 Of course, this treatment is not cheap; hence it has yet to be used widespread. We might think of these kinds of technologies as a means of virtual healing - a chance for broken people to imagine a different kind of world that leads them from a focus on the past to hope for the future. 
 
 
The centurion in today’s lesson was dealing with his own trauma. His most valued slave was ill and close to death. The centurion was likely a commander in the army of Herod Antipas. While Capernaum was not a combat post, the centurion was nonetheless a military veteran who may have seen his share of combat earlier in his career. If that were the case, then his slave would likely have been right beside him in the thick of battle, thus forging a relationship that was less master and slave and more like comrades in arms. Losing his best slave would be like losing a battle buddy, to use the modern Army term. 
 
 
Rather than wallowing in grief and replaying the potential loss over and over, however, the centurion decides to envision a different future made possible by the presence of Jesus in Capernaum that day. The centurion had heard about Jesus and about the miracles he had performed earlier in the town; like healing a man with an unclean spirit right there in the synagogue, which, by the way, St. Luke tells us the centurion had given the money and resources to build. Unlike most of the Gentile soldiers who were stationed in the notoriously revolutionary region of Galilee, this centurion actually had a soft spot for the Jews. We are told that not only did he build the synagogue for them, but St. Luke says that he actually loved the Jewish people. The centurion already saw the world differently than many of his peers, and his imagination also allowed him to claim a different vision of reality about this Jewish preacher and healer who was now back in town. Of course he recognized that there was an obvious separation between himself and the Jews. Still, he wants his servant to be well; so he sends some of the Jewish elders to speak with Jesus about his servant, knowing that a pious Jew like Jesus could not actually enter a Gentile house. Notice, the centurion believes that it isn't necessary for Jesus to be physically present in order to heal. Rather, it's Jesus' virtual presence - his presence in spirit through faith - that really matters to him. As a commander of troops, the centurion knows that he doesn't need to be present in order to get things done. He gives an order and it is obeyed, even in his absence; he has faith that his orders will be executed. And he now assumes that Jesus has that same kind of spiritual authority. All Jesus has to do is say the word and his healing order will be carried out. So the centurion is able to imagine another reality made possible by Jesus, and then acts in faith on it. And Jesus is touched at this Gentile centurion's ability to imagine a different outcome, saying. "Not even in Israel have I found such faith."
 
 
I suspect you’ve seen this. You are sitting at a stoplight, and you read on the bumper of the car ahead of you, two words: "Question authority." Questioning authority has almost become our national pastime. There was a day when certain individuals were universally considered worthy of respect, like: doctors, attorneys, police officers, members of the clergy, even the president of the United States. But that's all changed. Today, many doctors are seen as self-centered profiteers, dispensing pills through cell phones on the golf course; lawyers are bottom-feeding sharks; police officers are potbellied slackers hanging out at the donut shop; the President is seen as responding to the highest bidder, and we clergy are either con artists, naive buffoons, or child sex abusers. But the centurion understands the reality of Jesus’ authority; and it is precisely because he does not question Jesus' authority that his servant is healed. 
One of the major breakthroughs that soldiers must accomplish if they are going to manage their PTSD is to recognize that they cannot stop the cycle on their own. The same can be said for those who may be dealing with addictions, habitual patterns of sin or any other life trauma. Like the centurion, we need to be willing to ask for help. Like embattled soldiers, we, too, can give into the trauma of our circumstances, our sin, our brokenness, and find ourselves in a downward spiral. Faith in Christ, on the other hand, can lift us toward a vision of a different future. Even if we do not receive a miraculous healing, a full restoration of a relationship, or the satisfactory resolution of a difficult circumstance, faith invites us to begin moving again, even if only a bit at a time, toward wholeness and away from the downward spiral of despair. 
We also must remember that faith in Christ isn't just a “spiritual” reality; no, it is also lived out within the body of Christ. The truth is that we can be the healing presence of Christ to each other, helping one another move toward health. We don't need to be trained therapists, just people who are willing to listen, and be comrades who link arms with one another as we move through life’s tough times. This fall we hope to begin a new round of training for members to become Stephen Ministers. We remember, too, that some in our midst can respond to the calling to serve as Deacons and on our Visitors team. But it doesn’t simply mean it’s all about training or election to an office. We all need to be people who can be the physical presence of the spiritual reality of Christ among us. Although he was a Gentile, the Jewish elders in Capernaum saw the centurion as a neighbor and wanted to help alleviate his suffering by going to Jesus. Can we be agents of healing for each other in the same way, acting as intercessors for those around us? Who do you know who is struggling? Can you be an advocate, a virtual healer, a representative of Christ in their life? Can you help others envision a different sort of outcome for the brokenness in their lives? Might you help to manifest the reality of the Kingdom of God here and now?
 
 
We come now to the Table of our Lord. As bread is broken and wine is poured, we experience the virtual reality of the Risen Lord; and we claim here a different vision for daily life. Death and sin, the memories of the past and the guilt and shame of the present are defeated; and resurrection life and the hope of a new life and a new tomorrow are here joyously proclaimed. May these gifts enable and strengthen you to move forward in hope, in assurance, and into care and ministry with those around you this coming week in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
 
Rev. Eric G. Nielsen – First Presbyterian Church, Eau Claire WI
June 2, 2013
 
1 Wood, David. "Iraq, Afghanistan war veteran struggles with combat trauma." The Huffington Post, July 4, 2012. huffingtonpost.com. 
2 De Angelis, Tori. "Virtual Healing." American Psychological Association website. September, 2009. apa.org/monitor/2009/09/virtual-healing.aspx. 
 
 
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<pubDate>Sun, 02 Jun 2013 17:47:39 +0000</pubDate>
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<title>Smart as a Brick?</title>
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<description><![CDATA[ 
Smart as a Brick?
Proverbs 8: 1-7a, 22-36
Does not wisdom call, and does not understanding raise her voice? On the heights, beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand; beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries out: ‘To you, O people, I call, and my cry is to all that live. O simple ones, learn prudence; acquire intelligence, you who lack it. Hear, for I will speak noble things, and from my lips will come what is right; for my mouth will utter truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips. 
 
The Lord created me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of long ago. Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth. When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water. Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth - when he had not yet made earth and fields, or the world’s first bits of soil. When he established the heavens, I was there, when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep, when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was beside him, like a master worker; and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always, rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the human race. 
 
‘And now, my children, listen to me: happy are those who keep my ways. Hear instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it. Happy is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors. For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the Lord; but those who miss me injure themselves; all who hate me love death.’ 
 
 
I suspect we’ve all run into people who have left us simply stupefied by their own stupidity. And we’ve come up with many clever and courteous ways to describe such individuals. We say that they are a few fries short of a Happy Meal; that the wheel’s spinning, but the hamster’s dead; that their chimney is clogged; that their belt doesn’t go through all the loops, or that in the pinball game of life, their flippers are a little farther apart than most. But most often, the phrase I tend to use is simply to say that a person is dumb as a brick. But I may no longer be correct in using such a phrase, for the brick has been reinvented. Professor Chang Liu at the University of Illinois has changed brick technology that dates back 6,400 years. Chang has designed a new brick which is filled with electronic sensors that can continuously monitor the structural health of a building. Termed a “smart brick” these new blocks can be a real asset in terms of routine maintenance and safety in emergencies. Chang points to the World Trade Center disaster. You can just imagine how differently firefighters would have responded if they had been able to pull up to the site and immediately get a reading of the buildings’ structural integrity. If they had known a little more about vibrations and temperatures inside the skyscrapers, they might have changed their tactics and saved additional lives, including their own.
 
 
So how does this work you ask? A smart brick can be laid into a wall like any normal brick, but inside the brick are devices to track temperature changes and measure vibration and movement. Data is transmitted to a PC or tablet using an internal antenna, and the readings can be accessed by engineers or emergency personnel. A set of these smart bricks, deployed throughout a building, could easily provide a real-time picture of the strength and integrity of a structure. The 21st century is becoming the “smart” century. We now have smart cars – those little vehicles that can park almost anywhere. We now have smart houses - residences that are self-monitoring and hooked up to the Internet to have owner control from anywhere around the world. Millions of people now walk around with a smart phone. And Professor Liu predicts that soon there will be “spray-on ‘smart skins’ that can wrap around existing surfaces and components” that could smarten up old structures. 1 Smart bricks are a good image for us to keep in mind as we ponder our role as people of God in the world today. We already know that, as St. Peter famously wrote, we are called to be “living stones,” built into a spiritual house (1 Pet. 2:5). We declare each Lenten season that “The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone” (Ps. 118:22). But I don’t think we often consider just what kind of building blocks we are supposed to be. Well, the choice is ours: we’re either stupid stones or smart bricks. 
 
 
Starting with the words found in the 8th chapter of Proverbs, we are given a description of the gift of Wisdom. And in imagery that tends to cause great anxiety amidst some of our more fundamentalist sisters and brothers, we note that “Wisdom,” called “Sophia” in the Hebrew, is a female. Lady Wisdom is what we more traditionally refer to as the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit – that aspect of God that was from the very dawn of Creation, and which shapes and guides us on the journey of life and faith. And we are told that Lady Wisdom stands in the middle of human society and cries out, “To you, O people, I call, and my cry is to all that live.”
 

We find in these words that Wisdom offers her insights to everyone who is willing to listen, and she promises wonderful gifts to anyone who will embrace her - gifts of intelligence, truth, instruction, knowledge, justice and righteousness. Flipping that coin over and looking at the other side, these words also tell us that Wisdom doesn’t just give her gifts only to grad students at Harvard, or techno-geeks at Microsoft, or think tankers in Washington, D.C. No, Wisdom is generous to all who are willing to open their hearts and minds to what she offers. So, Wisdom pours her gifts into: • The auto mechanic who analyzes car problems with uncommon intelligence • The seniors who know the truth about what makes people tick • The elementary school teacher who can both instruct and inspire their students • The attorney who has a passion for justice, above a concern for billable hours • The high-school student who resists peer pressure and practices righteousness, • and the entrepreneur who finds that she or he can do well by doing good.
 
When we look at ourselves, and at people around us, we realize that wisdom is reserved not only for people with the most distinguished diplomas and powerful professions - in fact, the nightly news reveals that there is plenty of folly and foolishness to be found at the highest levels of academics, business and politics. True insight is available to all people everywhere who are willing to open their hearts and their minds to the wisdom of God. Such people are smart bricks - solid citizens who are tuned into God’s will for the world, and are sensitive to changes and vibrations and movements in the people and world around them. Like Smart Brick technology which can help maintain structural integrity in our buildings, smart brick Christians are committed to building up people and communities, not breaking them down. They are constructive, not destructive. They stand together and work together, instead of splitting apart into factions and shattering the efforts of others. As Proverbs notes, they join the wisdom of God in rejoicing in the “inhabited world and delighting in the human race.” Compare such bricks, however, with the collapsing structures we see around us. Our partisan political fights focus on how wrong and how evil the other side is rather than lifting up how we can build upon the insights, strengths and passions of both perspectives to do our best for the common good of all. We talk about the 1% who own over half of our nation’s wealth and the 46% who pay no income taxes at all rather than talking about how we will all work collectively and contribute responsibly for the well-being of every citizen. Even in the church we have divided ourselves into separate structures, and erected walls and barriers – the evangelicals and the progressives, the contemporary and the traditional, the orthodox and the spiritual-but-not-religious. “Rejoicing and delighting” as Proverbs declares – that is not the approach the world around us often takes, but it is the response of people of Wisdom in the world who care about all the people in it.
 
 
Wisdom says to us: “Happy is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors. For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the Lord; but those who miss me injure themselves.” Again, each of us, in our own ways, can dedicate ourselves to building up, instead of breaking down. We can be constructive, not destructive. Whether as individuals, or when gathered together in efforts such as JONAH, we can stand together and work together, instead of splitting apart and shattering the efforts of others. We can be sensitive to the changes and vibrations and movements in our community and take action to maintain the well-being of all in the community around us. And it all begins with the realization that God loves us, and delights in us, and desires that we all be wise. It’s about being a person who is determined to grow closer to God and to neighbor, and to approach the problems of this world with courage and confidence. And if we truly believe that God gives us the gift of Wisdom, and that this Wisdom delights in the human race, then there is no reason at all to feel overwhelmed by our calling to build, and maintain, the Kingdom of God on earth, one brick at a time. Amen.
Rev. Eric G. Nielsen – First Presbyterian Church, Eau Claire WI
May 26, 2013

1 “Wired news: Smart bricks, or a dumb idea?,” June 20, 2003, Wired.com.
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</item>
<item>
<title>Arrogant Christians?</title>
<link>http://www.firstpres-eauclaire.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=341:arrogant-christians&catid=39:sermons&Itemid=65</link>
<guid>http://www.firstpres-eauclaire.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=341:arrogant-christians&catid=39:sermons&Itemid=65</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
Arrogant Christians?
Genesis 11: 1-9
Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. 2 And as they migrated from the east, they came upon a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves; otherwise we shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.” 5 The Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which mortals had built. 6 And the Lord said, “Look, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down, and confuse their language there, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.” 8 So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. 9 Therefore it was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth. 
 
When I was a kid, I remember passing through Chicago and seeing the Sears Tower, one of the tallest buildings in the world. Yet the Sears Tower, now known as the Willis Tower, currently ranks as only the 10th tallest building in the world. At 2,717 feet tall, and encompassing 163 floors, the Burj Dubai skyscraper, which was completed in 2008, currently stands as the tallest building in the world. An amazing structure, its hold on the tallest building moniker may soon be lost. Plans are currently in the works to construct the Murjan Tower in Bahrain. This Danish-designed building will have 200 floors, and will stand an unbelievable 3,353 feet in the air; almost 2.5 times taller than the Willis Tower in Chicago, and nearly double the height of the former World Trade Center towers in New York City. Indeed, these super structures should no longer be called sky-scrapers but space- scrapers.
 
 
We seem to be suffering from a world-wide epidemic of edifice-complex. Yet the construction of the world’s tallest building is a sure-fire predictor of economic disaster. This insight has been noted by financial journalist William Pesek who writes: “The desire to erect the tallest building seems to have much to do with sudden capital inflows that pump up credit creation and confidence. It’s often periods of over-investment and financial speculation, fueled by excessive monetary expansion, that drive developers and politicians to architectural one-upmanship. This financial boom is most often followed by a bust.” In other words, skyrocketing economies that build lavishly into the stratosphere often soon dive dramatically into the doldrums.1 
Our modern arrogance is well known to God. As a matter of fact, it has been around since day one. The story of the Tower of Babel is a lesson about our arrogance. The Tower of Babel was the first skyscraper - “a tower with its top in the heavens” Genesis tells us. We read two notable things about that mammoth building effort. First, it was part of a major urbanization effort that was intended to “make a name” for the people. Second, the city and the tower would give them a place of permanence in Mesopotamia, for it is stated: “otherwise we shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.” A migratory people would now have a geographic and cultural center. It would establish and legitimize them. Those from all around would see their great tower in their great city and Babel would have a reputation. At first glance, this isn’t the worst thing in the world. In fact, the Temple built by King Solomon later in our faith story would be similar in its intentions. It became an established geographic and cultural center and created a religious draw for all the world’s followers of Yahweh. The difference and the problem are found in the details of the Genesis story. 
 
 
First, unlike the Temple, the tower was built as a monument not to God but to self-reliance. The phrase “let us” shows up repeatedly in this passage and sounds the alarm of our egocentrism. Of course, in modern Western civilization this is hardly a sin. In fact, it is a lauded virtue. Pull yourself up by your bootstraps. Rely on good old Yankee ingenuity. We don’t necessarily need God; we’ll just call upon him when we get in a mess. Otherwise, we are just fine on our own, thank you very much.
 
 
Secondly, the tower was intended to make a name for the people. Clearly that was not in God’s plans, as the covenant call of Abraham and Sarah in Genesis 12 indicates: God says, “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing” (v. 2). It is clear that God is the name-maker, not us; and the purpose of such blessing and good reputation is to benefit others and not ourselves. N.T. Wright nicely summarizes the spiritual selfishness of Babel: “Those who were supposed to be reflecting God’s image in the world - that is, human beings - are instead looking into mirrors of their own … arrogant and insecure, they have become self-important.”2 Everything we have accomplished and everything that we have are the products of, and instruments of, God’s blessing, and are intended to be used as a blessing to others - not things to make us respected and envied by peers. The final problem is that the tower was viewed as a symbol of permanence in Babel. But again, this was not God’s plan for the people. Rather God had what I would call a unique “population theology” from the beginning. He told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply and subdue the earth (Genesis 1:28). After the flood, he told Noah’s descendants the same thing (Genesis 9:1, 7). It seems that from the garden to Babel, people were to have babies and spread out. But none of them were as obedient as God had desired. Did they spread out? No. They were going to hunker down in their city and with their tower. And for the church today, this story begs a question of us: Are we actively spreading forth the gospel beyond the boundaries of the church, or are we sitting comfortably - and permanently - within our nice structure? 
 
 
Well, in response to this self-reliant and self-focused Babel, God “came down to see the city and the tower.” Note the irony and humor of God who comes down to see a tower which supposedly has its top in the heavens. And God says, “Look, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do.” There was harmony of purpose, harmony of thinking and harmony of language in Babel – but there was great disharmony with the will and calling of God. So fittingly, God confused their language and then scattered them abroad. We note soberly that God will accomplish God’s purposes, even if we are resistant. Such resistance may lead to uncomfortable consequences. For Babel, it was confusion and scattering; later for Israel and Judah it would mean exile; and for the early church, it was persecution. 
 
 
On this Pentecost Sunday, in which we celebrate the birthday of the Church, God came in the power of the Holy Spirit, and we note that those first believers faced some incredible persecutions. Granted, the church didn’t bring persecution upon itself. Unlike Babel, it’s not like they asked for it. But think about it: In Acts 1 and the story of the Ascension, Jesus tells the church that after Pentecost, they will be his witnesses “in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” But in Acts 8, we find that the church hasn’t left Jerusalem. They are hunkered down in their tower as it were. So we are told that a severe persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, led by a man named Saul. We are told that all except the apostles were scattered “throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria” – the very places they were supposed to have gone already. When those in Babel sought to shift the focus from God to themselves, God confused and scattered them. And when the early church kept the focus on themselves rather than taking the good news forth into the world, they felt persecution.
 
 
I think we are all aware of the challenges that are facing the Church today – both the capital “C” Church as well as individual congregations, including our own. And when we listen to the ancient story of Babel, and the story of our own beginnings as the Church at Pentecost, I can’t help but wonder whether our challenges do not sprout from the fact that we have often times simply hunkered down inside our walls, focused on ourselves, and failed to reach out and speak the language of our community in sharing the message of the gospel. The primary ministry of this congregation is not found within the walls of this building; it is found when we enter into the lives of people in this community, and when we begin to speak and act in ways which reveal the gospel in a way our community can understand. When you focus on the building - be it in Babel, or in building super sky-scrapers, or in living as part of the church – you are asking for trouble.
 
 
At Babel, a common language meant unity around arrogant self-sufficiency. So God confused their language, forcing them outward. At Pentecost, the one story of Jesus was made understandable to peoples and languages from all over the known world, and the power of God’s Spirit was unleashed. Let us heed the example which has been repeated before us. Let us leave these walls and take the good news of Jesus Christ into the lives of those in our community, that all may come to know the presence and power of God’s Kingdom. Come, Holy Spirit, come. Amen.
 
Rev. Eric G. Nielsen – First Presbyterian Church, Eau Claire WI
May 19, 2013
 
1 http://thefilter.blogs.com/thefilter/Thornton4.pdf. 2 Wright, N.T. Simply Christian. New York: Harper Collins, 2006, 73.
 
 
 ]]></description>
<author>revnielsen@firstpres-eauclaire.org (Eric Nielsen)</author>
<category>Sermons</category>
<pubDate>Wed, 22 May 2013 15:55:06 +0000</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title>Happiness vs. Joy</title>
<link>http://www.firstpres-eauclaire.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=340:happiness-vs-joy&catid=39:sermons&Itemid=65</link>
<guid>http://www.firstpres-eauclaire.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=340:happiness-vs-joy&catid=39:sermons&Itemid=65</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
Happiness vs. Joy
Acts 16: 16-34
 
One day, as we were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave-girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners a great deal of money by fortune-telling. While she followed Paul and us, she would cry out, ‘These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation.’ She kept doing this for many days. But Paul, very much annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, ‘I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.’ And it came out that very hour. 
 
But when her owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the market-place before the authorities. When they had brought them before the magistrates, they said, ‘These men are disturbing our city; they are Jews and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to adopt or observe.’ The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates had them stripped of their clothing and ordered them to be beaten with rods. After they had given them a severe flogging, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to keep them securely. Following these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. 
 
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was an earthquake, so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, since he supposed that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted in a loud voice, ‘Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.’ The jailer called for lights, and rushing in, he fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them outside and said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They answered, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.’ They spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. At the same hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and his entire family were baptized without delay. He brought them up into the house and set food before them; and he and his entire household rejoiced that he had become a believer in God. 
 
 
In the Declaration of Independence, we Americans asserted our right to the pursuit of happiness. Actually catching it, however, is another thing altogether. Happiness is indeed a sometimes elusive quality, but that seldom keeps us from trying to grab it. And not too long ago, former National Public Radio foreign correspondent Eric Weiner made an organized attempt to do so. Or maybe it would be more accurate to say he went in pursuit of where happiness makes its home. As a rationale for writing a kind of travelogue-pop psychology book, he set off to find where the happiest people in the world live and then tried to say why they're so content. His travels took him to nine countries that rate reasonably high on happiness surveys - The Netherlands, Switzerland, Bhutan, Qatar, Iceland, Thailand, Great Britain, India, and the United States - and, for contrast, one populated with people who are notably unhappy and morose, Moldova. He found that while the purportedly happier countries had some elements in common, they also had significant differences. In his subsequent book, The Geography of Bliss,1 Weiner freely admits that he didn't nail down much that's new about happiness. He did come to a few broad conclusions about it, but unlike the “Christ came to make you happy” type of message found in many congregations today, Weiner notes that it would be very difficult to pull his conclusions easily into a 5-part sermon series. Actually, most of his conclusions are things you already know, and you didn’t have to travel around the world to find them out: "Money matters, but less than we think.” (This is not what the slave owners in Acts want to hear.) “Family is important. So are friends. Envy is toxic. So is excessive thinking. Beaches are optional. Trust is not. Neither is gratitude." In the end, Weiner's primary learning is that there's more than one route to happiness. So, is the same true about unhappy places? Are they unhappy in their own ways as well? Consider the Philippian jail where Paul and Silas find themselves in today’s lesson. The two missionaries had been flogged before being imprisoned; and in the jail their feet were secured in stocks for good measure. All of that sounds quite grim to me. But we are told, come midnight, "Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God." In this place that was specifically designed to make its residents unhappy, Paul and Silas weren't wailing tunes of despair. They weren't chanting about the injustice of their punishment. If they weren't exactly happy, they appeared to be at least calm. Actually, what should we expect them to feel while in this dungeon? Christianity has done a good job of telling us about why we can have hope even in the darkness that sometimes engulfs us, but should it also be telling us how to feel about our circumstances? Consider the familiar Sunday school song: "If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands ... stomp your feet ..." and do all sorts of other "Christian" calisthenics. One pastor who used to sing this chorus as a kid had no problem with it until he attended a youth rally where the Joel Osteen-esqe speaker said that because they were Christians and had the good news of the gospel, they should be happier than other people. In fact, the speaker said they should be smiling all the time. He remembers his teenage response: "O great. Now I've got something new to feel guilty about; I'm a Christian and I don't feel happy all the time." In reality, the bible says very little about happiness. But what it does address frequently is the concept of "joy" in the lives of those who try to serve God and follow Jesus Christ. As we read the scriptures carefully, we begin to understand that joy in the biblical sense is different from happiness, though the two often coincide. What's more, the Bible isn't commanding us to feel joyful. Rather, the pages of scripture convey to us that ‘joy’ is what life looks like when we live with trust in God. Hence, Paul and Silas could be singing hymns at midnight while held in stocks within a prison. Consider Psalm 126, a song of Ascent, remembering the return of the Hebrews from the Babylonian exile. The psalm's last verse says, "Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves" (Ps. 126:6). I have read that there was a belief among some ancient peoples that a person must not laugh when planting seeds or else they would weep during harvest. This Psalm flips that notion on its head: Those who go forth - as into captivity or exile - weeping, shall return with shouts of joy. In other words, joy is not just for those who are happy, but also for the brokenhearted whose trust is in the Lord their God
 We heard today of the earthquake that freed Paul and Silas from their imprisonment. But I’d like to share a story about another earthquake. I am sure you remember the devastation that resulted on the island of Haiti when a 7.0 earthquake hit that nation on January 12, 2010. When the four-story Hotel Montana in Port-au-Prince crumbled, it trapped beneath it in its lobby area three officers from the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) and three representatives from Interchurch Medical Assistance (IMA) World Health Organization. The trio from UMCOR - Rev. James Gulley, Rev. Sam Dixon and Rev. Clint Rabb - were in Haiti to improve medical services and agricultural practices in that nation. They had come to the hotel to meet with the team from IMA World Health, which included Sarla Chand, Rick Santos and Ann Varghese. The two groups had just rendezvoused in the hotel lobby, when the earth suddenly shook and the building came down on top of them. The six were thrown down and plunged into total darkness. Eventually, each spoke out. Chand, Gulley, Santos and Varghese were okay, but Dixon and Rabb, who were pinned side by side under a large slab of concrete, both indicated that their legs were broken. The six remained in that dark entrapment for the next 55 hours, until a French search-and-rescue team finally pulled them from the pancaked building. As it turned out, Dixon died shortly before he could be extracted, and Rabb died later in a Florida hospital to which he had been transported. Both men, however, were conscious through the long, dark hours before the rescuers arrived. Gulley said that as the time passed, "We talked about faith, prayed together and sang. We sang 'I’ve Got Peace Like a River and Joy Like a Fountain' several times." As part of their ordeal, they also remembered “the story of Paul and Silas who were praying and singing hymns to God in prison." Gulley said Dixon and Rabb were in great pain, and the rest tried to help as much as possible. Santos had some over-the-counter pain medicine with him, which he gave them. And when help finally came, Gulley and the others started singing the doxology, "Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow." Only hours after the rescue did the group learn that two of those whose voices had comforted and guided them with words of faith during the ordeal had succumbed to their injuries. In reflection James Gulley said, "I have no answer about why I was given the gift of life and Sam and Clint were not. I can't answer that any better than Job could answer why some people suffer more than others. All I can do is continue to try to use my gift of life in God's service in whatever way it is intended. I'm grateful to be alive, and I accept that gift."2 I share this story today because I think many of us get overwhelmed by the false notion that if we are truly faithful then we will always be happy. But that is simply not true. Weiner’s book didn’t get into issues of faith; but the bible obviously does. And it is clear in stating that we will not always be happy. But it does tell us that even when we're in the deepest darkness, if we hold on to our trust in God, we can still be filled with the gift of joy. 
 
As we close out this season of Eastertide, let us remember that the resurrection did not remove from our lives the realities of pain and challenge and heartache and sadness. As a matter of fact, scripture is clear that if we truly believe in the resurrection and seek to live as disciples of the risen Christ, imprisonment may be a common experience for us. And we know that darkness still hangs over so many people, and injustice inflicts great pain and hardship. No, the resurrection of Jesus revealed the dawn of God’s Kingdom, and it offered to us the gifts of life, and courage, and strength, and hope, and peace, and joy. So in good times and in not so good times, I urge you to keep your trust in our trustworthy God, that you may have peace like a river, and joy like a fountain, in your soul. Amen.
 
Rev. Eric G. Nielsen – First Presbyterian Church, Eau Claire WI
May 12, 2013
 
1 Weiner, Eric. The Geography of Bliss. New York: Twelve, 2008. 2 "'Peace Like a River': The sound of faith in collapsed Haiti hotel." The Wired Word, January 24, 2010. 
 
 ]]></description>
<author>revnielsen@firstpres-eauclaire.org (Eric Nielsen)</author>
<category>Sermons</category>
<pubDate>Mon, 13 May 2013 13:32:35 +0000</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title>Do You Want to be Made Well?</title>
<link>http://www.firstpres-eauclaire.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=333:do-you-want-to-be-made-well&catid=39:sermons&Itemid=65</link>
<guid>http://www.firstpres-eauclaire.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=333:do-you-want-to-be-made-well&catid=39:sermons&Itemid=65</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
Do You Want to be Made Well?
John 5: 1-18
After this there was a festival of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 
 
Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Bethesda which has five porticoes. In these lay many invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, ‘Do you want to be made well?’ The sick man answered him, ‘Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Stand up, take your mat and walk.’ At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk.
 
Now that day was a Sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who had been cured, ‘It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.’ But he answered them, ‘The man who made me well said to me, “Take up your mat and walk.” ’ They asked him, ‘Who is the man who said to you, “Take it up and walk”?’ Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had disappeared in the crowd that was there. Later Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, ‘See, you have been made well! Do not sin any more, so that nothing worse happens to you.’ The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. Therefore the Jews started persecuting Jesus, because he was doing such things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, ‘My Father is still working, and I also am working.’ For this reason the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because he was not only breaking the Sabbath, but was also calling God his own Father, thereby making himself equal to God. 
 
 
Our story takes place at a “festival of the Jews.” St. John doesn’t tell us which specific festival it was; but all of the Jewish festivals were times to celebrate the miraculous intervention of God into the life of Israel. The point of any of the 7 Jewish festival celebrations was to remember how God has acted to save us. That saving action of God, however, is not simply reserved for the nation of Israel; as we find in this story it is also sometimes the pattern for our individual lives.
 
 
We find ourselves at a pool, located by the Sheep gate. At this pool lie many sick people – the blind, the lame, and the paralyzed. And at this pool some had experienced miraculous healing. So when these waters stirred, everyone had to rush down and be the first one in. Evidently it only worked one person at a time; so first come, first served. Among those gathered at the pool hoping for healing was a man who had been ill for 38 years. Jesus approaches this man and asks, “Do you want to be made well?” Now, we all know that attitude is key. Our overall wellness hinges largely upon our own desire and willingness to be made well. As was noted in our adult class this last Advent when we walked through the journey of anyone in AA, the first step is acknowledging that you have a problem that is outside your ability to fix, and having a desire to seek the help you need to change your life. And so we can hear Jesus’ question in that context: “Do you want to be made well?”
 
 
But I must confess that, from another perspective, Jesus’ question is totally absurd. With a little sarcasm in the voice, I can hear this reply coming: “Why, yes Jesus, I’ve only been lying around here waiting for the waters to stir for 38 years; I really like the view here, and in all those years it has only crossed my mind once or twice that it might be nice to be healed.” Or, Jesus’ question could be answered with a whine: “Certainly, Jesus, but I haven’t been able to find anyone who will put me in the waters in time; someone always gets there ahead of me.” Notice, when Jesus’ asks him if he wants to be made well, the man doesn’t simply say “yes;” rather, he replies with an excuse – “I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred.”
 
 
This situation reminds of some larger issues which confront all of us this very day. Daily in the newspaper or on the TV news you can find yet another story of someone in Wisconsin losing their life to a drunk driver. We have people in this very community who are still on the road after having 10, 12, or 15 DUI citations. Most cases of domestic abuse occur when alcohol is involved. We lament the death and abuse that affects more and more families. Yet, aren’t we all just a bunch of whiners? After all, if we really wanted to solve the problem, we easily could. In Norway for example, they literally have no drunk driving issues – and they are darker and colder throughout the year than we here in Wisconsin. There, first offense OWI is an automatic minimum of one year behind bars. We have followed in the news this week a bill before the State Legislature for a tougher approach to this problem. But it would cost us an estimated $250 million a year, plus another $230+ million for new prisons. Or, better yet, and much less costly, we could require that all first offenders go through a treatment program for alcohol abuse. Yet, little will probably ever be done; because alcohol is big business in Wisconsin, we continue to turn our eyes away as yet another person is laid to rest as the result of a drunk driver. Or think about smoking. We all know it causes cancer and respiratory disease. Treatment for these diseases costs us millions of dollars each year; let alone the devastation to families. But, the government gets a lot of tax revenue from cigarettes, and the tobacco industry employs a lot of people in key political Southern states. So, we continue to subsidize tobacco farming and stress our already near-bankrupt medical system while we, like the man by the pool, whine about our fate. “Do we really want to be made well?” Well, yes; but not really.
 
 
But this type of response bothers me, too. Yes, we all need to take personal responsibility for our health. And yes, we have to get beyond the notion that we can forever depend on medical science to come up with some pill to solve any medical situation. But we often act in a way that says if we just summon up the resolve to do all of the good things we know we should do that we won’t get sick. But I’ve known people who never took a puff of a cigarette in their life and still died of lung cancer. I believe it okay for me to share with you that Nelva Dykema really struggled with this in her last months and weeks. Nelva spent her life as both a nurse in the traditional medical field as well as a practitioner of alternative and holistic treatments. She cooked all her meals from whole foods, and avoided mostly processed food filled with chemicals. She tried to do all the things known in the medical field to avoid the prospect of cancer. And yet, she still developed a nasty and aggressive form of cancer that recently took her life. And she really struggled in those final days to try and come to terms with how and why this still happened.
 
 
So yes, we can take responsibility for ourselves, we can do all the right things, we can earnestly pray; but that doesn’t always mean healing will happen. And that reality leaves us with a bad taste in our mouth. And that bad taste is then made even worse when we then consider today’s story. Here is a man who has a lousy attitude; he apparently doesn’t do much to help himself but does a lot of whining. And he is the one who Jesus heals. And, to add insult to injury, we find that after this guy is healed, and a crowd gathers to criticize Jesus for healing on the Sabbath, the man seems to feel absolutely no gratitude or loyalty to Jesus. When questioned, he responds, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your mat and walk.’” He isn’t going to get involved in this! When questioned, he blames Jesus! This man is not only a whiner but he is also a snitch – “That man Jesus over there; he’s the one who broke the rules.” Now, I am sorry that he has been crippled for most of his life, but I have to tell you, he is certainly not a very nice person! When you combine his passive, whining dependency with ingratitude you are just left with a not very good character. And yet, this man is healed by Jesus.
 
 
Jesus said in his Sermon on the Mount that God “makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous” (Mt. 5:45). Well, on this day, the sun shone on a man who was very unrighteous. Jesus reached out in undeserved mercy to heal him. And yet, if you read through the Bible, you will find that this is what God seems to do over and over again. To the thief on the cross came the promise of Paradise. That is why the Jewish people had so many festivals – God always seemed to reach out to God’s people with unmerited grace. This story of a man by the pool of Bethsaida is an account of God’s amazing grace that shines upon people in need, despite their faith or lack thereof. Of course, we would much rather see good things happen to mostly good people. But God doesn’t always act that way. This man isn’t asked to have faith. He is not asked to declare Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. He is not asked to now start taking more responsibility for his health. Rather, he simply receives. He is given a gift.
 
 
And this, my friends, is why we call John’s stories – and those of Matthew, Mark and Luke - “gospel.” For “gospel” means good news. It is good news that God comes to sinners, to the crippled, and to the needy – including those who don’t even recognize how much they need – as well as to those who may not have a grateful bone in their body. It is good news that God acts with grace – with amazing grace; to a man like the one by the Sheep gate pool, and to people like us who fill this room today.
 
 
In both the power of Jesus resurrection which offers us the gift of new life and the promise of the Kingdom, and in acts of healing which we often times can’t explain and don’t deserve, God does for us what we cannot do for ourselves. It is a gift. It is amazing grace. And unlike the man in the story, I believe it is something we can only respond to with a life of gratitude, and a willingness to extend the grace of God to others. Amen.
Rev. Eric G. Nielsen – First Presbyterian Church, Eau Claire WI
May 5, 2013
 ]]></description>
<author>revnielsen@firstpres-eauclaire.org (Eric Nielsen)</author>
<category>Sermons</category>
<pubDate>Mon, 06 May 2013 13:52:44 +0000</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title>Stitching Faith and Life Together</title>
<link>http://www.firstpres-eauclaire.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=332:stitching-faith-and-life-together&catid=39:sermons&Itemid=65</link>
<guid>http://www.firstpres-eauclaire.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=332:stitching-faith-and-life-together&catid=39:sermons&Itemid=65</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
Stitching Faith and Life Together
Acts 9: 36-43
Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was devoted to good works and acts of charity. At that time she became ill and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in a room upstairs. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, who heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, ‘Please come to us without delay.’ So Peter got up and went with them; and when he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was with them. Peter put all of them outside, and then he knelt down and prayed. He turned to the body and said, ‘Tabitha, get up.’ Then she opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up. He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he showed her to be alive. This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. Meanwhile he stayed in Joppa for some time with a certain Simon, a tanner.
 
I suspect many of you know these two buildings. On the left is the Baseball Hall of Fame, located in Cooperstown NY. Here, among other things, you can see memorabilia about any of the 39 Chicago Cubs who are remembered for their historical playing days, such as Ernie Banks, Andre Dawson, Fergie Jenkins, Ryne Sandberg, Ron Santo or Billy Williams. Then, on the right is the image of the Pro Football Hall of Fame located in Canton, OH. Here are enshrined the great names of football. Some come from the Vikings – such as Chris Carter, Carl Eller, Fran Tarkenton and Bud Grant. Some come from the Packers – such as Curly Lambeau, Vince Lombardi, Bart Starr or Reggie White. And, of course, once again America’s Team, the Dallas Cowboys, have been selected to play in this year’s Hall of Fame Game on August 4 against the Miami Dolphins.
 
 
Now, while they don’t have an elaborate building like baseball or the NFL, did you know that there is a Sewing Hall of Fame? While this fact may not put on you pins and needles begging for more details, the fact remains that such a Hall was created in 2001 by the American Sewing Guild. The Sewing Guild is an organization launched in the late 1970s. By that decade, sewing education and home economics had been dropped from many school curriculums, and because more women than ever were working outside the home, they had less time to sew or teach the sewing arts to their children. Thus, the American Sewing Guild aimed to keep alive the interest and tradition of home sewing. But it wasn't until 2001 that the Guild opened its Hall of Fame to recognize "individuals who have had a lasting impact on the home sewing industry with unique and innovative contributions through sewing education, product development, media or other sewing industry related endeavors." The first inductee was Nancy Zieman, who's had a needlework show called Sewing With Nancy on public television since 1982. Two items of note - one is that she talks freely about her crooked smile, which is the result of Bell's palsy and a damaged nerve on the right side of her face. She hears from viewers around the country who have similar maladies, and she makes appropriate referrals. She says, "I think this is part of my mission in life - to help others who may be in similar situations." The other interesting thing about Zieman is that she wrote a book called Creative Kindness in which she details projects to do for others, including making school uniforms for kids in Haiti, berets for cancer victims going through hair loss, and clothes for preemies. In a 2001 talk she gave to the Guild, Zieman said, "I encourage you to make at least one thing for someone that you'll never meet." In 2007, Joyce and Fred Drexler were the inductees into the Hall. Fred is the only man in the hall of fame so far. They are owners of Sulky of America, an embroidery, quilting and patchwork company. But beyond that, they've done volunteer work. After Hurricane Andrew in 1992, Fred set up Operation Mend, in which he invited sewers all over America to "share their stash" of sewing items. That netted two, full semi-trailer loads of sewing machines, fabrics, patterns and other sewing tools and supplies, which were trucked to Homestead, Florida, where Florida Guild chapters located needy victims and donated the items to them.1
 
 
The Sewing Hall of Fame is a 21st-century creation, but if it had been around in the first century A.D., a likely inductee would have been a woman from Joppa named in Hebrew, Tabitha, or in the Greek language she was known as Dorcas. She should be the patron saint of the American Sewing Guild. Most often her fame is associated with her being raised to life by St. Peter. But she also did a lot of sewing, and most of it was for other people. After she became ill and died, members of her community sent for the apostle Peter to see if there was anything he could do. Right before today’s lesson we would find that Peter was just down the road in the village of Lydda. While there he cured a man named Aeneas who had been bedridden for 8 years and was completely paralyzed. When Peter arrives in town the Scriptures tell us that "[a]ll the widows" - (and remember, this really means all the needy women, because most females in that time not attached to a man had little access to the wealth of society) – all the widows showed him "tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made." This comment didn't mean they merely showed Peter examples of fine needlework Dorcas had done for herself. Without getting into the esoteric realities of Greek language, Luke uses what is known as the middle voice of the participle of the word “showed,” which indicates that the widows were “actually wearing clothes made for them by Dorcas, and were showing them to Peter."2 These widows no doubt called Peter's attention to these garments as examples of Dorcas' kindness and generosity to those in need. She was a true follower of Jesus; as a matter of fact, in this passage Dorcas is referred to as "a disciple." She is the only woman in the New Testament given the designation of “disciple.” These facts about Dorcas are probably why, when she died, the community sent two men to Peter down in Lydda and asked him to come. Dorcas was such a contributor to the entire community that they wondered how they could possibly get along without her, and they had to try something.
 
 
Whenever it was that Dorcas became a follower of Jesus, she didn't have to start wondering what the Lord might call her to do as a disciple. She already knew how to sew. And she must have realized that whether or not the Risen Lord might eventually call her to undertake something new and unexpected, there was no shortage of ministry opportunities right there in her community already - opportunities in the form of these widows in need. We're not told whether Dorcas had a husband or whether she was ever married; but apparently, unlike many women in that day, she had some means of support. Her sewing skills, coupled with her income, positioned her to address the needs of these women who had no means to purchase materials to make clothing for themselves or their children. Such kindnesses would not have gone unnoticed even among the men of Joppa, and her example no doubt inspired others to use their unique skills to be good builders or good teachers or good musicians or whatever. Thus, when Dorcas died - apparently unexpectedly - the whole community felt her death deeply. This is where I hope the story of Dorcas might connect with each of us. Jesus may call some of us to some field of mission for which we have to learn new skills; but most often I believe Christ’s call is to put the skills and interests we're already aware of at his disposal so that we can be channels of his love right where we are. We have a chapter of the American Sewing Guild that meets in our building. They have displayed some of their work today. We have quilting clubs who make quilts for poor and at risk infants throughout Wisconsin; I’ve asked them to display some of those quilts on the pews today. Some of you have woodworking skills which have been employed in our life together here. Many of you have musical skills. While we enjoy the chamber choir today, many of ou enhance our weekly worship by singing in the choir or the praise choir, or ringing with the handbells. Some people have the talent and ability to teach children or youth. Some of you have the great blessing of available time. Some people have the skill of sharing the faith story and the good news of Jesus Christ with those who have yet to hear or claim it. Some of us have the gift of financial resources that can be shared and used. Some of you have the skills of cooking as meals are shared here on Wednesday nights, and meals are taken to Beacon House and made at Community Table, as well as being delivered to the homes of those who grieve or are ill. Others have gifts of hospitality and caregiving.
 
 
The point is most of us in this room today already have a gift, a skill, a talent or an ability that we could put to use right now to be in ministry with the poor and needy of our community. And as Easter people, we, like Dorcas, have been summoned to engage in the work of the Risen Christ as together we seek to build and manifest the Kingdom of God. So I would ask you today, “What is your skill?” What is your gift? Are you using it, or are you holding back for some reason? Sewing is the craft of fastening or attaching material using stitches made with a needle and thread. Dorcas attached fabric with stitching, but in exercising her gift, she also managed to stitch together a community in love. Our gifts can do that, too, because when we use our gifts in the Lord's service, we bind ourselves to one another as we bind ourselves to Christ. And if we are willing to do that, I believe that we, too, could be members of a sewing hall of fame. Amen.
 
Rev. Eric G. Nielsen – First Presbyterian Church, Eau Claire WI
April 21, 2013
 
1 "Sewing Hall of Fame." American Sewing Guild website. <a href="http://www.asg.org/html/hall_of_fame">www.asg.org/html/hall_of_fame</a>
2 The New Interpreter's Bible, Vol. X Nashville, Tenn.: Abingdon, 2002, 162, footnote.
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<author>revnielsen@firstpres-eauclaire.org (Eric Nielsen)</author>
<category>Sermons</category>
<pubDate>Mon, 22 Apr 2013 15:14:45 +0000</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title>Going Adrift?</title>
<link>http://www.firstpres-eauclaire.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=330:going-adrift&catid=39:sermons&Itemid=65</link>
<guid>http://www.firstpres-eauclaire.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=330:going-adrift&catid=39:sermons&Itemid=65</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
Going Adrift?
 
 
John 21: 1-19
 
 
After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, ‘I am going fishing.’ They said to him, ‘We will go with you.’ They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. 
 
Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, ‘Children, you have no fish, have you?’ They answered him, ‘No.’ He said to them, ‘Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.’ So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord!’ When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the lake. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off. 
 
When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, ‘Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.’ So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast.’ Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. 
 
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ A second time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Tend my sheep.’ He said to him the third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ And he said to him, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep. Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.’ (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ 
 
 
Okay – how many of you are willing to acknowledge that you have one of these – a rubber duckie – in your bath tub or bathroom? These are, of course, a common and favorite toy of young children, often found floating amidst the result of a cap full of Mr. Bubble. And, if you have any interest in these things at all, you may recall the story from several years back of a mass amount of these that were once set loose upon the world. Twenty large ocean-sized cargo containers of rubber duckies were riding a vessel from China to Seattle. When a violent storm struck the ship, these 20 containers of duckies were tossed into the ocean. Feared to be lost forever were over 29,000 rubber duckies. But such was not the case. You see, rubber duckies are designed to float. And float they did – eventually to places all around the globe. So tough are these toys that even after a decade caught in ocean currents, some are now still found floating in the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian and Arctic Oceans. Through vast spans of time they have endured, although constant exposure to the elements has caused their bright yellow skin to become bleached white as a bone. Still, to this day, they are being found afloat, aimlessly gliding upon the waters of the earth, going who knows where; simply, wherever the tides and currents take them.1
 
 
Floating around aimlessly, going wherever the tide takes them. That was the news description of these 29,000 ducks. It could also be the description of the 11 post-resurrection disciples. Of course, given when we know of his temperament, I am not sure Peter would take kindly to being compared to a yellow rubber duck. But hey, when his own skin was on the line, he went with the tide and the crowd and lied about his friendship with Jesus; and he did so not once, not twice, but three times. By the time of today’s lesson, perhaps weeks later, we find the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias – also known as the Sea of Galilee. Like those vultures in Jungle Book we viewed during the children’s time, they are wondering what to do. With no real answers they go back to what they know – fishing. Simon Peter and his fishing buddies are out on the lake trying to put their lives back together after witnessing the simultaneously awful and awesome events of Holy Week. They fish all night and catch nothing, an experience that leaves them feeling fried and frustrated. Then a stranger appears on the beach at dawn. He calls out that they should “Cast the net to the right side of the boat.” As if that will make any difference. But no one has any better ideas. So they cast the net to the right, and the rest, as they say, is history. 
 
 
The net is so full of fish that they can’t haul it in. The apostle John now shouts that the stranger is, in fact, the Lord. Peter does a double take, and he, too, sees that it is Jesus. His first instinct is to jump overboard then and there, but he has both the rare presence of mind to realize that he has been working through the night clad only in his birthday suit, and a sense of modesty to care about it, and so he grabs an “outer garment” and lashes it about his waist and then does a duck dive into the sea and swims to shore, leaving John and the others to get the fish in the boat and the boat to shore. Within minutes, all of the disciples are on the shore with Jesus, and he directs them to give him some of the fish they had just caught. Peter leaps back in the boat and grabs the net of fish and hauls it to shore himself. A hundred and fifty-three fish are in that net. Meanwhile, a charcoal fire is lit, and the smoke is wafting through the cool morning air, and the fish is frying over the fire; and together they eat.
 When they finish eating, Jesus turns and says to Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” Peter says to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” And Jesus says to him, “Feed my lambs.” Without missing a beat, Jesus asks again if Peter loves him, and after Peter says that he does love him, Jesus says, “Tend my sheep.” Then again, as though the first questions had not been asked, Jesus inquires about Peter’s love. Peter is hurt by this persistent questioning, and he blurts out, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus commands him, once again, “Feed my sheep.”
 
 
Feed my lambs. Tend my sheep. Feed my sheep. What is Jesus driving home in this strange question and answer session with Peter? On one level, as is historically noted, Jesus is giving Peter the opportunity to cancel out the three cowardly denials he made during Holy Week. Although Peter had insisted three times that he was not a disciple of Jesus, now he affirms three times that he loves his Lord. Three denials, three affirmations. The slate is now wiped clean; and you could say that, as a disciple who since Easter morning has been floating around somewhat aimlessly in the tumultuous currents of the day, Peter is now once again ‘on board.’
 
 
Without dismissing the obvious denial and affirmation connection of the story, I still believe there is something more significant going on here, and it has to do with the work of tending Christ’s sheep. Jesus is laying out a sort of job description for disciple wannabes – you know, people like us. The challenge is that there are too many of us who are floating aimlessly on the sea of life like those 29,000 Chinese rubber duckies still drifting in waterways all over the earth. We so often move only in the direction that the current takes us - too many of us today move only as the cultural winds and political currents dictate. St Paul would touch on this theme when he wrote, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God” (Rom. 12:2). The will of God, the Risen Jesus says, is that Peter, and we who would love Jesus like Peter said he did, must feed the lambs, tend the sheep and feed the sheep. 
 
 
So here’s the question: can we look at everything we’re doing in our church, and the things we are doing in our Monday through Saturday lives, and say that they fall within this calling that Jesus lays out on the shores of the Sea of Galilee – feeding and tending the sheep? Recently Howard Snyder, a professor of mission history and theology at Asbury Theological Seminary, wrote an article on the challenge of declining mainline protestant churches in America. He wrote that a major challenge facing the 21st century church was not that the demands of life in Christian community were just too daunting to be taken up by newer generations, and hence the declining numbers; but to the contrary, that most churches are floundering because we do not expect enough out of ourselves. He noted that many congregations exist on a “least-common-denominator” principle; that is, they only do things that everyone agrees to and are willing to accept. Yet he found that those churches which make demands on their members, and expect a high level of commitment, are in fact the ones who are thriving. These congregations expect regular worship attendance, regular participation in hands-on ministries, and a willingness to engage in deeper discussions of theology and Scripture.2 In other words, no drifting duckies going with the flow.
 
 
Feeding the vulnerable lambs that Jesus has entrusted to our care means putting our full time, energy and money into the concerns of the community around us. For some in our midst, getting a daily meal or a place to sleep is an ongoing problem. For others, it is the need to address issues such as those raised with the 11x15 campaign to restore a sense of justice into our justice system. Or maybe it involves standing up and helping to lift the burden of those who have been ensnared in the abusive practice of the payday loan industry. Maybe it means daring to challenge our legislature to stand up to the power and financing of the beer industry in our state and actually do something to curb our out-of-control rate of OWIs and ever-mounting losses of life on our roadways.
 
 
Now we must recognize that all this may mean not just not going with the flow but actually going against the current! Instead of pulling drowning people out of the river it may mean travelling up stream to discover why people are falling into the water, and then fixing that danger. It may result in some unpleasantness and misunderstanding from the world around us. Just as Jesus warned Peter that someone would “fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go,” we may find ourselves facing some difficult situations as we fulfill our mission: feeding the lambs, tending and feeding the sheep. 
 
 
So, as we continue the celebration of the empty tomb and our Lord’s resurrection, we must continue to ask ourselves where we are today on our Christian journey. Are we floating like duckies wherever the current takes us, or are we steering ourselves intentionally in the direction of discipleship? Jesus asked: “Do you love me?” May not only our words, but our daily lives, proclaim our answer: “Yes, Lord, you know I love you. I will tend and feed the sheep.” Amen.
 
Rev. Eric G. Nielsen – First Presbyterian Church, Eau Claire WI
April 14, 2013
 1 Bzdek, Vincent P. “Critters’ journey a lesson in currents: Duckies expected to hit 
 East Coast,” The Washington Post, August 31, 2003, A1.
2 Howard Snyder - Christianity Today, October 2003.
 
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<author>revnielsen@firstpres-eauclaire.org (Eric Nielsen)</author>
<category>Sermons</category>
<pubDate>Mon, 15 Apr 2013 13:29:52 +0000</pubDate>
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<item>
<title>It is Worth the Walk</title>
<link>http://www.firstpres-eauclaire.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=329:it-is-worth-the-walk&catid=39:sermons&Itemid=65</link>
<guid>http://www.firstpres-eauclaire.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=329:it-is-worth-the-walk&catid=39:sermons&Itemid=65</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
It is Worth the Walk
Luke 24: 13-35
Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, ‘What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?’ They stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, ‘Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?’ He asked them, ‘What things?’ They replied, ‘The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.’ Then he said to them, ‘Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?’ Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.
 
As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, ‘Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.’ So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?’ That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. They were saying, ‘The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!’ Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
 
 
 
On August 9, 2010, Ed Stafford plunged into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Brazil to cool off, pop open some champagne and celebrate. Why such celebration? Because when Stafford's toes hit the surf that morning, he officially became the first man to ever walk the entire length of the Amazon River. His two-year, 4,200-mile trek took him through some of the most dangerous terrain on earth. Stafford and his companion, Peruvian forestry worker Gadiel "Cho" Sanchez Rivera, braved deadly snakes, 18-foot crocodiles, exotic tropical diseases, hostile natives and the daily potential of disaster, completing the trek entirely by walking through the rain forest, and not using boats, as other expeditions had done. Why did he tackle such a feat? Stafford was quick to say he was not an eco-warrior out to prove a point about the devastating deforestation of the Amazon's rain forest - although he hopes his journey raised awareness about this huge problem. Rather, it was a personal challenge for a man who left the military to be a stockbroker and got bored by the drudgery of finance. "I am simply doing it,” he said, “because no one has done it before." Stafford started his trek on April 2, 2008, on the southern coast of Peru. Unlike the intrepid explorers of old, Stafford still had contact with the outside world via an Internet satellite phone that he carried with him and that enabled him to pass the nights by downloading TV shows to keep his sanity. Stafford survived on beans and rice and on the piranhas he caught in the river. He was also able to buy provisions in villages he encountered along the way; while some natives were not very hospitable to this gringo who wandered into their midst, many of people warmly welcomed him.1
 
 
Such an arduous, dangerous trek amazes us because we're generally not used to walking very far, unlike our pre-automobile, pre-airline ancestors. We now have to launch media campaigns to get people in our sedentary culture to walk farther than the distance from the couch to the refrigerator for the good of their own health. And we’ve all heard the jokes, such as the man who said, “I joined a health club last year, spent 400 bucks, and haven't lost a pound. Apparently, I have to actually go there.” Or the senior citizen who noted that while walking can add minutes to your life, it also enables you at 85 years old to spend an additional five months in a nursing home at $5,000 per month.
 
 
Yet Jesus was an epic walker, according to the gospels. Cari Haus, who writes for the Web site ILuvWalking.com, says Jesus traveled distances on foot that are mind-boggling. Here are some stats:
 
· If we take Matthew's narrative at face value, Jesus, as a young boy, would have walked about 400 miles with his parents during their return from Egypt to Nazareth. 
· Every devout male in Galilee would travel to Jerusalem three times a year for religious festivals, which meant a 240-mile round trip from Nazareth. If Jesus followed this pattern every year between the ages of 5 and 30, he would have walked 18,000 miles in trips to Jerusalem alone (3 x 240 x 25).
· Based on the gospel accounts, Jesus traveled 3,125 miles in his three-year public ministry.
· That means a conservative estimate of the distance Jesus walked during his lifetime was 21,525 miles. That's a lot of sandals!2
 
 
Stafford's long walk allowed him to see and experience things that most people fly over and forget. Jesus' lifetime of long walks allowed him the opportunity to see faces, hear stories, experience the hospitality of strangers and feel the connection between the land and its people. 
 
 
All this is a prelude to what we consider today. The seven-mile stretch from Jerusalem to Emmaus was one of the most significant parts of the journey of faith, according to Luke. Two disciples of Jesus, one named Cleopas and an unnamed other, are walking away from the disaster of Good Friday and the puzzlement of Easter. Luke doesn't tell us why Emmaus is their destination. Are they fleeing to a hiding place? Do they have relatives there? Is it simply a place to hole up and think about what just happened? We just don’t know. Most of the other disciples had decided to hunker down and stay put in Jerusalem, but these two keep walking, and the risen Jesus, who is still walking, joins them on the road. We note that Jesus comes to them as a stranger who joins them on the way. He is a traveling companion for a time and gets in on the idle conversation. "What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?" Cleopas wonders if their fellow traveler has been living in a cave for the last several days and goes on to tell him the story of what happened to Jesus of Nazareth, from their hope about him as "the one to redeem Israel" to his tragic crucifixion and the puzzlement of the empty tomb that morning. They had walked with Jesus on at least some of those 3,125 miles, and all that time they thought they were moving toward a promised destination. Now they seemed to be just walking around with no real purpose in mind. As the stranger walks with them on this road to Emmaus, he begins to tell them about a longer journey they'd actually all been on. Starting with the journey of God's people from liberation in Egypt under Moses, to the time of the prophets and the exile, and through all the signs along the way, Jesus walked them through God's journey with his people, and to his own death and resurrection as both a destination and a new beginning. The two disciples invite this stranger to stay with them and, when sitting at table and breaking bread together, they suddenly recognize it's the risen Jesus they've been walking with all along. Jesus quickly disappears, but they then start walking back to Jerusalem and into a new future. Emmaus wasn't their finish line after all, just another stop on the journey of following the Lord.
 
 
If there's anything the Emmaus Road story teaches us, it's that we as the disciples of Jesus are at our best when we keep walking with him. Discipleship is never a drive-by or fly-over process, in which we can look for instant results and ignore the people and places we whiz by every day. Disciples of Jesus recognize that our lives are a journey of following Jesus and learning from him but also looking for him in the faces of strangers who join us on the way. Disciples are willing to follow Jesus despite the dangers and potential pitfalls, as we offer hospitality to others who may not yet recognize him. Disciples also know that we can't walk the journey alone. Stafford needed Cho at his side to finish. Jesus sent his disciples out two by two (Lk. 10:1-12), and it was two who traveled together on the Emmaus road that day. Discipleship is a long-haul process; we need each other, and we need to welcome the stranger – those who are not in a church on Sunday, and we need to regularly break bread with each other along the way. Only then will we be able to see and recognize the presence of Jesus with us. Stafford finished his long walk with a dip in the water of the Atlantic. We begin our journey with Jesus when we're washed in the waters of baptism. We also need nourishment along the way, which the breaking of bread at our Lord’s Table offers us all. So as we are fed and nourished here today, may we then move forward from the empty tomb and back onto the roadways of our daily lives. Let us be intentional about welcoming each other, and welcoming the stranger, to walk alongside us. Let us open our homes and open our lives to break bread with each other. For in doing so, we may very well discover that the risen Lord is walking right alongside us. Amen.
 
Rev. Eric G. Nielsen – First Presbyterian Church, Eau Claire WI
April 7, 2013
 
1 "British man walks entire Amazon River in two years." usatoday.com/news/world/2010-08-09-Amazon-walker_N.htm. 2 Haus, Cari. "How far did Jesus walk?" ILuvWalking.com, February 28, 2009. 
 
 
 
 
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<author>revnielsen@firstpres-eauclaire.org (Eric Nielsen)</author>
<category>Sermons</category>
<pubDate>Mon, 08 Apr 2013 13:56:19 +0000</pubDate>
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<title>More Than an Idle Tale?</title>
<link>http://www.firstpres-eauclaire.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=327:more-than-an-idle-tale&catid=39:sermons&Itemid=65</link>
<guid>http://www.firstpres-eauclaire.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=327:more-than-an-idle-tale&catid=39:sermons&Itemid=65</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
More Than an Idle Tale?
Luke 24: 1-12
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in, they did not find the body. While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.’ Then they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.
 
It was a Sunday morning in a certain city church. The scripture lesson for the day had been read, and the minister was about to begin the sermon. Suddenly, reminiscent of that scene with Dustin Hoffman in “The Graduate,” a stranger seated up in the balcony stood and interrupted the service. “I have a word from the Lord!” he shouted. All the heads of in the congregation whipped around, and the ushers bounded up the balcony stairs like gazelles. They soon managed to escort the man out the doors of the church and onto the sidewalk before he could elaborate further on just what ‘word’ he had been given. Yet, week after week, in countless numbers of pulpits all across our country, preachers such as me stand up and say, in effect, the very same thing as that man in the balcony: “I have a word from the Lord.” But no alarms sound off. No one is astonished. No apprehensive ushers race forward to muscle the pastor out onto the sidewalk; however, I must confess I have heard some have threatened to put a trap door in the pulpit for when the pastor starts going over 15 minutes. But isn’t it strange – if a sudden unexpected shout erupts from the balcony every gets set on edge, but when a preacher starts into the message of the day people often just start creasing their bulletins, and shuffle in their seats to get settled in as best they can on otherwise uncomfortable pews. Ho-hum. No trap door; but no excitement either. Actually, when the sermon starts we now have time to maybe think about all the events and appointments in the week ahead, or perhaps do some mental work on some of our projects back at the office. No wonder some pastors have started to get outside the pulpit when they preach and walk around in the center aisle; it helps to keep people a bit more focused and on their toes.
 
 
I suppose I could get a bit discouraged with the lack of excitement that comes with the sermon in the 21st century; but it is somewhat reassuring to realize that the first Christian sermon ever preached did not register high on the Richter scale either. When the women came back from the cemetery on Easter morning, they brought with them word of an empty tomb and astonishing <a href="http://www.firstpres-eauclaire.org/news:''He">news: “He</a> is not here but has risen!” And the response? Well, the biblical translations differ; you can take your pick: the words seemed to them like “an idle tale” we heard in today’s lesson. Other translations refer to “empty talk,” “a silly story,” “a foolish yarn,” or “utter nonsense." 
 
 
Hello??!! The women have come with a revolutionary announcement – “He is risen!” Death has not defeated Jesus. The Romans didn’t finish him off. So why did the disciples dismiss the first news of Easter with a nonchalant wave of the hand? Some have suggested that this initial Easter proclamation was poorly received because the messengers were women. According to the Mishna, the oral teaching traditions of the Rabbis, evidence was not to be accepted from women “because of the levity and temerity of their sex.” Now the gender of the speakers may, in fact, be part of the reason for the disciple’s indifference - but not all of it. After all, these women had been travelling with Jesus and the disciples for some time. They were accepted into the group and respected. And these women were simply confirming a message that Jesus himself had already told them. Before he entered Jerusalem Jesus informed them that he would be killed but that on the third day he would rise. When the women came racing back with the news that these words had come to pass, the disciples should have been prepared, eager, receptive and believing. But instead, they yawned, checked the watches, and wondered when the women’s sermon would end so they could shuffle off to coffee hour in the Narthex.
 
 
Maybe the news of Easter was simply too overwhelming for them to believe. The idea of resurrection was accepted in much of Judaism; as a matter of fact, this was the issue that split the Pharisees from the Sadducees – the Pharisees believed in the coming resurrection, the Sadducees did not. But the belief was that the resurrection happened to all the faithful, all at once, at the end of time when God would usher in the Kingdom. Nobody had ever dreamed, however, that one single living person would be killed stone dead, and then be raised to a new sort of bodily life on this side of the grave while the rest of the world carried on as before. The women, obviously, weren’t expecting it. They weren’t going out to the tomb that Sunday morning saying to themselves, “Well, we’ve got the spices just in case he’s still dead; but we are pretty sure we are going to see him alive again just as he said.” No, they knew well enough that dead people remained dead. And certainly the eleven disciples weren’t expecting it either. So maybe that was it. Maybe the news of the empty tomb, the news of the resurrection, the news of Jesus’ victory over death was just too good to believe.
 
 
But I think the real challenge was something much more profound. It is a challenge which might shake us out of our ho-hum notions and might make us all a bit nervous today. This account of the resurrection is followed by the story of the disciples along the Emmaus Road. We’ll take a look at this account more in depth next Sunday. But you may recall that those disciples not only failed to recognize the risen Christ in the stranger who walked with them, but we are also told that even when they recounted the message of the women to him, Jesus chastised them for being “slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared” (Lk. 24: 25). It is not simply that the disciples don’t believe the women. And it isn’t just that the story is too good to be true. No, the problem is that they were resistant to the message of Easter. Indeed, I believe the main reason for the sluggish response of the disciples was based in a very genuine fear that the story was, in fact, true and therefore life as they had known it had now forever ceased to exist. And this reality can be found in the account we heard today. Initially, Luke tells us that the women told the news of the resurrection to “the eleven.” But after that report, they then are referred to as “the apostles, which means “those who are sent.”
 
 
You see, if the story of Jesus ended on Friday and the cross, then the disciples can simply be “the eleven.” They could go through an appropriate season and rituals of mourning, and then head back to their nets and a life of fishing as they had always done. If the story of Jesus ended on Friday and the cross, then they can be “the eleven,” the alumni of the Jesus school of religion; students of an inspiring, though in the end, tragic teacher. And this type of alumni association is, by the way, absolutely huge in the Christian Church today. But if the news of the women is true, then they must now become ‘apostles.’ They would, as Luke would go on to write, become “witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). If the news of the women is true, they would now be sent forward to all lands and peoples of the world to fulfill was has been called “the Great Commission” (Mt. 28: 16-20). If the news of the women is true, they would now be compelled to “feed the lambs” and “tend the sheep” (John 21: 15-17). If the news of the women is true then there will be arrests and shipwrecks and outpourings of the Spirit and persecutions and interaction with Gentiles and stonings and miles of weary travel. If the news of the women is true, then they can’t sit around comfortably in pews and wait for coffee during the fellowship hour.
 
 
So a question: are we still resistant to the news of Easter? Do we dismiss the Easter story as an “idle tale” because it is just too good to be true? Or do we tend to find ourselves sitting in church rather ho-hum because we know the story is true and what it now requires scares the living daylights out of us?
 
 
From page one St. Luke’s gospel has led us to this day. When the Virgin Mary learned that she would be the mother of the Messiah, she sang of the God who “has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts…[who has] brought down the powerful from their thrones and lifted up the lowly…[who has] filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty” (Lk 1:51-53). The first words Jesus shared as he began his ministry in the synagogue were these: “He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of site to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Lk. 4: 18-19). And in story after story, in both miracles and profound acts of power, Jesus would tell us about a new world, the Kingdom of God, where everything in this world would be turned on its head – including the powers of sin and death – including the power of Rome. And now – and now these women say that it has happened. And those of us who have heard, those of us who believe, can no longer simply be counted as ‘the eleven,” but must now go forth from this place – right now – today – as ‘apostles” of the risen Lord Jesus Christ.
 
 
So – what do you think? Do you believe the testimony of these women? Or will you dismiss the story of Easter as an “idle tale?” I am not going to run up to the balcony to say it – but I proclaim it to you nonetheless: “The Lord is risen! He is risen indeed!” So leave this place today and live and serve and proclaim the good news as apostles of the risen Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
 
Rev. Eric G. Nielsen – First Presbyterian Church, Eau Claire WI
March 31, 2013 (Easter Sunday)
 
 
 
 ]]></description>
<author>revnielsen@firstpres-eauclaire.org (Eric Nielsen)</author>
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<pubDate>Mon, 01 Apr 2013 13:29:09 +0000</pubDate>
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Church of Pentecost Colorado

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Welcome to the Church of Pentecost Website

We are so happy that you are visiting The Church of Pentecost web site today! We realize that there are many churches in Castle Rock that you could have taken interest in today, so we are most happy you chose to visit our website.

Our pastor is licensed with the United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI). If you are not familiar with Pentecost in general or with the UPCI in particular, please visit the UPCI's webpage explaining more about the UPCI organization and our missions outreach.

We have existed in Castle Rock since December 31, 1983. We are a close -knit and family oriented in our approach to fellowship.

We offer free home Bible studies for singles or families, as well as youth activities.

What We Teach

The doctrine we hold is that which was proclaimed since the earliest days of Christ's Church. First that Jesus is the visible expression of the invisible God (Col 1:15), and that in Him dwells all of God in a human body (Col 2:9). The reason that God incarnated Himself in flesh (the Son) was to provide salvation. The offer of salvation made available by God's Sovereign Grace is acted upon by man through repentance, water baptism in Jesus' name, and by receiving the baptism of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:28). The doctrine of the early church, along with many other topics is covered in the Search for Truth home Bible study that we offer.

If you would like more information about Apostolic Doctrine or our local assembly, feel free to contact Pastor Bass Or, if you prefer, you may visit the UPCI's doctrine website.

Pastor's Message to the True Seeker

Those who do not actively pursue spiritual things are allowing their spiritual senses to become deadened.

“He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.” Matt 13:11

Why is understanding given to some and withheld from others? The answer lies in what people do with their spiritual senses.

“And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.” Matt 13:14-15

When people refuse to walk in the light they have been given, they are hardening their hearts, dulling their ears, and closing their eyes. Not only is God unable to provide further light but also eventually even the light they have will be removed. But there is a blessing for those whose hearts, ears, and eyes remain opened.

“But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.” Matt 13:16-17

God takes from the have-nots and gives to the haves. God takes from those who close their hearts, ears, and eyes to further truth and gives to those who are still hungry and desire to understand more truth. This is an important principle of the kingdom of heaven. I call this the law of the hungry heart.

The prophets and righteous men of the Old Testament could not see and hear these things because it was not time for the Savior to come to the world. But in Jesus’ days those who could not understand these parables could not see and hear these principles because their hearts were not hungry for spiritual things.

“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” Matt 5:6

The reason Jesus taught His deepest truths about the kingdom of heaven through parables is veil the truth to some while revealing it to others. Those who had hardened their hearts, dulled their spiritual ears, and closed their spiritual eyes could not understand these truths. But those who were hungry for more of God grasped the truth the others could not see.

Truth is a very precious thing. Your ability to grasp truth depends on the condition of your heart.

“Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.” Prov 23:23

The transaction to purchase truth will cost you your pride. Truth must be invested in. Truth must be valued or Satan will discover the selling price. Many who have truth do not value it and are willing to sell out if Satan offers them something they value more. When one is willing to bargain with the enemy for truth, God’s light will move on to another.

“For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.” Matt 13:12

- Taken from Pastor Bass' Blog Article The Law of the Hungry Heart

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Events of Miami County Ohio

December 7, 2013

ronaldlowry45@yahoo.com

TYPHOON HAIYAN

11.22.13

TEAM UPDATE: ASSISTING VICTIMS IN TABONTABON, PHILIPPINES

We're proud to share that we have heard from our medical team in the Philippines via Satellite Phone. Here's what they wanted us to share with all of you:

We have no cell signal where we are at right now, please let our families know that we are safe.

Here is how our trip has gone so far: We flew from Seoul Korea to Cebu, then took a 5 hour boat ride to Ilogos, then took a truck to the city of Baybay. We were able to stay with the Mayor of Baybay for a night. He then provided us with an armed security detail and a 3 truck caravan to the devastated city of Palo and then we traveled to the city of Tanauan where we met the Mayor of Tabontabon who asked us to come to his town. Tabontabon is approximately 20 miles south to town of Palo. We met a medic here that has had no international assistance and has been treating approximately 100 people a day, so they're very glad we are here. We are staying in a room at the local school house nearby and are prepared to treat another 100+ people today.

----------------------------------------
11.19.13

TODAY A MEDICAL STRIKE TEAM IS ENROUTE TO BAYBAY, PHILIPPINES

Following up from our clean water initiative with Waves for Water our Intel on the ground told us that medical support was imminent.

Reach Out WorldWide sent a team of trained medical professionals and first responders to an area desperately in need of aid. The team will arrive in Cebu and take a ferry to the city of BayBay where over 100,000 have been affected. Thanks to the help of locals we have identified the only functional hospital in over 10 towns where we will set up a clinic. From there the team will venture out into the surrounding areas to assist victims.

Given this area is very remote we may only have satellite phone communication with the team on the ground but we will do our best to keep the updates coming and keep people informed. Thank you for your interest and for continuing to support ROWW.

----------------------------------------
11.9.13

REACH OUT WORLDWIDE JOINS FORCES WITH WAVES FOR WATER TO HELP VICTIMS OF SUPER TYPHOON HAIYAN.

The total destruction of the largest storm ever recorded is still unknown but is expected to be catastrophic.

Reach Out WorldWide is reacting quickly to provide help to people in the Philippines. We have initiated a deployment with Waves For Water to address imminent needs and provide approximately 20,000 people access to clean water.
The size of this storm is 3.5 times larger than Katrina and has affected 4.3 million people. With your help ROWW will be able to continue our deployment making an even larger impact. Please join us by donating here: https://www.roww.org/donate

“We had the privilege of working with Waves For Water in the aftermath of the Chilean earthquake in 2010, joining forcesagain now is a natural fit. Simply put, we are two like-minded organizations coming together to make a greater impact.”
~ Lucas Wimer / ROWW / Director of Operations.

Since 2010, ROWW has been successfully fulfilling the unmet need domestically and internationally. From the Chilean tsunami where we previously worked with Waves For Water, to the recent tornado in Oklahoma, we understand that a fast response means the difference between life and death. Natural Disasters don’t give us much warning. Our mission is simple, use our network of professionals with first responder skill-sets to fulfill the unmet need in times of chaos, tragedy, and destruction giving families a chance to rebuild. Paving the way for long term disaster relief, leaving it better than when we got there.

Support: donate and help us Reach Out WorldWide https://www.roww.org/donate
Follow us: @reachoutww
Progress and updates: www.roww.org

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HomePosted on Oct 6, 2011 0 comments

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Welcome to Calvary Baptist Church of Quincy, Michigan! We are delighted that you have stopped by our web site to get to know us better. We would love the chance to get to know you! We invite you to e-mail us any questions that you may have that are not addressed here. Better yet, stop by and visit a service. If you appreciate expositional teaching of the Bible and a conservative Christ-honoring ministry, then Calvary just might be for you. Calvary Baptist Church of Quincy is not a perfect place, but if it is God’s will that you be here, then it is indeed God’s perfect place for you!

Service Schedule

Sunday

Adult Bible Study - 10amCollege & Career Bible Study - 10amJr. & Sr. High Bible Study - 10amChildren's Sunday School - 10amMorning Worship Service - 11amChildren's Church - 11amEvening Service - 6pm

Wednesday

Bible Study & Prayer Meeting - 7pmJr. & Sr. High Teen Group - 7pmTruth Trackers (K-6th) - 7pmNursery Provided for All Services

CBC Events

November 2013

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Sunday School for All Ages

Starts: 10:00 am

Ends: November 3, 2013 - 11:00 am

More details...

Morning Worship Service

Starts: 11:00 am

Ends: November 3, 2013 - 12:15 pm

More details...

Evening Service, Lord's Supper

Starts: 6:00 pm

Ends: November 3, 2013 - 7:00 pm

More details...

Focus Meeting

Starts: 7:00 pm

Ends: November 3, 2013 - 7:30 pm

More details...

4

Food Pantry

Starts: 12:00 pm

Ends: November 4, 2013 - 2:00 pm

Description: For those with Quincy addresses and those 65 or older. May come once every 60 days.

More details...

5

Ladies Morning Bible Study

Starts: 9:30 am

Ends: November 5, 2013 - 11:30 am

More details...

6

Prayer Meeting, Magnify Teen Bible Study, Truth Trackers

Starts: 7:00 pm

Ends: November 6, 2013 - 8:15 pm

More details...

7

Ladies Evening Bible Study

Starts: 7:00 pm

Ends: November 7, 2013 - 8:30 pm

More details...

8

Deacons Meeting

Starts: 6:30 pm

Ends: November 8, 2013 - 8:30 pm

More details...

9

Faithful Men Conference with Rand Hummel

Starts: 1:00 pm

Ends: November 9, 2013 - 8:00 pm

More details...

10

Sunday School for All Ages

Starts: 10:00 am

Ends: November 10, 2013 - 11:00 am

More details...

Morning Worship Service with Rand Hummel

Starts: 11:00 am

Ends: November 10, 2013 - 12:15 pm

More details...

Evening Service with Rand Hummel

Starts: 6:00 pm

Ends: November 10, 2013 - 7:00 pm

More details...

Teen SNAC with Rand Hummel

Starts: 7:00 pm

Ends: November 10, 2013 - 9:00 pm

More details...

11

Food Pantry

Starts: 12:00 pm

Ends: November 11, 2013 - 2:00 pm

Description: For those with Quincy addresses and those 65 or older. May come once every 60 days.

More details...

12

Ladies Morning Bible Study

Starts: 9:30 am

Ends: November 12, 2013 - 11:30 am

More details...

13

Prayer Meeting, Magnify Teen Bible Study, Truth Trackers

Starts: 7:00 pm

Ends: November 13, 2013 - 8:15 pm

More details...

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15

CCE Parent-Teacher Conferences

Starts: 3:00 pm

Ends: November 15, 2013 - 4:00 pm

More details...

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17

Sunday School for All Ages

Starts: 10:00 am

Ends: November 17, 2013 - 11:00 am

More details...

Morning Worship Service

Starts: 11:00 am

Ends: November 17, 2013 - 12:15 pm

More details...

Evening Service

Starts: 6:00 pm

Ends: November 17, 2013 - 7:00 pm

More details...

18

Food Pantry

Starts: 12:00 pm

Ends: November 18, 2013 - 2:00 pm

Description: For those with Quincy addresses and those 65 or older. May come once every 60 days.

More details...

19

Ladies Morning Bible Study

Starts: 9:30 am

Ends: November 19, 2013 - 11:30 am

More details...

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Ladies Evening Bible Study

Starts: 7:00 pm

Ends: November 21, 2013 - 8:30 pm

More details...

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Sunday School for All Ages

Starts: 10:00 am

Ends: November 24, 2013 - 11:00 am

More details...

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Copyright © 2013 Calvary Baptist Church. All rights reserved. Website by Calvary Publishing

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Christianity has Jesus the Messiah as Center-fold

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Is the entire Bible really about Christ?

Byron Yawn

www.cbcnashville.org
www.christianity.com

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orientation in America

June 17, 2014
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The Illinois Department of Natural Resources has a strong impact on the economy of the State of Illinois. From coal mining to agriculture to tourism, the economic effects of IDNR activities reach statewide. Activities associated with IDNR support 90,000 jobs and at least $32 billion worth of economic impact annually. IDNR activities and functions outlined below also support state government’s most important priorities: the economic well-being of Illinois citizens, the protection of lives and property, the protection of our most vulnerable citizens, providing quality education and opportunity, improving government efficiency and stability, and improving the quality of life of all Illinoisans.
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Manages and maintains 324 state-owned and leased state parks, fish and wildlife areas, state forests, state trails, natural areas and recreational sites; with 45 million visits annually, these sites contribute nearly $1 billion in visitor spending and support 8,500 jobs statewide. Outdoor recreation opportunities such as boating, camping, fishing, hunting, picnicking, sightseeing, wildlife observation, swimming and trail use create a $3.2 billion annual economic impact in Illinois, supporting 33,000 jobs statewide. The recreational opportunities we provide, in great part, help address child obesity and other pressing health conditions in Illinois.
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Illinois Conservation Police have full, statewide police powers, spending 160,000 man-hours protecting Illinoisans, many in underserved areas and on Illinois waters. 35,000 citations/warnings are issued yearly, generating revenue of more than $500,000. CPOs strictly enforce Illinois firearms and FOID laws, including safe transportation and use. CPOs are members of the Illinois Terrorism Task Force, are involved in Homeland Security efforts, drug prevention operations, and environmental enforcement. CPOs serve as front-line disaster relief and search and rescue responders. CPOs activated for the February blizzard rescued or assisted 550 stranded motorists and have executed hundreds of rescues during past flooding events.
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Oversees the Lake Michigan water allocation program which supplies 330 billion gallons of water annually, serving 7 million people in over 200 communities, sustaining homes, businesses and the regional economy of northeast Illinois. Administers the state water supply in the Carlyle, Shelbyville, Rend and Kinkaid reservoirs, supporting more than $10 billion in downstate economic activity. Protects 4.4 million acres of land by ensuring the sufficiency of engineering designs of levees and levee modifications under the IDNR’s regulatory oversight protecting approximately 1 million acres of agricultural land valued at $5.6 billion and $543 million in annual commodities. Regulates construction in the floodways of rivers and streams and shore waters of Lake Michigan and all other Illinois public waters. Coordinates the National Flood Insurance Program saving Illinois citizens $1.2 million in reduced premiums on 11,000 policies.
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Six educational facilities throughout the state annually attract more than 321,000 individuals, including urban and underserved rural populations, 6,300 teachers and 36,000 students from across the state, international tourists. Serves an additional 93,000 students and other individuals through off-site programs. More than 2.3 million online visitors, including teachers, students, and individuals from throughout the world learn about Illinois through the Museum's award-winning website.
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Manages and executes the IDNR capital program through construction projects and grants to local governments, administers and coordinates $44 million in recreational/matching grant programs facilitating construction, development, and land acquisition to spur local economic development and tourism.
World Shooting and Recreational Complex - Economic Well-being of Citizens
The world’s largest and most prestigious shooting event, the Amateur Trapshooting Association’s Grand American Trapshooting Championship is hosted at the Complex. Significant economic engine for the southern Illinois, generating approximately $25 million in annual revenue to the regional economy.
Office of Community Outreach - Quality Education/Protection of our Most Vulnerable Citizens
Provides outreach to African-American and Latino populations, concentrating on youth programming, for increased understanding of urban conservation and environmental education. ‘IL Sportsmen Against Hunger’ has provided 2.7 million meals to needy citizens of Illinois and the ‘Target Hunger Now!’ program has fed more than 1,000 people and donations to these programs have increased by 20% over the past year. Mud to Gardens helps provide a sustainable and healthy local food source to combat urban food deserts. Wounded Warriors provides hunting and fishing experiences for armed services members who have returned with injuries.
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Manages the state’s fishing, hunting, wildlife watching, trapping, commercial forestry and fisheries, endangered and threatened species, and natural heritage protection programs. Programs are supported largely through license revenues, and the investment in Illinois of millions of dollars in federal fish and wildlife restoration program funds, federal wildlife grants, and USDA land conservation (CREP) funds. Directs multi-agency assessment and response to the Asian carp invasion in the Chicago Area Waterway System minimizing the need to close shipping locks and preserving the economic viability of billions of dollars of trade of the commercial and industrial uses of the canal system; also supports development of commercially viable Asian carp products.
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Manages all IDNR land acquisition and other property interests; negotiates and administers more than 1,500 concessions, land leases, rights of way, special permits, utility licenses and other agreements covering all owned or managed IDNR properties. 14,000 economic development projects are reviewed to ensure no adverse impacts to threatened and endangered species, wetlands, historic and cultural resources to facilitate hundreds of millions of dollars in economic growth statewide. Provides planning for greenways and trail sites, capital budget and land review, and park road projects which have economic development and tourism benefits in urban and rural communities. Protects public safety by evaluating and responding to pollution on IDNR-owned land, as well as assessing injuries and performing restoration on lands and waterways held in trust for the State.
Office of Strategic Services - Economic Well-being of Citizens/Quality Education and Opportunity
Facilitates IDNR’s most significant economic impact through license and permit sales generating $40 million for the State, special events attracting hundreds of thousands of tourism visits, and management of educational programs. $2.1 billion is annually spent in Illinois on hunting and fishing, enough to support 22,000 jobs and a $700 million annual payroll. Distributes 1.5 million pieces of natural resources teaching tools to educators.
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Leech Lake History

VIDEOS | PLAN YOUR TRIP | BLOG | SPECIALS & PACKAGES My Lodging Advanced Search WELCOME Lodging View All Lodging Map Lodging Specials Last Minute Openings Leech Lake Fishing About Leech Lake Fishing Reports Fishing Videos Fishing Forum Leech Lake Map Fishing Tips & Resources Family VacationsThings to Do Attractions Recreation Biking Birding Boating & Sailing Fishing Geo Caching Golfing Hiking Hunting Snowmobiling & Trail Reports Water Sports Request Info /Email SpecialsInteresting Historical Facts Cass County in Minnesota is named for Governor Lewis Cass of the Michigan Territory, who along with Henry Schoolcroft led an 1820 expedition of 40 men to find the true source of the Mississippi River. Journals still exist from other early explorers such as Zebulon Pike and Joseph Nicollet. In 1836, Nicollet described Leech Lake: "The perimeter of the lake is at least 160 miles. Twenty-seven rivers empty into in coming from every direction on the horizon. One river flows from it to join the Mississippi: its name is Leech Lake River. There are nine large bays...and six large capes...The population exceeds 1,000 inhabitants, more than 200 of which are warriors." Around 1880, Minneapolis was the largest producer of flour in the U.S., and the federal reservoir system provided the constant flow of water over St. Anthony Falls that kept the lumber and flowing mills going. The Army Corps of Engineers began construction on the Leech Lake Dam in 1882, as only the second dam built in the federal system...and also with the system's largest span, approximately 3,500 feet bank to bank. The water level was raised four to seven feet, connecting five to seven lakes and creating Leech Lake as it is today. Camping facilities and a public launching area were provided as early as 1909. _______________________________ The Leech Lake Tourism Bureau is an organization of Minnesota lodging providers and professionals whose overall goal is to make every vacation in the Leech Lake area as enjoyable and memorable as possible. Our goal of the website is to help you easily plan your Minnesota vacation. With many tools and resources available right at your fingertips, you can easily find lodging, plan family activities, scope out the best fishing spots in our fishing blog or use our calendar of events to plan your trip around one of our great local traditions. Our lodging and accommodation details are easy to navigate with each resort’s details available with one click. Our Minnesota lodging directory also includes maps, an amenities search, and a calendar of events. Sign up for our monthly email specials to keep up to date on the latest vacancies, area events, and lodging specials and discounts! Leech Lake History The Leech Lake Area, Cass County and the cites of Walker, Federal Dam and Whipolt have intriguing histories. The Very Beginning: Walker, MN, is built on the remains of a glacier that 10,000 years ago stopped at the western edge of an ancient valley. As the glacier receded, it left three ridges that give Walker its hills. The bedrock beneath Walker and the surrounding area is among the oldest on earth--at least three billion years. The Early Years: The Ojibwe (Chippewa), more properly called Anisinabe (First Man), moved from the northeast into Sioux territory in the early 1700's. Historical writings refer to the tribes as "natural enemies." Territorial disputes caused many battles, and the Sioux were finally driven into the Dakota Territory. French explorers were the first white men into the area. Moving westward from Lake Superior and south from Canada, they discovered the fur trading wealth awaiting them. Early 1800’s Trading Posts By 1785, the Northwest Company had established a trading post on Ottertail Point, adding another on Mound Point (now Oak Point) the following year. More and more posts were established in the early 1800's. Years passed, and the expanding New World brought settlers, lumberjacks and tradesmen. By 1895, a small settlement had begun in the area of Leech Lake. In 1896, it would be incorporated under the name "Walker." That same year--on August 8--the first excursion train pulled in. The first tourists had arrived. The Battle of Sugar Point However...the area was still young, and, though largely ignored by history (quite likely because the Indians won), the last true Indian battle--the Battle of Sugar Point--was fought in October, 1898. The roots of the conflict are all too familiar. Indian lands and burial grounds had been destroyed as "progress" moved westward. Only meager compensation was awarded and subsequent moneys somehow never reached the Tribe members. Two years earlier "Old Bug" (Bug-ona-gee-sting), one of the chiefs of the 200 or so Pillagers who lived around Leech Lake, had been arrested by a U.S. Marshal on less-than-specific grounds and taken to Duluth. Charges were dropped for lack of evidence, and the 60-year-old Pillager walked the hundred miles home in icy wind and deep snow, vowing never again to be taken by a white man. In September 1898, he reported to the Onigum Agency to pick up his annuity payment, and was arrested on a bench warrant by a Deputy Marshal. Old Bug called out for help, and 22 Pillagers came to his rescue. They escaped to Bear Island. Warrants were issued for all involved. Twenty soldiers were sent from Fort Snelling to Walker to "chat" with Tribal members. When the Pillagers refused to talk, another 80 troops were sent to Walker. Once again, the Natives declined to meet. On October 5th, officers and newsmen climbed aboard two steamers, one of which pushed a barge filled with troops. They found Bear Island deserted and moved on to Sugar Point. After a difficult landing that required the barge be poled to shore, the troops found Old Bug's cabin empty. Around them in the forest, circling quietly on the frosty ground, were 19 Natives carrying Winchester rifles. The tired troops were ordered to Stack Arms, but one recruit failed to engage the safety on his weapon. The gun fell and discharged. Thinking they'd been discovered, the Natives opened fire. Major Melville Wilkinson, the commanding officer, was hit three times, the final abdominal wound taking his life. The Natives also fired on the steamers, and the boats headed back toward Walker. The remaining troops at Sugar Point entrenched themselves around Old Bug's cabin. The next day, one of the steamers approached but was driven off by gunfire after only one wounded soldier could be evacuated. That evening, 214 members of the Minnesota National Guard arrived in Walker by train, bringing with them a Gatling Gun. The morning of the 7th, however, the reinforcements headed for Bear Island met the once-trapped soldiers on the way. The Pillagers had allowed them to leave aboard the barge. The Battle of Sugar Point was over. Seven soldiers had been killed, another 16 wounded. There were no casualties among the 19 Natives. Though generally forgotten on a national scale, the Battle of Sugar Point was the catalyst for a chain of events that eventually led to U.S. Forest Service oversight of national forest lands all over the U.S....as well as the creation of a massive national forest on land ceded by the Chippewa in 1889. It is now known as the Chippewa National Forest. Progressing to Today’s World The last vestige of the old century was followed by a new century of building, this included lodges, hotels, resorts, campgrounds, steamboats, sternwheelers, dance pavilion and floating resort, excursion boats, timber boats (one of which was a 135 feet long), roads, canals, dams, libraries, schools, and churches. This progress has continued right up to the shops, stores, restaurants, theaters, casinos, marinas, national forest, state parks and so much more you can find in the Leech Lake Area today. Many historical buildings are still in tact. --Information courtesy of Walker Centennial Book Committee, Cass County Historical Society and Cass County Museum Fair -11Fº | Home | Member Login | Leech Lake History | Press & Media | Site Map | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | Leech Lake Forum Site by Faster Solutions

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