Revitalize Your Church

In honor of the 43rd Birkie today, I am re-posting this delightful story from my first book, Filled Up, Poured Out: Hayward is home of the American Birkebeiner , North America’s largest cross country ski race. 10,500 skiers come from almost every state and many nations to compete in this world-class event. Spectators line snow-covered Main Street, ringing cowbells and cheering weary skiers across the finish line. For two decades, I've been a Birkie cowbell ringer. A day or two before the Birkebeiner, I always pine a little, wishing I had pulled the skis from the rafters and joined the throng of brave souls testing the limits of their endurance. But, as Birkie day arrives, I find myself content to ring cowbells. After all, if everybody skied the Birkie, there wouldn't be anybody left to cheer. Normally, we ring in the elite skiers who finish first. Usually the winner is some Olympic European who hardly broke a sweat. I’m always impressed. The best part of the race, t...

Photo Cathy Wilson Reflecting on the large number of out of town guests who flock to Hayward each summer while taking a stroll in the woods.  I wrote the following poem: little flowers familiar strangers we have not learned each others' names but that's alright we smile the same and give a friendly nod and wave whene'er we pass because they're summer residents

In honor of today's Chequamagon Fat Tire Festival, I am sharing a poem I wrote a couple of years ago: Amid cheers of loved ones, out-of-towners, and smatterings of locals congregated on Main Street's crowded side The vast Bicycle Armada glides. Two thousand five hundred, did I hear? Sailing furiously down Main Street Into the wooded wilderness. Two thousand five hundred look-alikes On fat tired bikes. But they, themselves seem neither fat nor tired (yet!) Hunched over handlebars, determined The helmeted hopefuls fly In wild-eyed animation. Wave after wave, the countless waves go by inspiring awe, and even tears from sidewalk sentimentalists who with wave and cheer, race on with them -- vicariously. Two thousand five hundred souls hodgepodged, Cobbled together from different ilk. Following the clarion call. . . From Minnesota and Montana Texas and Kentucky. From urban sprawl and hamlet Together, they ride. Farmer and Banker Undertaker and Mechanic Minister and Bartender Togethe...

An old farmer placed a weather vane on the roof of his barn with the words “God is Love” painted on it. His neighbor commented, “Doesn’t your weather vane indicate that God’s love is fickle? That it blows one way and then another?” To this, the old farmer replied, “No, it means that ‘God is Love’ no matter which way the wind blows!” Nahum 1:3 says “The Lord has his way in the whirlwind and the clouds are the dust of his feet.” Well, we certainly had some divine foot dust last week in Hayward! We lost most of the majestic old pines in front of our church. The winds also caused some damage at my home, though it is rather insignificant, compared with what a few of our neighbors have experienced. Our hearts and prayers go out to them. The clean-up effort is in full swing. Last Thursday, after a long day of clearing debris, I thought, “How long will it take until we get back to normal?” Then I realized we won’t. Normal is not something you can go BACK to – you have to move forward to a new ...

My friend, Keetha, blogged about her recent vacation to Hayward -- including some great pictures of our little resort town -- and a few shots of the storm damage at Hayward Wesleyan Church.

To the delight of the children of our congregation, the new play structure is on the way. Special thanks to Bill Juen, Don Adams, Kurt Proctor, Pastor Jeremy Mavis and all the kids who worked hard to raise the funds for this special project. It is going to bless our whole community.

Thirteen Baptists from Milwaukee were arrested last week here in the Hayward area, with 2,238 fish, mostly crappies, well beyond the bag limit of 15 each. The Department of Natural Resources will now sponsor fish fries for various community organizations. Some locals, close to the situation, have wondered, "What's up with these guys? Shouldn't a church group know better? How on earth could they disregard the laws so flagrantly?" I wonder if maybe they were just trying to follow in the footsteps of St. Peter. He said, "I go a fishing" and the rest of the gang said, "we'll go a fishing too!" 1) Maybe they fished all night and then cast their nets on the other side of the boat. 2) Maybe they were trying to feed five thousand. 3) Maybe they were looking for the elusive fish with a golden coin in its belly. One thing is clear. They're certainly going to "render unto Caesar, that which is Caesars." I hope our Milwaukee Baptist b...

A summer visitor to our church wrote this poem about our church after her visit last June. She recently sent it to me, and it was truly an encouragement. Thanks Jeannie! Hayward Take me to a country church on a clear blue day in June where smiling strangers shake your hand overwhelm you with grace. Let there be a young man strumming on a guitar his voice strong and scrubbed clean. Let there be children small enough to fit in the laps of their fathers resting their heads on his chest. Let there be truth spoken plainly, gently about simple devotion to a gracious God mercy and peace pouring in waves. Let joy fill the sanctuary and overflow out of open windows to where angels inhale the sweet aroma and dance in the light.

My friend, Keetha Broyles, held a "Name the Grand Old Dame" contest on her delightful blog, The Eclectic Company. Not only did her blog readers name the dame -- they also provided a poignant story about her and the place she lives -- Somewhere Special, USA. Now, I just happen to recognize this old gal. She's a summer sidewalk resident of Main Street here in Hayward, Wisconsin, and that's "Someplace Special" alright!

From The Singing Wilderness , by Sigurd Olson, my favorite nature writer: There is a new excitement in the air, a feeling of release. Life will now be lived in an established white world where conditions of food and shelter will not change for a long time. Stability has come to the northwoods, and to my own life as well. The coming of the snow adds zest to my activities. Now, there will be time for a multitude of things that during the feverish moving about of summer and fall, were denied me, leisure after the long and constant busyness. To me, that is the meaning of the first snowfall -- not a cessation of effort but a drawing of the curtain on so many of the warm-weather activities that consume so much time. The snow means a return to a world of order, peace and simplicity. Those first drifting flakes are a benediction and the day on which they come is different from any other in the year. (pp. 192-193)

Chester Marcol is coming to Hayward this Wednesday night to speak at a rally sponsored by FCA. Special thanks to my good friend, Randy Young, who followed the inner prompting, and opened the door for this opportunity.

Sometimes, my big city friends ask me, "What do you guys do for excitement?" Well, here's the latest buzz from Hayward: Friday night, a bear made his way into the Marketplace Liquor Store, and hung out for an hour in the beer cooler. Apparently he is not a Wesleyan bear. Yogi's great adventure made national news: Bear Makes Beer Run in Wisconsin Who says nothing happens in a small town? The DNR officials came and tranquilized him. I hear they're taking him to detox.

Again -- and it seems like the 20th time this winter, the mercury has dipped to over 20 below zero. (That's farenheit, for my international readers -- and that's COLD!!) Just last week, I was trying to describe to an African pastor friend how the people here in the northwoods drive on the lakes, and drill holes in the ice to go fishing. He just couldn't comprehend it! (Of course, there are things HE experiences that I can't comprehend either.) Next week, the Lord willing, our family will be celebrating Cathy's parents' 50th Anniversary in much warmer climes! In the meantime, I'll just praise the Lord for gloves, hats, furnaces, hot chocolate, steaming coffee, and Old Faithful -- my 95 Yukon that, with one exception, has started every morning this entire winter. Scott McKnight's perspective on Wisconsin winters made me smile. Every day, since January 1, as I awake and get ready to face the day I've been repeating Psalm 188:24: This is the day the L...

At minus 33 . . . my old faithful 1995 Yukon won't start. nostrils stick together when you breathe in school is cancelled, and children rejoice we're looking forward to a heat wave of zero if you toss boiling water in the air, it immediately turns into a cloud of ice crystals (see yesterday's posts about that) if you blow bubbles, they freeze up and roll around on the ground people still show up at the coffee shop As I took our dog, Vin, out this morning to do his business, I spoke the same words to him that Jesus said to Judas : "What you are about to do, DO QUICKLY!"

What an adventure! 28 below zero -- with windchills coming in around 50 below farenheit! School's cancelled and the kids are going outside to play. The whole town rejoices in the arctic experience which gives us bragging rights, proving just how hardy these northwoods folks can be. I heard that if you tossed a cup of boiling water in the air in temperatures like this, it immediately evaporates into a cloud of ice crystals. We tried it -- and it WORKS!!

It's 12 below zero and falling. The weather man says it will get down to 22 below today and tomorrow, with wind chills up to 50 below. Sadly, a Hayward man, sleepwalking, perished in the bitter cold yesterday. From USA Today: A 51-year-old man in northern Wisconsin died from exposure after wandering from his Hayward home. Deputies followed footprints in the snow to find the man about 190 yards from his house, Sawyer County Chief Deputy Tim Zeigle said . I think my brain froze yesterday. I went to Valley Nursing Home to conduct chapel services. There was an unusually large crowd in the day room, and they engaged wholeheartedly. Then, running a bit late, I hurried to Hayward Nursing Home for my "chapel encore." Carrying my guitar into the home, it dawned on me -- My brain had frozen!! I was behind by a whole hour! It was 5:00 and I had been scheduled to do the chapel at 4:00 p.m.! I did the first chapel service at 4:15 -- but it was supposed to have been 3:15!! No ...

Yesterday, I conducted two weddings and a funeral. The funeral was a graveside service for Mary Smith, who died in the Chicago area two days before Christmas. I was impressed that her family brought her back to the northwoods via SUV. It was ten below zero (without windchill factored in) when we did the service. I asked them, "Do you want the long version or the short version?" The vote was unamimous: 'SHORT!" So we kept it short and sweet. In the afternoon, I performed a little wedding ceremony at the church for Bret and Laura. It was a beautiful and intimate occasion. Then, with Hannah as my helper, I made my way through snow covered roads to Spider Lake Lodge, where I officiated at the wedding for fishing great, Pete Maina, and his beautiful bride, Esther. John Gillespie's Waters and Woods television program filmed the occasion for a future episode -- so I guess sometime in the next few weeks, I'll have my two seconds of fame. It was a beautiful candle-lit...

You know it's COLD when you have to scrape the INSIDE of your windshield!

Hayward Hurricanes - 42 Bloomer Blackhawks - 24 Hayward is still undefeated!