Watchword for the Week: Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
break forth into joyous song and sing praises. Psalm 98.4



This Week:

Tuesday, May 15

           8:30 a.m.      Prayer Partners

           11 a.m.          VBS Meeting @ 1st Baptist

           6 p.m.            Choir Practice

           7 p.m.            Bell Practice

Wednesday, May 16

           Community Health Fair at the YMCA in Fish Creek.  No Parish
Nurse Office Hours

Thursday, May 18

           8 a.m.            Men's Breakfast and Bible Study

           6:30 p.m.      Trustees



Intercessory Prayer

May the prayers of the faithful continue for:

           Those who mourn: the families of Donna Conrad & Luke Sheets

           Those who are sick and ill and weak: Grace Mickelson, Barbara
Ferry, Alice Brann

           Those who are fighting cancer: Bo Johnson, Bev Knutson, Ollie
Bergwin, Paul Linden, Matt Scheider



Looking Ahead:

May 20th Christian Ed. Pancake Breakfast to celebrate another tremendous
year of Sunday School.

The summer church camp schedule is out.  Registration information is
available at wdcamping.com

           Junior Camp, June 25-29:            Grade 3-5

           Chetek, July 15-21:            Grade 9 through age 21

           Winmor, July 22-28:         Grade 6-8

           4M, Aug.13-15                   Grade 1-2



Easter People: Multiplication

John 6.1-14

(There is no text for this sermon...but here are the highlights)



I am what they call mathematically challenged.  I did alright in math when
there were numbers involved.  As soon as math became letters and symbols, I
was toast.  This is really OK-I'm a theologian not a mathematician.

There is a miracle of mathematics in this scripture...5000 people are hungry
and looking for dinner.  Philip declares that not even 6 months salary would
feed everyone.  If we do the math, which I did with the kids: 5000 divided
into $20000 (about half a year's salary for a pastor) equals $4 a person.
$4 might get you a Happy Meal at McDonald's, but it doesn't even get you a
drink of water in Door County.

Sometimes we solve this problem of arithmetic with division-like on Friday.
We had 80 stay for the funeral lunch for Donna, we were expecting 50.  By
dividing sandwiches in half, we doubled the number of sandwiches we had.
The amount of food we had didn't change, it was just how it was presented.
That's not what's going on in John.

Some have suggested that the miracle of the feeding of the 5000 was one of
addition...touched by Jesus' sentiment, they shared what they had reserved
for themselves in an act of kindness...suddenly 1+1+1+1...eventually equals
5000.  But I don't believe that's what's going on here, either.

This is a miracle of multiplication...the exponential increase in what was
available.  This doesn't happen when the things we have remain firmly
grasped in our hands.  It only happens when we let go and put our things in
Jesus' hands.  Jesus demonstrates this 'new math' in a remarkable way, but I
believe he is also calling us to the same economics.

We can add what we have together and perhaps we will have enough.  We can
divide what we have-the amount doesn't change, but maybe we can get by on
the different presentation.  Or maybe we can give what is in our pockets,
what is in our hands and what is in our hearts and allow God to do the
multiplication.  Maybe our part is simply giving our gifts in faith.  Maybe
the miracle isn't up to us at all.

As Easter people we operate in our world differently.  The Resurrection has
transformed us, our worship, our hospitality, our service, our nurture.  The
Resurrection transforms our giving, too.



Prayer for the Week:  Lord, we bring you what we have in our pockets, what
we have clinched tightly in our hands, what we have entombed in our hearts.
Alone they are single gifts.  Combined they multiply exponentially.  Use all
the we have.  Use all the we are.  Use all that you have created to be.
AMEN.









It is in the shelter of each other that the people live.

--Irish Proverb