A Fixed Mind:  The Prophet Joel Speaks!

          The Minor Prophets comprise the last ten books of the Old Testament.  They have strange sounding names, like Obadiah, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah.  Some were tall, others short.  Some had a sense of humor.   Others were blunt and offensive.  Some of these prophets were educated.  Others were quite rustic.  In short, there was a voice, a personality, etc. to connect with every hearer.  God was not leaving anyone out.
          These men are called Minor Prophets, not because they are unimportant, but because their written messages are brief.  They minced no words.
           Joel was the second minor prophet.  In Hebrew his name means "The Lord is God."  He appeared in Israel in the fifth century B.C.   As Joel returns to speak to us, give ear, my friends!  Give ear! 

Saint Patrick in the Morning!           At one time nearly 100 years ago the nation of Ireland suffered a severe potato blight.  Famine killed hundreds of thousands of people.  And many millions of Irishmen immigrated to the United States.  These colorful people brought with them Saint Patrick's Day, March 17.           Who is this Patrick?  When did he live?  What was his life?  With a little Irish music to set the mood, you too can hear St. Patrick speak to tell his own story.

Stand!           His name is Saul, which means "loaned" in Hebrew.  He was named after an earlier Saul, the first king of Israel.  While King Saul was tall physically, our Saul is short.  At his baptism someone nicknamed him "Paul," which is Latin for "shorty."   Though he is short physically, he stands tall spiritually.           From Tarsus, a port city in present day southeastern Turkey, Paul was Jewish and a maker of tents and sails.  On the Damascus Road Jesus met him in a blinding conversion, and Paul was never the same.           In this presentation we meet Paul in prison.  After three effective mission journeys Paul was arrested under false accusations by Jewish and Roman authorities and confined to a jail cell, where he languished for several years.            He refers to himself as "an ambassador in chains" as he busies himself writing letters, encouraging his visitors and talking to his guards about Jesus Christ. Christopher Columbus Speaks!           Five hundred years ago a man dreamed of reaching the east by sailing west.  He sought trade, honor, and souls for Jesus Christ.  His name is Christopher Columbus and this is his own story.               Handel Speaks and Conducts!           For over 250 years the name George Frederick Handel has been synonymous with music.           What not many know is that he was a lifelong single man, who was prone to depression, and who struggled with a career filled with ups and downs.           He was also a Christian.  A lifelong Lutheran, he was the only musical Reformer to work with all three branches of the church:  Catholic, Protestant, and the English Reformation. He was also a prolific composer, writing single-handedly almost as much music as Beethoven and Bach combined.           Organ music, opera, symphonic suites, and oratorio--he wrote music for every occasion.  Once an admirer said to Mr. Handel after a concert, “Well, Maestro, you certainly entertained people tonight!” to which Handel replied, “I don’t wish to entertain them.  I wish to make them better!”   Indeed, in Christ, he did just that.           This dramatic monologue by Stephen Crotts is Handel's story in his own words and music.   Calendar,  Events,  Heroes of the Faith,  Home,  How We Are Funded,  Sermons,  Stephen's Biography,  Store,  What We Do,  You 20020815