Captain Maddie Redbeard

O Captain! my Captain! O whence shall I begin? 

You commandeered that vessel—your tonic mixed with gin. 

With drink in hand, you passed the band playing through the night.

With you, O Captain, I will stand; this crew I shall smite! 

                         But O heart! heart! heart! 

                            Calm my nerves outside this door; 

                               For what’s to come in the wheelhouse, 

                                  Shakes me to my core. 

O Captain! my Captain! Grab the wheel; take a swig; 

I’ll lock these filthy captives tightly in the brig. 

Skipper this ship forth between the Mississippi banks, 

Show your scurvy squad why they shan’t ever break their ranks; 

                         Here Captain! dear Captain! 

                            Let’s toast to your success! 

                               O shiver me timber, 

                                 Riverboats are the best. 

Time has come, my Captain, to dock this for the night. 

Skylines in the moonlight, O what a beautiful sight, 

The ship is anchor’d safe and sound, its voyage closed and done, 

From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with objects won; 

                         Exult O shores, and ring O bells! 

                            All ye in the city, 

                               For Captain Maddie Redbeard, 

                                  The scourge of the Mississippi.

Epic Birthday Poem

I’ve been commissioned to fashion a ballad that stretches truth while bending time;

The claims I claim may not be valid, but no one will care so long as I rhyme.

Robert Andrew Anderson was born underneath the heat of a mid-July sun—

Plucked from a stock of Midwestern corn—fully bearded and shooting a gun.

His parents instantly discovered that he was no ordinary lad,

Yet they worked to refine the majestic creature that they had.

Before the boy ever uttered his first and darling word,

His parents shuddered from the ominous sounds they heard.

For off in the distance, perhaps in the garage—

Dith their eyes deceive them? Was this a mirage?—

Baby Bob stood, power tools in hand,

Building home additions his parents never planned.

Year after year, milestones passed flawlessly,

Bobby boy had grown and set off on his own odyssey.

Sailing across each of 10,000 lakes,

He’d sweat in the sun, and freeze in the flakes.

However, long nights of harsh whipping wind

Never bothered him, his beard untrimmed.

Resolute in his focus, and stoic amid struggles,

He’d feast upon locusts, and tolerate us muggles.

Unfazed by the sweet siren’s song leading headlong to the crag;

He strapped himself to the shanty’s mast—beard fluttering like a flag.

Yet there was no time to be distracted; he was on a mission from God

To find himself a worthy crew, to gather himself a squad.

 One by one they each did come; the people he did accrue.

Not any one was like the other, all horses of different hue.

This eclectic group of ragtag misfits surely was a surly crew,

But he’d teach these plebs a thing or two if it were the last he’d ever do!

It tried his patience, and sickened his sights,

But he’d teach them how to fix their lights.

The news he found must be fake, for it is such a piece of cake,

For Pedro’s sake, must he really help them to change a brake?

Still, his adventures sailed on drifting uninterrupted,

Until one fateful moment when the night skies erupted.

Down from the darkness and out of its abyss,

Robbie smashed each star with only his fists.

Not a bruise upon his skin, nor hair had been singed,

His might was so mighty even the waters did cringe.

They carried him upon their back, rolling with the tide.

The waves they washed upon the shore where he met his bride.

They pitched their camp within the woods as the trees above did quiver.

From that day forth on the soil they stood lay the banks of the colossal Elk River.

Go west, young man; go, tell it on a mountain!

Tell everyone at work around the water fountain.

Recite this tale both far and wide across the world's terrain

About a boy whose commanding pride others merely feign.

So, take from this a birthday wish from my poem’s final breath of air.

Thank you, Robbie, for all you do, and all the ways you care!

Saving Souls Through Skype

               On March 25^th, 2017, the Connection Center Seventh-day Adventist Church in Zimmerman, Minnesota celebrated a wondrous event. Three of its attendees made their love for Jesus Christ and their devotion to follow Him public by being baptized. Even though Linda Wermerskirchen, Jill Delaney, and Shirley Newport have each had a unique journey lead them to this point in their respective spiritual walks, they share a common thread—all three have been a part of the Connection Center’s Skype ministry, which has spread to include callers from all over the United States and the world.

               A couple years back, Pastor Gene Yocum reconnected with Mike Kimbler, a member who had stopped attending several years earlier. Upon catching up, it had been mentioned that Mike was part of a small Bible study and prayer group that met on Skype. This small, eager-to-learn group asked whether Pastor Gene would like to join in on the group and take them through a Daniel and Revelation study. He obliged, and began the several-month-long study. Before too much time elapsed, the three-night-per-week Skype sessions transformed into nightly calls at 7 o’clock.

               Jill Delaney has journeyed far in life (and not just from her home country of Ireland). Although Jill had been living in New Jersey during the Daniel and Revelation studies, she has since moved to Minnesota, and is now physically present each and every Sabbath sharing her enthusiasm and bubbly spirit.

              

First baptized at the young age of twelve, Linda Wermerskirchen rediscovered her youthful loyalty to God, which brought her to rededicate her life to Christ four decades later. Despite living approximately two hours north of the church, she makes her way south every chance she gets. When commuting is not an option, Linda’s exuberant laughter and joy are present on Skype with other members who either could not make the local commute or don’t live in the state at all.

                

               For Shirley Newport, the Sabbath of March 25^th carried extra significance. She desired to be baptized that day because it is her birthday. As she so eloquently stated, “I wanted the day of my birth to also be the day of my rebirth, so that way I’ll never forget it.”

              

Nowadays, the group meets a little less frequently on Skype. Currently, they have Prayer Meetings on Wednesday and a Women’s Study call on Friday evenings, each taught by members who live in a different state.  And, of course, there are calls on Sabbath for both Sabbath School and Church Worship Service.  And even when there is a baptism at the local community pool, the Connection Center finds a way to include its entire extended church family.

               Although the world moves quickly, its inhabitants are not always able to match pace. Therefore, it is paramount that the church body find ways to accommodate those that may feel left behind or disconnected. If you may be unable to make your local church service, or if you know of someone that might like to join more weekly activities, keep in mind that whenever you feel inclined, there is an interactive Skype call for you to join with the Connection Center.  Just call Pastor Yocum at 763-370-0011, or send a Skype contact request to ConnectionCenter777.