Trad Gang

I'm even allowed to carry my longbow and quiver-full of arrows at this church; this was the Monday afternoon service:


 (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v134/oldearcher46/sgl48004.jpg)

awesome pic

I like the holy water at your church.  Might even have a few blessed brookies in it.     :thumbsup:      :notworthy:

If you notice, my pant legs were annointed earlier in the service 8^).

George,
anybody that can look at that picture, or any of God's portraits and say that they don't believe. must have been dropped on their head as a child. thanks for the pic.

           Froggy

Great area George.  Love it.

Amen George....I agree whole heartedly....

I have to agree, I probably prayed just as much in a tree stand for my people, and friends, and also some of you, as I do throughout the day when I'm not in the woods.

Each hunting season, our senior Pastor gives a general permission, for hunting, and fishing, but he also adds " not every Sunday "

And you're right, if you can't see God's handiwork in the words you need a lot of help.

Pastor Carl

As it is written in Romans....Everyone is without excuse from knowing God due to what they see around them.
(Paraphrasing)

As a Lutheran by conviction and a bowhunter by choice, I will admit that more often and not I feel more at home in the church of the outdoors than I do behind those made by human hands. Great picture.  :thumbsup:

Nice church!!!!!!! I need to attend a service there!

You've a nice spot there, George.

Shame, George! Trying to walk on water...     You have a magic spot there, it is right that it should be cherished.

I pity people who never see the works of the Master because their world is cluttered with the works of men.

Pray for me, here in the city! I dream of my cathedral in the mountains.
Killdeer

:thumbsup:

Good post George!

Thank you

Wow! A religion I can finally feel a connection with!

i feel the same way, i would go to church everyday if i had the time. a picture of my church.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v119/adkmountainken/fly%20fishing/westriver.jpg)

Yes, His creation reflects His perfection and it is comforting and soothing. I believe it is in Genesis that it says even the earth aches for His return.

Great thread George. When the sun rises as I sit on my deer stand, and the woods literally come to life around me, I am even more convinced there is a soverign God.

We only have one example of Jesus preaching inside a building.  All the rest were on hillsides and country area, small towns and villages.  And I know that all of you know better, you are the church, and if you have Jesus Christ in your life, Jesus Christ goes with you wherever you go.

Church is not about buildings and mortar and bricks, it's about you as a person, most of Jesus encounters were one-on-one.  That's where the best work is done.  Where you are alone and God talks to you and you listen, I think the woods sometimes shouts at us, and it's great to see how many listen.  It's not about religion, it's about relationship.

And every time I think I've seen a great thing in the woods, God comes along and shows me another masterpiece.

But I still have questioned " why the mosquito's" I guess He has His reasons!

Pastor Carl

Well said brother Carl!

And as for mosquitos, and horseflies, and leaches, and wasps and all the rest that sometimes make me shake my head at their purpose, my elders used to tell me "God knows what he's doing." The older I get, the more true that rings.

I feel the same way, here's my goto spot
(http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j319/Screamin_Eagle/myplace.jpg)

Nice George...my church still has 3 feet of snow on the ground:(

But spring is coming!!  :)

BD

Would be the only church i would ever go in.

You are all right in that it isn't about religion, or buildings but about Jesus.  It's true that we can see his handiwork in his creation and feel his presence in time spent alone with him.  Let us not also forget that he called us to be a body of believers and not forsake the gathering of that body.  We are to assemble to pray, read scripture, bear each others burdens and encourage each other in bringing His gospel to a lost and dying world.  In our zeal to experience the beauty of the outdoors let us make sure we are worshipping the Creator and not the created.

God Bless

Here's a trailcam pic from my church.  Notice the lake in the background .... high on a ridge. Nice funnel spot and a beautiful young 8 pointer I hope to see again at communion this fall.  ;)

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v431/TimDougherty/youngbuck.jpg)

Montauks it looks like that was taken with a shutter speed of a quarter of a second or 15th at F. 11 or if the light was low enough 5.6, great photo though.

We do some photography up in the boundary Waters, I had a photography business for 12 years.  It became a 24/7, so I said enough is enough, I want my weekends back.

It is much better serving as an outreach pastor in a church.

Tshooter

You are starting to dog on us a little !  got that preaching thing going !  But you know you're right, and I think that God deals with us in his own way.  And I've seen the understanding that God has had with me, sometimes I ask them why such a strong personality for hunting.

But my hunting stories give the opportunities, it's the same as the Old Testament people, they were people of stories and still are.  And that's the same way with the hunting stories, and everyone of them can help me confirm how great God is to us, both in providing for us the table, and for our memories, that we can pass on to others as great things that God has allowed us to see.  And you're right about the gathering together, to encourage each other and to strengthen each other, in the difficult times, and most of the time those difficult times is what builds character, not easy times.

I have an advantage over others, I was taken home from the hospital when I was born over 50 years ago to die !  I went home from the hospital at two pounds over 50 years ago, even now they don't let babies go one much before 4 lbs.

So from the very beginning I learned how great God is.

And we may not have a campfire in front of us, but this is been the best campfire site that I've ever participated in.

Carl

I'm not trying to preach to you Carl.  I only point out that man was made for God not the other way around.  We all have responsibilities to God whether we choose to honor them or even acknowledge them.  And let me state that I'm not judging anyone.  The Bible says that there is one who judges and His judgements are true; and I am not him.

I was only kidding with you, be cool, it's OK I think everybody understands.  Sometimes God just loves on people, and that's God's way of saying I am here when you need me, and I think that God understands, more so than we do, that some people need space, sometimes he gives that in the form of loneliness, and sometimes he gives that in our time in the woods, but I know that God works with people in different ways, I am sure glad he's not a rule keeper, because that the way it was with the Old Testament people, the law showed them that they could not be good enough for God, that is why the sacrifices were made, not for God, they were for his people.

And no one think you're judging people, we've already been judged by God, bottom line is
" we are sinners", and He is Grace, like a refreshing cold drink of water on a hot day, it seems like you can get enough of it.

That's why God sees us, as to what we can become, and we fail, because we only see what we are.
Now didn't God take his people into the wilderness, that is kind of the same thing He does with me, I went into the woods many times each year, turn down about seven deer this past year, I did not release one arrow, but I came home with 160 lb. doe, our wonderful maker knows our needs, as well as our wants.

I hope no offense taken, I was just kidding around with you.  That's the downside to a one-dimensional web site.  You try and have good day.

Pastor Carl

No offense taken at all... I was only trying to point out that there is only one Truth and that is Jesus Christ crucified buried and ressurected.  As he said " I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except by me."  And yes God is love, grace and mercy and there is nothing we can do to deserve his gift.  I just felt led to express that if we are born again believers we are part of the CHURCH that is the body of believers and Christ as the head.  Now that may be construed as preaching..lol.  Thanks for your comments Carl.  You have a great day as well and God bless.

"Can't we all just get along"
Rodney King

Carl that was taken with Fuji Velvia rated at 40iso F22@1sec on a Pentax6x7

Gene

You bin into them magic mushrooms again ??

Cool, ya gotta love those box (view) cameras, they really turn out the detail, I used to use Fuji film for all my weddings and portraits, I just didn't like " the yellow dog".  I like the way the Fuji film pop the colors, they were more true to life colors.

I sold all my hassleblad camera equipment, now I have a cannon D10 digital, it's a little big for taking into the woods on hunts, so I have a digital Sony video camera, I have card in that, so I can take individual photos.  I think I paid $780 for the Sony digital, and I just saw it last December for $250 at target, that's the way it is with that digital stuff.  You should try some infrared black-and-white, I used to take 3200 and push it to 6400, and an overdevelopment by one-stop.  Turns out a great negative, they infrared doesn't work so well with pine trees, but it's great with partly cloudy days, and trees with leaves on them.  You have to use a changing bag, putting an in and taking it out both, I used it in my wedding photography to set us apart from others.  25% of our albums used to be the infrared photos, I did a journalism style.

That's a great job with a view camera.

Carl