Category Archives: Religion

Rodan139: Swede Valley Lutheran Church

December 17, 2020 Christopher D. Bennett 20 Comments

A few weeks back I took Rodan139 out to Swede Valley Lutheran Church and took a few pictures. A very pretty country church, that unfortunately doesn’t have the pretties setting. The farm fields in the background are okay. It is just unfortunate that what I’m sure was a parsonage at one time, is so close to the church to the north. I also, didn’t wish it was on a fairly major highway. All that being said, it is very photogenic.

I’m sure I’ll be back here to photograph this church some more, but probably a couple other country churches I will have to photograph first.

Boone FUMC, Event, Holidays, Johnathan, Kio

Community Thanksgiving – 2020

December 15, 2020 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

On Thanksgiving, my church (Boone First United Methodist) served nearly 800 free meals to the community. I could write about it, but why bother, when Kio has already done such a great job at that:

Seven hundred seventy one meals were served at First United Methodist Church’s 23rd annual free Thanksgiving dinner held on Nov. 26 at the church, 703 Arden St. in Boone.

Meals were also delivered to the local police and fire stations, an apartment complex and a homeless shelter in Ames. Due to COVID-19, this year’s event was drive-thru pickup only.

According to the event’s chairperson, Brad Filipiak, “the drive-thru was very busy the first 35 minutes with cars lined up for over three blocks. We had to add another serving line and enlist more food baggers.”

Food for the event included 35 turkeys, 12 pans of dressing, 10 pans of mashed potatoes with side helpings of gravy, 24 commercial size cans of green beans, 8 gallons of cranberry sauce, 748 rolls and 60 apple and pumpkin pies.

Preparing, handling and serving of the food followed strict health and safety guidelines. To make social distancing easier, the number of volunteers needed to put on the event was reduced from the 60 of past years to 25 this year. Couples and families were encouraged to volunteer to keep the amount of households to a minimum. Everyone was required to wear gloves and masks.

Dealing with COVID-19 gave this year’s meal a different feeling. Filipiak added, “We didn’t have the normal fellowship of the in-person meal.” The event still provided a meal for many people who wouldn’t otherwise have the means to make it get a Thanksgiving dinner.

In looking back on the event during this time of a pandemic, Filipiak said, “it showed that with everything going on we can still find a way to calm our fears and serve our community”.

As for next year’s Boone First United Methodist Church free Thanksgiving dinner, Filipiak hopes it will be back to the normal in-person meal with a new goal of serving 800 to 1,000 meals.

Kio’s write-up appeared in the “Boone News Republican”.

Here are some pictures from the day:

If you would like to take a gander at the rest of the pictures of this event, click on the link below:

Community Thanksgiving – 2020

I have a few other pictures from this event and the preparation for this event that will come out in due course.

Art, Black & White, Boone FUMC, Christianity, Night, Politics, WPC - Alternate

Matthew 25:35

November 20, 2020 Christopher D. Bennett

I need to start by announcing that my church is still having our free Thanksgiving Meal this year. This year it is a drive-thru meal. If that sounds like something that you could need or want, here is some information:

First United Methodist’s Annual

FREE THANKSGIVING MEAL

You are invited to a fee drive thru/carryout Thanksgiving meal at the Boone First United Methodist Church (703 Arden Street)! We will NOT be offering out usual dine in meal but are happy to send a home cooked meal with you! Meals will be available for pickup on Thursday, November 26 between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Enter Arden Street from 8th Street heading north to south. Please call the church office with the number of meals that you plan to pick up.

To contact the church, call 515-432-4660 and leave a message or email bnfumc@mchsi.com.

Also because of coronavirus, there is a shortage of volunteers. If it is something you might be interested in helping with, I can get you into contact with a guy. You have to be signed up to work before the day, because they are limiting the amount of people inside the church to as few as possible. There is also need for help on the days before.

If interested, like I said, I know a guy.

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Thought today would be a good day to share the ART pictures I took for THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE, but didn’t share on Monday:

Why do I feel that the person that put this up, also snapped it to all their friends.

Most of these pictures were taken at the skate park at McHose Park.

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This is your reminder that this week’s THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE theme is NIGHT:

NIGHT

A NIGHT picture doesn’t have to be outdoors. Any picture taken after the sun has gone down is a NIGHT picture.

Happy photo harvesting!

Christianity, Drone, Panorama

Rodan139: Mackey United Methodist Church

November 18, 2020 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

A few weeks ago I took Rodan139 on a flight around the Mackey United Methodist Church. The church recent closed its doors after 134 years. It will still be used for weddings, funerals and other gatherings.

Here is a few bits about the closing of the church from a recent “Boone News Republican” article:

Mackey United Methodist Church of rural Boone closed its doors at a ceremony ending its 134 years in formal ministry. Members, family and friends, numbering about 60, gathered outside the church on Sunday, Oct. 4 to remember, to pray, and to turn the page on a new chapter of serving the farming community of Mackey nestled in the corn and bean fields of northeast Boone County.

Keith Carlson, a lay leader of the church and a long time member, acknowledged, “Because of our aging congregation, we knew that the doors would be closing soon, and then along came the coronavirus that made it clear the time had come.”

But this little building is not finished yet. Jaime Beyer and Laura Loots, trustees for the Harrison Township, announced the establishment of a newly formed charity with the mission to ensure the continuation of the building for community weddings, funerals and other gatherings that would honor the history of this church. And just recently a generous family contributed $20,000 of support.

Here are some pictures I took on the flight:

Rodan139: Mackey United Methodist Church

There are a handful of countries churches in Boone County. This is the second one I took Rodan139 to photograph. I hope to hit up all of them at some point. Some point…

Animals, Boone FUMC, Commercial, Equipment, Fisheye, Flowers, Mom, Night, Shannon, Still Life, Youth Group

A Little Here, A Little There

October 27, 2020 Christopher D. Bennett 3 Comments

This post is mostly a catch-all of cleaning up some image collections taken back in August, that were either going to part of bigger journal entries that I have abandoned or just a few rando pictures taken here and there that I just want to clean up and get out of the way.

The first little collection is pictures taken from church when they presented scholarships to Autumn, Summer, and Jentry:

Church went back to the building in October. They opened all the windows in the sanctuary to increase air circulation. It gets pretty cold in there. Makes me miss warm weather all the more.

The second collection of pictures is of the creamed honey I purchased from Honey Hollow, AKA Shannon and her husband’s business. I got the straight honey, raspberry, and mango. I was going to do a little review and endorsement deal on them, and I still might some day. But I think it is sufficient to say, that it is honey. It is delicious. It doesn’t crystallize because it is creamed.

At one point I was going to do an entry on a remote control I bought for the A7 II. I think it is sufficient to say that I bought a remote control and I use it now and again. Usually with long exposures.

Speaking of photo equipment entries I planned and never made. I bought an infrared filter to play with. I have since misplaced this filter. It is one of 3 things in my house that I’m currently keeping an eye out for.

Test shot.

There there were some night sky photo I took when playing with a new fisheye lens.

I need to do some night photography again before it gets too cold.

Then finally, just a couple rando photos:

Feels good to get these pictures out there. Real good.

Black & White, Christianity, Drone, Panorama

Rodan139: Saint Paul Lutheran Church

October 18, 2020 Christopher D. Bennett

Boone County has a handful of country churches. But the one that is my far the most beautiful, photogenic, and set in the best location is Saint Paul Lutheran Church that is north and east of Boone. I plan on taking the drone to all of Boone County’s country churches, but I figured I’d start with one that definitely doesn’t have an ugly electric cable running across the front of the church.

I’m trying to take the drone out every weekend, weather permitting, but weather probably won’t be all that permitting much longer.

Christianity, Drone, Flowers, Panorama, WPC - Alternate, WPC - Reminder

It’s Hard for Me to Weep When I’m Strong

August 28, 2020 Christopher D. Bennett

When I went out in the middle of nowhere Boone County to fly the drone around an old country church to take my RELIGION picture for last week’s THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE. I took several photos. Some of the church. Some of the little park across the road. Some of the windswept fields of the nearby farms.

Here are some of the pictures I took on the drone flight:

It's Hard for me to Weep When I'm Strong

Hopefully I can get Rodan139 out this weekend too.

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This is your reminder that this week’s THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE theme is FLOWER:

FLOWER

A FLOWER picture is any picture that involves a FLOWER.

Happy photo harvesting!

Christianity, Flowers, Macro, WPC - Reminder

With Amazing Grace and Opened Eyes

August 21, 2020 Christopher D. Bennett

This is a collection of pictures I took around my Mom’s house back in June. Lilies. Daisies. Dahlias. Oh my!

Whoo! I’ve taken so many flower pictures this year!

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This is your reminder that this week’s THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE theme is RELIGION:

RELIGION

A RELIGION photo is an image that deals with the practice of a RELIGION.

Happy photo harvesting!

Alexis, Andy, Angie, Animals, Becky, Birthdays, Black & White, Brandon, Carla, Christianity, Dad, Elainie, Elizabeth, Ernie, Jason, Jodie Cue, Johnathan, Kim, Macro, Mom, Shannon, Tamara, Teresa, WPC - Submissions

WPC – WEEK 257 – MACRO

August 17, 2020 Christopher D. Bennett 1 Comment

I need to start today by wishing my eldest sister Teresa a happy birthday. Happy birthday Teresa!

I hope your birthday is as amazing as you want it to be!

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Can you believe it? 46 straight weeks of double digit submissions! I thought for sure the derecho would maybe put a hitch in THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE’S giddy up this week. But it was barely even a bump in the road for most of you. The rest of you, I’m going to assume you still don’t have power and your roof is lying in your neighbor’s field.

But you didn’t come here to listen to me talk all tommyrot about participation rates. You came to see the submissions!

Andy Sharp

Becky Parmelee

Angie DeWaard

Carla Stensland

Jodie Cue

Christopher D. Bennett

Jodie Cue

Shannon Bardole-Foley

Tamara Peterson

Kim Barker

Elizabeth Nordeen

Logan Kahler

But enough dwelling on the past. Time to look to the future. We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives. And remember my friend, future events such as these will affect you in the future! This week’s theme:

RELIGION

RELIGION! What a great theme! But what is a RELIGION photo? A RELIGION photo is a photo of anything that deals with the practice of a RELIGION. From a picture of a holy book or a place of worship or a worship service or a symbol of RELIGION.

I look forward to your interpretations!

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HOUSEKEEPING

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 RULES DIVISION

The picture has to be taken the week of the theme. This isn’t a curate your pictures challenge. This is a get your butt off the couch (my personal experience) and put your camera in your hands challenge. Don’t send me a picture of you next to the Eiffel Tower, when I know you were in Iowa all week. I will point out that I have let that slide some in the past. I will not in the future. Since it is literally about the only rule.

Your submission needs to be emailed to bennett@photography139.com by 11 AM on the Monday of the challenge due date.

I now allow people to text me their submissions. In the past, I had made exceptions for a couple people that aren’t real computer savvy, even though it was an inconvenience for me and required at least 3 extra steps for me. I am now lifting that embargo because I have a streamline way of uploading photos. I’m not giving out my phone number, but if you have it, you can text me.

It should be pointed out that this blog auto-publishes at 12:01 on Mondays. So it wouldn’t hurt to get your picture in earlier.

That is it, them’s the rules.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHY 139 SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION DIVISION

Nobody showed class, taste, and sophistication this week by signing up for a Photography 139 email subscription. I’ll try and do better next week.

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That’s all I got for today, so if the good Lord’s willin’ and the creek don’t rise, we will commune right here again next Monday. Hopefully it will be a very religious Monday!

Art, Black & White, Boone FUMC, Event, Sara

2010-03-15

August 15, 2020 Christopher D. Bennett

There are two types of pictures in the folder 2010-03-15. One if from the 2010 Methodist Men State Convention that my church hosted. The other is from my trip to the Des Moines sculpture garden with Sara. One of the pictures from that sculpture garden trick still might be my favorite picture I have ever taken. That is hard to choose, but it is definitely up there. Maybe someday I will make a Top Ten list of my favorite images.

By adding these pictures to the Photography 139 Gallery, I was able to restore the following historic “An Artist’s Notebook” entries to their original glory:

PERSONAL PHOTO PROJECT OF THE WEEK NO. 13

Meth Men Saturday

Next Saturday’s walk down memory lane will involve ACTORS.