I'm curious this morning if anyone has ever been to Bicknell, UT? Has anyone heard of it or can you at least tell me where it is? I'm not too surprised. It's a pretty obscure place in our state -- seated down in Wayne County, about 250 miles south of Ogden. That said, it does have a couple points of interest and a claim to fame. The town was initially called Thurber.
     But, in 1914, Thomas Bicknell, a wealthy author, historian and Education Commisssioner from the state of Rhode Island, offered a thousand volume library to any Utah town that would rename itself after him. Thurber wanted that library prize as did another town near them. The town of Thurber changed its name to Bicknell. The other town changed their name to Blanding -- Mr. Bicknell's wife's maiden name -- and they each received 500 books.
     It's claim to fame? Home to 353 people as of the 2000 census, it claims to be the smallest town not just in Utah, but in the United States.
     The place called Elim in the Bible -- the namesake of our church -- is about as obscure as Bicknell, UT. It is only mentioned three times in the Bible -- twice in Exodus and once in Numbers. Like Bicknell, though, Elim has its own points of interest and claim to fame. The most we find out about this place called Elim is in Exodus, chapter 15, verse 27. "Then the Israelites came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees; and they camped there by the water."
     The Israelites came to the place called Elim almost immediately after God's rescue of them from the Egyptians at the Red Sea. Their escape must have been quite the ordeal, so we know Elim was a place of recovery and rest. We know that it was a place of gratitude as they were nourished with water from the springs and shade from the palm trees. We know it was a place of community as they all camped together. We know it was a place of preparation and strengthening as the Israelites returned again to the wilderness upon leaving Elim.
     Knowing these things about Biblical Elim -- that it was a place of rest, a place of gratitude, a place of community and a place of preparation from which the Israelites continued their journey through the wilderness to the promised land -- knowing these things, it's not a surprise that a group of people gathering together in the name of Jesus Christ would decide to call themselves Elim. Who wouldn't want to receive these things from their church? Who wouldn't want to be part of a congregation that tried to share these aspects of faith with anyone they could?
     No doubt, Elim -- our Elim in Ogden, UT -- throughout its 118 year history has been a place of rest, gratitude, community and preparation for the journey for many people throughout the years. You can discover this yourself as you read about our history on our website. I've also dug out about 10 archival scrapbooks going back into the 1930's for you to take a look at downstairs during the coffee hour. In my peruse through them this week, I was delighted to see pictures of younger versions of many of you! Along with the pictures, there are many newspaper articles and old newsletters detailing Elim's ministry throughout the years.
     But what about today? Does our community of faith continue to reflect the place of Biblical Elim? I think it does and in the remaining parts of this sermon, I want to share how it does.
     In the 3rd Commandment, God asks us to remember the sabbath day and keep it holy. As God did on the 7th day of creation, God asks us to rest. This community of faith provides for us a resting spot. Now, it's not the rest of laying on your couch at home with your feet up and the tv on. Elim offers a different kind of rest. As you enter this place, you step out of the norm of your every day -- the rat race of work, the schedule of school, the bustle of weekly activity -- and you can rest. You can rest in the presence of God who holds you and loves you. You can rest in the company of your brothers and sisters in Christ who share your same faith. You can rest in the promises of Christ Jesus who has died to take away your sin and risen from death to new life to promise you renewed life not just in heaven, but here on earth as well.
     The awesome thing about Elim is that even as you rest, you are preparing for the continuation of your journey as you leave this place. As you attend Sunday School, Confirmation or adult education, as you hear passages from the Bible spoken and preached upon, God's word is working in you, giving you wisdom and truth to get through life. Every Sunday, you are nourished for your journey of faith as you receive the bread and wine of Holy Communion -- the body and blood Christ. As you share the peace with those around you or engage in fellowship downstairs after worship, you are assured that this journey of faith is not without traveling partners.
     So, Elim as a place of rest and preparation have been covered, but what about the gratitude piece? The Gospel for today speaks of this issue with one healed leper turning back to thank Jesus and nine other lepers who, receiving the same blessing, never came back. Today, are we a place of gratitude? Are we a place that calls people into awareness of their blessings? Are we a place that offers thanks to God?
     In truth, I suppose it depends on the day. None of us is perfect. There are days that are difficult to be grateful. There are days that we simply forget to say thank you. Still, I think for the most part Elim is a place of gratitude. My reasoning is because there are a whole lot of people here to do a whole lot for others -- not just within our church, but outside of it, in the wider community, as well. A giving heart is a grateful heart.
     The final piece of Biblical Elim had to do with community. "Then the Israelites came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees; and they camped there by the water." The longer I'm a part of this community, the more I'm realizing we're not all the same. Surprise, surprise. Right? We don't agree on every issue. We come from different backgrounds and traditions. But, we camp together. Community is important to us as we are held together by the waters of our baptisms and our shared faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.
     Like Becknell, UT, like the Biblical Elim of Exodus, Elim Evangelica Lutheran Church is Ogden is maybe a bit obscure as well. Still, we have our own points of interest and our own claim to fame. Our claim is that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior. Since 1889, He has been working in this community of faith, just as He works now, just as He will be working into the future, which is only now beginning to unfold. The Israelites surely said, "It is good to be in this place," as they came upon Elim with its water and palm trees. Hopefully our words echo theirs all these centuries later. "It is good to be in this place." Amen.




Think about a trip you've taken in the car. How many hours is the longest trip you've ever taken? How did you feel when you had to be in the car that long? Did you stop along the way? What was there at the places you stopped? (Bathroom, food, something to drink, gas, etc.). Yoday, we're talking about the namesake of our church. The Israelites were on a long journey. They didn't have a car, they had to walk. They were tired. Sometimes they had to go days without water. Then, they came upon a place called Elim. It's a lot like the places you talked about. Kind of a Biblical version of Mcdonald's or a rest stop or a gas station. At Elim, there were 12 springs of water and 70 palm trees. They had something to drink and shade from the hot dessert sun. Today, I'm glad Elim is a rest stop in your week. I'm glad you and your families can come here to get what you need for your journey.