Encore October 2019 by Lynden Tribune

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

What’s Inside.... C3 — From law to art: David Syre returns to his Whatcom County roots C10 — A look at the Ferndale Senior Activity Center and its invaluable importance to the community C16 — The supernatural meets the spiritual with Michael Heiner

ENCORE A supplement of the Lynden Tribune and Ferndale Record

A Guide to a

Fulfilling Senior Life

in Whatcom County

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, October 23, 2019 | Ferndale Record

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, October 23, 2019 | Ferndale Record

David Syre’s development is now as an artist

Once a prolific developer of properties, David Syre at age 78 now pours his creativity into art at his studio on the family farm south of Everson.

The Trillium Corp. visionary of Bellis Fair, Cordata has returned to his Whatcom roots And he voices a healing mission for his life now By Calvin Bratt editor@lyndentribune.com

EVERSON — On this September

day, the Syre family is preparing to host a gathering that will honor a dear aunt who has passed. It will be on the same Lawrence farm property that David Syre grew up on and that he now lives on. But much has filled the arc of the years, and Syre is willing to spend some time to talk about it. This is the aunt Joy who lived in Edmonds and with whom young David lived when he had polio at age 4. The 1959 graduate of Mount Baker High School would go on to Washington State University. He entered the law school of Gonzaga University of Spokane and still had a year to go there when he received an opportune call in 1971 to earn some

money for college costs, as well as gain practical experience in law — in Lynden. He would help the law office of Einar Simonarson mostly on legal work related to sewer bonds for Birch Bay. Not glamorous work, certainly, but the summer stint led to some valuable connections back in Whatcom County for Syre, and he valued friendships made. “Some people say hello” from that time, he said. A decade later, now a lawyer and also with banking experience, Syre had formed the Trillium Corporation and was emerging as the driving force behind developing a regional shopping center for Bellingham. It is today’s Bellis Fair complex, although at the time the

(Courtesy photo)

site was horticultural nursery grounds controlled by the state. In particular, Syre remembers a community gathering in Lynden that brought Washington’s U.S. Senator Henry Jackson — a friend of Simonarson from law school — to town and also placed the young developer at the head table. Springing from that connection, Syre was able to start getting the political approvals he needed for a land exchange that allowed Bellis Fair eventually to be built on the site at Telegraph and Guide Meridian roads. “He was so good at making communities and building bridges,” Syre said of Jackson, who died unexpectedly

Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, October 23, 2019 | Ferndale Record

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, October 23, 2019 | Ferndale Record

It's possible to find respite and solitude, or to host a big gathering of people, on the Syre family's back property that is like a park alongside the Nooksack River. The centerpiece is the log cabin in the background, built by a homesteader about 135 years ago and moved onto this site. (Calvin Bratt/Lynden Tribune) not much later in 1983. “I think of him so often, and the contrast to today.” It was possible to build alliances of 70 to 80 percent support among politicians. “How the world has changed.” Syre also would become the visionary and developer of what is now the Cordata area of north Bellingham, including the campus of Whatcom Community College and many medical offices as well as residential construction in an overall master plan. And he was the creator behind the Semiahoo Resort at Blaine. A world-traveling artist Today, those deal-making projects of the past are just for remembering, with recalled details, for David Syre. He is now a world-traveling artist, although based back on the family farm — on State Route 9, or “the Lawrence-Nooksack road” as old lingo would put it — for his art studio, plus a gallery in Bellingham on a street he created in Cordata. In September Syre and his art were featured in the Copenhagen Design

House and Copenhagen Art Gallery in Denmark. David and his partner Becci have spent many delightful days in the Danish capital city, discovering the “happy city” charm that making it a destination from around the world. This public showing of his art has come on fairly quickly, just since 2018. In that year, he was in Nice, France; Sante Fe, New Mexico; and Buenos Aires, Argentina. This year, a Bellingham exhibition was in April and he was at the Werkkunst Gallery in Hamburg, Germany, in July. There was also a small exhibition in New York. “After years of silent work in his personal studio, and a number of exhibitions abroad, Syre has developed an artistic maturity that deserves full public attention” was the billing for his “Roots and Wings” show in Bellingham, the first in his hometown area. His large art pieces are for office space, he says, and wherever he shows they are for sale. A Seattle company ships his art pieces wherever they need to go all over the world, he says, with

Casey Curtis as his local gallery manager involved too in the careful packaging. In one sense, all this artistic outpouring is not new. “I had a keen interest in art in first and second grades,” he recalls. His third grade teacher thought he “should do art all the time.” He continued to dabble in it enough to be in a Seattle show while in high school, but his parents certainly did not approve of art as the basis for a career. “So I dropped it.” The spring local show ranged from a painting David Syre did at age 7 to his most recent large-scale canvases that show his mastery of painting techniques and are a “visual translation of spiritual, personal and collective experiences.” Also from his studio, on his approach: “David Syre’s art is closely related to his inner voice and is inspired by daily meditation sessions and research about topics such as the commitment to universal peace, love, compassion and forgiveness. To him, color means “‘expression’ and symbols ‘discourse,’ and he plays with the emotional response each one triggers.”

He was encouraged to return to his art by, of all people, his twin daughters Amy and Mia. At Christmas 2012 they independently gave him a crayon and black paper set and a white tablet with felt pen. Their plea was “please use them.” He did, and it was the start of his full immersion into being the artist he had suppressed. “I started drawing and I just kept doing it.” And then trips to the Burning Man annual art/community/spirituality event in the Nevada desert inspired a further stage of artistic expression in Syre. “You need to paint” was the message he heard. So he did, to the point where he may have dozens of painting projects going on at the same time now. He figures he has done at least 3,000 drawings and at least 1,000 paintings. Deep family roots 2018 marked the 100th year of the Syre family on the farm, positioned as it is between a turn of today’s SR 9 highway and the multiple turns of the Nooksack River. A relic booklet was created of pho-

Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, October 23, 2019 | Ferndale Record

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The Syre property stretches for about a mile along the Nooksack River, and it is a private retreat of art, natural beauty and hosting amenities. (Calvin Bratt/Lynden Tribune) tos, records, notes, quotes, clips and factoids to document the century. David’s parents were Ray and Dee Syre, both of Scandinavian heritage that converged in early rural Whatcom County. David was the oldest of five children, with two brothers and two sisters. Ray was the typical small-scale dairy farmer of the time until “a great flood” of the Nooksack River in October 1945 knocked the barn akilter and destroyed buildings that grandpa Rasmus had built in the 1920s and ‘30s. In short order, Ray Syre sold his 18 head of livestock and needed to find employment elsewhere. It would be using his degree in agriculture to teach students, including returning World War II veterans, at Nooksack High School. Ray also began growing raspberries on about 25 acres. A single Guernsey cow named Molly was kept and it was young David’s duty to feed and milk her each day, and he could sell extra milk to the neighbors. “I was making two, three dollars a month,”he said. “I could buy bubble

gum for my friends.” In 1952 Ray Syre went from being on the board of directors of Lynden Berry Growers Inc. to being its assistant manager, and representing the group would be the way many people remembered him. David Syre bought the farm from his parents on April 27, 1981. He remembers that this father warned him that it really might not be a good idea to be here at the whims of a mile of river frontage. But he wanted the place to stay in the family. “The farm was everything my parents had and they didn’t own it free and clear,” David elaborates in the booklet. “I bought it and gave them life estate in the house, so they would always live there.” Over time, there would be two major remodels and expansions of the old house, with its core built in 1922, and for a time David’s brother Kenny and his three children lived there. Part of the family story is a large log cabin, estimated to be 135 years old and built by a homesteader on property

It was this set of crayons, given by one of his daughters at Christmas 2012, that helped get David Syre back into creating art. (Calvin Bratt/Lynden Tribune) south of the Syres. It came into Ray’s possession in the early 1960s and was relocated to be eventually placed on the family park site near the river. It was a clubhouse for son Jonathan’s Boy Scout troop, among its many functions. David estimates that his art studio of today is built right at the spot where the Syre barn teetered on a swollen river bank 74 years ago.

And other strands of life He said at the farm visit that he was due to have eye surgery in early October on one eye, which is “totally blind” from a childhood accident. Syre reported this week that his surgery went very well, and he is back in action. The other big part of David Syre’s life, at age 78, pertains to the extreme

ENCORE southern tip of South American. On the remote large island of Tierra del Fuego is where the Trillium company acquired hundreds of thousands of acres of essentially untouched virgin timberland in the 1990s, in order to establish the largest sustainable logging operation in Latin America, perhaps in the world. In a 1997 Seattle Times article, the Syre effort was called “a radical recasting of logging,” and that from a guru of preservation of Pacific Northwest old-growth forests. Today, Syre’s 150-mile Peace Trail is a major land art project being built across land he owns. He hopes to dedicate and open the trail on his 80th birthday in December 2020. Syre travels down to Tierra del Fuego still three or four times per year and he will be making a two-week trip this fall, leaving Nov. 9. Daughter Mia and family will go along for the first time. Becci as well is a frequent co-traveler with him. At one

Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, October 23, 2019 | Ferndale Record

David Syre will have multiple pieces of art in progress at the same time. He says his work, rich in lines, forms and numbers, is inspired by travel, nature and the subconscious mind. (Courtesy photo)

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, October 23, 2019 | Ferndale Record

Syre also collects sculptures and various three-dimensional art, made by others, that often ends up on display somewhere on the famiy property. (Calvin Bratt/Lynden Tribune)

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point they visted the town of Syre in Norway where David’s grandpa Syre was born. Family members have accompanied him on many of his trips. David walks briskly one to three times per day on the 122-acre farm along its created levee trail along the Nooksack River to the back park premises. It’s to keep him physically active and give him chances to think and plan. In the mixed wooded and grassed enclave of the log cabin are a collection of many sculptures and other art and also a carved native Nooksack totem. There are barns with collections of tractors and other treasured artifacts. But he believes art in some form has always been a thread pulling his life together and guiding his pursuits, even in property development, and he is only now in the full expresssion of it. “My artistic journey — that’s been my life,” he said.

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, October 23, 2019 | Ferndale Record

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Gallery Syre launches an art competition for Whatcom youth Applications are due Nov. 20; exhibition runs Dec. 7 - Feb. 29 BELLINGHAM — Gallery Syre is launching a Youth Artist Exhibition open to all Whatcom County students in grades 6-13. Submissions will be taken until Nov. 20 and the exhibit will run from Dec. 7 through Feb. 29, 2020. Gallery Syre’s intention is “to provide young hopeful artists a place of inspiration to be creatively active and an opportunity to exhibit in a real gallery environment.” In addition to the choosing of first-, second- and third-place winners, 15 artists among those who submit will be chosen for the exhibition. The theme of the open call is “Wishes and Dreams.” Students may express their creative ideas within their preferred media. The application deadline is

Nov. 20, right up to 11:59 p.m. These are the application guidelines: • Entry is open to any student in grades 6-12 and first year of college, who is enrolled in a public, private or parochial school/university or home-study program in the United States. • The maximum student age at time of entry is 18. • The student must be a Whatcom County resident. These are painting submission requirements: • This must be two-dimensional art on canvas or paper. Watercolor, pencil, pastel, charcoal, tempera, crayon, acrylic, pen, ink, oil, marker or other media taught may be used. • Do not frame two-dimensional pieces; please paint edges or leave white. • Submit canvas entries on a stretcher frame or canvas board. • The art should be no larger See Gallery on C15

When the whole David Syre family gets together, it's an occasion for a photo. David has two sons and two daughters, now with their own families. (Calvin Bratt/Lynden Tribune)

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, October 23, 2019 | Ferndale Record

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New challenges, same fun at the ‘friendly center’

Members work out in the Ferndale Senior Activity Center's exercise room. (Brent Lindquist/Ferndale Record)

Ferndale Senior Activity Center serves as a resource for the larger community By Brent Lindquist brent@lyndentribune.com

FERNDALE — When a local senior citizen came to Karma Wells and said her refrigerator had broken, Wells knew ex-

actly what to do. “I said, ‘Wait a minute, I just got an email from Puget Sound Energy about replacing old fridges,’” Wells said. “She checked, and it qualified, so she had a new fridge in a week.” Wells is the manager at the Ferndale Senior Activity Center, and situations like the woman and her broken refrigerator pop up every so often. The center is technically a Whatcom County Parks program aimed at providing low-cost entertainment and healthy options for seniors, but it serves as a resource center

just as much as an activity center. “We’re the place that gets called whenever anybody has a question regarding seniors, and I feel that, if they’re calling us, we need to find the answer,” Wells said. “We’ve kind of had to evolve into that, based on senior need.” That’s part of why the Ferndale Senior Activity Center is known colloquially as the “friendly center,” Wells said. The needs of local seniors have changed a great deal in recent years, Wells said, and the offerings of the center have changed with them. Six years ago, the center of-

fered a bus trip program. Now, that program has ceased to exist because seniors simply cannot afford it. “They can’t afford it because everything else has gone up,” Wells said. “Seniors on a fixed income have to make different decisions. We couldn’t even get enough people just to make the trip go.” The local population of homeless seniors has grown in recent years, and Wells, her staff and her volunteers have taken it upon themselves to have resources available to at least steer these seniors in the right direction, whether

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, October 23, 2019 | Ferndale Record

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, October 23, 2019 | Ferndale Record

The annual Christmas Craft Fair is a major fundraiser for the Ferndale Senior Activity Center. (Courtesy photo/Karma Wells)

they’re looking for a warm bed, information on Medicare or something else. One of the most important offerings provided by the center is a by-donation lunch every weekday. Thursday’s offering is pub-style fish, rainbow potatoes, mixed beans, coleslaw and fruit, for example, and each day is different. Thursday, Oct. 3, was an Oktoberfest lunch featuring beer brats. Wells said these lunches provide an interesting dynamic, bringing together people of all different backgrounds for a bite to eat. “You get a whole variety of people just sitting and talking,” she said. “It doesn’t matter once you get in here.” The center features a classically styled billiards room, classrooms, a larger area for activities like line-dancing classes and Bingo, and a gym area with exercise equipment. Wells said it’s interesting to see how interest in certain activities goes up and down. “Our calendar of activities

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, October 23, 2019 | Ferndale Record

The Ferndale Senior Activity Center's 2018 Hi-Tech class paired seniors with local middle schoolers to help them learn Microsoft Office programs. (Courtesy photo/Karma Wells)

is fluid depending on what people want, what they’re interested in — and fads with seniors are really interesting to see,” Wells said. “Quilting goes down, knitting is going up, and line-dancing is really the thing right now. This place packs for linedancing classes.” The center also offers technology classes for seniors who want to learn how to use computers and smartphones, woodcarving, writing, fitness, Nintendo Wii, Bible study, movie nights and more. Lois Mehus and Zoila Robles, both members of the Ferndale Senior Activity Center, said their favorite part of the center is the feeling of cameraderie it brings. “I think my favorite part is that we accept one another,” Mehus said. “No matter what age, what circumstances, if somebody wins at Bingo, the total pot might be $11, but we all celebrate that they won Bingo.” Member Jackie Auten said her favorite part is eating good food at the center.

Each of the center’s offerings has one common factor: they rely on the work of volunteers. “We’re a 90-percent volunteer organization,” Wells said. “There’s one fulltime position: me. I have a part-time assistant and a very part-time janitor. Ev-

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, October 23, 2019 | Ferndale Record

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From left, Ferndale Senior Activity Center members Zoila Robles, Lois Mehus and Jackie Auten spend time at the center Monday afternoon. (Brent Lindquist/ Ferndale Record)

erything else is volunteer.” The Ferndale Senior Activity Center building is provided by Whatcom County Parks, as is Wells’ salary. The City of Ferndale puts up a small amount of money each year, and everything else must be fundraised for, including the lunch program, which costs $1,000 per month to put on, all of which goes to the Whatcom Council on Aging, which brings in the lunch. That’s why fundraising is such an in-

tegral part of keeping the center up and running. The next fundraiser is coming up on Saturday, Nov. 9, the “Shake, Rattle & Roll!” sock hop fundraising gala. It includes dinner, entertainment from the Travelin’ Light Band, a dance contest with dance instruction provided and a silent auction. Prizes will be on hand for best dressed, along with a drive-in-themed photo booth. Tickets are required after 6 p.m. for dinner and entertainment. Tickets are $30 for dinner and the show, or

$20 for dinner-only or show-only tickets. The last day to purchase tickets that include dinner is Wednesday, Nov. 5. Coming in December is the center’s ninth annual Christmas Craft Fair and Bake Sale featuring one-of-a-kind items, holiday decor, gifts, jewelry, knit items, toys, a baked potato bar and more. The fair is set for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7. Wells emphasizes the importance of the entire community’s participation

in these fundraiser events, and in turn the significance of the Ferndale Senior Activity Center to the overall community’s health. “I can’t relay enough how vital the senior center is to the whole community. Not just to seniors, but to everybody. It provides that dynamic to seniors, and then the trickle-down effect,” Wells said. Visit www.ferndaleseniorcenter. org for more information on the center, which is located at 1999 Cherry St.

Retirees, be aware of new QLAC This is an investment tool to be considered as we tend to live longer It’s not often that the federal government makes a decision nearly everyone is happy with, but that’s what happened with a regulation finalized by the U.S. Treasury Department. Changes to the regulations under Internal Revenue Code section 401(a)(9) allow individuals the ability to defer the distribution of their qualified assets beyond age 70½ through the purchase of a Qualifying Longevity Annuity Contract (QLAC). Generally, the new rule provides an exception to Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) by allowing a QLAC to start making payments as late as age 85, meaning people can defer paying taxes on money that they may not need in early retirement. This is big news for those people who have been taking RMDs because they have to, not because they want to. A QLAC can provide more flexibility for your retirement planning by allowing you to better match your retirement income to your

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, October 23, 2019 | Ferndale Record

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needs, and the ability to control when taxes can be paid on qualified assets. A QLAC will also ensure that you will not outlive your money, because as an annuity it provides guaranteed income for life. There are some limitations to QLACs that you should know, however. Most importantly, there is a cap on how much of your qualified money you can put into a QLAC. Contributions are limited to the lesser of $130,000 (2019) or 25% of the owner’s qualified account balances, less previous QLAC contributions. The 25% limit applies on a plan-byplan basis and to IRAs on an aggregate basis. Also, QLACs can only be established through a deferred income annuity with no liquidity features. Other important rules you should be aware of include: • Eligible accounts include 401(a), 401(k), 403(b), governmental 457(b) or IRA. • Income payments must begin no later than the first day of the month following the owner’s attained age 85. • The contract must state from inception that it is intended to be a QLAC. • Once income starts, the payments must satisfy RMD rules.

• The contract cannot have any cash surrender value or commutation benefit. A QLAC can be a powerful tool for those who want more control By David Lewis of how and New York Life when they start taking money out of their qualified retirement accounts. With people living longer than ever before, the government has taken an important step in allowing people to have more flexibility with regard to their retirement assets. This is an opportunity that should be a serious consideration for many people nearing, or even in, retirement. Contact your tax/legal advisor for implications to your specific situation. This educational third-party article is from David Lewis of New York Life in Lynden. For additional information on the information or topic here, contact him at dlewis05@ ft.newyorklife.com or 360-354-4433.

Gallery Continued from C9

than 70 inches high and 59 inches wide. • Complete an application form available on the Gallery Syre webpage (davidsyreart. com), scan and submit it with a photograph of the painting in a PDF or JPG format, with the applicant’s name and title of the work, and email to Gallery Syre, gallerysyre@gmail. com, by 11:59 pm. Nov. 20. Artists are responsible for pricing their own art. On Nov. 21-23 a jury of four people will select the works to be exhibited. Announcement of the three winners and 15 chosen artists will be made on Nov. 24. On Nov. 25-27 the art needs to be dropped off at the Gallery Syre (note it is not open on Thanksgiving, Nov. 28). Art installation happens Dec. 2-6, and the exhibition opens Dec. 7. Syre Gallery hours are Tuesday through Thursday from noon to 5 p.m. The location is 465 W. Stuart Rd. in the Cordata area of north Bellingham. NOTE: David Syre’s own “New Works” exhibition opens in the gallery on Nov. 7.

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, October 23, 2019 | Ferndale Record

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Lynden resident a regular on late-night radio Michael Heiner is an ancients author/scholar, has written books on the supernatural Next chapter is founding a new school in Florida By Elisa Claassen for the Lynden Tribune

LYNDEN — Fourteen years ago, the house where Michael Heiner lives on Boundary Road made a claim on notoriety. It was the southern terminus of a hidden 360-foot tunnel under the U.S.Canada border for the intent of smuggling drugs. The tunnel was figured out by federal agents even as it was being dug out and it was shut down promptly upon the first transit of contraband on July 20, 2005. The shocking announcement at the Lynden-Aldergrove, B.C., border crossing was a news mega-event. It was the first, and only, tunnel ever discovered under the northern U.S. border. The bust put the house at first in the ownership of the U.S. government. After remodels, it quietly went back to being a beautiful home. Enter the Heiser family, relocating from the East Coast. As interesting as the house had been before, the family sought to put their own stamp on it. Michael Heiser is a Ph.D. biblical scholar and author, and former scholarin-residence at Logos Bible Software (now Faithlife Corporation). He was named by Fate Magazine among its “100 Most Influential People in UFOlogy” in 2005. He continues to be a go-to person in the world of faith for things that are unusual — frankly, things that most pastors don’t touch. He now focuses on writing books, contributing to the FaithLife magazine Bible Study, and various speaking engagements. He has supervised scholarly data projects relating to the Dead Sea Scrolls, Hebrew and Semitic inscriptions, the Septuagint and the Greek Pseudepigrapha. Not many focus on what Heiser does: the ancient world and how it relates to the spiritual realm — including angels. Or, the supernatural and unseen world. While in his doctoral program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Heiser became interested in the ancient Israelite view of the

Michael Heiser, of Lynden, keeps a busy schedule between his professional commitments and his own family life. After about 13 years here, the family will be moving to Florida at the end of this year, however. (Courtesy photo) supernatural world. “I discovered that not only was there a lot of material that is simply skipped or diminished in seminary and, of course, in church, but that material was crucial to understanding the supernatural epic story

of the Bible. It may sound odd, but there isn’t a single area of biblical theology that is unaffected by how the Old Testament writers articulate the nature and function of the heavenly host and God’s relationship to that.”

Heiser speaks at national conferences and radio shows about the ancient world and the paranormal. He does so from the realm of a Christian scholar. His book, “The Unseen Realm,” gives readers an overview of the Bible’s supernatural story.

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, October 23, 2019 | Ferndale Record

ENCORE Of it, he states, “It’s an academic book, but very readable. Nearly all of the 900-plus reviews on Amazon are by lay people, not pastors.” He is not afraid to talk on what would be “tough topics” for many. “I’ve done a lot of interviews when those things come up, or take center stage, and do them for a couple of reasons,” Heiser wrote in an extended email. “I’m a believer that scholars should serve the public interest. Too many scholars ignore strange subjects and bogus research that fascinates people whose worldview revolves around such ideas. They claim they’re too busy or it’s not important. In doing so, they allow people to think poorly and believe things that have little basis in primary texts, logic, and even reality. I can’t think of anything much more potentially paradigm-shifting than the question of whether there is extraterrestrial life or whether aliens came to earth in antiquity. “Spiritually speaking, I want to minister to those whose experiences, or exposure to strange ideas, have caused them to feel abandoned by their church or family. I also think that reality is stranger than most people think. If, for example, we find out down the road that alien life really does exist, those who have a high view of Scrip-

Dr. Michael Heiser doesn't mind venturing into topics, both on radio and in print, that few others are willing or competent to delve into. His expertise arises out of his in-depth study of sources. (Courtesy photo)

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Supporting the independence, dignity, and health of community members of northwestern Washington Aging & Disability Resources (360) 738-2500

Family Caregiver (360) 676-6749

Whatcom County Cemetery District 10 Historic plots are available in both cemeteries. No-interest purchase plans.

lyndencemetery.com On the Southeast corner of Front & Meridian The only Washington Heritage Cemetery in Whatcom County

thegreenwoodcemetery.com On the South side of East Wiser Lake Road A lovely, rustic cemetery with Urn and Scatter gardens

DID YOU KNOW? Clara Tennant was the wife of Rev. John A. Tennant, daughter of Ts’lixw of the Nooksack Tribe and spoke several languages. She is interred in the Lynden Cemetery.

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, October 23, 2019 | Ferndale Record

ture need to understand how biblical theology can accommodate it.”

fers to the emphasis on understanding the Bible in its original ancient context. “We try to make it just about Scripture. The right context for interpreting Scripture is the context in which it was written. Seems simple, but it’s revelatory to thousands of listeners.” He has taught classes locally at Western Washington University in ancient history and online classes on ancient languages. He has established a nonprofit and written books for both academics and lay people. He is now speaking on a new Princess Cruises ship at the height of the New England fall foliage. Michael and wife Drenna have four children who were homeschooled. Their schedule has been full for the family for some time. He says, “I can account for every half hour of every day. I break things into small units of time and just keep chipping away. It’s a form of bringing order out of chaos! I like everything I do and just schedule it. I should add that I don’t watch TV, except for baseball and football. I just don’t have the time.” Both Michael and Drenna’s families are in Pennyslvania, so this move to Florida around Jan. 1, they say, gets them somewhat closer. The reason is to found the new Awakening School of Theology and Ministry. The goal, according to its website, is to “produce men and women who think well about biblical theology and who are committed to believing loyalty to the King of kings, Jesus Christ.” A two-year program is broken up into four 15-week semesters. Each semester will present content not available elsewhere. While the program is not accredited for degrees, students who complete the entire program will receive a certificate of completion. Included in tuition are Logos 8 software and several of Heiser’s books. In-person classes at Celebration Church in Jacksonville, Florida, and online/video classes, accessible from anywhere, will begin Feb. 10, 2020. The firstyear curriculum is available online to scan, as well as other details. Dr. Heiser’s discussion of biblical studies can be heard at Naked Bible blog. He also has a podcast for biblical studies there and Peeranormal to look at paranormal topics from a Christian perspective. Links to the school, Heiser’s Naked Bible blogs and podcasts, and Paleobabble are available through drmsh.com. His associated nonprofit MIQLAT. org provides translation of his work, free of charge, into more than a dozen languages. Drenna assists with this ministry.

UFOS and the Unexplained First, the proverbial “elephant in the room”: No, while many claim to have seen unusual flying objects, Dr. Heiser has not seen any such UFOs himself, but that doesn’t keep him from speaking about them and he has done so late at night on talk radio, as in discussions with the late Zechariah Sitchin via the Coast to Coast AM program. It came about when Heiser diverted from his studies and was actually writing a science fiction novel. He needed a break. “The short story is that the book wound up getting the attention of Coast to Coast AM, still the most-listened-to late-night talk radio show. I’ve now been a guest over 30 times. The first interview drew me into the fringe world in a new way. I’d always been interested in anything ancient and strange (the Bible fit that nicely), but I came to realize that many people — more even now in the current climate that dismisses traditional faith — substitute fringe beliefs and worldviews, like the idea of ancient aliens, for the Judeo-Christian worldview. The ‘ancient astronauts worldview’ is ultimately a religion. It allows people who dismiss Judeo-Christianity and materialistic Darwinism to think they’ve discovered a new transcendent truth that keeps mystery alive for them. People of traditional faith seem to have no idea how widespread the idea is. All you need to know is that ‘Ancient Aliens’ (TV show) is in its 12th season on the History Channel. The content is nonsense, but people gravitate toward it as an odd sort of faith pursuit,” he wrote by email. “I’ve lectured on the flaws in the ancient alien worldview at UFO conferences and other events. I came to be associated with criticisms of the late Zecharia Sitchin in that regard because Sitchin pretended to be what I was, an expert in ancient Near Eastern languages. He wasn’t, but almost no one who was cared to show that his ideas were not actually in ancient texts or that he made awful errors of translation and interpretation.” Heiser’s collection of books written continues to grow in number. Another will come out in early 2020. It is titled “Demons: What the Bible Really Says About the Powers of Darkness” and will be available both online and in book stores. Next Chapter: Florida and the founding of a school Heiser just completed his second annual Naked Bible Conference and has a podcast by the same name. “Naked” re-

This is a list of Michael Heiser’s current

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This book of Heiser gives readers an overall grasp of the Bible's supernatural worldview. (Courtesy photo) fiction and non-fiction books: “The Façade: Book 1 of the Façade Saga” “The Portent: Books 2 of the Façade Saga” “I Dare You Not to Bore Me with the Bible” “The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible” “Supernatural: What the Bible Teaches About the Unseen World – and Why it Matters” “Reversing Hermon: Enoch, the Watchers, and the Forgotten Mission of Jesus

Christ” “The Bible Unfiltered: Approaching Scripture on Its Own Terms” “Angels: What the Bible Really Says About God’s Heavenly Host” “The World Turning Upside Down” Note: Elisa Claassen met Dr. Heiser by auditing his history classes at Western Washington University on ancient Egypt, Israel and Mesopotamia.

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, October 23, 2019 | Ferndale Record

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, October 23, 2019 | Ferndale Record

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