Michigan Author Joy Ibsen will present her latest book “Unafraid” at 7 p.m. (ET) on Monday, August 24, 2009 in the Danish Immigrant Museum in Elk Horn, Iowa.
Ibsen spent her childhood in Kimballton, IA and the former president of the Danish Immigrant Museum. The book includes stories about Kimballton.
“Unafraid” is subtitled “Life Lessons: Sermons to Live By and Tales of Listeners Learning to Live Unafraid.”
The book, published by Wipf and Stock of Eugene OR, is co-authored by Joy’s father, the late Rev. Harald Ibsen, who was pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Kimballton, IA from 1942 to 1948.
The Immanuel Lutheran Church in Kimballton, IA
The family of Rev. Harald Ibsen in Kimballton, IA during 1947
“Reconstructing her father’s sermons and imagining the listener’s responses, Joy Ibsen opens a window in worshipers’ lives through the cycle of the church year,” said DeAne Lagerquist, Professor of Religion at St. Olaf College.
“The dynamics of faith are illuminated by her combination of fact and fiction that under lays the intertwining of scripture, proclamation, world events, and the stuff of daily life: illness and death, birth and hope, disappointments and satisfactions,” Lagerquist said.
Sponsored by local Danish Brotherhood Lodge #342 and hosted by The Danish Immigrant Museum, the program will begin with a songfest of Danish-American folk songs from Joy Ibsen’s first book, “Songs of Denmark: Songs to Live By.”
Ibsen will play the recently restored piano owned by famous Danish comedian Victor Borge.
Victor Borge (Jan. 3, 1909-Dec. 23, 2000) was a Danish comedian, conductor and pianist.
Borge, who donated the piano to the museum, was known by his fans as the “Clown Prince of Denmark,” “The Unmelancholy Dane” and “The Great Dane.”
Her presentation will include scenes from the local area in the 40s. and Kimballton’s 50th anniversary.
After the presentation there will be time for questions and a book signing.
Light refreshments will be served; copies of the book will be available at the museum.
“Unafraid is a book worth reading and rereading,” said retired Kimballton, IA pastor, W. Clayton Nielsen, who was in Harald Ibsen’s first confirmation class.
“I didn’t realize how good a preacher Harald Ibsen was, since I was only a teenager when I first heard him,” Nielsen said. “The sermons are made more relevant by his daughter Joy, in her stories which follow each sermon.”
“They bring out the personal quality of what was spoken,” Nielsen said. “While the responses are primarily fictional, they are true to life, very interesting, and well-written. Each chapter is complete in itself.”
Selections from nearly thirty years of timeless straightforward sermons are grouped according to the seasons of the church year, beginning with Christmas 1939.
Pastor Nielsen said he heard that Christmas 1939 sermon in his home congregation.
The book includes three sermons and stories from the Rev. Ibsen’s Kimballton years.
Joy Ibsen was born in Tyler, MN, grew up at Kimballton, IA and attended Grand View University, Shimer College and the University of Chicago.
Living in the tiny hamlet of Trout Creek in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Ibsen is a writer, lay minister, and musician.
She was a member of the board of directors of The Danish Immigrant Museum from 1999-2005, is editor of the journal, “Church and Life” and the author of “Songs of Denmark: Songs to Live By.”
Of interest to local area residents is the fact that the late Karl Christensen is featured in a number of the songs included on the CD which accompanies the songbook.
The songbook features photographs of Denmark by Sisse Brimberg; several of the photos have been featured in National Geographic.
Harald Ibsen (1898-1972) was born in South Dakota, grew up in Denmark, and graduated from Grand View Seminary in Des Moines.
He was a gymnast, woodworker, sportsman, and scholar who served small town and rural congregations in Lake Benton, MN; Kimballton, IA; Viborg, SD and Marquette (Kronberg), NE.
His candid sermons reflect the community-centered theology (Human first, then Christian) of N.F.S. Grundtvig, a 19th century philosopher-theologian, with unexpected relevance to issues of the 21st Century.
The public is invited to Danish Immigrant Museum on August 4 to experience Joy Ibsen’s enthusiasm, exuberance, and genuine empathy with her audience.
Don’t miss the opportunity to meet author Joy Ibsen, see her father through her eyes and his sermons, sing some of the good Danish-American songs, and share an evening of fellowship in song, presentation, and refreshments.
For further information, please call Clayton Nielsen at 1-712-764-4343 or Annette Andersen at 1-712-773-2025.
Click on related links:
Danish Immigrant Museum in Elk Horn, IA
Joy Ibsen contact info:
Joy Marie Ibsen
P O Box 43
Trout Creek, MI
49967
Call:
906-852-3479
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Author Joy Ibsen official website
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Joy Ibsen social and photograph websites:
Author Joy Ibsen on Word Press blog
Author Joy Ibsen on Photobucket
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Wipf & Stock Publishing: “Unafraid” by Joy Ibsen and Rev. Harald Ibsen
Wipf and Stock: Author Joy Ibsen bio
Wipf and Stock: Harald Ibsen bio
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Joy Ibsen, Editor of “Church and Life”
Joy Ibsen bio on “Church and Life“
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Danamerica is the official website of Ibsen’s first book “Songs of Denmark: Songs to Live By” with color photographs by National Geographic photographer Sisse Brimberg. Produced 70 minute CD by the Grand View College Kantorei
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Nikolai Frederik Severin Grundtvig:
Joy Ibsen writes about four principles of Grundtvigianism
Nikolai Frederik Severin Grundtvig aka N.F.S. Grundtvig, Danish bishop and poet info on Wikipedia and Britannica websites:
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Pine Mountain Music Festival:
Joy Ibsen serves as vice president of the Pine Mountain Music Festival board of directors
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Media coverage 2006-2010:
Superior Chronicle story on “Unafraid” on 6-18-09
Iron Mountain Daily News brief on upcoming book signing at Finn Fest 2009 in Covington, MI
Joy Ibsen honored in her childhood home newspaper Yankton Press-Dakotan in July 2008 during annual Danish Days festival for first book “Songs of Denmark“
Joy Ibsen first book “Songs of Denmark” is mentioned in story by Des Moines Register because book was presented to Danish Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary by Grand View University President Kent Henning during a March 2009 ceremony. The story “Danish royalty pay visit to Grand View” by Cynthia Reynaud appeared on 3-25-09 (requires subscription to read)
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The book “Unafraid” is sold online by publisher and numerous Windows Booksellers website and other sites:
Amazon.com UK: Harald Ibsen listing
Amazon.com UK: Joy Ibsen listing
Amazon.com UK: “Unafraid” listing
New & Used copies of the book “Unafraid“ on Amazon.com
Other websites related to Denmark, Author Joy Ibsen or information in the story:
Danebod Family Camps & Folk School
Danish American Heritage Society publication “The Bridge”
Danish Royal Family on Wikipedia
Danish Royal Family on Danish Royal Watchers blog
Grand View University, (formerly Grand View College) a four-year, liberal-arts college affiliated with the ELCA in Des Moines
Grand View University on Wikipedia
Paul Tillich, German-American theologian, Christian existentialist philosopher on Wikipedia
Paul Tillich on theology website
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
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Friends of Author Joy Ibsen:
Rev. Dr. Lynn Hubbard and Rev. Dr. George Cairns founded the nonprofit Turtle Island Project in 2007 to foster respect for indigenous people and cultures and to promote what they can teach us about caring and repairing the environment.
Rev. Hubbard is the executive director of the ELCA-related Navajo Lutheran Mission in Rock Point, Arizona. Rev. Cairns is a Chicago Theological Seminary professor who founded the nonprofit Celtic Christianity Today.
Read the Spirit, an online spiritual magazine with inspirational stories and book reviews created by David Crumm, the longtime religion editor for the Detroit Free Press. Crumm established ten pinciples for his work that all people with a religion should read.
The many interfaith and youth-related environment projects founded by Rev. Jon Magnuson of Marquette, MI under the nonprofit Cedar Tree Institute.
Magnuson’s CTI co-founded the EarthKeeper Initiative, and founded the Earth Healing Initiative, Manoomin Project and the Zaagkii Wings & Seeds Project.
Zaagkii Wings & Seeds Project – Native American and Marquette area teens protecting pollinators project:
Zaagkii Project Story Part 1 Indian Country Today newspaper
Zaagkii Project Story Part 2 Indian Country Today newspaper
Zaagkii Project hailed as success by U.S. Forest Service
Zaagkii Project blog on wordpress
Non-profit Interfaith Earth Healing Initiative: Numerous environment projects across the Great Lakes Basin in cooperation with the EPA, American Indian Tribes and local governments
Earth Healing Initiative was part of the first EPA Great Lakes 2008 Earth Day Challenge with youtube and bliptv videos.
EarthKeeper TV on youtube has EarthKeeper and Manoomin Project videos including stories and a Manoomin Project music video & more
Manoomin Project story in Indian Country Today
Manoomin Project Story in World Magazine
Author Joy Ibsen encourages everyone to live their life “Unafraid”
Books by northern Michigan author Joy Ibsen 