June 2020 LEWIS LAKE NEWS Receiving God’s Blessing | Becoming God’s Blessing

Kory, Denny, & Russel Sutton honored Jerry Sutton with a restored tractor parade for his 80th birthday! The parade route ran through the church parking lot so we got to wish Jerry a Happy Birthday. Jerry is in good spirits but says he misses “seeing people.”

Thoughts on the Second Anniversary of Alice’s Death

I think it’s about time to talk about something other than coronavirus. I’m plumb inside covided out. This month marks two years since Alice died. She would have been six- June 2020 and-a-half, and as I watch her Sunday school classmates grow, I can’t help but wonder what she would be like now. Online Learning & th 3 Role of the Teacher Time, it’s been said, is the measurement between two states of being – what was then Book Review 4 and what is now. I don’t think it’s quite right to say time changes things, but things can change over time, or time wouldn’t exist. If it’s true in physics that for every action is an equal and opposite reaction, it’s true in life, too. Alice’s death was powerful, so I Class of 2020 7 suppose it’s almost axiomatic that since I was so close, it powerfully impacted me, in some ways immediately apparent which vanished away rather rapidly, and in deeper Graduation 8 ways that are still changing me. Celebration Plans

Lewis Lake News 1 June 2020 I make no claim to perfect self-awareness, but this little marker of time gives me a good excuse to look into the mirror and see how that major event in my life has moved me from what I was to what I am, and perhaps encourage you to look into your own mirror and ponder how your own tragedies have moved you. I really don’t want this to be a meditation on me, so much as thinking about how God uses really powerful but bad stuff to do powerful and good things in our lives.

That said, here’s three ways I’ve changed – I think:

I Fear Death Less

Death, the Bible says, is an enemy. And it’s not the kind of “love your enemies” enemy either. It’s the kind of enemy we can feel good about hating, and Jesus destroying (1 Cor 15:26). But while death is an enemy Christians can hate, they dare not fear it, because Satan makes powerful use of the fear of death (Heb 2:14-15). We love life and hate death, because death destroys, separates, and symbolizes everything wrong in the world. What’s worse, perhaps, from our perspective death is inevitable and irreversible. It’s not a matter of ‘if,’ it’s a matter of ‘when?’.

So it’s quite natural to fear death. But the heart terrified of death submits itself to anything that promises to help avoid it. People will, for instance, subject themselves to rather unpleasant diets, medical “Coming to terms with procedures, or even a tyrannical kind of caution if a longer life is the reality that God can promised. I actually worry that our current cultural obsession with both love a little girl and avoiding anything unhealthy or unsafe will be the destruction of let her die at the exact foreign missions. After all, who wants to send their kids or grandkids off to a country with poor medical care, rampant disease, or hostile same time is not easy.” governments? They could die.

Christians rightly hate death and love life, protect life, and they should take God’s advice for living a long life (Prov. 3:16; Eph. 6:1-2), but they must also be willing to lay down their lives for their friends (John 15:13), take up their cross and follow Christ (Luke 9:23), and in general trust God to give us as much, or little, life as he deems best (Psalm 139:16; John 20:21-23). Certainly God doesn’t want us to be stupidly self-destructive (Prov. 26:27), but Jesus also said we can’t extend our lives by worrying about dying, which presumably means not doing things we worry are going to kill us (Matt 26:27). The Christian life is not necessarily a long life.

Burying Alice has caused me to not only think about death a lot, but to feel its miserable, almost overwhelming power. It’s driven me to think hard about a God who could have preserved her life, but didn’t. Coming to terms with the reality that God can both love a little girl and let her die at the exact same time is not easy. But unless we throw out either the love of God or his ability to keep a person from dying, we’re kind of stuck dealing with that reality. And while I already knew all that – I’m not unaware of other tragedies that befall the people of God – it’s not something I’d wrestled through on a gut level. It’s taken some time to process it, but I’m thankful to have done so, because death isn’t as frightening as it once was, which means to some degree I’ve been released from the power of the bondage of the devil. Thoughts on the Second Anniversary of Alice’s Death continued on page 5

Lewis Lake News 2 June 2020 Online Learning & the Role of the Teacher

With a whimpering flurry of uncertainty and desperation, we have brought an end to the school year. As we have watched this grand and sudden experiment in online learning, thrust upon us so unexpectedly we probably are finding ourselves asking a lot of questions. Much of what I have heard about online learning involves packets of assignments being sent out, followed by the students doing the assignments, which in turn is followed by returning the assignment packets for grading. Due to the unreliability of internet connections and the lack, in some cases, of computer equipment, there isn’t a great deal more that can be done. Teachers are trying to find ways to get the job done, but it is challenging.

All of this has led me to ponder anew the role of the teacher in schools and Churches. Can learning happen by simply giving out assignments and filling out assignment sheets? The Apostle Philip came upon the Ethiopian Eunuch while he was doing a reading assignment. Philip asks the question; “Do you understand what you are reading?” (Acts 8:30). And the Ethiopian uttered the response that a lot of kids have been repeating over the last couple of months. “How can I, unless someone guides me?” It is the teachers who help their students make sense out of their assignments. Without their presence to guide and interpret, the assignment packets often remain locked up in mystery. Pastor Bob DeYoung is the Senior Pastor at So, if there is one thing we have “learned” during this time of online learning, it is that the Lake and has role of the teacher is so very important. So, thank you to our teachers, both in school and served this here at Church, for playing that essential role of helping us understand what we are congregation since reading. Online learning can help us fill in the blanks properly, but it takes a true teacher 1982. to help us arrive at understanding.

Pastor Bob

Understanding Bible Words Better:

Primarily, it denotes not an action, but the character of an action, and is so distinguished from “sin." Hence the expression "the iniquity of my sin" (Psalms 32:5). Thus the meaning glides into that of guilt, and from guilt it again passes into the meaning of "punishment of guilt," The transition is all the easier in Hebrew because of the Hebrew sense of the intimate relation of sin and suffering, e.g. Genesis 4:13, "My punishment is greater than I can bear.”

The phrase "bear iniquity" is a standing expression for bearing its consequences, i.e. its penalty; generally of the sinner bearing the results of his own iniquity (Leviticus 17:16; 20:17,19; Numbers 14:34; Ezekiel 44:10, etc.), but sometimes of one bearing the iniquity of another vicariously, and so taking it away (e.g. Ezekiel 4:4; 18:19 f). Of special interest in the latter sense are the sufferings of the Servant of Yahweh, who shall "bear the iniquities" of the people (Isaiah 53:11; compare Isaiah 53:6).

*Lightly edited entry from International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

Lewis Lake News 3 June 2020 Book Review/Recommend: All that is in God, by James E. Dolezal

Thinking hard about God is a great pleasure, and James Dolezal’s little (~150pg) book All that is in God is a delightful help to thinking hard about God.

It’s a defense of a doctrine known in theology as Divine Simplicity. Hang with me, and I’ll briefly explain…

When we say “God is simple,” what we mean is that God does not have and is not made up of parts. I, on the other hand, am a complex of things that combine to make me a) human, and b) not exactly like any other human. So the fact that I have a brain, fingers, eyes, etc. make me human, the fact that mine are just a titch different from anyone else’s makes me unique.

God, on the other hand, is simple; he has no parts. Here’s the logic, and why this book is so fun:

God has always been God, just as he always will be God. If God were made up of parts, then the parts existed before God, which means God hasn’t always been God. It would also mean that God needs those parts to be God, but God, of course, doesn’t need anything. On top of that, God is unimproveable; nothing can be added to or taken away from God to make him more or less perfect.

People, on the other hand, may add to themselves wisdom, kindness, or other “parts” that make them better persons. God, however, is not a being to which virtues may be added in order for him to become perfect. He just is wise, love, holy. These aren’t separate parts of God, they are God.

Because God is perfect, he can’t be more or less perfect, which means he can never change. One intriguing implication is that God doesn’t experience emotions in the way we do. Theologians say God is impassible, he has no passions. If God were to be more happy (or sad, or angry) today than yesterday, he would be different than he was yesterday, and yesterday he was perfect, and perfect can’t be improved upon.

Here’s a little sample to ponder:

"Whatever we are to say of God’s work in the world—creation, judgment, redemption, consummation—we must insist that this work produces no change in Him.”

Some reflections to encourage you to read this, and I definitely want to encourage you to read it:

First, All that is in God is one of those rare and valuable books that a person finishes different than he began. You’ll think about God harder than maybe you ever have, and it’ll clarify your view of God, and seeing God more clearly changes us for the better.

Second, this is a book to read slowly. It’s not an easy read, but it is readable. Here’s how I tackle books like this: Don’t read it like a novel, expecting to sit down for an hour and it feels like 3 minutes have gone by. Read one, two, three paragraphs. They’ll fill your brain up and you’ll have to set it down while your mind processes it all. I probably read most of it twice by the time I was done. But don’t let that discourage you. Even a few minutes a day and you’ll be through it and glad you did. It’s totally worth it. I also usually read a fun book at the same time I’m reading a hard book.

Third, some of the book is dedicated to debates between theologians that you don’t know or care about. Don’t worry about it, but do enjoy the discussion. What we believe about God matters, and understanding God rightly is more important even than rightly understanding cancer or how to grow corn.

Fourth, it’s like $7 for Kindle, so give it a try. If you want to borrow my Kindle for a week or two, I’d be happy to loan it to you. ~jr

Lewis Lake News 4 June 2020

I Long For Heaven More

Perhaps related to that increased freedom from the fear of death is a particularly strong desire to be in heaven. But when I say “heaven,” I don’t want you to think of an ethereal, other-worldly, terribly unfamiliar place where we’re eternally happy doing nothing but singing. Heaven, as I understand it, is quite earthy. It’s kind of like what we know now, minus all the lousy stuff plus lots more good stuff. Rivers, cities, trees, even nations are part of the Bible’s picture of heaven. It will be the place where we become all God intended human beings to be in the first place – creative, industrious, adventurous, domestic, recreational and relational. I suspect heaven will have some kind of story line to it, though I can’t say for sure what it might be. I suspect it will entail us starting in a city, a kind of garden if you like, pressing the boundaries of that garden ever further into non-garden. The man Jesus will be king, and his kingdom will have no end, but it’s also apparent that he’ll rule through his people. So it’s gonna be fun.

Alice heading to the palace has made some of these musings come alive. I really want to be with her. Not just her spirit, in some kind of mystical way, but to hold her hand, to see her smile, and hear her laugh. And those are all things that require bodies, and bodies need appropriate places to live. So part of Alice’s death helping me escape some of the fear of dying has been understanding ever more clearly that when Christians die, they only lose the bad stuff of earth – they get to keep the good stuff, since God made humans fundamentally earth-dwellers and earth-rulers, and that’s what we’ll always be. We don’t become angels when we die. Angels might be suited to live in a purely spiritual world (though I actually kind of doubt that too) – humans are definitely not and never will be. Somehow that makes heaven mighty exciting, which makes death less fearful.

My Bucket List is Empty

A bucket list is something like, “I’m not ready to kick the pail until I’ve done these fun things.” So I asked myself, many times, did Alice die having lived a full and complete life? Or did she get robbed because she didn’t get to participate in and enjoy the full range of human life? It’s an interesting question. Two hundred years ago even the most powerful men on the planet never got to ride in a jet six miles above the ground, enjoying snacks while traveling thousands of miles in a matter of hours, or be able to listen to music whenever they wanted, or watch Netflix on an iPhone. So Alice did actually get to experience lots of really remarkable things most people in history haven’t. But it really isn’t our opportunities or experiences that make life truly meaningful, it’s ultimately how faithful we are with the ones we have been given. After all, if God numbers our days, he also provides us with whatever experiences and opportunities he deems worthy for our lives to be, in some sense, “complete.”

My answer then is I think Alice really did live a full life, not so much because of what she did or didn’t get to experience, but because she did exactly all the things God designed her to do while she was here, and those things were actually quite impactful and profound. I want to avoid quantifying her life, but if I did, I’d say she probably had a larger, more meaningful impact on more people in her four years than many will make in a much longer life. Thoughts on the Second Anniversary of Alice’s Death continued on page 6

Lewis Lake News 5 June 2020

Thoughts on the Second Anniversary of Alice’s Death continued from page 5 This simply means for me that in a real sense, I need to consider my life complete at any given time. I’m not promised tomorrow, but I do have to be faithful today. It’s good and right to make goals for life; it’s entirely improper to think if I don’t have the opportunity to achieve those goals, my life is a failure.

I miss Alice; but I look forward to seeing her soon. And I look forward to looking into the eyes of the Lord Jesus and thanking him for the good changes he has already worked in my heart through Alice’s death, and finally seeing and enjoying, for eternity, all the good things God will have done through those dreadful days.

~jr

Worship Changes

We have resumed our in house Sunday Worship services on a modified basis, with all the appropriate precautions. • We will practice social distancing. • We will have sanitation stations. • We will not pass offering plates. • We will be sanitizing all common surfaces. • We are asking that we leave a parking distance between cars. • We will broadcast the service live on FM 100.7 to cars in the parking lot so you can remain in your car if you would like.

What this means is that you can come and join us on Sunday mornings for worship once again if: • You are healthy • You are not in a vulnerable situation.

If you are elderly or have an underlying condition, or work with Covid patients, it would be best to join us online instead. We will continue to offer online services over the next several weeks, or however long it seems appropriate.

SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE

At Home Services will stream at 9 AM Sunday Mornings • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/LewisLakeCovenantChurch • Website: https://lewislake.org/ • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LewisLakeCovChurch/

Audio of the sermon and sermon notes are available on the Media page of the website as always.

Lewis Lake News 6 June 2020 Congratulations Class of 2020!

Telscha Berg Cole Burk Hannah Crowell Nate Dary

Allison Drost Aubree Hass Olivia Hudoba Brian Nelson

Kelsi Olson Cori Olson Joe Reed Jeb Wahlstrom Lewis Lake News 7 Confirmation Sunday will be rescheduled June 2020

Confirmation Sunday is postponed for now. Watch for updates in congregational emails as well as on our Website home page. Until then, here is a list of our confirmands should you wish to give them a card: Landen Halvorson Grace Heins Owen Heins Cole Herges Beau Hudoba Joel Kelling Lindsie Kleven Brenden Morey Alexys Nehring Kylie Reed Ryan Sholtz Kaitlynn Sundet Olivia Sundet There are gift bags on a table in the Narthex for you to leave a card or gift if you chose to do so. Thank you Becki Baumann for doing such a GREAT job making the bags this year!

Graduation Sunday

We will honor our graduates with a special presentation and reception after the worship service on Sunday, June 28, 2020.

There are gift bags on a table in the Narthex for you to leave a card or gift if you chose to do so. Thank you Becki Baumann for doing such a GREAT job making the bags this year!

Here are the names of our 2020 Graduates:

Telscha Berg Cole Burk Hannah Crowell Nate Dary Allison Drost Aubree Hass Olivia Hudoba Brian Nelson Cori Olson Kelsi Olson Joe Reed Jeb Wahlstrom

Parents there is a display in the Narthex for you to post Open House invitations.

Tami needs 10 “growing up” photos of your child for Graduation Sunday. Photos must be in chronological order on a USB flash/thumb drive. or hard copy. If your photos are digital, you can put them all in one album and “share the album” with Tami in the Photos app or Google drive @ [email protected]. If your photos are on an apple device bring it to church and we will air drop them. Please let Tami know if you need assistance with this.

No powerpoint slides-just single photos. WE HAVE EXTENDED THE DEADLINE TO TURN IN PHOTOS!

Lewis Lake News 8