This month as part of our continuing series on the elements of our worship, the elders have asked Kaleb Trotter to author this month's newsletter entry. We hope you find it helpful as we seek to further understand and educate our people on what Covenant Renewal Worship is. 

Ben, for the elders

In January‘s newsletter, we meditated on the purpose of the call to worship and how it prepares us as we enter into worshiping our Lord, the God of heaven and earth. The next major element in our service is the confession of sin. Having a part of our weekly worship service dedicated to the confession of sin ought to prompt a few questions from us: Why do we have a confession of sin? What should we be learning from it? And how does it connect to the rest of our worship service?

Why do we have a confession of sin?
Leviticus 9 gives us an order of service for the worship of God’s people, which is one of the patterns for the covenant renewal form of worship. Because this order was given by God Himself, we want to understand that pattern and learn from it. Obviously we won’t be pouring out the blood of lambs, bulls, and goats, because we have something far better. But the patterns and order are still instructive for us, and teach us how to rightly order our worship of God.

In verse 8 of Leviticus 9, the first offering after the people enter into worship is the offering that cleanses from sin. The summary in verse 22 confirms this order: “Then Aaron lifted his hand toward the people, blessed them, and came down from offering the sin offering, the burnt offering, and peace offerings.” God’s people begin worship with an acknowledgement of our sinfulness and God’s righteousness.
Similarly, when the children of Israel came to Mount Sinai to receive the law, God required before He spoke the law to them that they ceremonially wash, then put on new clothes, and then offer sacrifices of atonement. In order to be ready to receive God‘s perfect law, in order to be truly consecrated to him, we must first be washed clean of our old selves and lives.

In the wedding supper that Christ describes in Matthew 22, every guest receives a new and clean wedding garment upon entering the feast. As we enter the feast of worship, we too must receive new garments, the garments of Christ’s righteousness. Washed clean by baptism, clothed in Christ’s righteousness, we are ready to offer our thanksgiving to God.
So why do we have a confession of sin? Because Scripture teaches us that after we enter into worshiping the Lord, the first thing we should do is to cleanse ourselves.

What should we be learning from the confession of sin?
In a certain sense, our confession of sin every Sunday is a performative action — it doesn’t change anything. How could kneeling and confessing on our own fundamentally change God‘s attitude toward us? Nothing that we could do would be sufficient to convince the Judge of all the earth to change His verdict.

And yet, of course, what we do in the confession is a transformational action — we are completely changed by confessing our sins. Our weekly confession does not enact our regeneration (otherwise you’d be un-saved if you were disciplining a kid during this particular 10 minutes), but in the confession we are re-enacting our sanctification in miniature. The husband who says “I love you” to his wife hasn’t recreated his marriage covenant, but he has reaffirmed his commitment to that same covenant. In the same way, confessing our sins doesn’t make us one with Christ. It does reaffirm our love of our Savior, our hatred of our sins, and our commitment to walking in the ways that delight Him. So what is the transformation that confession creates in us?

First, we become obedient sons. We agree with our Father that our actions were wrong, and so we step back into fellowship with Him. The first step of reconciliation is to return, to come face to face with the Father whom we have wronged. By confessing, we come before His face and agree in obedience that He is in the right, and we are not.

Second, we are turned into faithful image bearers. We name our sins correctly, and so we become faithful Adams, naming things correctly like God Himself does. We cannot confess clinical addictions or feelings to God, we confess sins, and so we have to call our sins what God calls those sins. We don’t confess addiction to alcohol, we confess drunkenness. We don’t confess talking a little bit too long about our neighbor, we confess gossip or slander.
Third, we are united to a righteous people. We do all of these things as a body, kneeling together. This reminds us that each of us is kneeling. Your parents, your children, your deacons, your elders, all of us kneel together because we are all sinners saved by grace. If you ever wonder why you just can’t get your life together, why you are such a failure, remember that every Sunday your brothers and sisters kneel down with you to confess their sins too.

Finally, we stand up into new life and new action. When we kneel down, we are coming to God in the position of a supplicant – contrite, humble, and penitent. We are, with our head bowed and on our knees, in the position of a man about to be beheaded: because we have used our lives to sin against our Creator, we are no longer worthy of the life He gave us. Yet this is why Christ died – so that, “if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his” (Romans 6:5). We stand up because, like the pilgrim Christian kneeling at the foot of the cross, our burden has been taken away and we can stand upright. Christ has been raised, and so we can now walk in the newness of life. We stand up because God truly is faithful and just to forgive us of all of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We stand up to acknowledge that our whole life is now Christ's to command because He has given us life. We stand up as free sons, ready for our Father to give us a new mission.

So what do we learn from the confession of sin?
While nothing we do can change God’s disposition toward us, we should always be seeking to put our sins to death and walk instead in the ways that delight our Father. When we do confess rightly, we are changed more and more into obedient children of God: faithful image bearers who are united more and more to one another.

How does the confession of sin relate to the rest of worship?
The only right response to Christ’s grace is to offer all that we are back to Him. When we only deserved death, He has given us life and freedom, and so the next step in our worship is to acknowledge that our whole life is His to command.

This is why, after the confession, we recite the sursum corda (Latin for, “we lift our hearts“). The only right response to God‘s absolution and pardon is to give Him our hearts and our lives. And so the preacher leads by saying, “we lift up our hearts,” and the people agree, “we lift them up to the Lord.”

Now that we have been cleansed and re-clothed in the righteousness of Jesus, we are prepared for the rest of worship. When the children of Israel were cleansed, they found themselves at the foot of Mount Sinai, with all of its lightnings and thunder and terror. We found ourselves in the very throne room of Heaven, there to worship our Lord in the beauty of His holiness.

Because we are there, in the Heavenly courts of God, the prayer after the sursum corda often includes the phrase, “Therefore with angels and archangels, and with all the saints in heaven, and with all the church on earth, we laud and magnify Your glorious Name.” There in heaven we find ourselves with the angels and with the saints who have gone before us. As it turns out, there too is the rest of the Church around the world who are worshiping God that day. And because we are in heaven, we sing the song that we know from Isaiah and Revelation is sung by the angels there: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts. Heaven and earth are full of your glory, hosanna in the highest!” This song, the Sanctus, is yet another reminder that our worship, by faith, happens in the heavenly throne room, where we have been invited by our gracious Savior.

So how does the confession of sin relate to the rest of worship? Cleansed of the sins of the old man, we offer to God our hearts and our lives as living sacrifices, and are then ready to enter into the throne room of heaven so that we can worship Him there.

Conclusion
Hopefully this gives you a greater appreciation of the role that confession of sin plays in our worship. Growing up as a Baptist in the Bible belt, visitors often thought that the confession of sin, with its kneeling and corporate recital, was the most catholic thing they had experienced in a church service. But as we have seen, that is quite nearly the opposite of the truth. The confession is our reminder that no works we could do, no correct confession or personal penitence, could atone for the sins that we have already committed. And yet, every week, we stand up and enter the very throne room of heaven. We stand up and enter because when we were sons of dishonor, fleeing back to our Father covered in shame and disgrace, He met us on the road and embraced us. We enter into the throne room of heaven to be consecrated as His sons because He first loved us.

Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns...
On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written,
'King of kings and Lord of lords'.
~ Revelation 19

We hope this Christmas Season has been a rich and joy-filled time of reflection, fellowship, and worship of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ! As we continue celebrating Christmas (the number and variety of events, locations, ages, and foods involved is quite fun!), we also continue to look at our Sunday morning liturgy in this month's Devotion for Life & Joy. This month we consider the first portion of five called The Call to Worship, and hope that you find our explanation and encouragement to consider these things to be fruitful in your own lives and worship. May the Lord continue to bless your families, homes, celebrations, and faith in Christ the season!

Ben, for the elders

I remember the first time I realized that the opening credits of a movie are indispensable. I had recently watched two very different kinds of movies (one a suspenseful drama and the other a classic musical) and noticed, by contrast, that if the opening credit soundtracks had been swapped (but all the credits preserved), I would have been confused when the movie began. Can you imagine the opening music of My Fair Lady as the opening soundtrack to something like Saving Private Ryan or Star Wars?

Similarly, the Call to Worship prepares us for what’s coming.

When we arrive for worship on Sunday mornings, and the fellowship dies down, and the candles are lit, the worship service begins, we need to prepare ourselves for what is about to take place: we are about to enter into the presence of God. Before we confess our sins, or are consecrated, or commune with our God at his table, or are commissioned by him to live for his glory, we are called to worship. In both the Call and Response and the Prayer of Praise, we are reminded of both who we are and of whose presence we are about to enter.
The Call and Response, you may have noticed, changes from time to time, and this change coincides with the church calendar. Sometimes we volley these words to one another:

M: Tell those who hunger for righteousness to take heart.
P: The Lord our God will come!
M: Tell the poor in spirit to take heart.
P: The Lord our God will come!
M: Tell the orphan and grieving widow to take heart.
P: The Lord our God will come!
M: Warn the tyrant to keep watch.
P: The Lord our God will come!
M: Warn the unjust to keep watch.
P: The Lord our God will come!
M: Warn the haughty to keep watch.
P: The Lord our God will come!
All: Amen.

And at other times of the year, these are the words we share with each other:
M: In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
P: Amen.
M: You are worthy, Almighty Father, To receive glory and honor and power.
P: For you have created all things, And by your will they have their being.
M: You are worthy, Jesus, Son of God and Lamb of God,
P: For you were slain, And by your blood you ransomed us from every tribe and language and nation.
M: You are worthy, Blessed Comforter, Lord and Lifegiver,
P: For you give life to all flesh, And by your power raise the dead to new life.
M: All praise and honor to You, O Lord, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
P: One God, forever and ever.
All: Amen.

This is not an exhaustive list of the words we use to begin worship, but they do highlight the different ways by which we tune our hearts to sing his praise. As we enter into the presence of God each week, the Call to Worship arrests our attention and focuses our affection so that we are ready to be won over and taught by him. In one way or another, the Call and Response section asserts the authority and greatness of God and in so doing we affirm the loyalty and affection that we owe him. These opening words are important because they interrupt our trains of thought and alert us to the fact that we are about to speak to, hear from, believe, and obey Someone who is incomparable with anyone we’ve ever encountered before. And weekly reminders of this are not too frequent.

The remaining portion of the opening Call to Worship is the Prayer of Praise, and it is perhaps the apex of the Call. Whoever offers it, however long or short it is, whatever Scripture text is used, this prayer is both representative and laudatory.

By representative I mean that it is a prayer that every listener may hear and believe as his or her prayer personally. Even though you may not have written it, in a very real sense it is your prayer, and your “Amen” at the end signifies this. Enter into it with as much fervor and agreement as you can muster because the man praying is doing so on your own behalf as much as his own. In fact, it is a prayer particularly designed to be prayed with and for others aloud and in their presence. It is the collective prayer of a body of people, offered up by one man on behalf of the body. To the degree that you embrace the words as true, they are your words.

By laudatory I mean that this prayer should lead you to laud him. Its purpose is to awaken and invigorate true, glorious, and compelling thoughts and affections within you that lead you to praise and celebrate the grace and kindness of God in Christ! This is no time for mindless patterns or formulas that leave us indifferent; it is the moment when the truths of God’s word and their reality displayed in the man who is praying combine to both invite and impel the congregation to turn its attention and affections willingly, eagerly, joyfully, and expectantly God-ward.

Our prayers are representative and laudatory not just for these practical reasons, but also because they follow how God himself taught us to pray in Psalms 120 - 134. Those Psalms, the Psalms of Ascents, were specifically meant to be sung while walking up Mount Zion to the Temple. Psalm 121, for example, lauds the Lord who delivers his people, and it exhorts both the singer and the hearers – it is a song of representative praise.
By the end of the Call to Worship, the hope is that we have become mindful of God’s great worth and of our deficiencies, both personally and collectively, which is why the second element in our liturgy is Confession. Beginning with God, his greatness, his mercy, and his immeasurable grace to us, we become mindful of our sin, which leads us from being called to worship God directly to confessing our sins, the element in our liturgy which we will take up next time.

Until then, as you enter worship each week, consider the ways in which our worship service is intended to help usher you into the presence and glory of God. Consider the words you recite collectively and their meaning. Rejoice in the script you’re given, both in the responses printed and in the prayers offered, and let them lead you into fellowship with God and with one another, gladly and truly.

As you think about your weekly, weekend, and Sunday morning routines, are there parts of your week or morning that you see working for or against you? Try to think of this question less in terms of mere rules you might be breaking and more in terms of ways you might better prepare yourself to see and hear and receive as more glory and grace in worship. We have both an obligation to offer God his due and an opportunity to receive blessing from him. Is there anything you can identify that might be hindering either of those? And give thanks that the service itself is designed to be helpful in this regard.

Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns...
On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written,
'King of kings and Lord of lords'.
~ Revelation 19

As December gets underway, the snow is falling, fires are blazing, songs are rising, and the celebrations begin! We hope the Lord's goodness is abundantly evident to you and your family, and that this Advent season is filled with anticipation of more and greater goodness than you know what to do with! Not just in the form of activity, but also in experiencing the grace and glory of Christ, holy infant who became the King of kings, for our welfare and his own glory. May blessings be heaped up all around you, and may you rejoice in all of them! May the Lord be with you all!

Ben, for the elders

We are a liturgical congregation (can I get an “Amen!!”?). But have you ever wondered why? In the coming months, the elders will attempt to explain what we mean by “liturgical”, and why we’ve chosen the liturgy that we use, in a clear, brief, and helpful way. Our liturgy is not unique, especially within our CREC denomination, but that doesn’t mean we use it “because that’s what we do”. Very much, it reflects our deeply held convictions about how we think God’s people are meant to enjoy fellowship most beautifully and meaningfully with him in a corporate setting. In this month’s devotional, we’ll offer a few thoughts on the value of liturgy in general and hopefully set ourselves up for a more detailed explanation in the months to come of the particular liturgy that we use (known as “covenant renewal worship”). We hope you find this helpful as you grow in your appreciation of, and participation in, worship.

Much has been written about the value of liturgy (think of “routine” or “habit” as helpful synonyms). One of these helpful thoughts comes from a writer named Thomas Howard. No, he’s not Lewis, nor Chesterton, nor Calvin :). But in an essay titled “The Power of Wise Custom”, he writes with clarity and insight of some of the ways we very naturally expect and benefit from liturgy (or “ceremony”, as he calls it). He begins with comments on the occasional practice of writing one’s own wedding vows rather than of using the more traditional ones that have been preferred in the English-speaking world.
He writes,

“If we do not like Cranmer’s angelic English, that, of course, is a very great pity. God himself will not prevent our cobbling up our vows. But, one way or another, they have got to be cobbled up. It may indeed be the case that some wedding has occurred somewhere, in which the man and woman sauntered up to some random spot, accompanied by the ragtag and bobtail of the friends, and “chatted” their vows. Perhaps so. But such an event will not serve, we suspect, as any sort of paradigm for weddings.”

Howard continues,
“Through the imposed [traditional customs of a culture], we meet the natural. Through the prescribed, we meet the sincere. This is always and everywhere true. No tribe, culture, civilization, or society has ever operated on any other assumption. Birth rites, puberty rites, marriage rites, death rites; no one gives the back of his hand to these things. Huns, Florentines, Saxons, Watusi, and Athenians all agree here. If you are approaching something significant, or if you want to discern the significance of an event, you must submit to ceremony.

We do not, for example, hunt up the nearest dumpster when a death has occurred. That would be practical; the body, after all, is of no more use to its owner. The event calls loudly for elaboration, not so that we may all escape the awful meaning of it all, but, contrarily, so that we may all enter more fully into the awful meaning. Hence, slow processions, solemn music, hush, and courtesy.

Ceremony gives us something to do, when doing nothing would leave us frantic and awash, or else (and this is worse) as oblivious to the mystery before us as the animals.”

We’ve all been there: a moment of incredible significance, of either tragedy or triumph. And if, in those moments, we don’t have something to do or say, some deed or rite or words, even some place to which to direct our attention, the moment feels close to lost, maybe even wasted.

Another challenge to a lack of ceremony or liturgy might be the overwhelming, even cosmic, weight of the moment in which everyone feels like something of significance should be done or said but no one quite feels up to it. Even a bride and groom who compose their own vows do so beforehand rather than “wing it” improve-style in the moment.

In the next several devotionals, as we go into a bit more explanation of the particular aspects of our particular liturgy at King’s Church, we hope to grow your appreciation for them in such a way that each aspect of worship becomes more like your favorite part in a movie and less like the scene during which you run to the restroom ;). Not because it’s sinful to miss that part (yes, the restrooms remain open during the service), but because that part (and all of them) are so precious that you don’t want to miss it, and you grieve when you need to miss it.

King’s Church is liturgical. We know it, we love it, we glory in it. But if Mr. Howard is right, then as important as liturgy is, the liturgy is not the point; God is. Liturgy, in its place, serves a much more glorious goal: it gives us the words for the moment, it gives us the posture for the occasion, and it reveals to us, in words and roles and physical posture, the significance of what we’re doing. The responsive readings, the prayers, the songs, the Scripture, the sermon, the Creed and Catechism, even the benediction, either reveal and express the longing of our hearts, or the gap between where our hearts are and where we want them to be.

No liturgy is perfect, and we may we decide at some point to revise, amend, delete, or add to some portion of ours. But for now, let’s give thanks that something like ritual and rite exist, and that they so often work effectively to help us express the thoughts of our mind and the affections of our hearts.

In the coming months, we’ll explore the ways in which the five elements of our liturgy help us in these ways: the Call to Worship, Confession, Consecration, Communion, and Commission. Each plays an integral role in the life of our worship, and, when done by faith, offers blessing to you as you participate with one another in worship. May the Lord bless and keep us as we seek to give him the glad adoration that he deserves as we savor his word, sing his praise, and serve his world, for Christ’s sake

As you prepare to think about and learn more about our Sunday morning liturgy, talk as a family about which parts of the service each of you enjoys most and why. You can also think of the parts of the service that you don’t understand (i.e. why do we kneel, or raise our hands, or recite the creed, and why do we do those things at that point in the service?)

Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns...
On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written,
'King of kings and Lord of lords'.
~ Revelation 19

With Reformation Day behind us and Thanksgiving before us, enjoy the rich blessings that the Lord has given us. Below you'll find simply a lone devotional thought; we're planning to post the preacher and Scripture reading schedules elsewhere, so we appreciate your patience while we do that. Rest assured both the preachers and Scripture readers (normally) know well in advance when they're scheduled :). Till then, enjoy a beautiful fall, and the thoughts below. And as that great Presbyterian preacher, J. Vernon McGee used to say, "May the Lord richly bless you, my beloved!"

Ben, for the elders

“Worship is warfare”; a common refrain amongst ourselves. We might similarly say, “Adoration is aggression”, or “Happiness is Hamburger Hill”. Our normal way of saying it has worn off the edges that would catch our attention. It’s a weird mantra.

As is often the case, though, truth strangely worded is much more familiar to us when we encounter it in the “day to day”. The reality is that when someone deeply delights in something that you don’t, your aversion or indifference is often overcome; you are, as it were, defeated. The battle is lost, and you have become a convert to a line of clothing, or a sports team, or a foreign food, or a foreign god (may it never be!). In such cases, the joy of another was victorious over your resistance.

In the OT, of course, the context of such evangelistic worship is battle, combat, literal warfare. And it may even be true today in a confrontational setting that our joy in Christ, or in Scripture, or even in God’s people or in psalm singing, is the means of eroding an opponent’s hostility. But short of that, we find that our joy can often dispel another’s gloom. While Eeyore is often part of Pooh-bear’s story, he’s not the main character and he usually succumbs (or should more often) to the happy ending.

If something is worth getting angry about, it’s worth rejoicing over. A husband is angry that another man has approached his wife because he loves his wife and values her affection. A woman grieves a torn garment because the fabric or design was more valuable than most of her other garments. The greater our love, the greater our grief or anger at it’s ruin. It’s things like worship, adoration, and delight that are more worthy of our (and others’) attention than anger, wrath, and displeasure.

Worship is warfare, but as we live together, work together, grieve together, and laugh together, let our worship of Christ, our delight in his word, our joy in his presence, and our pleasure in his Father’s love for us strike the dominant note, and let that fundamental orientation of adoration do our combative work for us. May our joy in the Lord be so potent that all which opposes him, and us, give way before it, and perhaps even without our knowing it. It is, after all, our strength, and a potent one at that.

Think of something that often or easily angers or upsets you and ask yourself, “What is it that I value that would lead me to be upset in this situation?” Then think of ways to actively pursue and display your joy in that.

For example, if you greatly value quiet mornings before others awake, and an unexpected early-riser unexpectedly disrupts your reverie, ask yourself what that time provides to you and how you can draw in said early-riser into a similar experience of joy in a way they would understand an appreciate. Point out how delightful a warm fire is on a quiet morning. Read a line of poetry or a verse of Scripture and reflect aloud on it’s meaning. Position yourself by the window and describe the beauty you see and explain the way it reminds you of your grandparents’ yard. Hypothetically, of course. :)

Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns...
On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written,
'King of kings and Lord of lords'.
~ Revelation 19

Praise the Lord for his goodness in so many ways! One of the most prominent blessings is that this past Tuesday, Sept. 30, King's Church was formally particularized at the Fall 2025 Knox Presbytery meeting in Moscow, ID. Both Ken and myself were present as we gave a brief picture of our congregational life of the past two years, and were welcomed into the CREC as a full member congregation. Please give thanks to the Lord with us as we give thanks to Him for the past, and look to His grace for the future.

Also, with significant events of the past month, including the deaths of Charlie Kirk and Voddie Baucham, please consider what it means to trust the Lord rather than become overcome with anxiety or fear in such circumstances. While both men's deaths were unexpected, they were radically different from each other. And while both ministries will continue, if the Lord wills, they will do so only by the grace of God. And that's true for any of us, whether the "us" is a family, a church, or an individual.

So praise God from whom all blessings flow, take courage from the Lord, and enjoy the devotional thought below. May the Lord bless and keep you all.

Ben, for the elders

Every generation has moments or events that shape the way they perceive the world. Sometimes those perceptions are correct, and sometimes not, but the way we look at the world is due, in part, to what goes on around us. To take a few examples, The Great War and World War 2, Vietnam, the recessions of the 1980s and 2008, Trayvon Martin, the SCOTUS Obergefell decision, Trump’s re-election, and Charlie Kirk all provoke the question, “What is going on in the world?”

This is not just true of tragedies or adversity, but is also true of heroism and success: these events shape us. Charlie Kirk’s death from another vantage point is heroic, in that he died pursuing good things to the best of his ability. Also in this encouraging vein are things like the planting of King’s Church, weddings, the birth of a child or grandchild, along with special occasions that happen, quite literally, all the time (anniversaries, graduations, the beginning of kindergarten, a winning baseball season, a new or first job, etc., etc., etc.). So what do we do when, like recently, national or local events cause us to question our very way of life? Are subways safe to use? Are the days of public debate over? The psalmist expressed such questions like this:

“If the foundations are destroyed, What can the righteous do?” (Ps. 11:3)

But before we get carried away with his lament, notice that he began the psalm like this: “In the Lord I put my trust.” He went on, in that confidence, to rhetorically ask his fearful bystander (we presume there is one next to him),

How can you say to my soul,
“Flee as a bird to your mountain”?
For look! The wicked bend their bow,
They make ready their arrow on the string,
That they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart.
If the foundations are destroyed,
What can the righteous do? (Ps. 11:1-3)

In other words, “Why do you encourage me to be afraid? Yes, the wicked strategically strike at me, but I’ve already put my trust in the Lord. What else can I do? Where else could I turn? You’re counsel to run for the hills or to flit away like a scaredy-bird is ridiculous.”
So, what’s the answer? What can the righteous do if the foundations are destroyed? The psalmist replies:

"The Lord is in His holy temple,
The Lord’s throne is in heaven;
His eyes behold,
His eyelids test the sons of men.” (Ps. 11:4)

Interestingly, the righteous man here responds to the destruction of his foundations by doing nothing more (or less) than what he was doing in verse 1, which was to put his trust in the Lord. That’s what he does: he trusts in God. And what’s more, he does not take vengeance into his own hands. The Lord sees, the Lord knows, and the psalmist is content with that. He concludes this way,

"Upon the wicked He will rain coals;
Fire and brimstone and a burning wind
Shall be the portion of their cup.
For the Lord is righteous,
He loves righteousness;
His countenance beholds the upright." (Ps. 11:6-7)

The wicked will get what they deserve (or, alternatively, what they deserve will fall upon Christ as they repent and trust in him). But God, not himself and not we, will be the one to mete out that judgment. Fire and brimstone will, indeed, be his cup, because the Lord is righteous, and he loves righteousness. He will not excuse, overlook, or incorrectly judge the sins of anyone. As the apostle Paul said, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” (Rom. 12:19)

And, to be sure, his countenance beholds the upright: your Father sees you. The Lord will bless and keep you; he will make his face to shine up you, and be gracious to you. The Lord will lift up his countenance upon you, and will give you peace, even if presently you are in the crosshairs of the wicked. And it will be goodness and mercy that will hunt you down all the days of your life, and they will catch you. As Jesus promised, we will be hated, and we will be kept safe,

“And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But not a hair of your head shall be lost.” (Luke 21:17-18)

What, then, can the righteous do when their foundations are shaken?

As you work, as you grocery shop, as you pay bills and play games, as you worship, as you hire and fire employees, as you marry and have children, as you graduate or officiate ceremonies, in all that you do, believe God’s word of promise in Scripture. This is what the psalmist means by saying,

“In the Lord I put my trust.”

He’s going to live his life knowing, by faith, that the Lord knows all things, will judge all things justly, and will let no undue harm come to him in any way. Why should he act like a scared bird, if that’s the case?

Remember also when things seem unstable, or that the world is on shaky ground, that the author of Hebrews says, the Lord shakes things up in order to expose the stability of what has already been secured:
but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.” Now this, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. (Heb. 12:26-27)

Two great pieces of writing have been composed regarding death’s impotence for Christians since the New Testament was first composed. One is from the apostle Paul (1 Cor. 15:54-58) and the other is by John Donne (“Death be not proud”), and are below for your convenience.
Each in their own clear way point out that death itself one day will die. We often fear death because of what we think we lose by it. What we ought to think of is what we gain by it. So the questions are, “What do we gain when we die?”, "How does that surpass all that I lose when I die?", And, “How will that knowledge help me live better now?”

As you ponder those  questions, notice that Paul’s encouragement after reminding us that death, too, will die, is to “abound in the work of the Lord,” which is like saying that we should, “Keep on with your work as before, faithful, steady, unflappable, and constant.” A kind of “no frills” faith. And may the Lord bless you in that.

So, What do you gain when you die, How does that exceed in value what you do lose?, and How does knowing that you gain that thing later (i.e. after you die) help you live more faithfully to Christ now?

1 Cor. 15:54-58 —
“So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’ ‘O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?’ The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

“Death, Be Not Proud”
Death, be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so;
For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow
Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be,
Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee do go,
Rest of their bones, and soul's delivery.
Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell,
And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well
And better than thy stroke; why swell'st thou then?
One short sleep past, we wake eternally
And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.

Here is a schedule of who will be filling our pulpit for the next several weeks. Please pray for them and their families as they prepare to minister to us.

Oct 5: Chase Fluhart
Oct 12: André Fowlkes
Oct 19: Samuel Davidson
Oct 26: Ben Tate

Scripture Readers
Oct 5: Ben Tate, Joshua 1:1-8, Eph 6:10-18
Oct 12: Ken Trotter, Psalm 72:8-19, Eph 3:8-21
Oct 19: Tim Ansett, Amos 6:1-7, 1 Tim 6:3-12
Oct 26: Warren Lewis, Isaiah 40:1-11, Jn 15:1-11

Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns...
On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written,
'King of kings and Lord of lords'.
~ Revelation 19

As we continue the revised use of our newsletter and King's Church App, you'll find below some important items, while the rest of the important details for King's is located elsewhere the App.  And with Fall around the corner, perhaps the "crispness" of our new format matches the season in a delightfully fitting way :)! Well, at least we hope so. So, as the temps decline, may your hope and faith arise as you continue give and receive yourselves as gifts to one another, for Christ's sake. Blessings!

Forgiveness is never free. We can see this in Ephesians 1:7, which reads, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses,…”. The phrase “through his blood” is the give-away: it’s the means of redemption, and redemption is unpacked as forgiveness. The blood of Jesus is the means of my redemption, and I experience that redemption, in part, in being forgiven.

Yes, it is freely given, but, no, it was not free. Our forgiveness comes at a very steep price. Things that are absolutely free (meaning they cost nothing, and have no value) we call garbage. Forgiveness, however, is not garbage. Remember this, not only the next time you need forgiveness, but also the next time someone asks you to forgive them.

In the former case, your sin was nailed to the cross (Col. 2:14), and therefore no longer has any claim against you. None. Your forgiveness was costly. But in the latter case, your forgiveness of another’s sin was also secured at the cross. The moment in which a fellow sinner comes to you in repentance, seeking forgiveness and restoration with you, is precisely the moment Jesus had in mind when he hung on the tree. He bought forgiveness both for you, and for others’ by you. Forgiveness is both a gift we receive, and a gift we bestow, and both of them were costly.

Letting go of offenses that we have against others is not easy, but it is part of the delight and joy of being a Christian. There’s nothing quite so sweet that rolls off the tongue as a sincere apology, and there are precious few things in the world so lovely to the ear as a repentant heart seeking restoration.

When we forgive someone (a child whose chore has gone undone, a co-worker or spouse who failed to follow through), it’s often after we’ve had to deal with the consequences of their failure, and that “price” hurts. So we are reluctant to forgive. Ask yourself, what promises does my Father make to me for times when I forgive others? How can I use the promises of Scripture to get over my reluctance to forgive others? Believe those, and enjoy giving the blessing of forgiveness! 

Here is a schedule of who will be filling our pulpit for the next several weeks. Please consider praying for them as they prepare to minister to us in word and prayer.

Sept 7: Jeremiah Jasso
Sept 14: Ben Tate
Sept 21: Jeremiah Jasso
Sept 28: Samuel Davidson

Scripture Readers
Sept 7: Tim Ansett, Jer 23:23-40, Eph 4:25-5:7
Sept 14: Warren Lewis, 1 Chr 16:23-36, 1 Pet 1:3-16
Sept 21: Merrill Miller, Psalm 112, Luke 14:1-14
Sept 28: Ben Palpant, Gen 17:1-16, Gal 3:22-4:7

Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns...
On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written,
'King of kings and Lord of lords'.
~ Revelation 19

Welcome to a 'slimmer and trimmer' newsletter as we commence the shift over to Subsplash! We hope that all of the information you need has been preserved as we shuffle stuff 'round within the app. Notably, upcoming events, the Bible reading schedule, directory information, the Sing Your Part App, and our website link have been moved over to "Resources" on the home screen in the app. Here in this post, you will find our regular devotional piece and follow-up questions, the catechism selection for August, the  preacher and reader schedules, and this month's book review (thanks Kelly Coe!). Of particular note below is a brief piece the elders wrote to anticipate the men's Smoke, Whiskey, & Words evening coming up on Aug. 3; please give attention to it as you are able. As always, we hope you profit from, and enjoy, it all.

The question, “What is motherhood?” is the question that feminists have neither asked nor answered, according to Douglas Murray in his 2020 book The Madness of Crowds. “…[W]hy is it, after all these decades, that feminists and others have been unable to more fully address the role of motherhood in feminism?” Citing the prominent academic and feminist Camille Paglia, he goes on to write that “motherhood remains one of the big unresolved questions for feminists. As Paglia herself has written, ‘Feminist ideology has never dealt honestly with the role of the mother in human life. Its portrayal of history as male oppression and female victimize is a gross distortion of the fact.’”

Murray goes on to quote Paglia’s articulation of the dilemma feminism faces. She writes, “The exclusive focus of feminism was on an external social mechanism that had to be smashed or reformed. It failed to take into account women’s intricate connection with nature — that is, with procreation. In this era of the career woman, there has been a denigration, or devaluing of the role of motherhood.” The culprit is alleged to be the costs of parenthood in general and of motherhood in particular. Physical, social, psychological, and (not least) economic costs.

In light of this, one might ask Murray’s question thus: “Why do so many women postpone or avoid motherhood?”

Murray reflects: “As The Economist put it, ‘Having children lowers women’s lifetime earnings, an outcome known as the “child penalty.”' It is hard to imagine [writes Murray, to his credit] who could read that phrase, let along write it, without a shudder. If it is assumed that the primary purpose in life is to make as much money as possible, then it is indeed possible that having a child will constitute a ‘penalty’ for a woman and thereby prevent her from having a larger sum of money in her bank account when she dies [compared to her male counterparts]. On the other hand, if she chooses to pay that ‘penalty’ she might be fortunate enough to engage in the most important and fulfilling role that a human being can have.”

Which brings us to a question all of us (not just mothers) must ask, “In what ways will you spend yourself?”

Setting aside pregnancy and child-bearing, every act is one of service for a person, or group of persons, and is therefore a kind of “spending” of oneself. If we consider, for example, each Lord’s Day worship service, which of the following is NOT someone spending themselves for others?

• Writing a prayer
• Leading music
• Singing in the pews
• Preaching
• Playing an instrument
• Locking up
• Unstacking and placing chairs
• Ironing the table cloths
• Halving donuts
• Cleaning coffee pots
• Taking sermon notes
• Steaming table cloths
• Initiating conversation
• Reading Scripture
• Setting up sound equipment
• Administering the sacraments
  
  

And if these activities are a form of spending oneself, who's to say that each activity “costs” the same from person to person? What does it take for one person to pray compared to another? How easy (or difficult) is it for Gerald to correctly return chairs to their stored position? How do you measure the boldness required for Serina to start a conversation compared with the courage it takes Meredith to do the same? The same thought experiment could be done at length for: your home; your place of work; your child’s school; a baseball team; hosting a parish group or baby-shower; and on, and on, and on.

When it comes to loving your neighbor, “spending” is a great word to use. Another great word is “used up.” Murray concludes his piece by leaning on the "American agrarian writer” Wendell Berry, who wrote:

We all have to be used up by something. And though I will never be a mother, … I gladly belong to my wife, my children, and several head of cattle, sheep, and horses. What better way to be used up?

Indeed, we are being used up, and we’re being used up by each other. And that’s as it should be. Every doughnut table wiped on Sunday, every towel or t-shirt folded at home, every mail drop as you leave work, every thoughtful Scripture texted for encouragement are all ways we “use up” ourselves for one another, ways we give to each other. It really is true: more blessing comes to those who give than comes to those who receive (Acts 20:35). Let us not doubt, but believe, that Jesus sees, values, and recompenses every act of goodness done in faith. And not just according to its worth, but more than it's worth. If something so mundane and easy as giving a cup of cold water calls for a reward, then quite frankly there are many ways to use ourselves up doing good to others, knowing that we are, in a sense, storing up treasure in heaven, because Jesus said that's the way the world works. And we look to him, not to one another, for our reward because that’s what it means to love each other for Jesus’ sake, because his rewards are far better than anything we could give each other in return.

When it comes to using yourself up, consider your family, your budget, your living conditions, etc., and ask, What activities has God made you for? What goes on in our community that you are meant to be “used up” by? Yes, there are some things anyone can do, and there are other things that are particularly hard for other people to do.  But when we think about the fact that “we all have to be used up by something,” looking for something to do becomes much more exciting. Not unlike discovering that you’ve been given $1,000,000 and that you must spend it. The only questions that remain are, How will you spend it, and What will you get for your money? In biblical terms, the questions become, Who will be the target of your efforts to bless, and What will your neighbor, or the next generation, have or become as a result of how you spent yourself today?”

Lord’s Day 36
WSC Q. 82. Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God?
A. No mere man, since the fall, is able in this life perfectly to keep the commandments of God, but does daily break them in thought, word, and deed.

WSC Q. 83. Are all transgressions of the law equally heinous?
A. Some sins in themselves, and by reason of several aggravations, are more heinous in the sight of God than others.

WSC Q. 84. What does every sin deserve?
A. Every sin deserves God's wrath and curse, both in this life, and that which is to come.

Lord’s Day 37
WSC Q. 85. What does God require of us, that we may escape his wrath and curse, due to us for sin?
A. To escape the wrath and curse of God, due to us for sin, God requires of us faith in Jesus Christ, repentance unto life, with the diligent use of all the outward means whereby Christ communicates to us the benefits of redemption.

Lord’s Day 38
WSC Q. 86. What is faith in Jesus Christ?
A. Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for salvation, as he is offered to us in the gospel.

WSC Q. 87. What is repentance unto life?
A. Repentance unto life is a saving grace, whereby a sinner, out of a true sense of his sin, and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, does, with grief and hatred of his sin, turn from it unto God, with full purpose of, and endeavor after, new obedience.

Lord’s Day 39
WSC Q. 88. What are the outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicates to us the benefits of redemption?
A. The outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicates to us the benefits of redemption are, his ordinances, especially the Word, sacraments, and prayer; all which are made effectual to the elect for salvation.

Lord’s Day 40
WSC Q. 89. How is the Word made effectual to salvation?
A. The Spirit of God makes the reading, but especially the preaching, of the Word, an effectual means of convincing and converting sinners, and of building them up in holiness and comfort, through faith, unto salvation.

WSC Q. 90. How is the Word to be read and heard, that it may become effectual to salvation?
A. That the Word may become effectual to salvation, we must attend thereunto with diligence, preparation, and prayer; receive it with faith and love, lay it up in our hearts, and practice it in our lives.

“No Whittling During Worship”

Before smartphones, the opportunities for distraction were real but limited. For example, a kid might’ve been tempted to whittle during the age of the Scotch Covenanters, meeting  in some highland hillside some crisp Spring morning, illiterate and with nothing else to do. Distraction has always been a problem, to greater or lesser degrees. But in the age of the smartphone, it may well be endless.

Just consider the activities that one can engage in (whether a child or an adult) while sitting in a pew on Sunday morning: trade crypto currencies, email lesson plans, schedule a doctor’s appointment, watch pornography, initiate an Amazon return, submit a term paper, purchase groceries or gifts, watch another more “engaging” sermon with captions, learn how to tan leather…, etc., etc., etc.

And now, with our new King’s Church app, we — the leaders — made it possible (even encouraged you?) to keep handy, and even use during worship, the very device that makes these activities so convenient, tempting, or both. Yes, the sermon notes feature is the most likely one you’ll use during worship. But it’s not as if the other ones turn off just because you’re in church. (Imagine seeing a time stamp of 10:32 a.m. on a Cork Board post by Ben Tate advertising a free tire swing!)

But beyond Sunday morning, the competition for your attention continues. Our new app — like every other one — competes for your eyes, your ears, your affections. How many times have we ignored the dignity of the person standing next to us in line because we “needed” to check the headlines — headlines we had read 6 minutes earlier while pacing the grocery store aisles?

The physiological and addictive effects of smartphones are well-documented. Without thoughtful and deliberate effort to resist them, we are shaped by them. The current generation may well reach adulthood en masse without ever putting away childish thinking.
So, having acknowledged the pitfalls of smartphones, and having built an app that depends on them, we must first ask: How should we think about them? Only then can we ask: What do we do with them?

Smartphones and apps are tools. And like every tool, they must be evaluated in light of our purpose: to subdue the earth for Christ’s sake, to adorn creation so that God appears to others as glorious as he truly is. Wherever we are, whatever we’re doing, with whomever we are present, the tools we use should serve this one goal: the good of others and the glory of God.

This means is that we direct our attention and affections where they belong. Sometimes that might mean typing sermon notes on a phone while listening to the Word. Other times, it might mean putting the phone down so we can train a child, tend to an emergency, or simply be fully present before the Lord in undivided worship. The key is to use Spirit-wrought discernment.

The battle, in truth, is the same as it’s been for thousands of years,
Trust in the Lord, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart. (Ps. 37:3-4)

For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. (Rom. 8:13)

Smartphones and the internet may be new, but sin and virtue are not. These tools can serve as fresh outlets for rebellious hearts — or new way to express hearts made new by the Spirit. As we learn how to use these tools for God’s glory, may we be patient with ourselves, serious in our pursuit of holiness, and quick to give thanks for any good that God enables us to accomplish through them.

Discussion Questions
While these questions could be helpful at home or in conversation with each other, the men will use them as the basis for their discussion at the upcoming Smoke, Whiskey, & Words gathering Sunday night, August 3. As you are able, bring your own thoughts and questions related to technology use and we’ll expect to have a constructive time of singing, encouragement, and discussion sharpening one another.

• How do you personally guard your attention and affections during worship? Are their habits or boundaries that have helped — or hindered — you?
• In what ways have you seen your smartphone shaped or influence your spiritual life, either of good or for ill? What adjustments do you need to make — or practices should you embrace — that could help you focus more intentionally on the God-honoring use of your time?
• When are you most likely to excuse or justify the distractions caused by your smartphone? How might Scripture reshape your thinking about presence, focus, and honor in everyday life?
• What message do we send to our children, wives, or fellow church members when we are physically present but digitally distracted — especially during worship or in times of fellowship?
• How can we, as men, lead by example in stewarding our use of technology — both at home and in the church — for the sake of others and the glory of God?
  
  

Keep in mind, the last thing we need is a “Holy List of Smartphone Dos and Don’ts”. So rather than use this piece as the basis for evaluating our (or another’s) holiness, we hope the impact is more along the lines of giving each of us a hand by which to steady ourselves as we learn to walk this tightrope called “Using Technology Fruitfully”.

Here is a schedule of who will be filling our pulpit for the next several weeks. Please consider praying for them as they prepare to minister to us in word and prayer.

Aug 3: Roy Atwood
Aug 10: André Fowlkes
Aug 17: Tyler Hatcher
Aug 24: Timothy van den Broek
Aug 31: Family Camp

Scripture Readers
Aug 3: Ben Tate, Amos 7:10-17, Eph 1:3-14
Aug 10: Ben Palpant, Jer 23:1-6, Eph 2:13-22
Aug 17: Merrill Miller, Ex 24:3-11, Eph 4:1-16
Aug 24: Ken Trotter, Ex 16:1-15, Eph 4:17-24
Aug 31: TBD, 1 Kgs 19:1-18, 2 Pet 3:3-15

This month's book review is supplied by Kelly Coe, for which we are grateful. If there is a book you have found valuable and think deserves a wider audience, and you would like to be instrumental in giving it that wider audience, please contact Ben Tate.

Brightwing Tales: Mole's Misadventure, by Ben Palpant reviewed by Kelly Coe.

Brightwing Tales: Mole’s Misadventure is a delightful new book by Ben Palpant.  As an avid reader I have been on many adventures through literature, but I have never been on a “misadventure” until this book.  The character of Mole resonated with me from page one-his grumpy attitude on life, his determination to do things his way, to not rely on anyone!  He is real and the description of his emotions is spot on.  Mole did not set out to find an adventure, rather he “fell” into it on a cold winter night.  Mole has lost his wife and is living alone in his hole, determined to not feel anything or need anyone…until he runs out of tobacco for his pipe.  In the dark night he sets out to his friend Rabbit’s house to borrow some tobacco and sets off on an unexpected adventure that will change the course of his life and bring him face to face with the bloodthirsty dog, Midnight.  

Now that may seem deep for a children’s book, but this is more than a children’s book.  Mole’s adventure ends up bringing us in contact with the most charming and noble characters who will resonate with both adults and children alike.  Much as Lucy found her dearest friends once she stepped through the wardrobe, you may find yours as you enter Brightwing and set off on an adventure with Mr. Mole and his friends.  Much as Lucy could only dream of going to Narnia again and again, the characters in this story are ones who we will want to visit over and over.  Having read this book four times now…I would know! I hope that you enjoy it as much as I have!

Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns...
On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written,
'King of kings and Lord of lords'.
~ Revelation 19

Happy June, and all that summer promises to bring you in the next few months. In addition to warmer days, longer evenings, BBQ, recreational water, and fresh outdoor air, we hope you also find ways to enjoy life together through summer margin, upcoming events below, and creative ways to love your neighbor (see the devotional). Also, this month's book review promises to be timely for summer reading, and our 2nd anniversary celebration promises to be a real "hootenanny" of a time :). Blessings on your scrolling below!

The apostle Paul ends Romans 14 with what might sound like a rather severe statement: “But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.” “Really?!”, we might object,"Whatever we do is sin, if it’s done without faith? And since when does God care whether I’m eating a salad or a steak?” Such small moments of our lives can feel burdensome if we read passages like this too quickly. In fact, with just a moment’s thought, the objection seems to get stronger: most of us can think of a few people who are among the most generous and kind-hearted we’ve known, who are not Christians. Paul’s statement would seem to condemn them out of hand simply because they don’t believe the gospel. But before our condemnation of the apostle begins, let’s consider this issue of faith from another angle.
If the absence of faith is cause for condemnation, then the presence of faith redeems, yes? As the author of Hebrews says, “…without faith it is impossible to please [God]…” (Heb. 11:6), while the rest of Chapter 11 in Hebrews goes on to commend the faith of so many Old Testament saints (some of whom cause our eyebrows to rise slightly). Back to our passage: What does it say about the versatility of faith that something as plain as eating becomes an occasion for condemnation or salvation? Well, it says that faith is the kind of thing that can turn even eating into a glorious act of good. In other words, if something so ordinary and plain as eating can be done in a condemning manner, then it can be done in a redeeming manner as well. In fact (and this is the glory!), it is the nature of faith that it can turn just about any human pursuit into a God-glorifying act of kindness!
This is not just good news, it is glorious news (!) because it means that there are virtually no restrictions on how creatively we can express faith in God, and (as a consequence) love toward others. Think of it: when done in faith, even eating is a way to love your neighbor!

As you go about your day (think “…when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way…”, Deut. 6:7), there are perhaps several thousand “little” things you could do for others that you already do either “in faith” or not. Sometimes the thing to do is your daughter’s chore, so that she knows you were thinking of how busy she’s been lately. Or, conversely, sometimes the thing to do is gently reminder her to go do her chore because she still has room to grow in learning faithfulness and responsibility. There is a time for everything: a time to mow, and not mow; a time to remind and a time to apply consequences; a time to initiate and a time to wait. And none of them is “always” right. And this is the blessing: God gives us a myriad of options every day of ways to love each other, in faith that He will do good to those whom we are loving. This kind of freedom comes with responsibility, but it also comes with no limit of ways we could do good to others.

Lord’s Day 27
WSC Q. 53. Which is the third commandment?
A. The third commandment is, “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.”
WSC Q. 54. What is required in the third commandment?
A. The third commandment requires the holy and reverend use of God's names, titles, attributes, ordinances, Word, and works.
WSC Q. 55. What is forbidden in the third commandment?
A. The third commandment forbids all profaning or abusing of anything whereby God makes himself known. 
WSC Q. 56. What is the reason annexed to the third commandment?
A. The reason annexed to the third commandment is, that however the breakers of this commandment may escape punishment from men, yet the Lord our God will not suffer them to escape his righteous judgment. 

Lord’s Day 28
WSC Q. 57. Which is the fourth commandment?
A. The fourth commandment is, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.”
WSC Q. 58. What is required in the fourth commandment?
A. The fourth commandment requires the keeping holy to God such set times as he has appointed in his Word; expressly one whole day in seven, to be a holy Sabbath to himself. 
WSC Q. 59. Which day of the seven has God appointed to be the weekly Sabbath?
A. From the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, God appointed the seventh day of the week to be the weekly Sabbath; and the first day of the week ever since, to continue to the end of the world, which is the Christian Sabbath. 

Lord’s Day 29
WSC Q. 60. How is the Sabbath to be sanctified?
A. The Sabbath is to be sanctified by a holy resting all that day, even from such worldly employments as are lawful on other days; and spending the day in the public and private exercises of God's worship, in assisting the poor and needy, and in fellowship with the people of God.
WSC Q. 61. What is forbidden in the fourth commandment?
A. The fourth commandment forbids the omission, or careless performance, of the duties required, and the profaning the day by idleness, or doing that which is in itself sinful, or by unnecessary thoughts, words, or works, about our worldly employments. 
WSC Q. 62. What are the reasons annexed to the fourth commandment?
A. The reasons annexed to the fourth commandment are, God's allowing us six days of the week for our own employments, his challenging a special propriety in the seventh, his own example, and his blessing the Sabbath day.

Lord’s Day 30
WSC Q. 63. Which is the fifth commandment?
A. The fifth commandment is, “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.”
WSC Q. 64. What is required in the fifth commandment?
A. The fifth commandment requires the preserving the honor, and performing the duties, belonging to everyone in their several places and relations, as superiors, inferiors, or equals. 
WSC Q. 65. What is forbidden in the fifth commandment?
A. The fifth commandment forbids the neglecting of, or doing anything against, the honor and duty which belongs to everyone in their several places and relations. 
WSC Q. 66. What is the reason annexed to the fifth commandment?
A. The reason annexed to the fifth commandment is, a promise of long life and prosperity (as far as it shall serve for God's glory and their own good) to all such as keep this commandment. 

Lord’s Day 31
WSC Q. 67. Which is the sixth commandment?
A. The sixth commandment is, “You shall not murder.”
WSC Q. 68. What is required in the sixth commandment?
A. The sixth commandment requires all lawful endeavors to preserve our own life, and the life of others. 
WSC Q. 69. What is forbidden in the sixth commandment?
A. The sixth commandment forbids the taking away of our own life, or the life of our neighbor, unjustly, or whatsoever tends thereunto.

Pulpit Supply
Here is a schedule of who will be filling our pulpit for the next several weeks. Please consider praying for them as they prepare to minister to us in word and prayer.

June 1: Ben Tate
June 8: Roy Atwood
June 15: Mike Niam
June 22: Chase Fluhart
June 29: Chase Fluhart

Scripture Readers
June 1: Tim Ansett, Psalm 110, Acts 1:1-14
June 8: Warren Lewis, Ps 104:1-4, 24-35, Acts 2:1-21
June 15: Merrill Miller, Psalm 149, John 16:5-28
June 22: Ben Palpant, Ps 81:1-16, Heb 11:23-12:4
June 29: Ben Tate, 1 Kng 17:8-24, Luke 7:11-23

"Give Thanks To The Lord!"

• Leadership Growth at King's Church - give thanks for our elders and deacons, particularly in the ways they are gifted and use their gifts for the sake of the body.
• Recent Births - Beata Kuntz, William Tate, Isabelle Williams, Isabella Woodin
• Pulpit Supply - give thanks for the many men willing and scheduled to preach each week!
• Health - praise for healthy pregnancy for Baylee Woodin and birth of Isabella Woodin (given health concerns for Baylee).
• Naomi Brodersen - praise God for quality treatment, healing, and healthy perspective.

"Make your requests known..."

• The King's Church session - for their faithful prayers for and service to the congregation, and clear, honest, and fruitful discussion of many issues facing our young congregation: leadership, membership, shepherding, ministries, budget, outreach, etc.
• The King's Church Steering Committee - continued wisdom, clear thinking, discernment in making decisions about worship, finances, and community-building.
• Christ Church Spokane - pray for grace and wisdom to reorganize roles and responsibilities as they seek to establish and grow the congregation and its impact on their community in Spokane for Christ's sake.
• Holy Covenant Church - pray for grace and wisdom to identify and fill administrative and shepherding needs as they seek to establish and grow their congregation and their impact on north Spokane for Christ's sake.
• Pulpit Supply - pray for the Spirit to lead our preachers both in their preparation and in their delivery of God's word, and pray for their well-being (and their families') as they receive this role on top of their vocational duties. 
• Pastoral Search - pray that God would provide a pastor in his good timing
• Expectant Mothers - Dawn Blasberg, Anelie DesRoches, Mary Maus, Julia McMahon, Mia Murtha, Jenna Trotter
• Upcoming Marriages - Mia Welch & Caleb Jarvis
• DesRoches Family - pray for the extended family as they grieve the loss of Emmie DesRoches (Ryan & Katie's niece)
• Lauren Hartke (Brittany's mother) - pray for courage and hope as she undergoes treatment for the reoccurrence of her cancer.
• Gui Mezavilla - pray for the success of Gui's education as he trains to become a pilot at Moody Aviation School and continues to raise support.
• Military - pray for Christians serving in the Armed Forces, specifically Marshall Clinkscales, Jim Doster, Justus Grammer, Jed Murtha

Please send prayers of praise and request to ben.tate@kingschurchcrec.com

This month's book review is supplied by Brittany Hartke, for which we are grateful. If there is a book you have found valuable and think deserves a wider audience, and you would like to be instrumental in giving it that wider audience, please contact Ben Tate.

The Awakening of Miss Prim, by Natalia Sanmartin Fenollara
by Brittany Harke

Allow me to introduce you to the Man in the Wing Chair: because of this young man’s tenacity and an old monk’s wisdom, the community of San Ireneo de Arnois is so distinctly different. It is not a magical place. No, the difference lies in what they value. San Ireneo is “a flourishing colony of exiles from the modern world seeking a simple, rural life”.

I will confess: my first attraction to this book was shallow. The cover says charming, the friend’s bookshelf said wholesome - so I snuggled in for Sunday reading. Oh my! Charming and wholesome it certainly is, but it is most essentially beautiful and about Love.
The plot begins with this advertisement:

“Wanted: a feminine spirit quite undaunted by the world to work as a librarian for a gentleman and his books. Able to live with dogs and children. Preferable without work experience. Graduates and postgraduates need not apply.”

Would you apply? This is the first question the novel poses. And this is one of the strengths of fiction that this novel does remarkably well, and, therefore, subtly. Natalia Sanmartin Fenollera, in her debut novel, The Awakening of Miss Prim, escorts the reader through a test. She will hold up a mirror to show you yourself. Would I do that? Should I do that? Could I do that? A good novel will niggle beneath your story grip, and I suggest this one does.

A second aspect of masterful fiction which this novel does well is posit the good life. The community of San Ireneo has curated a life truly undaunted by the world. As the reader you get to observe, ponder, see. This is a book to taste. No pencil. No notes. No quiz. Just taste. Just see. And when you do, let's get coffee and talk about it.

Ephesians 1:15-21
Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

~  the apostle Paul

May is upon us and with it come all sorts of outdoor glories! As you get outside, be sure to enjoy the news below. Upcoming events, a devotional thought on motivations to pray, fellowship meal sign-up, and a new book review (Thanks, Tyson!), not to mention ways to pray for our body, and this month's catechism and Scripture reading schedules. May the Lord richly bless you as you peruse the plans below!   

“Life has it’s ups and downs,” we say. But the “ups” and “downs” can be so extreme that they feel more like triumphs and tears. The psalmist speaks of both in Psalm 30 when he says,

Now in my prosperity I said,
“I shall never be moved.”
Lord, by Your favor You have made my mountain stand strong;
You hid Your face, and I was troubled. (Ps. 30:6-7)

When you feel as strong as mountain, you quite literally feel like you’re on top of the world. And then, for reasons we usually don’t understand, it seems as though the Lord hides his face, and the trouble arrives. It might even feel as though the mountain has dog piled on us.

How do you pray then? What do you say to the One who has sworn to do you good but who seems to be absent-minded or to have forgotten you? How do you plead with him, and for what do you plead? There are many good and right answers to these questions, but one in particular needs unpacking. The answer this psalm models for us goes like this:

I cried out to You, O Lord;
And to the Lord I made supplication:
“What profit is there in my blood,
When I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise You?
Will it declare Your truth?
Hear, O Lord, and have mercy on me;
Lord, be my helper!” (Ps. 30:8-10)

The “ask” is clear enough: save me! Help me! Don’t let me lose (my life, my reputation, my livelihood, etc.) But the reason he gives is arresting, and it comes in the form of questions:

• What profit is there in my blood?
• Will it declare Your truth?
• Will the dust praise You?

These rhetorical questions have obvious answers, but their logic is important. And they might not even sound like the normally pious, reverent-sounding reasons we usually give. Taking them one a at a time, they can be unpacked as follows:

Question: “What profit is there in my blood?”
(Translation: Lord, what good comes from my death?)
Question explained: “If I’m being honest, I don’t see how my death profits anyone. In fact, Lord, it would seem that leaving me in my trouble puts a spot on your reputation, since I’ve told everyone how great your love is. Don’t you remember what you said to me in Romans 8:32? So, how, precisely, does your name shine admirably in my death?”

Question: “Will the dust praise you?”
(Translation: When I am buried in the ground and return to dust, how do I praise you then?)
Answer: “I don’t. Dead people can’t be heard by the living, and the living certainly won’t hear dead people praise God for a deliverance that he didn’t bring.”

Question: “Will it declare Your truth?”
Translation: Will the dust celebrate the salvation that didn’t come?
Answer: “No, the living, and not the dead, are testimonies to God’s glorious power and salvation, because in saving them they become trophies of his achievements.”
Where does this leave us?

It leaves us asking the Lord to save us for the sake of his name, and not merely for our own welfare. When we read that the Lord, our shepherd, leads us in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake, part of what that means is that he leads us in a way that will reflect well upon him, in addition to blessing us. This is what it means for God to get glory in saving sinners. He gets the glory, we get the good. And if he doesn’t save us, that’s glory that he doesn’t get.

At the risk of sounding irreverent, when was the last time you earnestly asked the Lord to do something in your life or someone else’s by reminding the Lord, like the psalmist does in Ps. 30, that his own reputation is at stake in your life? It’s sounds risky, in part because it is, but we’re not holier than God. He himself says over and over again that he does what he does for the sake of his name (he leads us in paths of righteousness, Ps. 23:3; brings us out of trouble, Ps. 143:11; restrains himself from anger, Is. 48:9; brought Israel out of Egypt, Ezek. 20:9; makes a new covenant, Ezek. 36:22). If God is seeking his own glory in answering our prayers, we should agree with him.

Rather than praying merely for your children to learn obedience, pray for your children to love his word and hate their sin, so that his reputation in them is great.
Rather than praying merely for a problem-free or solution-filled day at work, pray for solutions at work that will reflect well upon him in your life and that your faith appears well-founded to others.

Rather than praying merely for a pastor to relieve the elders of some shepherding, ask him to send a pastor so that His goodness and glory are more widely known in Spokane Valley.
Rather than praying merely for financial solutions at home, ask him for wisdom to solve your financial conundrums in such a way that his generosity, and not your ingenuity, find the spotlight.

Lord’s Day 23

WSC Q. 39. What is the duty which God requires of man?
A. The duty which God requires of man is obedience to his revealed will.

WSC Q. 40. What did God at first reveal to man for the rule of his obedience?
A. The rule which God at first revealed to man for his obedience was the moral law.

WSC Q. 41. Wherein is the moral law summarily comprehended?
A. The moral law is summarily comprehended in the Ten Commandments.

WSC Q. 42. What is the sum of the Ten Commandments?
A. The sum of the Ten Commandments is, to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, and with all our mind; and to love our neighbor as ourselves.

Lord’s Day 24

WSC Q. 43. What is the preface to the Ten Commandments?
A. The preface to the Ten Commandments is in these words, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.”

WSC Q. 44. What does the preface to the Ten Commandments teach us?
A. The preface to the Ten Commandments teaches us, that because God is the Lord, and our God, and Redeemer, therefore we are bound to keep all his commandments.

Lord’s Day 25

WSC Q. 45. Which is the first commandment?
A. The first commandment is, “You shall have no other gods before Me.”

WSC Q. 46. What is required in the first commandment?
A. The first commandment requires us to know and acknowledge God to be the only true God, and our God; and to worship and glorify him accordingly.

WSC Q. 47. What is forbidden in the first commandment?
A. The first commandment forbids the denying, or not worshiping and glorifying, the true God as God, and our God; and the giving of that worship and glory to any other, which is due to him alone.

WSC Q. 48. What are we specially taught by these words before me in the first commandment?
A. These words before me in the first commandment teach us, that God, who sees all things, takes notice of, and is much displeased with, the sin of having any other god.

Lord’s Day 26

WSC Q. 49. Which is the second commandment?
A. The second commandment is, “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.”

WSC Q. 50. What is required in the second commandment?
A. The second commandment requires the receiving, observing, and keeping pure and entire, all such religious worship and ordinances as God has appointed in his Word.

WSC Q. 51. What is forbidden in the second commandment?
A. The second commandment forbids the worshiping of God by images, or any other way not appointed in his Word.

WSC Q. 52. What are the reasons annexed to the second commandment?
A. The reasons annexed to the second commandment are, God's sovereignty over us, his propriety in us, and the zeal he has to his own worship.

Pulpit Supply
Here is a schedule of who will be filling our pulpit for the next several weeks. Please consider praying for them as they prepare to minister to us in word and prayer.

May 4: André Fowlkes
May 11: Ben Tate
May 18: Jeremiah Jasso
May 25: Kaleb Trotter

Scripture Readers
May 4: Ben Palpant, Psalm 30, Rev 5:6-14
May 11: Ben Tate, Psalm 23, John 10:11-30
May 18: Ken Trotter, Psalm 145, John 13:31-35
May 25: John Unger, Isaiah 43:8-13, Acts 14:8-18 

This month's book review is supplied by Tyson Schlect, for which we are grateful. If there is a book you have found valuable and think deserves a wider audience, and you would like to be instrumental in giving it that wider audience, please contact Ben.

The Christian Virtuosos, by Robert Boyle
by Tyson Schlect

“Credo ut intelligam.”
“I believe that I may understand.”
Anselm of Canterbury

Credulity is more natural to man than agnosticism, rendering every attempt of atheist polemics ultimately futile. Perhaps we ought to remember this when we feel we must defend belief in God (or more likely, defend a God-honoring political order). Atheists and secularists would attempt to compel all believers to prove that they are not somehow broken or devoid of reason, but in reality the burden of proof goes the other way; it is the atheist’s responsibility to prove that he is not broken in the head (and the secularist’s responsibility to prove that he has a head at all).

What does it mean, however, to suggest that credulity is natural to man? In the late 17th and early 18th centuries, orthodox Christians found themselves arguing in favor of something they called “natural religion” as a way of counteracting an emerging trend of deism and atheism which was arising, in part, from investigations in the new science (Newton, Descartes, Bacon). American reverend Ebenezer Gay referred to it in his 1759 Dudleian lecture at Harvard College: “Religion is divided into natural and revealed: Revealed Religion, is that which God hath made known to Men by the immediate Inspiration of his Spirit, the Declarations of his Mouth, and Instructions of his Prophets: Natural, that which bare Reason discovers and dictates: As ’tis delineated by the masterly Hand of St. Paul, the Apostle of the Gentiles, in the Words of holy Scripture.” ¹ Belief in God, for Gay and others like him, was not a blind commitment to arbitrary truth, but a necessary demonstration of human reason, commensurate with the end (or purpose) of man. Atheism and secularism are unnatural and unreasonable, in other words.

Dr. Mitch Stokes articulates a similar principle regarding natural belief-forming faculties, arguing that a natural willingness to believe something based on testimony (what he defines as faith) is the default, rational setting for human beings. “Credulity is a type of belief-forming mechanism, like sense perception, reason, and memory, so we can add it to our list of cognitive faculties. And, using our definition of rationality, we are rational in believing testimony insofar as our credulity mechanism is functioning properly in the appropriate environment.” ²

In his work entitled The Christian Virtuoso, the great Anglo-Irish chemist Robert Boyle ³ took the argument a step further, claiming that pursuing Experimental Philosophy (the new science) uniquely advantages one in becoming a better Christian, precisely because experimental philosophy encourages a proper functioning of the credulity mechanism. Boyle, in recalling an observation from Sir Francis Bacon, noted that, “God never performed miracles to convince atheists because He has already provided sufficient evidence of His existence and power in His visible works, if only they are not lacking in themselves.” In other words, a practitioner of experimental philosophy who does not recognize the power of God in His visible works lacks something. Broken in the head. A locked groove on your favorite jazz vinyl. Credulity mechanism not properly functioning.

A faithful Christian does not lack in this way, but adequately and rightly discerns God’s invisible attributes according to proper reason. Boyle says, “Experimental philosophy, by providing us with a clearer revelation of the divine excellences manifested in the structure and operation of the universe and its constituent creatures than those who are unfamiliar with it possess, greatly disposes [prevents] the mind to attribute such remarkable effects to a cause as inadequate and pitiful as blind chance or the chaotic collisions of atomical portions of insentient matter. Instead, it directs the mind directly towards the acknowledgement and adoration of a most intelligent, powerful, and benevolent Author, to whom these excellent productions may most fittingly be ascribed.” Thus, in Boyle’s estimation, rigorous engagement with experimental science makes firm the reasonable ground upholding initial principles of natural religion (God’s existence and key attributes), which are prerequisites for revealed religion in general. Boyle continues in another place: “If any of the practitioners of real philosophy ⁴ pervert it to support atheism, it is undoubtedly the fault of the individuals themselves, not the doctrine, which should be judged based on its inherent tendencies rather than the improper application some wicked people may make of it.”

Boyle proceeds to form a clever argument that commitment to experimental science leads one to reasonably believe in an immortal soul, whereas contemporary Aristotelian philosophy and traditional arguments about substance and nature had left the door open to materialistic assumptions about the human soul (that it also dies). Experimental science, in engaging with abstract objects such as geometric shapes, incomprehensible lines (meaning infinitely thin), and irrational numbers, reveals that the rational soul is a being of higher order than irrational bodies (animals). Boyle contrasts this with contemporary Aristotelian philosophy which claimed that the substantial form of the soul was tied inextricably with matter, such that human rational faculties differ only slightly (and only by degree) from animals like apes and elephants. Further, in Aristotelian philosophy, the rational faculties are “educated” out of the potentiality of matter and therefore die when the matter dies, thereby opening the door to atheistic arguments challenging the soul’s immortality. This argument should be a caution for us in the context of revitalized interest in Aristotle during our own day, and should appropriately temper our criticisms of the scientific revolution.

Boyle then returns to his defence of orthodox Christian belief by developing two key propositions, which if true, counter any notion that scientific rigor requires materialistic assumptions (and in fact, scientific rigor requires belief in natural religion).

In the first proposition, Boyle asserts that “We should believe various things based on the information provided by experience (whether immediate or indirect) that, without such information, we would deem unfit to believe or, prior to it, actually judge contrary to reason.” The key idea here is Boyle’s expansion of experience to vicarious sources (recall Stokes’ definition of faith - to believe something based on testimony). Experience is expansive in Boyle’s mind, and should be in ours. Consider that the virgin birth and the resurrection of Christ, key elements of the Christian creed, might seem initially contrary to reason. Nonetheless, Christians believe in the resurrection because of experience, albeit vicarious experience. The Apostle John declares: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.” Boyle points out that such belief is the same as believing in certain scientific principles based on experience, and equally valid.

In the second proposition, Boyle hammers home the point, saying that, “We should attach significant and specific importance to those things that are supported by our belief through experiences that have been substantiated as real, even if they fall outside the realm of the natural.” Here, Boyle treads on holy ground. The debate in the sciences is always about what counts as science and what doesn’t, and the tacit assumption is that only naturalistic explanations count as science. One may agree or disagree with that boundary for science; but Boyle sidesteps the question, pointing out that to expose one’s beliefs to the tribunal of experience, as a scientist ought to do, must lead one to adopt truths that are real, even if they are not naturalistic. Being a Christian virtuoso (experimental philosopher) necessarily obligates one to accept truth based on experience, whether or not that truth is material. To deny immaterial truth in the face of experience (including the experience arising from the testimony of trustworthy witnesses) is to lack sound reason.

And thus we confess, with the Westminster Divines: “There is but one only, living, and true God, who is infinite in being and perfection, a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions.”

Footnotes:
1: In reference to Romans 2:14-15. “Natural Religion as Distinguished from Revealed.” Dudlian Lecture at Harvard College, May 9th, 1759. Re-published by American Reformer: https://americanreformer.org/2024/09/natural-religion-as-distinguished-from-revealed/
2: A Shot of Faith to the Head, by Mitch Stokes, page 33. Thomas Nelson, 2012.
3: Namesake of Boyle’s Law: P1*V1 = P2*V2
4: Experimental Philosophy, also known as New, Cartesian, Real, Atomic, or Mechanical Philosophy.

Psalm 145:1-5

Lord, I cry out to You;
Make haste to me!
Give ear to my voice when I cry out to You.
Let my prayer be set before You as incense,
The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;
Keep watch over the door of my lips.
Do not incline my heart to any evil thing,
To practice wicked works
With men who work iniquity;
And do not let me eat of their delicacies.

Let the righteous strike me;
It shall be a kindness.
And let him rebuke me;
It shall be as excellent oil;
Let my head not refuse it.

~  King David

Believe it or not, 25% of '25 is behind us! Whammo! Just like that! As they say, "Time's fun when you're having flies!" and with Spring upon us, those flies should be just around the corner :). In the mean time, we hope this month's (shall we say healthy? substantive? long-ish?) newsletter provides you with information, motivation, clarification, and explanation of all things April as they relate to our church family. Included in this edition is a summary of the Spring 2025 Knox Presbytery meeting, a graphic invitation to this month's Psalm Roar, this month's book review, and a report on Presbytery, along with dates and times of various and sundry gatherings. Blessings on your reading, planning, and execution!

A while back (almost a year ago) we were introduced to a thought-provoking title for men in general, and husbands and fathers in particular: Chief Hope Officer (CHO). Unlike most C?Os, the goal of a CHO is not to organize, schedule, and otherwise manage other people’s hope, but rather to be the primary human agent of strategically fueling, sustaining, and directing the hope of those entrusted to their care. Married or not, children or not, men are called to tether and buoy the hope within their homes and in their communities. Positively, there are ways to buoy hope: lots of smiles, spontaneous handshakes and appropriate hugs, acknowledging kindness, or going “the extra mile” to anticipate ways of blessing others. Alternatively, there are ways to tether hope so that it does not break free and drift off out of reach. One of the best ways to do this is to be a spiritual, emotional, and mental “shock absorber.”
Homes, lives, and communities are impacted every day by those within them, or others outside, that would threaten the joy. The disobedience of a child that can erode a parent’s hope they will mature; chronic physical pain that can eat away at the hope of wellness; a failure at work that destroys other’s confidence in you; someone else’s short-sighted comment that can turn one’s mood upside down. Whatever the occasion, these words or actions of others “hit” the home, and its impact will either be distributed throughout the home or absorbed by those who lead it.
In his book on leadership, Joe Rigney writes, “Sober-minded leaders have stamina and endurance, because they are able to retain a healthy emotional distance while remaining connected to those in their care. Rather than channeling the reactive passions in the [home], they are shock absorbers who know that crises often cannot be fixed, but instead must be endured.” We might call this kind of leadership, “weathering the storm with confident joy.”
Notice that the effective leader is not merely distant or removed from the situation, running away to avoid the figurative shrapnel that may be flying every which way. These kind of leaders simply avoid the trauma of the situation as it finds other targets (and thus usually spreads). Nor is the effective leader involved in such a way that he actually spreads the trauma. These kind of leaders, rather than leading, actually become contagious with the dis-ease of the moment, communicating it to others just as effectively as those entrusted to his care.
Instead, the Chief Hope Officer will neither ignore, nor identify with, the trauma or crisis that his people are experiencing. Like Christ, he will take upon himself as much of the impact as he can, absorbing it’s traumatic effects, distributing as little of it as possible, reminding those of his home that God in Christ works all things together for our good. Period. He will, by the grace of God, weather the storm with calm and deliberate joy because he knows the end of the story, and the welfare of those under his care depends upon it.

The “how to” question has been largely addressed already above. Perhaps a bigger, more lurking question, is, “How do I know I’ll succeed in giving and sustaining hope to others?” The answer, happily, has nothing to do with you, and it’s something like this: “You will succeed because the joy of which you are a conduit is not your joy, it’s the Lord’s. And the power by which you are communicating God’s joy is not your power but his. And it’s worth mentioning that when he chose to use you, the Lord knew that he was choosing a leaky, weak, and deficient conduit.”
Many might hear their call to be the Chief Hope Officer with slumped shoulders or discouragement, either due to failed attempts in the past or the sheer weight of the responsibility. Without denying either of those real temptations to despair, we might instead look to the omnipotent promises and indomitable joy of the Lord and remember Augustine’s prayer, “Command what you will, and grant what you command.” If God calls men to stoke the hope of their homes and surroundings, then let men look to God for their own hope. And in the meantime, actively depend on the Spirit for those gifts that both encourage and protect hope: self-control with words, initiating kind and generous deeds, anticipating others’ needs, or even surprising them with true compliments. Anticipate those situations when hope is most fragile, and strategize (Heb. 10:24-25) ways to shore it up.
And don’t forget that the call to hope is built on nothing less than the blood of Jesus and his righteousness. Which is why neither our hope nor our efforts to bring others into it can or will fail!

Lord’s Day 19

WSC Q. 32. What benefits do they that are effectually called partake of in this life?
A. They that are effectually called do in this life partake of justification, adoption, and sanctification, and the several benefits which in this life do either accompany or flow from them.

WSC Q. 33. What is justification?
A. Justification is an act of God's free grace, wherein he pardons all our sins, and accepts us as righteous in his sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone.

Lord’s Day 20

WSC Q. 34. What is adoption?
A. Adoption is an act of God's free grace, whereby we are received into the number, and have a right to all the privileges, of the sons of God.

WSC Q. 35. What is sanctification?
A. Sanctification is the work of God's free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.

Lord’s Day 21

WSC Q. 36. What are the benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification?
A. The benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification, are, assurance of God's love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, increase of grace, and perseverance therein to the end.

Lord’s Day 22

WSC Q. 37. What benefits do believers receive from Christ at death?
A. The souls of believers are at their death made perfect in holiness, and do immediately pass into glory; and their bodies, being still united in Christ, do rest in their graves, till the resurrection.

WSC Q. 38. What benefits do believers receive from Christ at the resurrection?
A. At the resurrection, believers, being raised up in glory, shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the day of judgment, and made perfectly blessed in the full enjoying of God to all eternity.

Path of Life Conference
This past March 14-15 we hosted the Path of Life "Go and Tell" conference which featured guest speakers Nancy Pearcey, Geoff Swnidler, and Garry Ingraham. In partnership with The Oaks, we were able to provide abundant and beautiful space for the community to come hear about important issues related to life and sexuality and how to think biblically about them. Many folks commented on how much they appreciated the space, the food we (King's Church) provided, and the overall hospitality they received. Praise God for this important step in partnering with Path of Life Ministries for the good of Spokane!

Emails, Calendars, and Contacts, Oh My!
As our congregation grows, so do our communication and planning needs. In an effort to make information more accessible, usable, and clear, the elders have given the "go ahead" on a plan to transition away from Mailchimp and Breeze toward a Subsplash platform. Our hope is to streamline the communication process and enable better access to information for the congregation. More details to come, so keep an eye open for them...

Knox Presbytery Report Spring 2025
As you may recall, our congregation belongs to the NW region of the CREC known as Knox Presbytery, and every Spring and Fall representatives from all/most of those congregations gather at "presbytery". I was gladly able to attend yet again this past Wednesday, March 26, and Ken and I wanted to give you a brief but meaningful summary of the goings-on.

Ordination Exam: Zach Wilke
First, one of our own visiting preachers, Zach Wilke, was up for his ordination exam, and he passed with flying colors. The oral exam took nearly 2 hours and it was a delightful time. At him were thrown such questions as,

• “How would you describe your home and family?”
• “What is meant by divine simplicity and how do believers benefit from it?”
• “Can you give a summary and outline of Exodus? Daniel? 2 Chronicles? and Romans?”
• “How do you defend from Scripture the filioque clause? The definition of ‘sacrament’ as we understand it?”
• “How would you respond to a new family that recently acquired an infant by means of surrogacy?”

Holy Covenant Particularizes!
At just about each meeting, some congregation or other becomes a full member (i.e. "particularizes") of the CREC. It was a joy to witness the particularization of Holy Covenant, our neighbors to the north, at this Spring's meeting. They are in the midst of assisting a smaller church in the Sandpoint area make steps to join the CREC, and this change in status from "mission church" to "particularized" enables them to do that work more effectively.

Presiding Minister's (PM) Report
Inquiring into the health and wellbeing of the Knox congregations is part of the PM's job, and Toby Sumpter brought to our attention a constitutionally problematic issue for Knox to address/resolve. The issue stems from appeals made within the denomination after rulings or findings have been rendered. In 2017, CC Moscow was issued a report by the then-PM, Virgil Hurt, composed by the then-current PMs of each presbytery (7 of them). CCM took exception to Part 2 of the report, but gratefully received Part 1, and clarified that if an appeal were made in the future, CCM would not comply, thus being in violation of their denominational vows. CCM offered to leave the CREC to resolve the issue of conscience, and upon further discussion with CCM, the PM of the CREC and PM of Knox recommended CCM to not leave the CREC, and the matter has remained unresolved. That tension/violation remains, and a committee was thus formed with the express purpose of wordsmithing a request of Council in 2026 regarding the rescinding/removal/amending of the Report in keeping with the original request.

Empathy Lecture, Joe Rigney
In the afternoon, Dr. Rigney gave a lecture, largely based on content from his recent book, The Sin of Empathy, and opened it up for discussion. Major points were noting the ways in which our society in general as conflated the qualities of empathy/sympathy, and used compassion as a tool of manipulation, particularly within the Church. It was noted that proper use of compassion accomplishes the good of those who are hurting, and often at cost to those who are exercising that compassion. Too many examples exist today of those compelling others to be compassionate under threat of punishment of some kind or other. To be the one whose truth-telling or questions expose an existing problem is not always the same as causing the problem. The book can be found on Canon+ here: https://canonplus.com/tabs/discover/audiobooks/40866

Memorials: "On the Nations" and "Sacramental Cooperation"
Two memorials were discussed, one already adopted at Council 2026 and one related to membership and communion that the denomination is still working through at the presbytery level throughout the CREC. The memorial titled "On the Nations" that was adopted in 2023 has since come under reconsideration as one that could be worded more effectively, precisely, and clearly. A proposal was offered and discussed, and will continue to be crafted and considered in the Fall for submission in 2026. The other memorial was on accepting the membership status cross-congregationally when some CREC churches are credo-communion and others are paedo-communion. The proposed resolution was to not draw a hard line of enforcing a rule but to state what we, as CREC churches "ordinarily" do when it comes to administering communion (to baptized children or not). The distinction between signaling what our denominational preference is and requiring churches to do this or that was made, and the former was favored. Further work will be dong on wording and considered in the Fall, 2025.


Pulpit Supply
Here is a schedule of who will be filling our pulpit for the next several weeks. Please consider praying for them as they prepare to minister to us in word and prayer.

April 6: Samuel Davidson
April 13: Jeremiah Jasso
April 20: Kaleb Trotter
April 27: Chase Fluhart

Scripture Readers
April 6: Ken Trotter, Isaiah 43:16-21, Phil 3:8-14
April 13: Tim Ansett, Zech 9:1-10, John 12:12-19
April 20: Warren Lewis, Isaiah 55:1-13, Mark 16:1-18
April 27: Merrill Miller, Psalm 148, Acts 3:11-26 

This month's book review is supplied by Ben Tate, for which we are grateful. We would be even more grateful for others' reviews in the future :). If there is a book you have found valuable and think needs a wider audience, and you would like to be instrumental in giving it that wider audience, please contact Ben.
 
Digging for Diamonds: 8 Errors Parents Make, and How to Avoid Them, by Michael Brock
by Ben Tate
Intro
Within the world of non-fiction, some books are one long sustained argument toward a thesis or conclusion. Others are broken up into smaller sections, sometimes forming their own independent point that also supports an overall point. Yet other books are pretty much a smattering of thoughts grouped together by topic and organized as such. 8 Errors is this last kind of book, and this is no criticism. There is a time for everything, the Preacher said, and that includes soundbites and bumper stickers.
So, if you’re looking for meticulously arranged theological premises all working toward a particular orthodox conclusion, you’ll need to look elsewhere. But if you want sharp, clear, concise, unfettered comment on how to mess up parenting :), then you’ve come to the right place. It’s worth noting that even though the title has in view the errors of parenting, there’s a good bit of success discussed, and all of it in clear, helpful, practical terms. In fact, the errors portion is really just a page or two, followed by a half dozen (or more) sections outlining “a better way.”
The errors are simple enough, and listed here:

• Shifting Blame
• Low Expectations
• A Child-Centered Home
• Failing to Discipline
• Reasoning with Your Toddler
• Neglecting Your Grade-Schooler
• Disrespecting Your Teenager
• Missing Christ

Three things to note about this book that are helpful.
First, it really is quite accessible and easy to read (or listen to here at Canon+: https://canonplus.com/tabs/search/audiobooks/33585). There is no real “on ramp,” nor need for a detailed introduction, just a quick jump in the water and off you go! For this reason, it makes for easy listening in the car on short little errands or back and forth to work or school. In fact, try listening with your kids eavesdropping for a few minutes and see if they don’t have questions, or even thoughts, about what is said. Because most things the author states are without qualification, it makes for an almost provocative read, especially with young ears that are trying to grow up.
Second, the errors that Brock points out are common, and so are the remedies. It’s not “new” information, but it is a refreshingly straightforward treatment of familiar territory, and so is very helpful way to review what you might have believed about parenting (but have fallen short on implementing and not realized it).
Third, there are so many ways described by which to encourage your children (or others’ children) that, although the title sounds like a bit of a rebuke, it reads like a shot in the arm. Yes, there is instruction to “take no lip,” and the reminder that “slow obedience is disobedience,” but also littered throughout are reminders that children can (and do) get exasperated and therefore need (and thrive under) affirmation, affection, demonstrations of sacrifice, and many other ways parents can die to themselves for their kids’ wellbeing.
I’ll spare you quotations, since the book is full of them, but know that each chapter is made up of 10 or so sections describing how to avoid the errors mentioned and how to pursue the kind of parenting that, by the grace of God, secures the affection and loyalty of your kids. It’s worth the read and one that is not hard to get through, even plodding through 2 minutes at a time.
If you are looking for an accessible, clear, truthful, and motivating book on how to relate to your children fruitfully, and with joyful courage, pick it up (or listen). You’ll still make the errors, but at least you’ll see them for what they are sooner rather than later, and you’ll gain some ideas for how to course-correct, or even some encouragement for a few things you’re doing well already.

O God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, pour down the Holy Spirit upon our country. Revive Thy work amongst us. Increase true religion in the land, and especially in our own parish. Touch the hearts of the careless, the thoughtless, and the unbelieving. Show them their sin, their guilt, and their danger. Stir them up to think, and grant them repentance. May thousands this year seek Christ, believe, and be saved. Arouse the hearts of all true Christians. Fill them with true zeal for Thy glory, and for the spread of the Gospel. May they be more holy, more charitable, and more diligent in trying to do good. May they pray much and often.
Pour down the Holy Spirit upon me. Let me not be deceived about the state of my own soul. If I am not yet converted, convert me without delay. Create in me a new heart. Show me what I am. Show me what Thou art. Show me Christ. Teach me to pray. Let me not die in my sins. If I am converted, give me more grace. Lead me on. Build me up. Stablish me. Strengthen me. Perfect me. Increase my faith, and hope, and love. Grant that I may grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Pour down the Holy Spirit upon all ministers of the Gospel. Make them more zealous and more faithful. May Christ be preached this year more fully, freely, and affectionately, than He has ever been yet preached in our country.
Pour down the Holy Spirit upon all congregations. May there be more life, earnestness, and fervor in all our religious assemblies. May hearers of the Gospel this year always meet together really desiring a blessing, and always go home to pray.
Pour down the Holy Spirit upon all ranks and classes – upon the rich and upon the poor, upon the old and upon the young. May there be less Sabbath-breaking, and drunkenness, and worldliness, and covetousness, and pride, and formality, and self­-righteousness in the land this year. May there be more thinking, praying, Bible reading, holy living, and diligence in the use of means of grace. May we all feel more deeply the value of our own souls, and care more for the souls of others.
Gracious Lord, deal not with us according to our sins. We confess with shame that we are a sinful, proud, ungrateful nation. But spare us according to Thy mercy. Pour down the Holy Spirit upon us. Revive Thy work and make us a nation fearing God and working righteousness. We ask all for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.

~  J.C. Ryle, 18th century