July 8, 2020

“I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
Genesis 12:3 NIV

Fear is something we all live with at one level or another. Pixar made bundles of money with “Monsters Inc” – essentially exposing how fear starts young in our lives and continues into adulthood. Far more significant and relative to the present series about “Love Thy Neighbor” (or as we write up in Canada “Neighbour”) is the reality of fear impacting our ability to love those we don’t understand. Christian theologian, Miraslov Volf, has popularized the term “the other” to refer to those who may be enemies or those unlike us and not understood.

True confession, I have a fear of heights. Odd because flying doesn’t bother me at all! Bottom line, I will never face that fear to, say, bungie jump or ride in a hot air balloon. On the other hand, every time I go to Masada in Israel, I get on that cable car and take the trip up to the top because it is important to the “neighbours” I have brought to explore the Holy Land. Loving our neighbor is like going to Masada, not bungie jumping off a 400-foot bridge or tower! Our call as followers of Jesus is to face the fear because it is significant and important that we love others.

By way of reminder, John 3:16 doesn’t read “For God so loved the WORLD (with the exception of these people and these places that will now be inserted into the text to make you feel better!)” In fact, that is exactly what Jesus continually fought about with some of the religious leaders of the day; their superiority and exclusive attitudes toward others. Way back in the book of Genesis we have the heart of God evidenced when He makes a promise to Abraham that he would be a great nation. The last bit of Genesis 12:3 is often forgotten “… through you ALL PEOPLE will be blessed.”

So how can we head down this road of reaching out to the “other” in our midst and in our world:

Introduce yourself and listen. Sounds kind of elementary but it works. During Ramadan, Darlene went up to one of the Muslim women and asked, “What are your childhood memories of celebrating Ramadan.” By the time the woman had finished there were two other women and one young man all eagerly sharing memories.(Don’t keep them so long they get fired for failing to work, that would be very un-neighborly.)
Try a food type you don’t normally eat. Culture is so important to understanding the other and food is a huge part of all cultures. This would be best in a small family run restaurant as opposed to a food-court.
Read international news sources. This is a great way to hear what our global neighbors are thinking. It is often fascinating to see how someone half-way around the world reports on our issues but far more important is how they cover global issues. Most US news sources have very little on global news; it has to really be major. Here are some links to news sites that are all in English: BBC (British/Public), Jerusalem Post (Israeli/Private), Al Jazeera (Qatari Public). All have their bias just like domestic sources have a bias (have you checked out the way CNN and FOX will report on the same thing in a different way). For instance, Qatar and Saudi Arabia are not the best of buds, so articles about the Saudis and their friends will be more negative. At the same time each of these covers far more world news than we will find in our domestic sources.

Give it a try! It may seem like Green Eggs and Ham at the start but in the end, you may love it.

Jeff

It’s official!
We are moving and we need your help. Click HERE to see our current needs and sign up to give us a hand. To keep the number of people present at one time low, we are keeping the group sizes small and limiting helpers to adults only. If you have any questions, please contact Chrystine at Chrystine@restorationcov.org. More information about our move decision, including a video tour, can be found on our website HERE.

AmazonSmile App
AmazonSmile customers can now support Restoration Covenant Church in the Amazon shopping app on iOS and Android mobile phones. Simply follow these instructions to turn on AmazonSmile and start generating donations.

Open the Amazon Shopping app on your device
Go into the main menu of the Amazon Shopping app and tap into ‘Settings’
Tap ‘AmazonSmile’ and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process

If you do not have the latest version of the Amazon Shopping app, update your app. Click HERE for instructions.

Small Groups Meeting Online via Zoom
In these unprecedented times, it’s more important than ever to have face time with friends and family – even if it’s virtual. We recognize the huge value in this opportunity to stay connected and some of our small groups have formed online zoom chats to stay connected:

Men’s Group – Every Saturday morning at 7am – led by Chad White
Prayer Group – Every Tuesday 7-9pm – led by Mary Beshara and Michael Nybakken
Adultish? Group – Friday evenings – led by Daniel Morgenstern

These groups are all easy to join. Please reach out to DanielMorgenstern@restorationcov.org to get connected to these zoom chats or to find the group that fits best.

You are invited to Family Game Night! – July 20
We want to stay connected and have fun through these times, so every other Monday from 7:30pm-8:30pm we will be gathering through Zoom to play some fun party games together! No installation or purchase required. Anyone age 12+ can join the game via computer, phone, or any other device that can browse the internet. If you’re interested and would like to know more, please contact Matthew at: matthewgoerdt@restorationcov.org

Sunday Coffee Time
Are you missing after service chats by the coffee cart? Join us after the message Sunday on a zoom call for our virtual coffee meeting; we’ll bring the company you bring the coffee. We will break up into groups of 3-4 callers to give you a chance to chat and check in on folks you might not have connected with otherwise. Use this link to join. A link will also be posted in the Facebook chat at the end of the service on Sunday.

Online Giving
There’s no time like the present to set up online giving. Because our regularly scheduled worship service will be online for the next few weeks, online tithing is a way to remain faithful in your giving even in the most uncertain of times. Decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves a person who gives cheerfully. And God will generously provide all you need. We encourage you to consider giving online so that your giving is regular and easy to manage – it’s easy to sign up HERE.

Pray or Receive Prayer
Now more than ever, people are turning toward prayer or are in desperate need of prayer. We have an amazingly gifted prayer team you can depend on for prayer. They’re always looking for other prayer warriors if you want to join or if you need prayer for any situation, you can contact them. We believe in the power of prayer and know that God is listening. We would love to pray for you. If you’re interested in joining the prayer team or have any prayer requests, send them to our prayer team at prayer@restorationcov.org

RESTORATION KIDS

Contact: ChrystineVilhauer@restorationcov.org

Play & Pray – July 22
Looking to get out of the house and connect with other parents and kids this summer? We are bringing back Play and Pray! Bring a chair or blanket so we can sit at a safe distance while we talk about the things going on in our lives and share prayer requests. For July, we will be meeting at Apple Grove Park (by the fire station at CR42 and Hayes) on Wednesday, July 22 at 9am.

What We’re Learning in July

Preschoolers

June and July are all about what we can spy with our little eyes. Get ready for I Spy! It’s a great theme that helps us see the things that help us believe in Jesus. I Spy. It is all about the eyes. We are helping preschoolers see so they can believe in Jesus. We will have one key question and bottom line for June and July. We don’t think we can say these too much. They are that good. Get ready to ask, “who can believe in Jesus” and respond with, “I can believe in Jesus,” over and over again. Our hope is that your preschoolers will have the truth that they can believe in Jesus with them forever.

“These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God.” John 20:31

Elementary

This summer, our focus is going to be on faith. God has always been involved in the world He created. We see His handiwork on display in creation. We see God’s love on display through Jesus, who came to rescue us. We respond to God in faith, believing in what we can’t see because of what we can see. When we focus on what we know to be true about God and the world God created, we can have faith in what we can’t see or fully understand.

“God’s grace has saved you because of your faith in Christ. Your salvation doesn’t come from anything you do. It is God’s gift.” Ephesian 2:8 NIrV

RESTORATION STUDENTS

Contact: DanielMorgenstern@restorationcov.org

Students Hiking Event – July 15
Did you know that Lebanon Hills has over 20 miles of hiking trails? We aren’t going to hike all of them (your feet would fall off) but we have a great part picked out to explore. Students and incoming 6th graders join us for a gorgeous walk and nature spotting at 6pm on Wednesday, July 15 at Jensen Lake, 1398 Carriage Hills Dr, Eagan. Wear comfortable clothes, a mask, comfy walking/hiking shoes, and maybe a backpack. Bring a water bottle, bug spray, and sunscreen if you burn easily. There is plenty of room for company out on the trail, so definitely bring a friend.

Restoration Students Update
Restoration Student Ministry is now officially in Summer! What does this mean? Well first off, Student Gathering on Wednesdays, online or otherwise, is done until the beginning of the next school year. Don’t worry though, Student Ministry isn’t done. Three small groups are available to our students during the summer, a High School Girls Group meeting on Tuesdays, led by Janice Svaren, a Middle School Girls Group meeting on Fridays, led by Lliane Blons, and a Student Boys Group meeting on Sundays, led by Michael Sorenson. Student Ministry is also excited to start putting the wonderful weather to use with outdoor events open to all current students and incoming 6th graders. For further details on the groups or outdoor events please contact Daniel Morgenstern at danielmorgenstern@restorationcov.org.