ON THIS CHURCH FOUNDATION I BUILT MY LIFE

Bethany Covenant Church of Mount Vernon recently turned 100. As a nearly-lifelong attender of BCC I was on the committee that planned the centennial celebration October 23-24. I guess that makes me an old guy.

We began meeting in April, and one of the things I wanted to do was profile in a video two or three people in the church for each of the 10 decades on consecutive Sundays leading up to the 100th anniversary. Decade No. 1 (1921-1931) highlighted two charter members: John Lund, my grandfather, and Nels Elde, my great grandfather. Also among the 16 charter members was my grandpa’s first wife, Olga. They were joined by my grandpa’s brother, Axel Lund, and his wife, Emily. All four were Swedish immigrants. Olga passed away just one year after our church was formed. In 1923 my grandpa married Elizabeth Elde – known to most as “Lizzie” – who was Nels and Christina’s daughter.

I have such fond memories of my grandparents. Grandpa was a storyteller, had a playful sense of humor, had a nickname for just about everyone – mine was “Rickochet,” my brother “Johnny Cake” – and was a faithful follower of Jesus Christ. All the old-timers at Bethany have a story about my grandpa. He’s one of those special people everyone gravitated to. I was only 12 when he passed away. But I can say without hesitation he’s one of the more influential people in my life. My Grandma Lizzie was also faithful, was liked by everyone, had the gift of hospitality and was leader among the women at Bethany. When our oldest daughter, Krista, was born, we gave her the middle name “Elizabeth” in honor of my grandmother.

Here’s the link to the decade video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeFSRCO2eac

When Bethany turned 50 and 75, the church had compiled historical timelines as a part of commemorative anniversary booklets. As we drew closer to the 100th anniversary, it was apparent no one had updated the timeline since the 75th, in 1996. I was able to do that, with help from former and current staff. Previous timelines were text only. Being a visual journalist, I envisioned a timeline illustrated with photos and graphics. Here’s the first three pages of the 12-page booklet.

Bethany Covenant had its own live, weekly radio show on KRBC of Mount Vernon. On Saturday night, October 23, we re-inacted what that old-time radio show that began in 1947 would have looked like. The DJ for in this case, “KBCC,” was Bethany’s own Don Wick, who for many years was the voice of KBRC. The emcee for the evening was Steve Elde, my second cousin and one who also grew up in the church.

Recently-retired Covenant pastor Don Robinson, who began attending BCC in high school, was the evening’s keynote speaker. The theme for his sermon was “Looking Unto Jesus.” Longtime Bethany Covenanters will also remember those words were mounted on the wall behind the choir loft. These words from the Apostle Paul call us to look back at where we have come from, where we are, and a look ahead to where we are going.

Don’s prefaced his remarks with a story from 1975, a seminal moment in both of our lives. But first, some background.

Don and I were college students at Western Washington University and considering a call to the ministry. Carl Main was Bethany’s pastor at the time. He invested a considerable amount of time in us. Carl was a kind, unassuming man. He met with us on Friday afternoons to go over the order of the Sunday morning service, and gave us opportunities to participate in those worship services. That usually meant giving announcements, or reading scripture. Each of us also were given opportunities to deliver a message for a Sunday evening service. Don was a year away from beginning studies at North Park Theological Seminary. I would return to North Park College for my senior year the following year as well, but unsure what I was going to do with the rest of my life.

Back to Don’s intro to his sermon. Don and I were in charge of that Sunday evening service in 1975. If memory serves me right, Don also was the “keynote speaker” that evening. We ended the service with a silly rendition of the song “Royal Telephone” that was choreographed by Steve Elde. The lyrics went like this:

Telephone to glory, oh what a joy divine!
I can feel the current moving on the line.
‘Made by God the Father for His very own,
You may talk to Jesus on this royal telephone.

As Don correctly stated, as soon as we finished the song, Willard Hansen rose from his pew, came up to the front and proclaimed: “Boys, we’re on holy ground here!” At that moment, Don and I feared the worst, thinking we were actually “on shaky ground.” Willard, probably in his 50s at the time, was a longtime leader in the church. He was a good man with firm convictions. But he was also a man who wouldn’t put up with any nonsense. He often said what was on his mind.

What happened next would be a defining moment in each of our lives. Instead of admonishing us, Willard asked for several in the church to come forward, lay hands on us, and pray a prayer of blessing. Don would go on to become an effective pastor and associate superintendent of the Pacific Northwest Conference of Covenant churches. I was probably more infatuated with the idea of being a pastor than of being a pastor. In the end, I didn’t sense God was leading me into ministry, and rightly so. Instead, I pursued a career in journalism.

For many years I felt like Don “passed the test” on that struggle with the call to ministry, and I didn’t. But as Don reflected on that Sunday evening so very long ago at our church’s 100th anniversary, I looked back on that experience through a new lens. I was also the beneficiary of a prayer of blessing.
I was dating Vicki long-distance at that time. I was hopeful but not completely confident things were going to work out. Less than two years later, we were married. Truth be told, I am blessed beyond measure. We have three grown, beautiful daughters, three wonderful sons-in-law and seven grandchildren. I just retired from a satisfying career in journalism that led me to experiences and achievements I never dreamed possible. I am blessed with good friends, and continue to serve and be blessed at the same church that in large part shaped my life.

Blessed indeed.