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My Name is I Am

by Vicar Lisa Rygiel

In the poem “My Name Is I Am,” by Helen Mallicoat, the author wisely points out that God does not live in the past, nor in the future, but is right now with us, saying, “My name is not I WAS… My name is not I WILL BE.”

Similarly, in our upcoming reading from Isaiah we hear, “Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” (43:18-19).

We don’t always recognize the new thing because we’re placing ourselves in the past or in our future worries. However, as Mallicoat and Isaiah point out, God is here with us in the now, doing a new thing.

I AM

I was regretting the past
And fearing the future.
Suddenly my Lord was speaking:

“My name is I Am.” He paused.
I waited. He continued,
When you live in the past
With its mistakes and regrets,
It is hard. I am not there,
My name is not I WAS”.

When you live in the future
With its problems and fears,
It is hard. I am not there.
My name is not I WILL BE.

When you live in this moment,
It is not hard. I am here.
My name is I AM.

May you be comforted by Helen's words that God is always present with you.

April 6 -- 10 a.m. Sunday Worship with Communion

Announcements

Flowers: During the six Sundays of Lent, simplicity is the order of the day. During Lent we use only green foliage to reflect the Lenten season of austerity and simple reflection.

  • Fellowship Time: Join us after worship in the Fellowship Hall for our first Sunday potluck. All are welcome.
  • Sunday Study: The Rev. Dr. Janet Everhart is leading a discussion of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s book, “Life Together”. The study will continue at noon on Sundays April 6 and 13 in the Fellowship Hall. A soup lunch will accompany the study.
  • Bible Study: Study resumes at 1 p.m. on Thursday, April 3, and again at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 5,then continuing for six weeks (until May 10), The studies explore Biblical allusions in everyday life. The same themes will be explored on both Thursdays and Saturdays, so participants have the option to attend either session, or both. The Rev. Dr. Becky McNeil will lead us in our inquiries. Bring a Bible and your curiosity.
  • Children’s Choir: The Trinidad Music Association (TMA) children’s choir (ages 8-12) practice is at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 6, in the Fellowship Hall. 
  • April Newsletter: Zion’s April newsletters were sent via email on Tuesday, printed copies are available in the sanctuary and Fellowship Hall, as well as on the Zion’s Website at zionsluth.org.
  • Lenten Soup Suppers: Our Lenten Soup Suppers continue at 6 p.m. each Wednesday in Lent. Join us tonight, April 2, in the Fellowship Hall for food, fellowship, and a brief Lenten study. Sign-up sheets to provide food (soup, bread, dessert) are in the Fellowship Hall.
  • Save the Date: Join us at 9 a.m. on April 12 for Spring Cleaning inside the Fellowship Hall and Sanctuary.
  • New Members: Traditionally at Zion’s, Easter Sunday is one of the times during the year when we welcome new members. If you would like to join that day, please contact Vicar Lisa. If Easter Sunday does not fit your schedule, let Lisa know that too so she can work with you to pick another Sunday to join.

E-formation – Fifth Sunday of Lent, April 6, 2025

Today’s readings resound with expectation of Easter: God is coming to do a new thing; enemies will be drowned; there will be water in our deserts; we will be handed the prize that we cannot hope to win on our own. On Sunday morning, we gather as the body of that crucified and risen Lord. On Monday, we return to serve the poor, who will still be here around us.

 

John 12:1-8

Nearing the end of Lent, we join Jesus and his friends at table. John’s account was crafted about six decades after the death of Jesus and means to proclaim the resurrection faith of first-century believers. The meal that Jesus’ followers share always points to his death. Like Mark, John sometimes describes women as those who best understood the meaning of Christ’s ministry. Yet the poor remain with us, and we are now to serve their needs as the way to honor the very body of our Lord.

Isaiah 43:16-21

The poem from Isaiah is set parallel to John’s account of the anointing woman both for its references to water, since the excerpt reiterates Lent’s baptismal emphasis, and for the idea of “a new thing”: the honor that the story grants to a bold woman exemplifies the new thing that the early church saw as brought into existence by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christians have seen this poem’s references to water as suggestive of baptism.

Philippians 3:4b-14

We are not Mary of Bethany, nor have we the religious pedigree of Paul, yet with both we know Christ and the meaning of his death and resurrection. Although Paul trusts in Christ for salvation, he also strains forward, pressing on, to be in Christ.

Zion's Lutheran Church

A Reconciling in Christ Community

zionsluth@gmail.com

719-846-7785