Slideshow image

Celebrating Lent

by Vicar Lisa

Kimberly Knowle-Zeller is an ordained ELCA pastor, mother of two, spouse of an ELCA pastor, and she co-authored The Beauty of Motherhood: Grace-Filled Devotions for the Early Years.

She wrote a column a few years back for Living Lutheran and I thought it contained some great advice on how to live through Lent. Below is a portion of that article:

“Lent teaches us to hold postures of hope in the face of despair. Lent, I believe, calls to us to keep moving forward and saying together, ‘We have to go through it.’  When we reach the final days of Lent, we are met not by what we’ve done or accomplished but rather by the work God has done on the cross. Lent shows us through the cross that death doesn’t have the final word.

“This Lenten season, I invite you to feel all your feelings, dig into the story of Jesus’ life and death, and find small, meaningful ways to honor the season. Here are some suggested faith practices for your journey:

“Deep breaths. It sounds so simple. It is simple. Yet too often I fail to take my own advice. This Lent, remember to breathe deeply. While doing so, perhaps you could meditate on a mantra such as I breathe in peace. I exhale worry.

“Centering poems. When we’re bombarded by screens and media, it can be centering to step away from them. Instead, take time to savor a poem a day. Maybe pick one or two poems to read over and over the next 40 days. (Kathleen Norris, Pádraig Ó Tuama and Jan Richardson are poets whose work intersects with Christian themes.)

“Light a candle. Sit by its glow. Watch the flame or smell the scent. Repeat as often as needed, whether aloud or silently: Jesus is the light of our world.

“Pay attention. Commit to noticing what’s around you. You can take as little as one minute to stop what you’re doing and look. What do you see? What do you smell? What is one thing right in front of you that you didn’t notice before? Name it and give thanks to God.

“Sit with a story. Pick a book of the Bible (or one chapter, such as Exodus 16 or Matthew 10) and read through it as many times as you can during Lent. Don’t worry about how much you read or if you miss a day. The practice is about sitting with one text and listening for how God is speaking to you.

“Connect. Be intentional about connecting with others. Take a few minutes each day and send a text or write a letter. Pick up the phone and call someone you haven’t seen for a while. Whenever you connect, thank God for friendship.

“Cook. Try a new recipe and savor the act of creating something. Scripture gives us many examples of sharing food. Jesus calls himself the bread of life, and throughout his ministry he sat down and ate with others. As you cook and bake, remember that in the making and breaking of bread, Jesus is present.

“Finally, maybe most importantly, give yourself grace. Lent is not about achieving or doing but about resting in the God who calls us and walks with us through life, death and beyond.

Wherever you find yourself this Lent, know you’re not alone. We’ll go through it together.

Ash Wednesday, Feb 14, worship at 6 p.m.

First Sunday in Lent, Feb 18, worship and communion at 10 a.m.

Council Meeting

Zion's church council met on Feb. 11 for their regular meeting. After Vicar Lisa did the Invocation, members read the Behavioral Covenant, which was developed last year, primarily from information from the Transition Team.

Becky McNeil attended the meeting and spoke about her concerns that Zion’s is not actually "open to all" since we still have not made a commitment to be a RIC (Reconciling in Christ) church. She inquired as to whether this was a designation that Zion’s saw in their future. Vicar Lisa supported Becky in her inquiry and stated that she also thought we should seek RIC status.

She also pointed out that this is something the council had already voted in support of under Pr. Andrea, but forward movement was stopped considering Pr. Andrea’s illness. After discussion, it was decided that we would investigate what we would need to do to be approved as a RIC congregation.

Ruthie Culpepper has decided to resign from council due to her busy schedule. David Lamb was nominated and appointed to complete her 3-year term. Jeff Smith was elected Trust Fund Officer. Mike McNeil was elected Treasurer. Kathy Broman was elected Financial Secretary. Julie Wersal was elected President. Norine Hazen was elected Vice-President. The Secretary position will be decided at the next meeting.

The Secretary's report from the last meeting was approved. The Treasurer and Financial Secretary's Report and Trust Fund Officers Report were also approved. 

Vicar Lisa reported on plans for Ash Wednesday, Lent, and Easter. The sermon series is entitled The Depths of Love. We have three more sessions of the adult Bible study How Lutherans Interpret the Bible (March, April, May). Vicar Lisa is working with a committee to complete a new Mission/Vision statement for Zion's.

On Feb. 28, Vicar Lisa will meet with representatives from the Rocky Mountain Synod and Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary to assess her progress and readiness to complete her candidacy program. Once endorsed, she will have three more series of classes (June 2024, Oct 2024, and early 2025) and then complete her internship at Zion's.

Zion’s has hired Katie Zaboroski to clean the fellowship hall and sanctuary each week. Katie cleans for several people in Santa Fe Trail Ranch and Trinidad areas.

Julie received some information from Church Mutual Insurance on how to change up our coverage and reduce our premium. Jeff Smith and Mike McNeil will look at their recommendations to see if this would be wise.

We will call a congregational meeting on March 17 to vote on the delegates to the Synod Assembly. Sharon Sorenson and Melodie Lanosga have volunteered to accompany Vicar Lisa there and will vote to elect the next Bishop. If anyone else is interested, please let Julie know. This meeting will be held right after worship on March 17.  

Since we have a new Treasurer and Financial Secretary, we have designated new signers on our bank accounts. Julie will make a schedule for which council member will count money with Kathy, our new Financial Secretary, each Sunday. David Lamb was looking for donations to repair the pipe organ since the estimate to fully repair our 98-year-old organ was greater than what had been budgeted. (We thank Andrew Jackson for his generous donation on Sunday).

Respectfully submitted,

Julie Wersal, Council President

Announcements

  • Serving at the Park: This Sunday, Feb. 18, Zion’s will be serving the homeless at Cimino Park at 1 pm. We will begin preparing the meals on Saturday. We are making Chili Mac so if you have a big pot, please show up to cook chili and macaroni on Saturday at noon. We will assemble everything, so it is ready for the steam tables Sunday morning. For those who wish to help serve, please meet at the church no later than 12:15 p.m. to begin transporting food. Plan to wear your God’s Work Our Hands tee shirts. Thank you to Norine Hazen who was able to supply almost every food item needed for this adventure from her larder!
  • Souper Bowl of Caring: We will continue our food collection for the Souper Bowl of Caring this Sunday as many people were unable to attend worship in person on Feb. 11. Our donations of canned goods and other non-perishable foods will go to Trinidad’s Soup Kitchen. Please bring items forward prior to worship or during our announcements so that we can bless them at Sunday’s service.
  • Installation of the 2024 Church Council: Also, due to weather, we postponed the installation of our church council members. We will do the installation as part of worship services this coming Sunday.
  • Postponed: Our adult Bible Study, How Lutherans Read the Bible” will resume March 2 after the First Sunday Potluck.
  • Weekday Bible Study: Our weekday Bible Study has moved to Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m. The next study is today (Feb. 14, Ash Wednesday). Because “all are welcome”, please note that the study is open to everyone and no longer is called “Women’s Bible Study”.
  • Ash Wednesday: Lent begins this evening with Ash Wednesday worship. We will have a soup supper at 6 p.m., followed by worship and imposition of the ashes at 7 p.m. 
  • Lent Soup Suppers: We need volunteers to bring soup, salad, bread, or a light dessert. If you can help, please sign up on the sheets in the Fellowship Hall. Soup suppers are at 6 p.m. each Wednesday in Lent.
  • February Newsletter: Copies of the February newsletter have been sent via email. Printed copies also are available in the back of the sanctuary and in the Fellowship Hall.

 

E-formation – First Sunday of Lent

Feb. 18, 2024

Each year, Lent begins with an account from one of the synoptic gospels of the testing of Jesus. Jesus was truly human, suffering from the devil’s temptations no less than we, and so he can stand by us when we are tested. We too are accompanied with the Spirit of God, and we can take comfort from the angels attending us.

Mark 1:9-15

We begin our Christian life with baptism and then, like Jesus, face testing. The Spirit of God accompanies us, both in baptism and in our wilderness. In receiving the gospel, the time is fulfilled; we repent and believe in the good news.

Genesis 9:8-17

Like popular disaster films, the flood myth expresses our fears of annihilation. Yet in the biblical version, God restores all things to beauty and promise. Even the natural world, such as the rainbow, can remind us of God’s covenant of grace. In the resurrection of Christ, we celebrate that the forty days of the flood are over.

1 Peter 3:18-22

This extremely important New Testament passage is an early example of Christian interpretation of the Old Testament. Christians treasure the story of the flood as a picture of baptism, God saving eight persons, and now us, through the waters. Lent is like our forty days in the ark.

Zion's Lutheran Church

zionsluth@gmail.com

719-846-7785