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Romans 1:8-10

By Pr. Lisa Rygiel

For the weeks of Lent, I will be doing a series on the book of Romans which I just finished reading with my friends at the UMC. It had been a few years since I read the book from front to back and I was reminded of the many gems Paul has for us there.

When Paul writes to the Christians in Rome, he has never met them. He has not preached in their streets or broken bread in their homes. And yet, in these opening verses of his letter, he speaks with a tenderness and gratitude that feel as intimate as a longtime friendship.

“First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed throughout the world.”

Paul begins not with instruction, not with correction, not even with his own credentials—but with thanksgiving. Before he says anything else, he names what is good. He recognizes the grace already at work in this community. Their faith—imperfect, human, still growing—is nevertheless shining brightly enough to be noticed across the empire.

There is something profoundly pastoral here. Paul teaches us that ministry begins with gratitude. Before we speak of what needs healing or strengthening, we pause to honor what God is already doing. We look at one another with eyes trained to see grace.

And then Paul says something even more striking: “God is my witness… that without ceasing I remember you always in my prayers.”

Paul’s prayer life is not an afterthought; it is the heartbeat of his ministry. He carries these believers—people he has never met—into the presence of God again and again. He intercedes for them with a kind of holy persistence. His longing to visit them is not driven by ambition or curiosity but by a desire to share in mutual encouragement, to strengthen and be strengthened.

In other words, Paul reminds us that Christian community is never a one‑way street. Even an apostle needs the faith of others. Even a seasoned leader is nourished by the witness of ordinary believers. Ministry is not something we do for people so much as something we do with them, in the shared life of Christ.

And finally, Paul reveals the posture that undergirds all of this: “…asking that by God’s will, I may somehow at last succeed in coming to you.”

Paul has plans, hopes, and dreams for his ministry—but he holds them with open hands. He trusts that his path is ultimately shaped not by his own strategy but by God’s timing. His desire to visit Rome is sincere, but it is surrendered. He teaches us that faithful longing is not the same as anxious striving. We can yearn for good things and still rest in God’s will.

So, what does this mean for us today? It means we begin with gratitude—naming the grace we see in one another.

It means we hold each other in prayer—not occasionally, but persistently, carrying one another before God with love.

It means we embrace mutual encouragement—recognizing that every believer has something to give and something to receive.

And it means we trust God with our hopes—offering our plans, our ministries, our desires to the One who guides our steps.

Paul’s words to the Romans are not just a greeting. They are a vision of what the church can be: a community marked by thanksgiving, prayer, encouragement, and trust.

May we live into that vision with joy.
Amen.

February 18, Ash Wednesday

7 p.m. Wednesday Worship

February 22, First Sunday in Lent

10 a.m. Sunday Worship

Announcements

  • Fellowship: Join us after worship each Sunday in the Fellowship Hall for coffee & conversation. All are welcome.
  • Souper Bowl of Caring: We have one more Sunday, Feb. 22, for our Souper Bowl of Caring food drive. Zion’s is joining churches and organizations to address hunger in our communities. Throughout February, we have been collecting canned goods and non-perishable food items for donation to the Trinidad Soup Kitchen. At the end of February, all donations will be blessed and given to the Trinidad’s Soup Kitchen.
  • Wednesday Book Club: The Wednesday Book Club focusing upon What if Jesus was Serious – A Visual Guide to the Teachings of Jesus We Love to Ignore meets at 10:30 each Wednesday in the Fellowship Hall.
  • Children’s Choir Resumes: Children’s choir practice is at 3 p.m. each Sunday in the Fellowship Hall.
  • Lenten Soup Suppers: At 5:30 p.m. each Wednesday during Lent, Zion’s will share a soup supper and devotion in the Fellowship Hall. Sign-up sheets are in the Fellowship Hall to volunteer to bring soup, bread, beverages, or dessert. Our next soup supper is at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 25.
  • Time of Prayer and Coffee: The Zion’s family is invited to join our siblings in Christ from the Methodist church for a time of prayer and coffee at 10:30 a.m. each Thursday at Kangaroo Coffee -- in the Marketplace on Commercial Street.
  • 5-Loaves Volunteers Needed: We will prepare and deliver 5-Loaves meals Feb. 27-28. We need help with preparation beginning about 8:30 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 27, and with deliveries starting about 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 28. If you can help, please let Norine Hazen, Terri Watson, or Jo Moss know.
  • God’s Work Our Hands: Terri Watson continues to identify members of our congregation who are willing to help our siblings in Christ with basic assistance, such as rides and errands. Terri has sign-up sheets in the Fellowship Hall, which allows her to match individual needs with people who can assist. For more information talk to Terri.
  • The Way Ministry: At 1 p.m. each Sunday through March 29, Zion’s welcomes The Way ministry to our Fellowship Hall as they offer food and worship to those in need.
  • We’re Here for You: For pastoral care, call Pastor Lisa at 719-846-7785 or send an email: zionsluth@gmail.com.

E-formation

Each year, Lent begins with a synoptic account of the temptation 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 tempted. We too conquer evil with the power of God’s word: and that word for us is embodied in Christ. In worship, we hear that word and eat the food of God.

Matthew 4:1-11

We begin our Christian life with baptism and then, like Jesus, face temptations. Each temptation as described in Matthew has symbolic meaning for us: we are tempted to survive apart from the food from comes from God, to assume that God will miraculously protect us, and to worship the world instead of God. God’s Word protects us, and angels attend us.

Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7

Jesus withstood temptation, but we do not. Genesis 2–3 provides a foil to the gospel by presenting its opposite. This ancient tale of the origins of human suffering has much wisdom to offer. Although we do not encounter talking serpents, we do disobey God, and we do eat false foods, and we do invite others to join us in disobedience, and we do know shame and sexual sorrow.

Romans 5:12-19

Paul’s analysis of the Genesis 2–3 story is helpful in our time. Not interested in probing the details of the ancient narrative, Paul uses the story to illumine Christ. The ancient story tells of sin and death, and Christ brings us to grace and life.

Zion's Lutheran Church

zionsluth@gmail.com

719-846-7785