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Good morning dear people of God!  I greet you from Iowa City where I am visiting my folks and sister and family.  I missed you yesterday but what a wonderful gift ZOOM and recordings are!  I was able to catch half of the service and watch the rest later.  How about you?  Do you ever do that?  It is one of the blessings that the pandemic has made manifest to us.  

As the news shares new concerns about another variant, the war on Ukraine continues, and we all have our own things we are dealing with, I think pausing to name blessings is a really important practice.  Kate Bowler in Good Enough shares a blessing after many of the devotionals and I am grateful for so many of her words.  So today, let me share a quote, one of her blessings and a challenge:

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.  —Ian Maclaren

"Blessed are you who have tasted how good it is to bless, who have paused in wonder at the strange math where it is in giving that we receive.  As we give, we begin to see in ourselves a tiny resemblance to our God, the Giver of Life.  

“Blessed are we, who in giving, are being drawn closer.  We live more and more out of that inheritance we received through Jesus Christ, who gave his body.  A real body, that ours might not die.  

“Blessed are we, drawn to the warmth that is this deep belonging.  So now we are beginning to understand blessing itself.  The overabundance of delight that flows from the heart of God to our own.  The excess of bliss that descended pure as a mountain stream to create all that is, and sustain it by love alone.  

“Blessed are we, carried along in that flow.  To love and give and give again.  And when we are spent to be gathered up and restored so we can love again.  Bless again.  And be blessed.  Because that's why we were made in the first place." (page 143)

"He has told you, O mortal what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"  Micah 6:8

So this week, do a mysterious act of kindness!  Pay it forward whether at the coffee shop, the drive through line, the grocery store.  By smiling at a stranger.  Listening to someone.  Sending a card or 'love note' as I call it.  

Just bless someone who would be surprised by your blessing!  Okay, that's all from Iowa City.  Have a great week.  Stay warm and see you soon!  

With love and joy, 

—Pastor Andrea

This week (other meetings/gatherings will be taking place as well but here are some things to note):  

  • Thursday, March 24  Peggy G.’s book club meets in the Fellowship Hall
  • Friday, March 25  
  • Saturday, March 26
  • Sunday, March 27 The Fourth Sunday in Lent
    • 8:30 a.m. Sunday morning Bible study Session #2 Using Adam Hamilton's study "24 HOURS" Join us in person or via ZOOM https://us02web.zoom.us/j/907628370?pwd=eFVCTEVhb0xqMXcxY2xaUG5JMUZEdz09 Or Dial 1 312 626 6799  Meeting ID: 907 628 370  Passcode: 332397. Jeff & Carol Smith leading
    • 10 a.m. Worship with Holy Communion  Join us, either in person OR via ZOOM ('hybrid' worship).  If you will be worshiping via zoom, log on or call in using these links: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/91739214242?pwd=b1QrZzk0QzBtM1RXZnZuaVFVMDNmZz09  OR Dial   +1 301 715 8592     Meeting ID: 917 3921 4242.   Password: 731771.   For those of you who will be worshiping in person, masks will be required indoors because we want to sing during worship.  Please bring your own, thanks!
      • Worship leaders:  Pastor Andrea Doeden;  Assistant:  Lisa Rygiel;  Organist:  Connie Pallone; Pianist:  Mark Nelson;  Ushering: Paula Little and Carol Smith;  Reading:  Joni Jones;  Communion Prep/Cleanup: Carol Schulzkump and Ruthie Culpepper
    • Fellowship after worship (approx. 11:10 a.m.) in the Fellowship Hall.  Gather after worship for wonderful conversation! 
    • Bread & Belonging, our high school/college ministry gathers each Sunday night from 6-8 p.m. in the lower level of the Fellowship Hall.  This week the focus of the discussion will be different names for God and why different denominations use different names.

Other announcements/dates to put on your calendar:

  • At 9:30 a.m. on Friday, April 1, we continue our Women's Bible Study on "The Sermon on the Mount" using Amy-Jill Levine's book.  Join us in person downstairs of the Fellowship Hall or by zoom.  Questions — contact Carol Smith.  We shall be discussing chapter 5 of the book (Finding your treasure). If you wish to watch the videos that accompany the studies, go to Amplify Media, use the church email zionsluth@gmail.com and the password is praynow4Covid19. Join by  Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83136424723?pwd=TkxsQVllMmo2bVlSekN0dGZqbzF1Zz09 or phone in by dialing 1-312-626-6799 Meeting ID: 831 3642 4723 Passcode: 865505
  • We are still in the season of Lent.  How is your engagement with the theme of "Good Enough"?  Who you are is good enough!  There are some resources for your use this season though as we all seek to grow in our relationship with God.  The Portals of Prayer are available at church or the devotional Good Enough by Kate Bowler and Jessica Riche is being used by me during Lent and we will be referencing it during our worship services.   Once again, Luther seminary has produced a special devotional based on the hymn “My Song is Love Unknown."  Download it at https://info.luthersem.edu/hubfs/Luther%20Lenten%20Devotional.pdf, or let me know if you need a copy printed and we can get that to you.  Another option is the 2022 Lent Resource from Creation Justice Ministries at https://www.creationjustice.org/uploads/2/5/4/6/25465131/lent_2022.pdf 
  • Join Zion's Afghan sponsorship team through Lutheran Family Services-Rocky Mt!  We are finally being matched with a family who has been relocated from Afghanistan to Colorado Springs.  There are steps to take, applications to submit etc so PLEASE CONFIRM WITH PASTOR ANDREA IF YOU WILL BE PARTICIPATING.  Options are to be a 'background' supporter or one who actually interacts with the family in Springs for 4-6 hours per month.  There is monthly volunteer training.  Please register for this meeting and attend it if you had not done so in Nov or December.  
  • The Welcome committee is scheduled to meet April 1 after Bible Study.
  • The flower ministry blesses our worship space and people!  During Lent, we are using greens and green plants.  If you would like to sponsor during this season, please coordinate with Lynn and your gifts will be part of the Easter celebration on April 17th!
  • Prayer Shawl Ministry:  Are you interested in knitting one/some to share?  Join the knitters who bless so many.

The Readings on This Day

Fourth Sunday in Lent:

We are half way to the feast of Pascha, the Three Days, but also today we share in God’s banquet of mercy. We remember our baptismal white robe as we celebrate the new creation that God has brought about through Christ. In Lent, even as we are still feeding the pigs and grumping in the fields, we are already in the Promised Land. Every Sunday, Easter comes out to meet us, like the father running out to welcome his son.

Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

The two sons are each of us: we are all the foolish runaway who wastes what God has provided, and we are all the smug good guy who condemns the outsider. So it is that Augustine, and Luther after him, taught that all humans are sinful, all need the forgiveness that God offers. The description of a celebrative feast symbolizes the communal nature of the individual’s forgiven life. Christians have interpreted this feast as a picture of holy communion.

Joshua 5:9-12

The excerpt from Joshua is tied to the parable of the prodigal son because like the prodigal son, the Israelites have arrived safely in what becomes their homeland. No longer sustained by meager food, they enjoy the produce of the land. Thus throughout history God has brought the people out of distress and into a land of plenty.