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As I mentioned last week, I have been enjoying a book entitled The Mission Table by Stephen Bouman. He shares something under the heading “A Congregation in Mission Nurtures Communal Leadership,” that I found interesting.

He uses the example of Moses from Exodus 2:11-12 who killed an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew slave.  The traditional interpretation of this story is that Moses saw that the coast was clear — “he looked this way and that,” and went ahead and killed the Egyptian, a representation of the oppressive regime that held his people captive.  

That is the way I heard it in Sunday school, which didn’t seem to make Moses sound like such a good guy! However, a rabbi named Hillel the Elder (a contemporary of Jesus) had a different opinion which I find much more palatable.  He said that Moses was looking for help.  He looked left and right, and when he saw that he was alone, he reluctantly fought and did what he had to do.

Hillel believed that the rest of the Hebrew scriptures are about this story, about the building of community so that Moses and the Israelites would never again be in a position where they looked around for help and found no one. 

If you look at the Passover narrative, it is all about a motley group of slaves coming together and becoming a people with a communal identity.  Moses’ father-in-law even got involved when he suggested to Moses that he organize a team of leaders, each one to judge over 100 people.  Therefore, in 40 years of wandering, the Israelites were formed into a community with a team of leaders ready to enter the promised land. 

The more I learn about the operation of our church community, I find it amazing how many leaders we have in our midst.  These people contribute to the many pieces of the whole that make our congregation a church home.  We have Church Council, the Flower Guild, the Altar Guild,  Angels in Aprons, Building and Grounds, Thanksgiving and 5-Loaves, Worship and Music Committee, Safety & Security Committee, Welcoming Committee, Transition Team, and I am sure I missed a few.  

And I must also mention our bible study leaders, ushers, lectors, and communion prep folks who make sure our Sunday services run smoothly.  And Jo, who week after week, makes sure we have bulletins so that we can worship with order!  It truly does take a village, thank you all who serve!

“There is one body, but it has many parts. But all its many parts make up one body. It is the same with Christ. We were all baptized by one Holy Spirit. And so we are formed into one body. It didn’t matter whether we were Jews or Gentiles, slaves or free people. We were all given the same Spirit to drink. So the body is not made up of just one part. It has many parts…. You are the body of Christ. Each one of you is a part of it.”

—1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 27

Announcements:

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

  • Sunday, Sept. 11, The 14th Sunday after Pentecost
  • 8:30 a.m. Sunday morning Bible study (Bible study is on hiatus and will resume on Sept. 18 with a study on Philemon.)
  • 10 a.m. Worship with Holy Communion

Please 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 now be at the discretion of each individual. We continue to be mindful of all the different ways people are compromised that may not be known and so please continue to practice healthy community habits such as staying home when you are sick etc. 

  • Fellowship time Potluck at the Fairgrounds!  Bring a dish to share.

Other important stuff:

  • Reminder!  Our worship this Sunday, in celebration of our God’s Work Our Hands effort, will be conducted at the fairgrounds with the Huerfano Valley Singers!  Remember to bring your lawn chairs so you can sit on the lawn for worship and wear your yellow God’s Work Our Hands t-shirt. Note that Zoom Service on Sunday will not be available!  If you are looking for a great time to come back to worship in person, this is it! And feel free to bring your well-behaved pets!
  • Just in case you don’t get enough wonderful music in worship, the Apishapa Valley Chapel located at 309 S. Romero St. in Aguilar will be hosting Love is a Joyful Noise on September 11 at 2 pm.  This will be a toe-tapping, uplifting songfest fest by the Sangre De Cristo Vocal Arts Ensemble.
  • A reminder that a special offering will be taken this Sunday to support the local food bank for the 2 meals and snacks each needly child will be provided during the Holy Trinity Academy school year.  The surplus food purchased by the food bank will be used to feed those in need in our community.  As we have heard from multiple studies, hungry children don’t learn as well as those that are fed and nourished. And even better, some of the children will be allowed to assist at the food bank, thus promoting social responsibility!
  • On Sept. 17 we will participate in our God’s Work Our Hands project.  We will be cleaning up the sanctuary and the church grounds, inside and out.  Julie will be coordinating the outdoor activities. Lisa will be coordinating the indoor activities.  Please mark it on your calendars so we can have great participation and let Julie or Lisa know how you will participate.
  • Women’s Bible Study will continue a study on Galatians on Sept. 16, 9:30 - 11:00 am in the blue room, downstairs of the Fellowship Hall.  You can also join by zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89559130517?pwd=NTh4YndtSklRbEErL2ZXRy9xQmFUZz09 Meeting ID: 895 5913 0517 Passcode: 486889 (or call 1-312-626- 6799). A couple of books are still available. Questions can be directed to Carol Smith.
  • The sermon from last week is online on our webpage:  https://zionslutheran.tithelysetup2.com/podcasts/media.
  • Effective as of the first of September, we will not send out a Worship/Bulletin email each Saturday.  That information (link and bulletin) will be available every Saturday on our webpage under the Sermon & Bulletin tab — https://zionslutheran.tithelysetup2.com/podcasts/media.

E-formation

This coming Sunday we will hear about the ancient Israelites, St. Paul, a lost sheep, and a lost coin, all of which receive God’s merciful attention. Come to worship, ask for forgiveness, and celebrate the community of repentance.

The Readings in the Bible

We continue through Luke. We are the lost sheep and the lost coin, and the community has gathered to celebrate that we have been found in Christ.

Luke 15:1-10

Luke dedicated half of his gospel, written in perhaps the late 80s, to Jesus’ last journey to Jerusalem, the lead-up to his crucifixion and resurrection. Halfway into this last journey come the parables of the lost sheep and lost coin. Characteristic of Luke, these parables address God’s welcome to the outsider and the forgiveness of sin in parallel stories that feature males and females (think, for example, of Zechariah and Elizabeth, Simeon and Anna). Sheep separated from the flock would be eaten by wild animals. The coin, a drachma, is worth one day’s wage. Both parables conclude with the community gathering in celebration, as did the early Christians that Luke is addressing.

Exodus 32:7-14

The record of the exodus, which may have occurred in the thirteenth century 1250 bce, was compiled from previous sources in probably the fifth-century bce. This excerpt concludes the story of the golden calf, likely a Jahwist explanation for the later condemnation of the cult of Jeroboam (1 Kings12). Both the Egyptian deity Apis and the Canaanite deity Baal were depicted as a bull: perhaps the narrative’s use of “calf” intends to diminish the power of the image. Moses is pictured as the prophet who can mediate between the sinful people and the righteous God, and God is a deity who can be convinced back to mercy.

1 Timothy 1:12-17

1 Timothy was written probably in the late first century by a disciple of Paul who understands himself as continuing Paul’s legacy, although differences between the two are evident. Timothy had been a co-worker with Paul and in this letter is described as a leader of his local church, which by that time was challenged by false teachings. As an illustration of God’s mercy to the sinner, these initial sentences present the biography of Paul as a persecutor who accepted the grace of Christ.

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Zion's Lutheran Church

zionsluth@gmail.com

719-846-7785