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Series Introduction

by Vicar Lisa

Dear beloved people of God, my recent experience in seminary at Luther Seminary in Minneapolis was amazing! This was my third time assembling with my cohorts and we are rapidly becoming a tight knit group of students who love and pray for each other.

Of course, since it is school, I brought home lots of fun writing assignments, one of which I am going to share with you! In our History of Christianity class, we were assigned to use our imagination and think about what we might share about the history of the Christian movement in our own congregation or ministry setting. Professor Mark suggested writing newsletter articles, teaching a class, leading a sermon series about great Christians of the past, etc., - you get the idea.

I had previously mentioned that one of the textbooks we were assigned, Introduction to the History of Christianity in the United States, by Nancy Koester, I just couldn’t put down. And one thing I noticed about the book was that it…wait for it….included numerous sections about women leaders in the Church. And, from a woman’s perspective, I thought that was great!

Some I knew about such as the most famous “conductor” on the Underground Railroad, Harriet Tubman (1821–1913). Tubman was a member of an African Methodist Episcopal Church who was born into slavery and forced to do hard labor in the fields. She escaped in 1849 and later freed many more slaves. And I had heard of Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811–1896), who was outraged by the Fugitive Slave Law and was inspired to write the anti-slavery novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

The textbook even included a reference to Kateri Tekakwitha, whose statue you may see at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in Santa Fe, New Mexico as I had the privilege of doing last year. Kateri Tekakwitha (1656–1680), was called “The Lily of the Mohawks”. 

At age 20, she was baptized, led a very pious life, and miracles of healing were attributed to her. In 2012, she was made a saint by the Roman Catholic Church, the first Native American to be canonized.

But there were many other fascinating women I had never heard of such as Mary Dyer, (c. 1611–1660) who was hanged for her outspoken support of the Quaker beliefs. Also, Peggy Crutchfield, who was a Cherokee woman with a Christian name who spoke up in a council meeting in 1818 about how “the Land was given to us by the Great Spirit above, as our common Right, to raise our Children” was being taken away and they were being forced to move west of the Mississippi river.

Another woman I had not heard of was Elizabeth Ann Seton, (1774–1821) who established the first Catholic school in the United States and is recognized as a pioneer of the parochial school movement in America. She also founded the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph, the first catholic religious community to originate in the United States.

Over the next six weeks or so, I will be sharing brief bios of women, their lives, and their accomplishments, in our weekly e-formations. These women and their stories are diverse. 

Some, such as Katharine Luther and Ruth Bell Graham, walked alongside their husbands, providing strength and enabling God’s word to be lived out. Some came from deeply religious upbringings and then struggled with their faith, experiencing “dark nights of the soul” wondering how a good God could allow such suffering in the world. Others heard the voice of the Holy Spirit, leading them into places a woman of their class and social position would have never been. I hope you enjoy these mini-history lessons as much as I have enjoyed reading and developing them. Stay tuned!

Second Sunday after Pentecost, June 18, 2023 

10 a.m. Outdoor Worship (weather permitting) with Holy Communion

Announcements:

  • Summer Hiatus: Sunday morning Bible Study, Friday Women's Bible Study and Centering Prayer all are on summer hiatus. Watch for schedule updates in e-formation, the newsletter, and worship bulletins.
  • First Sunday Potluck: Join us after worship on the first Sunday of each month for a potluck lunch. Our next potluck will be on Sunday, July 2.
  • Outdoor Services: We will continue Summer Outdoor Worship through August. Each Sunday, we need people who are willing to arrive a little early each Sunday to help with set up and to help clean up after worship. We have lists of what is needed to guide you. Please let Vicar Lisa or Sharon Sorensen know if you are willing to help.
  • Newsletter Deadline: If you would like to contribute information and photos to the July newsletter, the deadline is June 20. Please send contributions to either Jo Moss or to the Zion's Email.
  • 5 Loaves: Our next 5-Loaves lunch deliveries will be on Saturday, June 24. Drivers can pick up meals between 9 and 10:30 a.m. If you can help, let Jo Moss, Norine Hazen, or Peggy Gustafson know.
  • Summer Clean Up: Beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday, June 24, we will have a clean-up day at the church. Julie Wersal will oversee the outdoor work and Vicar Lisa the indoor work (fellowship hall, upstairs and down). Please let Julie or Lisa know how you can participate.
  • Garage Sale: Zion's annual garage sale will be held Saturday, Aug. 5. See Julie if you would like to help.
  • Save the Date: Zion's 135th Anniversary celebration will be held Sept. 24. We have begun the initial planning for this momentous event! Following Sunday service that day, we will have a cookout, outdoor music, and an ice cream social. There are lots of activities to be coordinated (food, music, decorations, communications, etc.) If you would like to be part of this celebration, please see Vicar Lisa.
  • Flower Update: We share heartfelt thanks for our flower guild and the beautiful additions they make to our worship. You can support their work by dedicating the flowers on a Sunday. The recommended minimum donation is $35, so sign the flower book today.

Council Meeting – June 11

Zion's Church Council met on June 11 following the first outdoor worship of the year. Vicar Lisa presented the invocation. The secretary's report was reviewed and approved. This report is posted on the bulletin board just inside of the Sanctuary. 

Vicar Lisa had spent the last week attending Seminary in Minneapolis. Women’s Bible Study will be on hiatus until the fall. Centering prayer has been discontinued. The Adult Education half-hour studies following fellowship time have been well attended and we plan to continue this in the fall. An evening prayer service and book club was discussed. 

On July 2, after the monthly potluck, we will have a "Temple Talk" about the church council.  The Transition Team report suggested the church council develop a covenant.  A committee was formed last month for this purpose and they are still working on it.  Vicar Lisa plans to engage the congregation in developing a vision and mission statement, most likely in September.

Jeff Smith is working with our EROS system to set up a smoke and fire alarm for the Sanctuary. The kitchen "re-fresh" is underway. The walls, ceiling and cabinets are being painted. A spring clean-up day will be held on June 24. Vicar Lisa and Julie will head up this project. The Santa Fe Trail Day celebration (June 10) went well. 

We would like to thank Mike McNeil, Paula Little and all of the volunteers that set up and worked at our booth. We discussed having a float in the Labor Day and Christmas parades. Peggy Gustafson will check on fees and this year's theme. This could coincide with our 135th Anniversary which is also in September.

The Audit Committee, made up of Connie Hass, Melodie Lanosga and Ruthie Culpepper, met with Carol Schulzkump, Mike McNeil, Julie Wersal and Jeff Smith on May 30 to review our financial practices. We should have their completed report soon. Paula Little will arrange a time for the committee to meet to discuss plans for the 135th Anniversary celebration. Council will ask Connie Pallone to obtain an estimate for additional repairs we need for the organ.

Having no other business, the meeting was adjourned followed by the Lord's Prayer.

Julie Wersal, Church Council President

E-formation

Third Sunday after Pentecost, June 18

In the gospel reading for Sunday, Jesus calls the twelve apostles and then sends them out to carry on his work of proclaiming the good news and healing the sick. Come to worship so that you can hear this good news and, at the table of the Lord, be strengthened for the tasks of healing the sick and casting out evil in the name of Jesus.

Matthew 9:35—10:8 [9-23]

On the Second Sunday after the Epiphany, we heard John’s narratives of the call of the first disciples, Andrew and Peter. Matthew lists twelve men, about some of whom the gospels say nothing specific, although Christian tradition commemorated the twelve on designated dates. We stand to hear this gospel, for Jesus is calling us, who are now to proclaim the good news.

Exodus 19:2-8a

This passage from Exodus is chosen to parallel Matthew’s call of the disciples. In the Israelite past, during Jesus’ ministry, and in our own time, God calls people to be “a priestly kingdom and a holy nation.”

Romans 5:1-8

Grounded in the triune God, hearing of faith, peace, grace, hope, and God’s love, we are ready to receive the gospel’s call to follow Christ.

Zion's Lutheran Church
zionsluth@gmail.com
719-846-7785