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The Emanuel Nine Martyrs
By Pr. Lisa Rygiel

On June 17, we commemorate the Emanuel Nine Martyrs -- Clementa C. Pinckney, Cynthia Marie Graham Hurd, Susie Jackson, Ethel Lee Lance, DePayne Middleton-Doctor, Tywanza Sanders, Daniel Lee Simmons, Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, and Myra Thompson were murdered.

They were murdered by a self-professed white supremacist while they were gathered for Bible study and prayer at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church (often referred to as Mother Emanuel) in Charleston, South Carolina. Pastors Pinckney and Simmons were both graduates of the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary. 

A resolution to commemorate June 17 as a day of repentance for the martyrdom of the Emanuel Nine was adopted by the Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) on August 8, 2019.

Congregations of the ELCA are encouraged to reaffirm their commitment to repenting of the sins of racism and white supremacy which continue to plague this church, to venerate the martyrdom of the Emanuel Nine, and to mark this day of penitence with study and prayer.

Serving on the 4th Sunday in Pentecost, June 21

Worship at 10 a.m.

Announcements

  • Fellowship: Join us after worship on Sunday in the Fellowship Hall for coffee & conversation. All are welcome.
  • Wednesday Book Club: Book Club sessions focusing upon What if Jesus was Serious – A Visual Guide to the Teachings of Jesus We Love to Ignore, are at 10:30 a.m. each Wednesday in the Fellowship Hall. The next session is Wednesday, June 17. You can join at any time, so if you haven’t been able to attend before now, why not consider doing so.
  • Time of Prayer and Coffee: We are 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.
  • Summer Supper Gatherings: At 5:30 p.m. on the second Wednesday of each summer month, we will gather in the Fellowship Hall for food and fun. The next evening of food and fun is scheduled for at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 8. Other dates are Aug. 12 and Sept. 9. There is a sign-up sheet in the Fellowship Hall for food and activities. If you have questions, please let Julie Wersal or Jo Moss know.
  • Worship Assistance Lists: We are updating the worship assistance list for July and August. If you are willing to help with ushering, communion preparation and clean up, or lector, please let Pr. Lisa or Jo Moss know.
  • Annual Garage Sale: The annual Zion’s Garage Sale will be Saturday, Aug. 1. If you have items to donate, please let Julie Wersal know. We will begin accepting drop offs beginning July 24. Please be aware that while Zion’s can accept most items for the sale, we cannot accept electronic or computer items and we do not accept clothing and shoes either.
  • We’re Here for You: For pastoral care, call Zion’s at 719-846-7785 or send an email: zionsluth@gmail.com.

E-formation

The stereotypical idea that religious people enjoy the good life is challenged by all three readings this Sunday. Hearing hard words about the difficult life of discipleship, we gladly go the table for our sustenance. This week also encompasses the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere, which Christians can see as a sign that darkness and death await us all.

Matthew 10:24-39
For Matthew, one’s commitment to follow the Father in heaven replaces stereotypical family values. Christian life is encountered on the cross, which believers in some way share with the crucified one.

Jeremiah 20:7-13
Jesus and the early Christian community were not the first to suffer for speaking the word of the Lord: the first reading recalls a time centuries before in Jewish history when the faithful prophet suffered for his proclamation.

Romans 6:1b-11
The lectionary now skips part of Romans 5 that is appointed during Lent and proceeds with Paul’s teaching about baptism as our connection to the death of Christ. Daily we return to our baptism as the tomb of our old life and the resurrection of life in Christ.

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