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One of God’s Favorites
By Vicar Lisa

Pastor Jim Somerville is the Pastor of Richmond's (Virginia) First Baptist Church. I get a weekly email from him with sermon suggestions and ideas about the week’s liturgy. In his email this week, he recounted a story that had happened to him when he was living in Washington, DC. 

He was coming up out of the Dupont Circle Metro station one morning when he saw someone coming down the escalator on the other side who looked scary. He was wearing dark glasses, a leather jacket, and enough tattoos and body piercings to make it hard to see what he really looked like. Pastor Jim gulped and thought, “There’s one of God’s favorites.”

Pastor Jim had no idea what inspired him to think that but it had an immediate effect. No longer did he see this person as frightening or threatening, instead, he saw him as one of God’s favorites. He stated that he could imagine God introducing the two of them and saying, “Jim, have you met Mad Dog? I love this guy!” 

And I could imagine Mad Dog smiling and reaching out to shake hands. 

As a result of his new insight, as he walked the two blocks to church, he tried it on every person I passed: “There’s one of God’s favorites, there’s one of God’s favorites, there’s one of God’s favorites…” 

And with every person it worked: he saw them in a different way than he had only a moment earlier.

On Sunday, we will read a passage from 1 Samuel where Samuel anointed David even though he was the eighth-oldest son of Jesse and did not match his brothers in height or other physical characteristics. 

God was not looking at outward appearance but looking at the heart; that is, seeing people the way God sees them. When God looked at David, he saw one of his favorites: a man after his own heart. And maybe that's what the passage from John 9 is about, too: learning to see, and seeing in a new way (especially in the Gospel of John, where seeing = believing). 

As you go through your week, try to put on Pastor Jim’s God-Colored Glasses. Look at everyone you see as one of God’s favorites and see if it changes how you see others! 

Sunday, March 19, Fourth Sunday in Lent -- 10 a.m. Worship with Holy Communion 

Worship Leaders:  Vicar Lisa Rygiel, Carol Smith

Lector: Julie Wersal

Musicians: Connie Pallone and Sharon Sorenson

Ushers: Kathy Broman & Doris Blalock

Communion: Mike McNeil & Cherie Holder

Announcements:

  • Sunday Bible Study: Sunday Bible Study is at 8:30 a.m., downstairs in the Fellowship Hall. We are studying Luther’s Small Catechism. If you are new to the Lutheran faith, considering membership or baptism, or want a refresher study, please consider joining us. 
  • Classic Church – Church Becoming: Discussion in the Fellowship Hall following worship.
  • Lenten Worship & Soup Suppers: Lenten Sunday worship continues through March 26. Palm Sunday is April 2 and Good Friday worship is at 7 p.m. on April 7. Easter Sunday is April 9. During Lent, we share Lenten Soup Suppers at 6 p.m. each Wednesday. Our next Supper is on March 15.
  • March Newsletter: The March newsletter has been sent via email and also is available on the Zion's website. Copies are also available in the back of the sanctuary.
  • New Members: We will welcome new members by baptism and faith affirmation during Easter Worship. If you are interested in formally joining Zion's, please talk to Vicar Lisa as soon as possible.
  • Women’s Bible Study: Women's Bible Study resumes this Friday at 9:30 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall and meets every other Friday.
  • Easter Flowers: People wishing to donate flowers during Lent when Zion's uses only greenery are encouraged to sign up for Easter flowers. We have a special page in the flower book for Easter donations. Include your name and commemoration for inclusion in the Easter bulletin. The Flower Book is in the back of the sanctuary. Use the envelopes in the book for flower donations, which can be put in the offering plate. The recommended minimum donation is $35. 
  • 5 Loaves Volunteers: Volunteers are needed for 5 Loaves meal deliveries for March. We will deliver meals beginning at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 25. If you can help, please let Jo Moss know. 
  • Temple Aaron’s Seder: Registration is Open for Temple Aaron's Seder, Saturday, April 8, at  5:30 pm at Temple Aaron in Trinidad. The Passover Seder is a very special time to gather together each year, and all are welcome to attend the community Seder at Temple Aaron (in person). This year, Rabbi Jack Shlachter will lead the Seder, and the meal will again be catered by Alys Romer, who has provided incredible meals for Temple Aaron events for many years. Many people from Zion’s Lutheran have attended in the past and highly recommend it. Registration is now open — please click HERE. Seats are $36 for nonmember adults, $10 for nonmember children ages 6-13, and free for children under 5. Members of Temple Aaron may attend at no charge. The Seder is one of the highlight events at Temple Aaron each year and spots fill quickly, so please register if you would like to attend.

Council Meeting Minutes:

Zion's Lutheran Church Council met after worship on March 12. The secretary's report, which is posted inside the entrance to the sanctuary, was approved as corrected/amended. All 3 financial reports were also approved as submitted. Income for the month of February was $7214 plus a $5,000 transfer from the Trust Fund Account. 

Expenses were $12,794 which included $1,152 in mission support and offerings, $969 for utilities, phone, and internet services, $1,144 for insurance, and $1,018 for the food ministry 5 Loaves. Jeff Smith, Trust Fund Officer, reported that the trust fund transfer from Fidelity to Charles Schwab is complete. 

The Board of Trustees spent several months researching this change to save money on fees and commissions. Norine and Julie applied for a grant from Las Animas County to be used for the food ministry.  

Vicar Lisa reported that the 8:30 a.m. adult education class on Luther's Catechism will be finished in three weeks. In response to the Transition Team's comments on adult education, we will do short studies after worship during fellowship time. This Sunday we will discuss the video "Classic Church-Church Becoming" which was viewed on March 5. Wednesday night soup suppers will continue through Lent. 

Linda Shafer had asked to become an official member of Zion's. We are happy to approve her for membership and she will be installed on Easter Sunday along with the other individuals nominated last month. We are researching a replacement for the wireless headset transmitter to replace one that is broken, and we thank our anonymous donor who has offered to pay for it. 

Vicar Lisa will be gone from June 4-9 for seminary in Minneapolis. She will arrange for a supply pastor for June 4.  

In response to recommendations by the Transition Team, a leadership retreat is scheduled for April 15. The Rev Diana Linden-Johnson from the Bishop's office will be the facilitator and the program will include a section on Church Council 101, community building, culture, and expectations.  

Jeff is working with Sharon Sorenson and Ernie Parker to set up the Ring system component that would notify us in the event of a fire in the sanctuary. 

Joni Jones has chosen to resign from the position of Financial Secretary and from church council--after 43 years. We accepted her resignation with much gratitude. 

As per our constitution, the church council voted to elect her successors. Mike McNeil was nominated and elected to the position of Financial Secretary. Dr. Kathy Broman was nominated and elected to church council.  Carol Schulzkump will inform and make the necessary changes with the First National Bank.  

We are still asking for input as to whether or not to have our annual garage sale in August. Vicar Lisa said that the Church of Christ will be accepting donations to give away at their "Free Yard (Not) Sale" on April 15. 

We will watch the weather and schedule a "spring clean-up" day within the next few weeks. We thank John Rygiel for replacing the plexiglass on the outside of the stained-glass windows and for the repair to the China cabinet in the fellowship hall. Repairs to the shower stall are still pending.  

The next council meeting is being rescheduled to April 2, since Easter is April 9.  

Respectfully, 

Julie Wersal 

Council President 

E-formation – Fourth Sunday in Lent 

The fourth Sunday in Lent continues the focus on baptism as a key to the Christian life. During Lent, as we prepare candidates for baptism, we remember our baptism, and we renew our lives to live more fully in the light of baptismal grace.

John 9:1-41

At least since the fourth century, the church has used the narrative of the man born blind as a picture of every believer’s baptism, which in early centuries was commonly called “enlightenment.” Our baptism has given us the light of Christ, by which we live, and with which we illumine the darkness in and outside ourselves. Along with the seeing man, we affirm our Lenten faith, “Lord, I believe.” We too are sent by baptism to live a new life.

1 Samuel 16:1-13

The boy David was anointed by the prophet and then received the Spirit of God. In the early church, baptisms usually included anointing with oil. So in baptism, we too are anointed, either metaphorically or literally, and having received the Spirit, we too reign in God’s kingdom. The title “Christ” means “the anointed one,” and Christians are those anointed with Jesus Christ to live a transformed life. This story parallels John 9 as a picture about baptism.

Ephesians 5:8-14

Interrupting our Lenten reading of Romans, the passage from Ephesians readies us to hear about the man born blind. Christ shines also on us; we too are to live no longer in darkness, but rather as lights in the world.

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