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Romans 7:15, 19, 24-25

By Pr. Lisa Rygiel

Scripture

I do not understand my own actions…. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do…. Wretched person that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

To ponder

The saints in being righteous are at the same time sinners; they are righteous because they believe in Christ…but they are sinners because They do not fulfill the law and are not without sinful desires. Luther, Commentary on Romans

Simultaneously saints and sinners

Most humans can relate to Paul’s words to the Romans. How I wish I made perfect choices every day. Thank God for Jesus, who rescues us from bodies of death. Indeed, scriptures teaches that “the wage of sin is death, but the free give of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (romans 6:23)

This Lenten season, we are invited to free-fall into the amazing grace of God through Jesus. Although we sin, missing the mark again and again, God’s grace is abundant and never runs out!

How might this inform our interactions with other fallible humans? Are we willing to extend the same love and forgiveness to others that we ourselves have received, and want to receive, from Almighty God?

How can we look upon humanity with the gentle eyes of Christ? Where have you seen God at work bringing succor to those who are suffering? How can we help?

Prayer

God, alone I cannot solve the problems of the world. Thank you for your church and all who work together to share the life-giving and liberating ministries of Jesus. Amen.

March 22, 2026,5th Sunday of Lent

10 a.m. Sunday Worship

Announcements

  • Fellowship: Join us after worship today in the Fellowship Hall for coffee and conversation. All are welcome.
  • Church Council: Zion’s council will have a work session after worship, downstairs in the Fellowship Hall, to review committee and team structures.
  • Wednesday Book Club: The Wednesday Book Club is focusing upon What if Jesus was Serious – A Visual Guide to the Teachings of Jesus We Love to Ignore. It meets at 10:30 a.m. each Wednesday in the Fellowship Hall. All are welcome.
  • Lenten Greenery: During Lent Zion’s will opt for green foliage instead of flowers to reflect the austerity and simplicity of the season. We know that some people want to sponsor flowers even during Lent. Prayerfully consider another option: select a Sunday after Lent, sponsor flowers on Easter Sunday, or donate to one of our many ministries and missions, in the name of the person or event you want to recognize.
  • Children’s Choir: Choir practice is at 3 p.m. each Sunday in the Fellowship Hall.
  • Lenten Soup Suppers: At 5:30 p.m. each Wednesday during Lent, Zion’s will share a soup supper and devotion. Sign-up sheets are in the Fellowship Hall to bring soup, bread, beverages, or dessert. Our next soup supper is at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18.
  • Time of Prayer and Coffee: The Zion’s family is 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.
  • Temple Aaron: There are upcoming activities at Temple Aaron we have been invited to attend. March 18th -- Live Klezmer Concert. March 21 – Shabbat & Hebrews month of Nissan (Zoom Study with Rabbi Jo). March 28 – Saturday night Sedar at the temple. See info@tampleaaron.org for more information.
  • God’s Work Our Hands: Terri Watson continues to identify members of our congregation who are willing to help our siblings in Christ with basic assistance, such as rides and errands. For more information talk to Terri.
  • The Way Ministry: At 1 p.m. each Sunday through March 29, Zion’s welcomes The Way ministry to our Fellowship Hall as they offer food and worship to those in need.
  • 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 Bible readings this coming Sunday are for everyone who feels half dead, for everyone who sees death everywhere, as well as for everyone who is afraid to even think about death. Come to worship, to receive the breath of the Spirit, to hear the voice of Christ, to be fed at the table, and to celebrate the life God gives.

John 11:1-45

In this last of the seven signs in the gospel of John that demonstrate Jesus’ divinity, Jesus first explained the sign and then performed it. As expected in John’s gospel, the sign functions as a metaphor for the identity of Jesus. What happens to Lazarus is resuscitation, not the resurrection: Christ is the resurrection, and his power gives life to this world. In John’s narrative, it is the raising of Lazarus that incited the authorities to seek Jesus’ execution.

Ezekiel 37:1-14

Ezekiel was a sixth-century prophet living in Babylon during the exile. His prophecies, part of the Priestly tradition that is found throughout the Old Testament, proclaim that despite the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple in 587, God will eventually restore Israel to even greater glory. Perhaps the most beloved passage of the book is this vision in chapter 37 of a restored Israel, returned from Babylon to their own land.

Romans 8:6-11

In the center of his letter to the church in Rome, Paul concluded his discussion of law and gospel by contrasting life in the flesh with life in the Spirit. For those in Christ, sin is already dead; the Spirit gives life. For Paul, the term “flesh” referred to the body as it is misused and controlled by the power of sin and the term “Spirit” to the power of the risen Christ in the individual and community.

Zion's Lutheran Church

zionsluth@gmail.com

719-846-7785