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The Means of Grace

by Vicar Lisa

Greetings to you all on this beautiful Wednesday. Most of you are aware that I am in seminary school and working my way through the ordination process with the ELCA. Now that I have successfully survived the Clinical Pastoral Education process, I am eligible for the next step which is going from being Entranced (allowed access to classes, etc.) to being Endorsed (which means I have made satisfactory progress academically).

And each step of the way requires that students write an essay where we have to answer questions posed to us by the board. One of the questions I was asked on the Endorsement Essay was the following: “Describe one new theological understanding you have discovered as you have made your way through seminary and candidacy.” This was my response…

“One new understanding I have discovered is about a term I had occasionally heard but really wasn’t sure what it meant, ‘the means of grace’. 

 “By the power of the Spirit, this very Word of God, which is Jesus Christ, is read in the Scriptures, proclaimed in the preaching, announced in the forgiveness of sins, eaten and drunk in the Holy Communion, and encountered in the bodily presence of the Christian community. By the power of the Spirit active in Holy Baptism, this Word washes a people to be Christ’s own Body in the world. We have called this gift of Word and Sacrament by the name ‘the means of grace.’ [1]

“When I first read the quote above, I was taken a bit by surprise. First off, ‘the means of grace’ is such a beautiful expression, and secondly, because it pieces all the elements together (Word of God, proclamation, forgiveness, communion, the community, Holy Spirit, etc.) through which God provides his grace. Since joining the Lutheran Church, I had heard over and over again the core Lutheran concept of ‘saved by grace through faith.’ However, I tended to focus on the faith part and really never gave much thought to what the ‘grace’ part of that equation was. Reading this was an aha moment for me.”

What about you? Have you ever wondered exactly what was meant by the term “means of grace” or even focused on what we Lutherans mean by being saved by grace through faith? Let us come together on Sunday and receive God’s grace in all the ways we receive it!

Announcements

Be sure to move your clocks forward one hour on Saturday night when 
Daylight Saving time begins again.

  • Church Council: Zion’s church council meets after worship on Sunday, downstairs in the Fellowship Hall.
  • Lent Soup Suppers: Each Wednesday during Lent we gather at 6 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall for a Soup Supper and devotion. Please plan to join us this Wednesday, March 6. We also need volunteers to bring soup, salad, bread, or a light dessert. If you can help, please sign up on the sheets in the Fellowship Hall.
  • New Members: If you have not officially joined Zion’s as a member, we will welcome new members on Easter Sunday, March 31. In preparation for that, we will have a New Members Class on Sunday, March 24, following Fellowship. It will take about 1.5 hours.
  • Weekday Bible Study: The next weekday Bible Study will be at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 13, in the Fellowship Hall.
  • Save the Date: Next Sunday, Zion’s will have a special congregational meeting after worship, to select Zion’s synod assembly representatives. During the Rocky Mountain Synod assembly representatives will be selecting a new bishop.
  • Easter Flowers: On Easter Sunday, our Sanctuary will be filled with beautiful flowers symbolizing the glory of the resurrection. Sign up to help sponsor Easter flowers using the special sheet in the flower book at the back of the sanctuary. Include your name and any commemoration you would like to see included in the bulletin. A minimum donation of $35 is encouraged and donation envelopes are in the flower book.
  • Portals of Prayer: Copies of the Spring Portals of Prayer are available in the back of the Sanctuary and in the Fellowship Hall, where a few large print editions also are available.
  • Early 5-Loaves Help: The 5-Loaves team needs some help with early preparations for the March lunch delivery, as Zion’s will be providing a special Easter meal on Saturday, March 30. If you can help with preparations, please see Norine Hazen.
  • First Sunday Potluck: The next potluck will be Sunday, April 7, when we also will continue the Sunday Morning Bible Study, “How Lutherans Read the Bible”. All are welcome!

 

Holy Week:

Palm Sunday Worship — 10 a.m. on March 24

Wednesday Soup Supper — 6 p.m. on March 27

Good Friday Worship — 7 p.m. on March 29

Easter Sunday Celebration — 10 a.m. on March 31

(Fellowship Brunch, New Member Reception Follows)

 

E-formation – Fourth Sunday of Lent, March 10

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 own baptism and renew our lives to live more fully in the light of baptismal grace.

John 3:14-21

The context of the beloved John 3:16 includes reference to Israelite sin, death by poison, the darkness of this world, hatred of God, and the evil that people commit. In John, eternal life begins now, in and among the baptized. In contrast to the story from Numbers in which people die of snakebite, John describes God as choosing to save, rather than condemn. The world, which does not know God, is loved by God.

Numbers 21:4-9

The narrative from Numbers provides the story to which the gospel refers. With John in mind, we can say that the Israelites “loved darkness” and are “perishing.” The fiery serpent, like Christ, was “lifted up.” Those dying of snakebite, like Christians, are invited to believe.

Ephesians 2:1-10

This passage is a magnificent compendium of Lenten baptismal proclamation. Baptism has given us life in Christ so that by grace we will do the good works of God.

Zion's Lutheran Church

zionsluth@gmail.com

719-846-7785