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ZION LUTHERAN CHURCH, 470 Yocumtown Road, Etters, PA 17319 717-938-0651 Lower Susquehanna Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
http://www.facebook.com/zionetters www.zionetters.com
ZION TIDINGS
Dear People of God, Me: Bible study is on Tuesday - will I see you there? Steve: Yeah where is it going to be? Me: (blank faced) What do you mean? Steve: You said we were pretending we don’t have a church building. So where’s it going to be? Me: Oh yeah. I forgot about that. Hmmm. So first of all I did in fact say we are going to start pretending to not have a church building. I just didn’t think we had started yet. ☺ I said that though because I think it’s important for us to be a known and accessible presence in the community. And one way to do that is to pretend not to have a building and have meeting and Bible study and everything else – elsewhere.
We ended up going to YoFresh for Bible study. It was fun. We all had good ice cream. We actually saw other church folks there. And we had a great discussion about the Bible while some folks were celebrating the end of little league and others were fueling up after a good workout session. Then we finished our Bible study with prayer. It was good.
JULY 2014
Our Mission Statement
We are rooted in God’s Love, • We proclaim
Christ’s message, • Support each
other, • Share our joy, • And live our faith.
WORSHIP: 9:00 am
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION:
10:30 AM (during school year)
Reverend Abigail Leese
432-3771, 521-2167
Page 2 July 2014
And think of it if we keep going back – we could get to know people we don’t currently know by talking about the Bible in their midst!
There are other times we’ve been out and about in the community too. We’ve been having Bible study the first Thursday of the month at the Summit at 9am. And worship in Goldsboro Park the first Wednesday of the month at 6:30pm. So yeah we are the church with a building but not really. We are the church that sees our mission as extending beyond the walls of our building. And one of the ways we live that out is by being the church regularly in the community. Me: Let’s pretend we don’t have a building!!!! You: Ok! (secretly you are thinking I’m weird but it’s ok I know I am ☺) Me: Yeah it will be fun for all of us – God too! Peace, Pastor Abby
Thank you to… o Russ for
organizing our events in Goldsboro park.
o Folks who volunteered for and donated to the Strawberry Festival.
o Linda for preaching June 22nd.
o Helen and Steve for attending synod assembly.
o Christina and Tena for their work helping our community and our church family stay in the know.
o Denise for organizing VBS.
Page 3 July 2014
Sermon May 18, 2014 John 14:1-14
What does God's house look like? Where is it? Who is present? How do you get there? What does God's house look like? I want to propose we replace the word house in this passage with heart. In my Father's heart there are many dwelling places. God's heart is God's house. And it is in God's very heart that we are called to live all of our days. Where is it? What if we thought about God's heart being so big that the earth itself is swallowed up into it? We so often picture a divine mansion in the sky filled with the saints who have gone before us. But what if the dwelling place that we are called to is not distant but is in fact very close - among us right now. What if the places Jesus has prepared for us are not only for post-death us but for us now? What if the whole world turned on its axes inside of God's beating heart.
• Photos for the Newsletter! Have something fun going on in your life (we know you do!)? Email us ([email protected] or [email protected]) a photo of something that you’ve been up to in the past month or two and we’ll put it in the newsletter. Let’s share our joys, our accomplishments, and our loves with each other!
• Worship in the Park We will be worshiping the first Wednesday of July, and August at 6:30pm at Goldsboro park. Communion will be served at this service. Please join us.
Page 4 July 2014
And each of us are currently being ushered into the place that Jesus had prepared for us,
The work place Jesus prepared for us, the relationships Jesus prepared for us? What would it look like if we viewed our homes as rooms in God's massive heart? What if our church was a place that Jesus has prepared for us to worship, and pray and sing and learn? Certainly things happen in this world that will never happen in heaven. Certainly God does not cause or give permission to folks who oppress other folks, or cause crimes of hate. The bad things in our world are caused by sin and sin alone. But God's heart is big enough to swallow up the bad things - to make good come of them, to bring healing when it feels like there can be none. God's heart is big enough to love sinners through the darkest of sins. Who is present? Well we all are. I hope you all know that. I hope you all know that you are included in the folk who have been swept into God's heart. Not because you have found and followed and exclusive path of faith extraordinarily well. Not because you have asked for the correct amount of forgiveness for your sins. And certainly not because you are a good person and live a good life.
• Fellowship with Lutherans in our area. The North York Conference will be hosting an ice cream social the second Wednesday of July and August at 7pm. July’s event will be held at Goldsboro park. Please do make an effort to gather with our Lutheran neighbors for some yummy ice cream and good conversation.
Page 5 July 2014
No you are one of the dwellers in God's heart because you know God. Jesus says, "If you know me." Which of course begs the response "Of course I know God...I have done....in my life" or "I don't know God. I haven't done...in my life." But you should know that the Greek actually means, "If you know me, which you do." You know me because I introduced myself to you Jesus tells us. You know me because I gave you the gift of faith. You are not at all responsible for that part of our relationship which happily means you have a place that has been prepared for you in God's heart. But it also means that there are people who Jesus has prepared a place for that you will not be happy about. You may even have the room next to there's. Jesus went to hell and back for sinful people - people who killed him! So certainly we will find ourselves bunking with folks who we find unsavory. But there are folks who might find us unsavory as well. Or they might dislike our taste in clothes or our manners or our profession or our living arrangement. But all of that doesn't matter quite so much when its God's house and God's rules.
• We will be having Communion every week in July, August, and September. Due to a positive forum held after worship in May we have decided to try having communion every week for a four month trial period. Please note two things. 1. If you have questions, concerns, or suggestions please see Pastor Abby or a council member. 2. Please do not feel obligated to receive communion every week. Communion will no longer be ushered in an attempt to make it less obvious should you wish not to commune.
Page 6 July 2014
How do we get there? Through Jesus of course. Not by following some complicated path. Not by picking up a series of breadcrumbs that Jesus has left for us. But by having a relationship with Jesus - who is himself the way. This relationship is Jesus initiated remember. And this relationship is itself life changing because it transports us directly into the heart of God. Into the place Jesus prepared for us to live and work and play. What does this mean? What does it mean to you that we live our whole lives in God's heart, what does it mean to you that we live day in and day out in the place that Jesus prepared just for us? It means that we can reach out and touch God any time any place. God is near to us. We live inside of God's very being. We are never as alone as we feel. We can never push God away or lose God in the crowd. We live inside of God. It does not mean that we will not have hard times. It does not mean we live in a bubble and are immune to bad things happening. It means God is bigger than all of those bad things and in fact holds us in God's arms
UPCOMING EVENTS – July July 2nd – 6:30 pm - Worship July 3rd - 9:00 am - Breakfast & Bible Study July 6th - Food Pantry Sunday; Homebound Communion Sunday; 2:00 pm Worship at Manor Care July 8th - 7:00 pm - Council Meeting July 9th – 7:00 pm – Ice Cream Social with North York Conference at Goldsboro Park July 15th – 6:30 pm - Bible Study July 20th - Newsletter Deadline July 27th – 10:00 am – Fellowship with the Best Family Thursdays in July, 6:00 pm – Knitting and Crocheting LOOKING AHEAD August 9th – 9:00 am to 3:00pm – Vacation Bible School September 20th – 10:00 am to 3:00 pm - Newberry Twp. Community Fair Day at Newberry Commons
Page 7 July 2014
before, during and after though bad things happen. Finally it does not mean that if we are unhappy in our lives that we should assume God gave us the broom closet. The place God prepares for us is not always the place we want to be. It also may be that the place God prepared for us is so full of sin it no longer resembles the place God made. It also doesn't mean that God's prepared place for us is one place on this earth. What this does mean is that the place God prepared for us is bigger than space and time. And it is made just for us with love and care. And if we don't get to spend as much quality time in that space on this earth as we like - we will get to spend an eternity in that space of quality quality time with God. Hear Jesus' words again, Do not let your hearts be troubled. In my Father's heart there are many dwelling places. And I am the way to get there. In fact I am the reason you are already there. Zion’s web address. Here you can view information on our church and Pastor Abby’s sermons. There are links to the church calendar, daily devotions, and facebook. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Zion-Lutheran-Church-Etters-PA/125992474086285?ref=ts
Find Zion on Facebook. http://www.elca.org/goodgifts Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
COMMUNITY NEEDS Red Land Food Bank – canned goods and non-perishables - diapers and wipes Red Land Senior Citizen Center - white copier paper (8 ½ x 11), cookies and snacks, sanitizing wipes, toilet paper, bathroom cleaner/toilet bowl cleaner, sandwich bags, paper towels, and postage stamps.
Thank you for your generosity.
WEBSITES TO CHECK OUT!
[email protected] Zion’s email address. You can use this for any communications other than confidential issues. It is NOT the confidential Email for Pastor Abby. If you need to contact the pastor about a pastoral care issue please do so at [email protected]. This is where the weekly ENews comes from. It is emailed out typically between Sunday afternoon and Monday evening and hasinformation on the upcoming week at Zion, those who have signed up to assist with various worship service duties, upcoming reminders and the prayer list.
Page 8 July 2014
PRAYER REQUESTS
Members and Friends of Zion Ella Barton
Janie Baum Genevieve Miller Margaret Price Don Snelbaker Dottie Roller Dan Thrush Denise Staats Linda Trout Brianna Rehm George Cizauskas
Kathy Bittner Pete Brown Shayna Steinhauer Mary Rider Daniel Thrush Donna Martin Pam Schoen Dave Scheibel Barb Nearhood Charles Shenck David Davies Damon Morris Gwen Dunchock Judy Treaster Jacqueline Bahr Donna Winterburn
SERVICE MEN AND WOMEN
Matthew Biesecker Evan Hoke Adam Anderson Kyle Buss Amy Plante Daniel Oestreich
Page 9 July 2014
Happy July Birthdays To: Tena Hunt July 1 Hunter Miller July 2 Edward Vandermark July 3 Beth Bittner July 4 Gary Pyfer Lois Moody July 10 Kenneth Bittner July 11 Travis Chamberlain July 16 Becky Collins July 18 Gene Collins Gracy Adams July 19 Evan Felker Brandon Neifert July 23 Noah Felker July 27 Lynn Whitzel Leanne Adams July 28 Deb Aument Kelly Jo McDade Leonard Stare Michael Walter July 29 Heidi Sternberger July 31
Page 10 July 2014
CHURCH LEADERSHIP
President: Russ Collins 938-8046 Vice President: Tim Dunchock 497-1751 Secretary: Tena Hunt 873-4403 Treasurer: Steve Shissler 460-0657 Assistant Treasurer: Dawn Shissler 979-1964 Financial Secretary: Liz Wolf 938-1202 Fellowship Committee Becky Collins 774-3595 Music and Worship Committee Helen Hoover 938-2589 Property Committee Dwight McClain 766-1469 Social Ministry Committee Mary Ann Bittner 938-4874 Christian Education Committee Denise Appel 932-1880 Evangelism Committee Tena Hunt 873-4403 Christina Miller 855-4822 Newsletter Editor Gail Craig 932-2481 Communications Director Tena Hunt 873-4403
