“Jesus said, “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” John 19:30 If this is where our story ended, we would be living a very different kind of life. Death would have the final word. Where would our hope be? Dead. Where would our joy be? Dead. We would stand at a crossroads that offered nothing but a dead end. Thanks be to God! This is not where our story ends. This is just the
We recently experienced a good, old-fashioned, snowstorm. While it didn’t quite live up to the media hype of a “Storm of the Century”, it definitely did have a high impact, making a mess of travel plans and closing schools and businesses, but quietly, I enjoyed it! Don’t worry, I am not suffering from cabin fever, (at least not too badly), nor have I lost my mind in stating I enjoyed the storm. Admittedly, shoveling and snow removal followed, but big
Contributions to the General Fund continue to exceed our giving of last year. In February those amounted to about $51,000 which is 11.5% more than last February. Expenses for the month exceeded our income by about $9,800. These are only 1.4% greater than those of a year ago. For the year so far our giving to the General Fund is around $129,400. Our expenses have been about $128,400. While the Building Fund income for February was slightly down from a
Steve joined us as we took our break. John, Dave, and I had started the morning in jackets and sweatshirts and now we were down to our t-shirts as the day warmed. We ate burgers and fries but he was satisfied with only a malt. Tim had stopped by earlier and dropped off tools and much-needed advice. The prep work was done and we would paint as much as we could on the stairs, deck, and porch that day. Now
In last month’s newsletter article, I shared a quote from Andy Mcilvain, who is the author of the blog Enacted Word. Now that we are further into the season of Lent, it bears repeating: God deserves more than our attention; He deserves our affections and focus. He doesn’t just want us to listen to Him. He desires us to know Him. He wants us to pursue Him. We are pursuing the theme “reLENTless” this Lenten season. It is a juxtaposition
A WiFi option has been added to the sound system at Zion, allowing those with hearing difficulties in the Sanctuary to listen to worship audio through their own mobile device and headphones, earbuds, or compatible hearing aids via the Listen Everywhere app. To use this service: Download the free app from the iPhone App Store or Google Play Store Connect to the dedicated ‘ZionHA’ WiFi network once you arrive on Sunday Contact an audio technician at the sound booth for
There has been a lot of excitement and activity around Zion related to the support being provided to the Ukrainian refugees in our community. A valid question: What effect do these efforts have on the long-standing commitments of Zion’s Global Missions Committee to support All Kids Can Learn, International in Zambia; Redeemer Lutheran Church in North Minneapolis; and Mission Jamaica? The answer is: Hopefully, none. The Global Missions Committee is fully supportive of the Ukrainian project and prays that members
Pastor Bahe pointed out seven forms of generosity in her January 29 message from the “5 daily habits from the Bible to truly bring joy” sermon series: Generosity of thoughts Generosity of words Generosity of money Generosity of time Generosity of things Generosity of influence Generosity of attention She went on to say: When we are faithful, even in little ways, following these seven forms of generosity; we will also be faithful in much. If we are generous in these
The January financial reports are another reminder that Zion is moving forward with confidence. Our January offerings to the General Fund were a little over $75,000 which is about 10.5% above those given in January 2022. Our General Fund expenses were about $5,500 greater than last January, most of which is attributable to an increase in personnel – another sign of our moving forward. Still, our income exceeded our expenses for the month. Our next financial challenge will come when
Imagine huddling in a bomb shelter beneath the streets of Mariupol for three weeks trying to comfort a one-and-a-half-year-old boy and an eight-year-old girl, listening to bombs destroy your home and city above you. When you finally emerge from the shelter, you drive around burned-out cars with dead bodies strewn on the roadside to escape. The dangerous journey takes you through Russia, Moldova, Italy, and Mexico before six of you arrive in Montrose, Minnesota where your mother and her husband