Zion E-News (1-7-2021)

I am sad today. Heartbroken. And unsure what to say.

I was not shocked, horrified, or surprised by the events in our Capitol yesterday. I have been worried about and praying against such violence since the election and my concern had only grown in the past few weeks.

I know in our congregation there are diverse responses to the events of yesterday. In a politically polarized society it is hard for almost all of us to see an event without first translating it through our political lens to ensure “our guys” are the good guys. I have no desire to argue with people about their political opinions. You can have whatever concerns about the election you may or may not have. I am not going to try to convince you otherwise. I am not a politician for a reason. In light of eternity, politics is not very important. But the kingdom of God is.

I am a pastor and my job is to help us learn to view the world through the lens of scripture and to engage the world as followers of Jesus. Therefore, I am heartbroken today because the name of Jesus was tied to violence, anger, and hatred yesterday. Crosses were set up by protestors. A Christian flag was brought into the Capitol. Through the actions of protestors, the Jesus who taught us to love our enemies, to pray for those who persecute us, to speak the truth, to not speak an angry word against another was tied to angry vitriol, noose hanging, window breaking, and bomb setting.

Friends, God has no chosen nation, only a chosen people that reside in every nation on earth, the church. Our primary citizenship is not in the US, but in the kingdom of God. We are not in a war for the soul of our nation. We are envoys sent by God to tell the world of his love, mercy, and justice. God already won the war through Jesus. We only need to show our neighbors there is something better for them than the divisions, fear, anger and anxiety of our world. That witness was damaged yesterday and it breaks my heart. We, the church in America, need to repent of our idolatry of politics, parties, and our nation and come back to our first love, Jesus.

I invite you to join me in praying a prayer I posted yesterday from the Worship Book, 1970:
God of ages, eternal One: in your sight nations rise and fall, and pass through times of peril. Now when our land is troubled, be near to judge and save. May leaders be led by your wisdom; may they search your will and see it clearly. If we have turned from your way, reverse our ways and help us to repent. Give us your light and your truth; let them guide us; through Jesus Christ who is the light of this world and our savior. Amen

By his grace,

Greg

Connect to God
This Sunday we will gather online at 9 and 11 am. You can find the services either on our Facebook page or at zionreformed.online.church. We will also rebroadcast the service on WCET at noon on Friday and 4pm next Sunday.

We all have goals, plans, hopes, and dreams for our future. Things we want to start—or maybe stop—doing. But how do we get there? In this series to start the new year, we will explore some spiritual and practical steps you can take to become the person you want to be in five years. This week, we look to the story of Elisha to see how God can work in the decisive and the small acts of obedience.

Grow in Community
Our book discussion the Color of Compromise is hoping to begin meeting on January 18 at 7 pm. If you are interested in thinking together about racial divisions in our culture and the role of the church, this would be a great place to be a part of that conversation. If you are interested in this book discussion, please contact Sheila at sheilaj2494@yahoo.com.

Would your child like to go to camp next summer?  Our church offers a 50% off scholarship to any church member who would like to send their child to camp. Many kids from our church have gone in the past, and it’s been a great experience for them, and they’ve grown in their faith. Camp Geneva is a Reformed church camp on the shores of Lake Michigan. They offer day camps for kids going into 1st-4th grade, and overnight camps for kids going into 3rd grade through High School. You can check out their website here.   Please contact Connie Stegeman, our church secretary, or Children Ministry Director Rachel Brower for the discount code that you’ll need for your registration.

You can still join us in reading through the New Testament over the next year. We are encouraging everyone to use the Through the Word app on Apple or Android devices. Today, we started the book of Mark. If you have not joined us yet, now is a great time to start. Simply read one chapter a day Monday through Friday.

The reading schedule for this week coming is below:
Monday: Mark 3
Tuesday: Mark 4
Wednesday: Mark 5
Thursday: Mark 6
Friday: Mark 7

You can also find the reading schedule on our website under the Ministries tab.

Serve the World
We received word this week that our Kids Hope mentoring partnership with Bursley Elementary can officially begin next week. Please be in prayer for all those mentoring students as these new relationships are build.

For our Christmas Eve service, we held a special offering to support the Interfaith Hospitality Network. which provides housing and support to families facing a housing crisis in partnership with local churches. I am overwhelmed by your generous support. You gave $6,100 on Christmas Eve to support this ministry. Thank you!

If you need help, either with food, personal care items, help grocery shopping, or with financial needs, please contact Chip Harkes, our chair of deacons, and he can help connect you with the appropriate resources at Zion. His e-mail is chip@harkeslandscape.com and his phone number is 616-299-4804.

Administration
We continue to thank God for his provision of all of our needs and for the generous support of our congregation with their time, talent, and treasures.

Fiscal Year to Date Budget:  $325,694.68
Fiscal Year to Date Contribution: $318,378.47
Giving Last Week: $7,280.12