Zion E-News (3-25-2021)

Over the past few days, I have been following the story of the huge cargo ship blocking the Suez Canal. The canal itself is a massive human achievement. Stretching over 120 miles and more than 2 football fields wide, the canal is huge. Twelve percent of global trade passes through the canal every year.

The boats which go through it are equally massive. The stuck boat had an engine failure, combined with strong winds, that turned it sideways. The stuck boat is itself an incredible 1300 feet long. It may very well be several weeks before the boat can be completely freed and the canal unblocked. Looking up the history of the canal, I learned the longest any  boat has ever been stuck in the canal is 8 years, so hopefully this one will not take quite so long.

Looking at the canal on a globe, I got a different view of these massive numbers. The canal is actually not very big at all compared to the Mediterranean Sea or the Indiana Ocean. It is rather small. Almost impossible to see when viewing the entire world. And yet, one little stuck boat in a tiny little man made river is currently causing massive disruptions in global trade.

I have noticed something similar in my life. There are some habit for practices that in and of themselves don’t look very important in light of my entire life and yet have a huge impact on me. One small example is my bed time. When I go to bed early and get enough sleep, I am an entirely nicer and more productive person. That tiny decision has a huge impact on me and everyone around me the next day.

Most important for me is my time in scripture. I can go a day or two without reading scripture and spending time in prayer and I may not even notice. Just like global trade was not affected immediately by this stuck ship. But over time, I see the effects. I feel more distant from God. Temptations become, well, more tempting. I become more self-focused rather than thinking of others. Those small habits have a huge impact on my life and those with whom I spend time.

How about you? What are the small daily practices in your life that pay outsized dividends for you?

Greg

Connect to God
This Sunday we will gather in person at 9:30 am and online at both 9:30 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.

Beginning this Sunday, March 28, our in-person worship time will go back to 9:30 am. We look forward to seeing you then and hope you enjoy the extra half hour of sleep each Sunday morning.

Christianity at its core is not about thinking the right things about God or knowing our Bibles inside and out, but about following Jesus. The earliest believers were called Christians because they looked and acted like little Christs, little Jesuses.  This Sunday as we celebrate Palm Sunday, we come to Jesus summary of the law: loving God and loving others. As we think about what it means to follow Jesus it all comes down to this elegant command to love. How might we love our neighbors today?

Grow in Community
We extend our sympathy to Rog and Teresa Beute in the passing of Rog’s sister Barb passed away yesterday morning.

We extend our sympathy to the family of Gloria Slagter who passed away yesterday morning. Funeral arrangements are still pending and will be shared as they become available.

Jim and Barb Overweg also ask for continued prayer for their son-in-law Clyde who experienced a setback in his recovery recently as they found additional fluid built up around his heart. Prayers for hope, strength and healing and appreciated.

If you would like to keep up with Steve Landstra’s health journey as he battles lung cancer, the family has set up a CaringBridges page and you can find it here.

We are reading through the New Testament over the next year as a congregation. The reading schedule for this coming week is below (and thank you to everyone who reminded that Luke only has 24 chapters and not chapters 25 and 26 I included in last weeks e-mail):
Monday: John 18
Tuesday: John 19
Wednesday: John 20
Thursday: John 21
Friday: Acts 1

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

Serve the World
Camp Zion will be occurring again this summer. If you have or are a teen interested in working at Camp Zion this summer, make sure you apply by filling out the application at the link below by the end of March. It is a great way to invest your summer in blessing our neighbors.
Camp Zion Teen Staff Job Application

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:  $441,263.76
Fiscal Year to Date Contribution: $425,162.47
Giving Last Week: $11,714.00
Benevolent Fund Offering of 3/21: $5,735.00