Zion E-News (2-24-2022)

Next week Wednesday, we will gather to worship on Ash Wednesday as the church enters the season of Lent. Traditionally, this has been a season for believers to refocus on their relationship with God. Many are more consistent in their study of scripture or prayer. In some communities, they have weekly Wednesday evening worship throughout the season of Lent. Most people associate Lent with fasting. Fasting from chocolate or social media seem to be particularly popular choices. The purpose of fasting isn’t actually to fast, but to help us recognize our true need is not for the thing we are fasting from, but for God and his presence in our lives. 

As I have been thinking about Lent the last few weeks, I keep coming back to the prophet Isaiah who begins his book with a strong rebuke of the religious people who do all the right religious activities, but fail to care for the oppressed or seek justice for the abused. And then, near the end of the book, God says this through the prophet:

Shout it aloud, do not hold back.
Raise your voice like a trumpet.
Declare to my people their rebellion
and to the descendants of Jacob their sins.
For day after day they seek me out;
they seem eager to know my ways,
as if they were a nation that does what is right
and has not forsaken the commands of its God.
They ask me for just decisions
and seem eager for God to come near them.
‘Why have we fasted,’ they say,
‘and you have not seen it?
Why have we humbled ourselves,
and you have not noticed?’
“Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please
and exploit all your workers.
Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,
and in striking each other with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
and expect your voice to be heard on high.
Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
only a day for people to humble themselves?
Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed
and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the Lord?
“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

– Isaiah 58:1-9

May we seek the kind of fast our God desires this Lenten season.

– Greg

Connect to God
This week we will gather for worship at 9:30 am. This weeks service will be at zionreformed.online.church and streaming on our YouTube channel. We will also rebroadcast a version of the service on WCET at noon on Friday and 4pm next Sunday. The service will continue to be available on YouTube to watch at your convenience.

This morning, we continue a sermon series entitled Upside Down Kingdom. This series draws from the gospel lectionary readings, predominantly in Luke, to help us see the counter-cultural values and ways of God’s kingdom. Our text today Jesus calls his disciples to look inward, at their own lives, to see who they are following, the sins they overlook in themselves, examine the fruit of their lives, and ensure they are building on the right foundation.

This Wednesday, March 2, at 6:30 pm you are invited to join us for our annual Ash Wednesday service. This is a great opportunity to reflect on the fragility of life and our dependence on God as we enter into the season of Lent. Communion and the imposition of ashes will both be observed.

Grow in Community
We extend our sympathy to Austin and Haley Stone in the passing of Austin’s grandmother earlier this week. We also extend our sympathy to Tom and Megan MacGraw in the passing of Megan’s uncle on Sunday.

Do you want some good food, friends and fellowship? Then this is the opportunity for you! 729 groups bring 7 to 9 willing people together to meet for a meal 3x in 3 months. The goal is simply to get to know some people in church better. Once groups are formed, the host will contact members to arrange the details for the first gathering. Dinner groups are encouraged to be creative; consider picking a dinner “theme night” (i.e. Italian, dessert or soup night), and everyone can bri

ng a dish that goes along with that theme or meet at a restaurant or church. You can sign-up through the Connection cards found in the bulletin or call the church office at 616-534-7533. Sign-up deadline is Sunday, March 13.

Mark your calendars, the Middle and High School Youth Groups will be hosting a fundraiser at Culver’s on March 21 from 5-8 pm. This is a great night to support our youth, connect with friends new and old from Zion, and enjoy some great Culver’s burgers and frozen custard.

Serve the World
This past Sunday, our youth groups filled out RBIs cards to encourage each other to be intentional to be relationship builders, blessing givers, and inviters in our world. You can read some of their stories on our RBI wall in the lobby. If you have a story to tell, you can fill out an RBI card in your bulletin this Sunday or share your story at our website here.

Threads will be having a semi-annual sale, which will be open to the public, on Saturday, March 12 from 9am – 1pm. Each and every item in the boutique will be priced at $1. The money raised from this sale is used to self-fund our ministry and purchase needed items. All are invited to come in and shop!

Currently, Threads is in need of new underwear and new socks for all ages/sizes, and also in need of plastic white shirt hangers and pants hangers. Any donations of these items is greatly appreciated.

If you need help, either with food, personal care items, help grocery shopping, or with financial needs, please contact Jerrod Holzgen, our chair of deacons, and he can help connect you with the appropriate resources at Zion. His e-mail is Jholzgen@yahoo.com and his phone number is 616-520-1771.

Administration
The remodel of our bathrooms began last month and is really beginning to take shape. You can check out the progress in some pictures below. The first shows the bathroom from the former entrance to the women’s bathroom and the second shows the same space from the former entrance to the men’s restroom.

       

As a reminder, during the remodel, the only restrooms available on the main floor of church can be accessed through the doors at the front of the sanctuary. They are single stall uni-sex restrooms.

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 2021/22 Budget:  $425,990.26
Fiscal Year 2021/22 Contributions: $375,458.71
Giving Last Week: $4,521.50