Pastor’s Corner

The Peace of God 
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice . . . And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:4-7 

What does it mean to have “peace”? Maybe we have peace when our bodies are healthy. That makes sense. When we are healthy, our bodies feel peaceful. Maybe we feel like we have peace when everything is going well at work, or even when we have work. Being out of work, or not having steady work, is stressful. Life definitely feels peaceful when work is going well. But a lot of times in life, we would probably not describe our life as being “peaceful.” 

In the passage above Paul said, “Rejoice in the Lord always . . . And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” When Paul wrote this, I don’t think we would say Paul’s life was exactly “peaceful.” When Paul wrote this, he was sitting in a prison in Rome. On top of this, Paul’s health was not great, but that was alright. Paul’s health did not bring him peace, Christ did. Paul’s work was not always going well. Paul was constantly dealing with false teachers who threatened to take grace out of the church, but that was alright. Paul’s work did not necessarily bring him peace, Christ did. 

This is why Paul was so bold as to say, “Rejoice always.” It didn’t matter in what circumstance Paul found himself. Whether well fed, hungry or poor, Paul still had peace, because his peace was one that did not come from this world, his peace came from Christ. The peace Paul had was not dependent upon his good health or poor health, his peace came from Christ. The peace Paul had was not dependent upon his work going well or poorly, his peace came from Christ. 

As we continue to celebrate the Easter season, we can understand the peace Paul is talking about. As Christians, our peace almost has nothing to do with what is ongoing on in the world around us. Our peace is a lasting, eternal peace because the Son of God offered a perfect sacrifice for us on Good Friday, died for us, and rose from the dead for us three days later. Because of what Christ has done, He has mended our broken relationship with God the Father. And now, we have peace with God given to us by Jesus. This is why, like Paul, we may rejoice always. Our peace does not depend upon what is going on in this world or even in our own lives. Our peace is in Christ, and nothing has the power to take that peace away from you. 

-- Pastor Grimenstein 

Voter’s Approve Deaconess for Zion

Voters approved the Call Committee's recommendation to call Joanna Lee for the role of Deaconess at Zion. Joanna graduates from Concordia Theological Seminary (Fort Wayne, IN) in August. Lord willing, she will arrive at Zion sometime in August or September! Pastor and the elders have already begun assisting the Lee family with the beginning stages of the relocation process. Please include them in your prayers -- that the Lord would bless Joanna, her husband Richard and their children during this transition, and use them mightily in the work of His Kingdom at Zion! 

Thank you to those who attended our Voters' Meeting on Sunday, April 28th to support the important work of Church Council and the Deaconess Call Committee! 

Sixty-one members, 27 percent of Zion's confirmed membership, were in attendance to participate in the historic process of calling a Deaconess for our congregation. 

LWML Eastern District Convention

LWML Eastern District Convention
The LWML Eastern District 40th Biennial Convention will be held June 14-16, 2024 at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Mars, PA.

Keynote Speakers include President John Pingel, CPH author Hedi Goehmann, and many more!
Registration forms available in the Sanctuary

Eastern District Convention Devine Service on Friday, June 14th — All members of Zion are invited to attend.

Please see the Winter 2024 LINK for additional details.
Learn more and find a registration form at Convention Information.

Zion Women’s Ministries Spring Rally

Zion Women’s Ministries Spring Rally

”Day by Day: Growing in the Lord”
Sunday May 5th — 12 Noon to 2:00 p.m. in Zion’s Fellowship Hall
Catered Lunch
Flower Bar
Bracelet Making

RSVP by Tuesday, April 30, 2024 to tharris@zlcb.org

VIDEO: Wednesday, May 1, 2024 - Complete Service

View the Bulletin for Wednesday, May 1, 2024
Worship Service: 2:00 p.m.
Bible Study: 2:30 p.m.
All are welcome, bring a friend, neighbor or relative

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AUDIO: Readings & Sermon for Wednesday May 1, 2024

View the Bulletin for Wednesday, May 1, 2024
Worship Service: 2:00 p.m.
Bible Study: 2:30 p.m.
All are welcome, bring a friend, neighbor or relative

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Leviticus 23:23-44 
And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall present a food offering to the LORD.” 

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Now on the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be for you a time of holy convocation, and you shall afflict yourselves[a] and present a food offering to the LORD. And you shall not do any work on that very day, for it is a Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the LORD your God. For whoever is not afflicted[b] on that very day shall be cut off from his people. And whoever does any work on that very day, that person I will destroy from among his people. You shall not do any work. It is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwelling places. It shall be to you a Sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict yourselves. On the ninth day of the month beginning at evening, from evening to evening shall you keep your Sabbath.” 

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, On the fifteenth day of this seventh month and for seven days is the Feast of Booths[c] to the LORD. On the first day shall be a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work. For seven days you shall present food offerings to the LORD. On the eighth day you shall hold a holy convocation and present a food offering to the LORD. It is a solemn assembly; you shall not do any ordinary work. 

“These are the appointed feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim as times of holy convocation, for presenting to the LORD food offerings, burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings, each on its proper day, besides the LORD's Sabbaths and besides your gifts and besides all your vow offerings and besides all your freewill offerings, which you give to the LORD. 

“On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the produce of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the LORD seven days. On the first day shall be a solemn rest, and on the eighth day shall be a solemn rest. And you shall take on the first day the fruit of splendid trees, branches of palm trees and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days. You shall celebrate it as a feast to the LORD for seven days in the year. It is a statute forever throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All native Israelites shall dwell in booths, that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.” 

Thus Moses declared to the people of Israel the appointed feasts of the LORD. 

Luke 12:35-53 
“Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” 

Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?” And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful. And that servant who knew his master's will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more. 

“I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled! I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” 

The Lord’s Prayer – The Seventh Petition 
What is the Seventh Petition? 
But deliver us from evil. 
What does this mean? 
We pray in this petition, in summary, that our Father in Heaven would rescue us from every evil of body and soul, possessions and reputation, and finally, when our last hour comes, give us a blessed end, and graciously take us from this valley of sorrow to Himself in heaven. 

May 2024 Newsletter

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