Pastor’s Corner

Evening Prayer . . . A Great Way to End the Day! 
Last month, I mentioned how praying Luther’s Morning Prayer is a great way to start the day. Well, Luther also wrote an Evening Prayer that could be a great way to end the day! If you are unfamiliar with Luther’s Evening prayer, it reads as follows: 

I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have graciously kept me this day; and I pray that You would forgive me all my sins where I have done wrong, and graciously keep me this night. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen. (Small Catechism, pg. 31) 

As Christians, we never know what a day is going to have in store for us when we wake up. However, when we are going to bed at night, we can think back on the day and know exactly how that day went. It could have been a good day, or the opposite could have been true. We sinned against God, we commit errors against each other, even our health may have taken an unexpected turn. We could have had a very bad day! 

So, there we are going to bed at night with a bad day in our rear view mirror. What do we do with that? Are we lying in bed stewing over what we did, and what we didn’t do? Are we laying there staring at the ceiling with regret thinking, “If only I had said that just a little bit differently.” As we are unable to sleep, are we thinking about what tomorrow is going to bring, afraid it might be worse than today? 

What I love most about the Evening Prayer is not only do we ask God to forgive us of any sins we committed that day, but even more so, we pray this, “For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things.” As we are preparing to close our eyes and rest for the night, we are resting not just into a bed, but even more so, we are resting in the loving embrace of our Savior Jesus Christ who will always order our days and our deeds with His peace. In this prayer, we are literally saying to Jesus, “Forgive me of my sins, turn the troubles of this life from woes into blessings, and allow me to receive a rest that you and you alone can give.” 

There is truly no greater way to rest at night, than to do so knowing we are always resting in the arms of our loving Savior, Jesus Christ. 

AUDIO: Announcements, Readings & Sermon for Sunday August 4, 2024

View the bulletin for Sunday, August 4, 2024
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The Installation of Deaconess Joanna Lee is included in the VIDEO version of the service.

Old Testament Reading -- Exodus 16:2–15 
The whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, and the people of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” 

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.” So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, “At evening you shall know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your grumbling against the Lord. For what are we, that you grumble against us?” And Moses said, “When the Lord gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the Lord has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him—what are we? Your grumbling is not against us but against the Lord.” 

Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, ‘Come near before the Lord, for he has heard your grumbling.’” And as soon as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. And the Lord said to Moses, “I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’” 

In the evening quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning dew lay around the camp. And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground. When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread that the Lord has given you to eat.” 

Epistle Reading -- Ephesians 4:1–16 
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says, 

“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” 

(In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. 

The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the sixth chapter
On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. 

When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” 

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” 

VIDEO RECORDING DELAYED: Sunday August 4, 2024

VIDEO RECORDING DELAYED
The computer used to record the video and audio for today’s service recently experienced a major electrical issue and needs serviced, or replaced.
A backup plan was in place, but it’s taking a while to process those files.

LINK TO: Archive of past recordings

LINK TO: Archive of video recordings

Bulletin: Sunday August 4, 2024

View the bulletin for Sunday, August 4, 2024
Archive of AUDIO “Readings & Sermons”
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THIS WEEK AT ZION

Saturday August 3
No Event’s Scheduled

Sunday August 4
8:00 a.m. — Worship Service with Communion
9:15 a.m. — Deaconess Joanna Lee’s Welcome Brunch in the Fellowship Hall
10:30 a.m. — Worship Service with Communion & Installation of Deaconess Joanna Lee
(The 8:00 a.m. service streamed on our YouTube channel)

Monday August 5
7:00 p.m. - Trustees Meeting

Tuesday August 6
630 p.m. - Ladies Book Club at the home of Tracey Johnson (ADDITIONAL DETAILS)
The date was moved from July 30th to August 7th

Wednesday August 7
2:00 p.m. - Mid-Week Worship Service with Communion
2:30 p.m. - 30 min. Bible Study - The Book of “Hebrews”
(Each Bible study session starts with a review of the previous Bible Study)
(The 2:00 p.m. service streamed on our YouTube channel)

Thursday August 8
6:30 p.m. - Event’s Committee Meeting
7:00 p.m. - Council Meeting

Friday August 9
No Event’s Scheduled

Saturday August 10
No Event’s Scheduled

Sunday August 11
8:00 a.m. — Worship Service with Communion
9:15 a.m. — Adult/Teen Bible Study & Summer Sunday School
10:30 a.m. — Worship Service with Communion
(The 8:00 a.m. service streamed on our YouTube channel)

Summer Sunday School

Now through September 1st
Summer Sunday School is meeting in Room 205 in the school wing! It's a combined class, ages 3-12, that runs through September 1st. The class will be geared mainly toward the Pre-K to K and Grades 1-3 age groups, but we would love to have the older children participate as helpers. We encourage the 4-6 graders to attend the Pastor's Bible class if that is more to their liking. 

August 2024 Newsletter

Download (July) August 2024 Newsletter
Click (here or above) to download the (July) August 2024 Newsletter

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The Scammers are at it again!

Scammers continue to target Zion’s congregation!
Unfortunately, once again a fake email has been circulating to Zion members .... the email appears to come from "Edward Grimenstein" and might read something like this …

Let me know if you are available. There is something I want you to do and also your confidentiality would be appreciated, Reply me here once you get this. Thanks!

THIS EMAIL IS A SCAM.
PLEASE DO NOT RESPOND TO IT!