Interested in Becoming a Member, or Just Learning More?

Interested in becoming a member, or simply learning more … or maybe need a refresher?
Pastor Grimenstein will be starting a New Member/Adult Confirmation class on Thursday, September 12th at 6:00 p.m. for those interested in learning more about the Lutheran faith and are considering church membership. The class is also open to current members interested in a "refresher" on the basics of the faith. The class will meet every Thursday from 6:00-6:45 for six weeks and will cover topics ranging from Baptism to the Ten Commandments. After completing the sessions, interested participants are welcome to join Zion Lutheran Church.

Please email Pastor directly at pastor@zlcb.org to let him know you’re interested in joining this free class.

Pastor’s Corner

When darkness veils His lovely face, 
I rest on His unchanging grace; 
In every high and stormy gale 
My anchor holds within the veil. 
On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; 
all other ground is sinking sand, 
all other ground is sinking sand. 

My Hope is Built on Nothing Less, LSB #576 

Have you ever sung a hymn and been struck with what you just sang? I often am. I dwell on a line of a hymn and quickly realize we’ve moved on to the next stanza. This happened a few weeks ago with the above hymn. As Christians, we often speak of God’s love for us. We speak of God as our Heavenly Father who is always watching over us, and rightly so, He always is! But sometimes, we are the ones who don’t see it. For example, there is a line in the hymn that says, “When darkness veils His lovely face.” What this means is that sometimes, even though God our Heavenly Father is always with us, always caring for us, always loving us – sometimes we are not able to see His love and care. 

This “darkness” will veil God’s face often with the stresses we face in daily life. Sometimes darkness will obscure God’s loving face for us when we have an illness. An illness or chronic condition has a way of screaming out at us saying, “Look at me, look at me!” and we are not able to see the love of God who is al-ways caring for us. And maybe the greatest darkness that will veil God’s loving face from us is death. Death is ugly. Death is painful. Death is heartbreaking. And in these moments when death is shouting for our attention, it is like a thick, black cloud has veiled God’s loving face from us. 

The hymn stanza above captured what we all go through at some point in our lives; sometimes it is hard for us to see God’s loving face. But at the same time, hymns are able to articulate the never-ending hope we have in Christ. After the above hymn recognized that we don’t always see God’s face, the hymn said this, “In every high and stormy gale, my anchor holds within the veil.” 

No matter what we go through, Christ is with us. Christ is our anchor. Christ fastens us onto Himself and He especially does this when life itself is turbulent and flipping us upside down on our heads. Even when the tragedies of this life seem like they are putting a veil in front of God’s face so we can no longer see Him clearly, our Lord Jesus Christ has you anchored onto Himself. Jesus will always keep you grounded. Jesus will always be your hope no matter what you face in life. Jesus will always be your promise of a resurrection from the dead even in the face of death itself. I always say it is easy to be Christian when everything is going well. But when there are trials, temptations, and death, those are the moments when being a Christian matters the most. Those are the times Christ’s loving face can tear through any veil of misery we are endur-ing. Through everything we face in life, Christ will always be our anchor. Christ is our hope. Christ is our promise of a resurrection even in the face of death! 

– Rev. Dr. Edward O. Grimenstein

VIDEO: Sunday September 8, 2024 - Complete Service

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RALLY DAY and ALL CHURCH PICNIC

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AUDIO: Announcements, Readings & Sermon for Sunday September 8, 2024

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Old Testament Reading -- Isaiah 35:4-7a 
Say to those who have an anxious heart,
“Be strong; fear not!
Behold, your God
will come with vengeance,
with the recompense of God.
He will come and save you.”
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
then shall the lame man leap like a deer,
and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.
For waters break forth in the wilderness,
and streams in the desert;
the burning sand shall become a pool,
and the thirsty ground springs of water. 

Epistle Reading -- James 2:1–10, 14–18 
My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called? 

If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. . . . 

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 

The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the seventh chapter
From there [Jesus] arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden. But immediately a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. And he said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” And he said to her, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone. 

Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him. And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue. And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. And Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.” 

Youth Group Events

Some of Zion's high school youth enjoyed a bonfire, fireside treats, cornhole, spike ball, and a devotion on August 18th. Deaconess Lee was on hand to meet the kids. It was a fun night outdoors with beautiful weather. 

UPCOMING EVENTS
Sunday, September 15th, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. 
Game Night

Sunday, October 20th, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. 
Pumpkin Carving and Seasonal Treats

Third Sunday of every month! 
Zion’s Youth Group is for Teens in 8th to 12th grades

Bulletin: Sunday September 8, 2024

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THIS WEEK AT ZION

Saturday September 7
No Event’s Scheduled

Sunday September 8
RALLY DAY - Picnic! (More Details)
8:00 a.m. — Worship Service with Communion
9:15 a.m. — Rally Day — Adult/Teen Bible Study & Sunday School
10:30 a.m. — Worship Service with Communion
Rally Day Picnic on the Church Lawn/Pavilion
(The 8:00 a.m. service streamed on our YouTube channel)

Monday September 9
6:00 p.m. - Grace Bell Choir Practice
6:00 p.m. - Confirmation Class - 2nd year
7:00 p.m. - Confirmation Class - 1nd year

Tuesday September 10
6:15 p.m. - Faith Bell Choir Practice
7:15 p.m. - Adult Choir Practice

Wednesday September 11
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 September 12
6:00 p.m. - Adult Confirmation Class (additional details)
7:00 p.m. - Council Meeting

Friday September 13
No Event’s Scheduled

Saturday September 14
No Event’s Scheduled

Sunday September 15
8:00 a.m. — Worship Service with Communion
9:15 a.m. — Adult/Teen Bible Study & Sunday School
10:30 a.m. — Worship Service with Communion
6:00 p.m. — Youth Group Game Night (additional details)
(The 8:00 a.m. service streamed on our YouTube channel)

LCMS Friends Bonfire at Ascension Lutheran Church

LCMS Friends Bonfire - Ascension Lutheran Church
What: A great time of Christian fellowship over a bonfire, smores, campfire songs, playground time and outdoor games.
When: Friday, September 27 6:30 p.m. (no actual end time specified even though it's listed as 9:30 p.m.)
Where: Ascension Lutheran Church, 8225 Peebles Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15237
Questions: 412-364-4463 or secretary@ascensionpgh.com
Please Bring: An outdoor chair and a snack to share. Smores and drinks will be provided.
Special thanks to P.A.L.M. for sponsoring this event