Thoughts from the Congregational VP
Thoughts from the Congregational VP
From the gentle sun rays that break through our windows in the mornings, to the car headlights that guide us on your way home at night, light is so essential to our lives. Yet, there is a greater Light than any physical light we know… in Isaiah 60:1, the prophet speaks of this greater Light. "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you."
And in his words there's more than poetry and prophecy; there is a call to action, an encouragement for God's people to find hope — Light in the midst of darkness. Isaiah 59:9-10 states: “Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness does not overtake us; we hope for light, and behold, darkness, and for brightness, but we walk in gloom. We grope for the wall like the blind; we grope like those who have no eyes; we stumble at noon as in the twilight, among those in full vigor we are like dead men.”
Click below to read the complete story …
From the gentle sun rays that break through our windows in the mornings, to the car headlights that guide us on your way home at night, light is so essential to our lives. Yet, there is a greater Light than any physical light we know… in Isaiah 60:1, the prophet speaks of this greater Light. "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you."
And in his words there's more than poetry and prophecy; there is a call to action, an encouragement for God's people to find hope — Light in the midst of darkness. Isaiah 59:9-10 states: “Therefore justice is far from us, and righteousness does not overtake us; we hope for light, and behold, darkness, and for brightness, but we walk in gloom. We grope for the wall like the blind; we grope like those who have no eyes; we stumble at noon as in the twilight, among those in full vigor we are like dead men.”
So in Isaiah 60:1 This Light is a beacon of hope, the picture of salvation and spiritual awakening for us. This Light is the true Light of the Messiah — Jesus Christ. He is the light God’s people needed then in Isaiah 59:9-10 . . . he is the light our hearts desperately need today. In a world that can sometimes feel like it’s drowning in darkness — disasters, wars, injustice, and suffering — Isaiah's message is an invitation to embrace God’s true Light of salvation, revealed in the New Testament to be Jesus Christ. Let this light shine brightly within us, driving out the shadows of darkness and illuminating the path for those who don’t yet know of His love or have His Light. Pause for a moment. Imagine a world filled with the Light of God's grace, love and truth. Can you imagine a place where the light of Christ shines from the windows of every home and lights up every street?
God wants to use us — yes, us — to shine His light brightly and to share His message of grace, hope, mercy, and love with everybody!
Have you ever just walked from a dark room into an extremely bright space? Light has incredible power over our senses, and sometimes it can be overwhelming. But light is necessary for us to live daily life with Christ. Light shows us what is around us about the realities close to us. Christ is that light. It illuminates the path we walk for us to see a way around not to trip and fall on things like in the dark. In Matthew 5, Jesus uses various light parables to describe life for us with light. He says that we are like a city built on a hill that shines light into the dark valley. He also says we’re like a lamp that gives light to a whole house; not hiding, but shining brightly. The life we live for Jesus is meant to be like that of light that shines brightly for others to see in all that we do everyday in every way. So what is the light that we have? First and foremost, it is the Word of God, the good news of Jesus Christ. We have been given knowledge of what Jesus has done for us, and it’s that knowledge that changes everything. We now have a new life because of Him and His grace and love for us. We’ve been entrusted with this message so that we can share it with others wherever and whenever. Jesus also says that we should recognize our light through all we do for His kingdom because of His love for us. When we go out of our way to show His love to others, we are showing them the light and love of Jesus. Our actions when helping others opens up the opportunities for us to share the grace, hope, mercy, and love of Jesus Christ. There are many ways that we have been equipped to share this message with others. It might be at work or school, with your co-workers, friends, neighbors, or strangers in our community, it could even be with your own family members. It could be a small act of love, a small financial gift, a needed meal, or just an encouraging word, but everything we do should be out of the Love we have for Christ because of the Love He has for us.
Without His light of Love, our actions are meaningless. The most illuminating act of all is loving people like Jesus Loves us, so that they might know Him. Today, consider how you can be a light to those around you in how you love as He loves us.
Prayer
Lord, you are the source of all goodness and wisdom. We have light to give to the world, because it comes from You. You are the light of all Salvation that guides us daily. Please use us as a light in the world around us to show Your Hope, Grace, Mercy, and Love to all we meet. In Jesus name we pray, Amen
VIDEO: Sunday, September 21, 2025 - Complete Service
Each service at Zion Lutheran Church (normally the first of our two Sunday services) is streamed LIVE on our YouTube channel. These streams are for Sunday’s, Wednesday’s, Lenten, Advent, and special services. The entire service is streamed from beginning-to-end. Weddings and Funerals can also be streamed, if requested in advance.
AUDIO: Announcements, Readings, Sermon & Men’s Choir for Sunday, September 21, 2025
This audio-only file includes all the readings from scripture, along with the sermon — and when available, the announcements, adult choir, men’s choir, and/or bell choir. Also posted along with the audio file is the text for all the scripture readings, and a link to the current bulletin, and our YouTube channel if you prefer to watch the LIVE Stream.
View the bulletin for Sunday, September 21, 2025
Archive of AUDIO “Readings & Sermons”
Archive of VIDEO “Complete Service”
Archive of Bulletins
Old Testament Reading -- Amos 8:4–7
Hear this, you who trample on the needy
and bring the poor of the land to an end,
saying, “When will the new moon be over,
that we may sell grain?
And the Sabbath,
that we may offer wheat for sale,
that we may make the ephah small and the shekel great
and deal deceitfully with false balances,
that we may buy the poor for silver
and the needy for a pair of sandals
and sell the chaff of the wheat?”
The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob:
“Surely I will never forget any of their deeds.”
Epistle Reading -- 1 Timothy 2:1–15
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works. Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Yet she will be saved through childbearing — if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.
The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the sixteenth chapter
[Jesus] also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’ And the manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.’ So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.
“One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him. And he said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.”
Men’s Choir … Come Thou Fount
Prayer of Thanksgiving for the Lee Family!
Thanks be to God for Obadiah RuZwo Lee, born to Richard and Joanna Lee this morning at 8:15 am. Mother and son are doing well. God's richest blessings to the Lee family!
Thanks be to God for Obadiah RuZwo Lee, born to Richard and Joanna Lee this morning at 8:15 am. Mother and son are doing well. God's richest blessings to the Lee family!
Where do you fit? … The Board of Trustees
WHO:
Any adult man or woman who is a member of Zion.
WHAT:
Maintain all the buildings (interiors and exteriors) and grounds of the church campus.
WHERE:
Tasks and oversight of physical property are conducted throughout the church campus. Meetings held in Conference Room
WHEN:
Tasks are performed throughout the month as needed. Meetings are the first Monday of the month at 7 PM.
WHY:
As stewards of the physical property God has entrusted to Zion, Trustees seek to ensure the church campus is functional, attractive, and safe to support and enhance congregational use and outreach.
HOW:
Utilize board members’ time and talents when possible to perform tasks
Establish and utilize professional services when warranted
Encourage congregational participation through all-church workdays and TO DO LIST sign-ups as needed
Contact Trustee Chair Mike Debowski: mike.j.debowski@gmail.com
WHO:
Any adult man or woman who is a member of Zion.
WHAT:
Maintain all the buildings (interiors and exteriors) and grounds of the church campus.
WHERE:
Tasks and oversight of physical property are conducted throughout the church campus. Meetings held in Conference Room
WHEN:
Tasks are performed throughout the month as needed. Meetings are the first Monday of the month at 7 PM.
WHY:
As stewards of the physical property God has entrusted to Zion, Trustees seek to ensure the church campus is functional, attractive, and safe to support and enhance congregational use and outreach.
HOW:
Utilize board members’ time and talents when possible to perform tasks
Establish and utilize professional services when warranted
Encourage congregational participation through all-church workdays and TO DO LIST sign-ups as needed
Contact Trustee Chair Mike Debowski: mike.j.debowski@gmail.com
Bulletin: Sunday, September 21, 2025 + This Week at Zion
Download/view the latest bulletin. It’s filled with our hymns, the order of service, all the readings from scripture, prayer requests for family & friends, service participants, communion statement, about our worship, the schedule of events for this coming weeks, along with announcements, news updates, happenings, and more!
View the bulletin for Sunday, September 21, 2025
Archive of AUDIO “Readings & Sermons”
Archive of VIDEO “Complete Service”
Archive of Bulletins
THIS WEEK AT ZION
Saturday September 20
No Events Scheduled
Sunday September 21
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
7:00 p.m. - Youth Group Board Game Night - (Additional Information)
(The 8:00 a.m. service streamed on our YouTube channel)
Monday September 22
6:00 p.m. - Confirmation 1st Year
7:00 p.m. - Confirmation 2nd Year
Tuesday September 23
6:16 p.m. - Bell Choir Practice
7:15 - 8:15 p.m. - Adult Choir Practice
Wednesday September 24
2:00 p.m. - Midweek Worship with Communion
2:30 p.m. - Bible Study (30 min.) Psalm (More Details)
(Wednesday’s service will be streamed on our YouTube channel)
Thursday September 25
No events scheduled
Friday September 26
No events scheduled
Saturday September 27
6:00 p.m. - Men’s Bonfire near backyard pavilion - (Additional details)
Sunday September 28
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
(The 8:00 a.m. service streamed on our YouTube channel)
CLICK THE UPCOMING EVENTS GRAPHIC to go directly to our UPCOMING EVENTS page
Youth Bereavement Care: Paws & Relax
Youth Bereavement Care (YBC), a ministry of Good Samaritan Hospice, will host Paws & Relax, a free stretching, prayer and animal connection event, at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, at its Middlesex campus, 116 Browns Hill Road, Valencia, PA 16059.
This unique program offers young individuals and their families an opportunity to recharge through calming and engaging activities, including guided prayer, stretching and movement led by instructors Domenique Oshlick and Jennifer Protivnak, bubble art and more. Friendly animals from Orphans of the Storm animal shelter will be on site, and a light lunch will be provided.
All children must be accompanied by an adult.
Click below to read the complete story …
Youth Bereavement Care (YBC), a ministry of Good Samaritan Hospice, will host Paws & Relax, a free stretching, prayer and animal connection event, at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, at its Middlesex campus, 116 Browns Hill Road, Valencia, PA 16059.
This unique program offers young individuals and their families an opportunity to recharge through calming and engaging activities, including guided prayer, stretching and movement led by instructors Domenique Oshlick and Jennifer Protivnak, bubble art and more. Friendly animals from Orphans of the Storm animal shelter will be on site, and a light lunch will be provided.
All children must be accompanied by an adult.
Whether participants are coping with grief or simply seeking a day of relaxation, everyone is welcome. The event is also open to non-grieving youth and their families as part of YBC’s ongoing mission to support youth mental well-being, raise awareness of available resources and share God’s love.
Please do not bring personal pets to this event, as all animal interactions will be provided by Orphans of the Storm.
Youth Bereavement Care is rooted in the Christian faith and welcomes individuals of all faiths and backgrounds.
Registration is highly encouraged by Monday, Sept. 22. Walk-ins are welcome.
To register online fill out the form on this page.
For questions or to register by phone, call 1-800-720-2557.