Bulletin: Sunday, March 15, 2026 + This Week at Zion

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THIS WEEK AT ZION

Saturday, March 14
No Events Scheduled

Sunday, March 15
Food Bank Collection
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 Meeting (additional information)
(The 8:00 a.m. service streamed on our YouTube channel)

Monday, March 16
6:00 p.m. - 1st Year Confirmation Class
7:00 p.m. - 2nd Year Confirmation Class

Tuesday, March 17
No Events Scheduled

Wednesday, March 18
Lent Week 4
2:00 p.m. - Lent Worship Service
2:30 p.m. - Bible Study Nurturing Your Faith: Patient Urgency
5:30 p.m. - Lenten Dinner in the Fellowship Hall (additional details)
7:00 p.m. - Lent Worship Service
(Service streamed on our YouTube channel)

Thursday, March 19
No Events Scheduled

Friday, March 20
No Events Scheduled

Saturday, March 21
No Events Scheduled

Sunday, March 22
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)

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CLICK THE UPCOMING EVENTS GRAPHIC to go directly to our UPCOMING EVENTS page

Spring Cleanup at Zion

Spring Cleanup at Zion
Saturday, March 28th, starting at 10:00 a.m. 

Lend a hand at the Spring Cleanup hosted by the Zion Board of Trustees! Your help is needed to clean out flower beds, rake up debris, and spread mulch. Email Head Trustee Mike Debowski at mike.j.debowski@gmail.com if you can help. 

Many hands make light work

Join us for a Lenten Supper: Wed. March 18th

Join us for a Lenten Supper on Wednesday, March 18th at 5:30 p.m.
All Zion Members are Invited!

Sponsored by Zion Women’s Ministry.
A free will offering will be gathered to benifit the Eastern District Deaf Ministry

        Sign up today!

• via Sign-Up Genius HERE

• via Sign-Up Sheet in Narthex

• via Email to Tracey Harris at tharris@zlcb.org

What About … Living Together Without Marriage

What About …
Living Together Without Marriage

Increasingly, men and women choose to live as husband and wife without being married. This pamphlet will answer some questions asked about living together.

What is marriage?
We learn from the Word of God that marriage is the lifelong, exclusive union of one man and one woman, as husband and wife. Marriage is a part of God’s creation. Thus, we read in God’s Word, the Bible: “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh”(Gen.2:24;cf.Matt.19:5–6;Eph.5:31). Elsewhere we read, “Since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband”(1 Cor. 7:2). And,“Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral (Heb.13:4). Marriage is such a precious blessing that God inspired the Apostle Paul to describe marriage as a picture of Christ’s relationship with His bride, the church (Eph.5:22–33).

Why is it wrong to live together without marriage?
Simply stated, a couple that lives together as man and wife without being married is sinning. God’s Word is clear: “You must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts....Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more”(Eph.4:17-19). Our Lord Jesus Christ once helped a woman living with a man who was not her husband to recognize that what she was doing was wrong (John 4:16–18). Lutheran Christians believe that the sixth commandment, “You shall not commit adultery,” means, “We should fear and love God so that we lead a sexually pure and decent life in what we say and do; and husband and wife love and honor each other” (Luther’s Small Catechism ,p.10). All of this is another way of stating the obvious: Men and women are not to live together as husband and wife, unless they actually are husband and wife. This is as true for 80-year-olds as it is for 18-year-olds.

Why does the church care about this?
The church cares because God cares. The Lord’s Word is very clear in its condemnation of sexual activity outside of marriage. Consider these passages: “Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers...will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor.6:9-10). “Among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people”(Eph.5:3). “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery. ...I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of god”(Gal.5:19–21).

Why is living together such a serious problem?
Because God’s Word clearly shows that it is sinful for couples to live together without marriage, people who persist in behavior that God rejects and condemns as sin are choosing a course that may lead to eternal punishment. God’s Word is clear: “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God. ...The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life”(1 Thess.4:3-7).

Isn’t the church being ‘judgmental’?
The church is declaring the truth of God’s Word. On behalf of Christ and His people, pastors have the responsibility to speak clearly to couples living together and to proclaim the Word of God to them both Law and Gospel. It is never easy for a pastor, or a congregation, to deal with couples who are living together without marriage. It is important for both pastors and congregations to deal with these situations pastorally and faithfully, in a caring manner.

Shouldn’t a couple find out if they are compatible?
Research has demonstrated that living together without marriage results in a relationship that it less stable and fulfilling than marriage. Furthermore, couples who live together have a much higher risk of divorce when they finally do marry. Living together is a bad idea, even from a purely human perspective. One study notes, “Those who cohabitate before marriage have substantially higher divorce rates than those who do not; the recorded differentials range from 50 to 100 percent higher” (“The Relationship Between Cohabitation and Divorce”[1992], Demography,29:357–374). Studies conducted at Yale and Columbia found that “the dissolution rate for women who cohabit premaritally with their future spouse is, on average, nearly 80% higher than the rates of those who do not” (“Commitment & the Modern Union,” American Sociological Review,[1988],53:127–138).

How does the church deal with these situations?
The church, and the church’s pastors, will inform couples living together without marriage that what they are doing is sinful. These conversations will take place in a loving manner; but in faithfulness to the Word of God, such conversations need to take place. These situations cannot be ignored or overlooked. It may be necessary to place unmarried couples living together under church discipline in order to help them realize the seriousness of the situation. This response may offend people. They may become angry at the church, or the church’s pastor. Sometimes an entire family is upset when a situation they have ignored is finally dealt with. The Word of God has a way of cutting through all issues and exposing our sinfulness. That is the work of the Law of God, which shows us our sin. Offending people is certainly not the church’s goal, nor is it the church’s desire only to have people recognize their sin. The church wants people to see their sin, so that they may see their Savior. The proclamation of the Gospel is the church’s highest priority.

How can such a couple resolve the situation?
A couple living together without marriage needs to take concrete steps to end the situation. They may choose to separate, with no plans for marriage. They may choose to separate until they are married—hopefully soon. It is important that they make a commitment to marriage counseling before their wedding, and perhaps after their wedding. Some couples may choose to be married by an officer of the court. This is a completely valid marriage in the view of the church. Couples choosing this option are encouraged to have their marriage publicly recognized by the church as well. No matter the decision, they will want to seek their pastor’s counsel.

What is the ultimate solution to this problem?
There are many solutions we can identify. Christian families need to understand what is right and wrong. Early on, parents need to speak with their children about God’s expectations for marriage. Pastors and congregations will want to work patiently and lovingly with couples caught up in this sin. Concerned Christian congregations need to pray that the Holy Spirit will work in the hearts and lives of those involved in this lifestyle in order to break down their resistance to God’s Word. Christian congregations must not ignore the problem, but must deal with it faithfully. Congregations need to speak about this matter. Couples that recognize their sin need to hear God’s comforting word of promise: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness”. If they choose to be married, they should do so with joyful confidence in God’s forgiveness and His blessing on their marriage.

Dr. A.L. Barry
President (1992-2001)
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

VIDEO: Wednesday, March 11, 2026 - Complete Service

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2:00 p.m. - Worship Service
2:30 p.m. - Bible Study: Nurturing Your Faith, Patient Urgency
7:00 p.m. - Worship Service

Audio: Readings & Sermon for Wednesday, March 11, 2026

Audio: Readings & Sermon for Wednesday, March 11, 2026

Rev. Dr. Edward O. Grimenstein

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2:00 p.m. - Worship Service
2:30 p.m. - Bible Study: Nurturing Your Faith, Patient Urgency
7:00 p.m. - Worship Service

First Reading -- Romans 10:8-17 
But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing His riches on all who call on Him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 

But how are they to call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. 

Second Reading -- Mark 1:35–39 
And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, He departed and went out to a desolate place, and there He prayed. And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him, and they found Him and said to Him, “Everyone is looking for You.” And He said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” And He went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons. 

Third Reading -- Mark 14:53–15:5 
And they led Jesus to the high priest. And all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes came together. And Peter had followed Him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he was sitting with the guards and warming himself at the fire. Now the chief priests and the whole Council were seeking testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but they found none. For many bore false witness against Him, but their testimony did not agree. And some stood up and bore false witness against Him, saying, “We heard Him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.’” Yet even about this their testimony did not agree. And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, “Have You no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against You?” But He remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” And the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need? You have heard His blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they all condemned Him as deserving death. And some began to spit on Him and to cover His face and to strike Him, saying to Him, “Prophesy!” And the guards received Him with blows. 

And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came, and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus.” But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you mean.” And he went out into the gateway and the rooster crowed. And the servant girl saw him and began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.” But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, “Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.” But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know this man of whom you speak.” And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” And he broke down and wept. 

And as soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole Council. And they bound Jesus and led Him away and delivered Him over to Pilate. And Pilate asked Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” And He answered him, “You have said so.” And the chief priests accused Him of many things. And Pilate again asked Him, “Have You no answer to make? See how many charges they bring against You.” But Jesus made no further answer, so that Pilate was amazed. 

Bulletin: Wednesday, March 11, 2026

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2:00 p.m. - Worship Service
2:30 p.m. - Bible Study: Nurturing Your Faith, Patient Urgency
7:00 p.m. - Worship Service

OUR THEME: FOR US HE SEEKS 
Jesus talks all about seeking us in our texts this week. He does not wait passively until we get up the gumption to ask Him for help. Nor does He act out of selfish gain, like our health-care system seems to do so often today. Praying, teaching, working. In all these things, Jesus seeks us out and looks for ways to help us. This work is often overlooked because it is so ordinary. Water, bread and wine, the folly of preaching. In all these ordinary works, Jesus continues His ministry among us. This ministry of forgiveness means that Jesus continues to strengthen and help us.