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Audio: Announcements, Readings & Sermon for Sunday, May 17, 2026

AUDIO: Announcements, Readings and Sermon for Sunday, May 17, 2026

Rev. Dr. Edward O. Grimenstein

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First Reading -- Acts 1:12–26 
Then [the apostles] returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. 

In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.” (Now this man bought a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) “For it is written in the Book of Psalms, 

“‘May his camp become desolate,
and let there be no one to dwell in it’; 

and 

“‘Let another take his office.’ 

So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles. 

Epistle -- 1 Peter 4:12–19; 5:6–11 
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And 

“If the righteous is scarcely saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” 

Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. . . . 

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. 

The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the seventeenth chapter
When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. 

“I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one.” 

Choir: Crown Him (8:00 a.m. service)

LWML Mite Challenge - May 2026

About This Mission Grant
The core of Phil’s Friends mission is based on Matthew 25:36, I was sick and you visited me. In the past 18 years, Phil’s Friends has sent nearly 60,000 care packages and more than one million Cards of Hope. This ministry supports anyone with cancer regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, or income level. 

It costs $100 for one year to support a cancer patient. This total includes the care package, 12 Cards of Hope, and postage. The care packages are hand-decorated, and the contents are customized according to the age and gender of the recipient. They are filled with simple, practical comfort items that cancer patients can use during their treatments. Phil’s Friends is 100% donor supported. 

This grant will purchase supplies for care packages and Cards of Hope and will pay for shipping and postage to support 1,000 cancer patients for one year.

Facing Cancer Bravely & Beautifully
Linda St. Myers is a faithful supporter of Phil’s Friends. She was one of the first to volunteer at the Crown Point, IN Hope Center when it opened in 2017. Sadly, Linda, 66, is currently dealing with terminal brain cancer. She has a bright and beautiful spirit and loves volunteering when her health allows. “Volunteering at Phil’s Friends has become a passion of mine,” Linda said. “It’s just wonderful being here.” Here she is with Phil Zielke, founder of Phil’s Friends, standing before a wall of boxes she helped to decorate.

“Wall of Hope”
These are just a few of the 750 care packages that were decorated and packed at the church packing event in Illinois. The packages were sent all over the United States, including one to Hawaii. At this event, several church members even selected special items to go into a care package they would deliver personally.

“Love is Owl Around You.”
Even before a patient opens a box, they are encouraged! We’ve heard stories. There are some very clever and artistic people out there, and this is just one example of a how beautifully these boxes are decorated. This one will surely bring a smile to a cancer patient’s face.

“Box of Love and Compassion”
Each care package is filled with simple items that express love and compassion. We thought carefully about which items we would include each care package, ones that would meet practical needs and bring comfort on days when a patient is experiencing dark days.

“It’s a family affair.”
Phil and his two young sons, Graham and Hudson, speak at a recent church packing event in Illinois, where more than 550 church members packed 750 care packages over two days. Graham and Hudson share how the care packages, which are lovingly decorated with fun motifs, help to brighten a cancer patient’s day.

"Praying around the Wall of Hope"
After each off-site packing event, which often are at churches, volunteers gather around the "Wall of Hope" to pray over the boxes and for those who will receive them.

Bulletin: Sunday, May 17 2026 + This Week at Zion

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THIS WEEK AT ZION

Saturday, May 16
8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. - Concordia Lutheran Ministries Fishing Derby. Cabbot, PA (Additional Details)

Sunday, May 17
8:00 a.m. — Worship Service with Communion
9:15 a.m. — Adult/Teen Bible Study & Children’s Sunday School
10:30 a.m. — Worship Service with Communion
(The 8:00 a.m. service streamed on our YouTube channel)

Monday, May 18
6:00 p.m. - 1st Year Confirmation Class

Tuesday, May 19
7:15 p.m. - Choir/Men’s Practice

Wednesday, May 20
No Mid-Week Worship or Bible Study This Week

Thursday, May 21
No Events Scheduled

Friday, May 22
No Events Scheduled

Saturday, May 23
9:00 a.m. - Outdoor Workday – Spreading Mulch - Hosted by the Trustees (additional Details)

Sunday, May 24
PENTECOST
8:00 a.m. — Worship Service with Communion
9:15 a.m. — Adult/Teen Bible Study & Children’s 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

From the Desk of Rev. John Pingel

- By Rev. John Pingel, President, Eastern District of the LCMS 

Happy Easter! I can say that all through the Easter Season, which, as you probably know, lasts seven full weeks. How important it is that we greet one another often with words of reverent joy: “Alleluia! Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed! Alleluia!” 

On Easter Sunday I noticed a larger than usual attendance at worship. In fact, there was a couple I didn’t know sitting directly in front of me. I did my best to greet them. I politely asked their names and bid them “welcome.” As I looked around, I noticed other visitors and began to ponder: How well will these fellow travelers on life’s highway be received? I know the pastor will do his best, but who among our members will take the time to welcome them? Will they emerge from church with a favorable impression? Will they be inclined to return? 

My ponderings lead me to one of my favorite subjects, which is HOSPITALITY in churches. We all like to think of ourselves as “hospitable.” But how hospitable are we, really? True hospitality requires some effort and intentionality. The koine Greek word used by St. Paul for “hospitality” is “philoxenia.” Literally, “philoxenia” means “love of strangers.” It describes a specific virtue of welcoming people who are not part of one’s immediate circle of friends and acquaintances with tangible care and generosity. Paul uses this word and its related forms to describe a core duty for Christians. In Romans 12:19, he instructs believers to “practice hospitality”. When Paul tells the early Christians to “be hospitable” he isn’t telling them to be kind-hearted to friends. He’s telling Christians that we are called to show kindness and compassion to those we do not know at all. 

It is helpful to place the word which Paul used in its cultural context. In Paul’s day, especially in large cities such as Rome and Ephesus, people were arriving with a common need: a place to reside during their brief stay. Remember, there were no Comfort Inns! For a Christian to be perceived as being hospitable, he often had to open his home to receive those displaced, or traveling through the area, since they relied on others for shelter, food, and protection. For this reason “philoxenia’ was a very important thing; it had a lot to do with one’s reputation. There was almost nothing worse than being deemed “inhospitable.” Word would surely get around! 

Let us apply this concept to what we often refer to as our “church home.” How open and hospitable is our church home to those traveling on the road of life, be it on Easter Sunday or any other day of the year? In reality, true ministry often happens between holidays. Most of those who visit and wind up joining our church, arrive—not on Christmas or Easter—but on other days; like the 15th Sunday after Pentecost, the 4th Sunday after the Epiphany, or Labor Day weekend, for example. Therefore we must not “place all our eggs in one basket” with an over-emphasis on holidays, but rather cultivate a “culture of hospitality” all year long. It must include certain behaviors and be offered very intentionally, flowing genuinely out of love. 

Allow me to extol the virtue of the coffee pot, the freshly baked cookie, the hand extended in fellowship. How might I sing the merits of the friendly smile? How commendable the eye of one who notices the newcomer at the door and takes the time and makes the effort to offer the stranger in our midst, the kind word and honest inquiry: “What brings you our way, friend?” As a parish pastor, there was no sight which delighted my heart more than seeing one of my parishioners sitting with a visitor, refusing to allow him to sit alone at a church event. 

The hospitality we extend is at least as important as our attempts at what we often refer to as “outreach.” We may speak in glowing terms of “outreach” and yet fail miserably at the coffee pot. Of what value is bringing people, often at great expense and effort, through our door and then, for want of a better term, “blowing it” by either failing to recognize them or ignoring them because we are too busy talking to our friends? Philoxenia suggests otherwise, calling us to set aside our own needs for a moment, for purposes of tending to the needs of others and listening to the concerns of their hearts. Once again, the hospitality Paul suggests is a very intentional thing. When he says we need to be “given” to hospitality he uses the word “dioko” which means “to aggressively pursue something; to ardently follow after something until you finally catch it.” We are to put great effort, says Paul, into learning how to be welcoming and helpful. Romans 12:13 might very well be taken to mean, in the words of one commentator: “Hotly pursue and never stop pursuing the goal of becoming hospitable until you have caught on to the idea and genuinely become a hospitable person.” 

The Fourth Sunday of Easter is often referred to as “Good Shepherd Sunday.” With this image in mind, allow me to commend to you the words of Pastor John Duke, Jr. to the people of Salem Lutheran in South Buffalo, which I think sum up nicely the mission of the church: 

“That is why we are here … We are literally a pastureland for people, where the Good Shepherd calls. We are one part of an enormous pasture in Christ’s Church. This is our purpose. From our property, Jesus is making an appeal to every passer-by, everyone walking a dog, everyone pushing a stroller, everyone in doubt, making a passionate appeal that he loves them and wants them in his pasture of peace with us, where quiet waters flow.” 

Pioneer on the Lake: Multiply the Mission Campaign

Multiply the Mission Campaign

Multiply the Mission is more than a campaign… it’s an opportunity to help a place where faith grows, families connect, and lives are impacted through Christ.

From retreats and camps for all ages to Pioneer Fest and the many exciting things ahead, God is continuing to move through Pioneer on the Lake in incredible ways.

We invite you to watch, share, and help spread the word about what this mission is all about. Every share, every prayer, and every donation helps make these moments possible for so many.

Thank you for being part of what God is doing here at Pioneer. 🙌🏼

Click here to donate 👉 https://www.clover.com/pay-widgets/b2f1c988-7bd0-45fa-ae93-b5c59f8836e4

Men’s Fellowship Event

BOCCE: A Men’s Fellowship Event
Join the Men’s Fellowship Group for an afternoon of lawn bocce, food and fellowship on Saturday, June 13th from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on the church grounds. Sign up in the narthex.

Questions, call Rich Berardelli at 724-480-5501