Pastor's Page
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Dear fellow devotees of the babe born in Bethlehem,
Trying to lead a divided church through Advent and into Christmas Eve during a pandemic has proven difficult (again). The theme of Advent has been, "Hope for Those Who Are Waiting/Weary/Watching/Wounded" I hope all of you worshipers at home have been able to watch and follow along. Each week I led an examination of the scripture stories to see where God's ancient people were as they hoped for God's Messiah to come. If you aren't aware of it by now, Advent is a season in which we are reminded of our Lord Jesus' promise to return, and we are exhorted to be prepared. What I have found is that though two millennia have passed, people are still people. We really can relate to their situation in our day. The season of Christmas, which we begin to celebrate on Christmas Eve, is a season in which we are reminded that hope in the form of the baby Jesus has come. For me, hope is the noun that expresses a feeling of expectation. (i.e., Jesus is the hope of my eternal future.) I don't care for the verb form – (i.e., I hope I get all the things I wanted for Christmas.) The verb form leaves the door open for disappointment. (i.e., Because I am on the naughty list, I can only hope I don't get coal!) The hope I will be talking about on Christmas Eve is the hope that has come in Christ Jesus. This historical fact changes everything we ever held out hope for. Speaking of Christmas Eve, you should already know that Zion is hosting three similar services at 5, 7, and 9 PM, each lasting about an hour. The Vocal Choir will perform at 5 & 7, and the Bell Choir will perform at 7. The Sanctuary will be sanitized between services. Each service will feature the singing of our favorite Carols, Holy Communion, and Candlelight. |
Join us Christmas Eve at 5, 7, and 9 PM
Masks required Reservations requested At the December Council meeting, the Council 1) upheld the masking requirement, 2) encouraged social distancing while removing the ropes allowing all pews to be used, and 3) requested all who plan to attend call the church office to reserve their intention to attend. We want to be able to control the size of the gatherings. Having said all that, we are planning a glorious worship experience for you - our God deserves it! Because Christmas Day and New Year's Day fall on Saturdays, we will NOT be hosting worship on those Saturday evenings but will be hosting worship on the following Sundays at the normal time of 9:30 AM. The season of Epiphany follows Christmas. During the season of Epiphany, the Gospel Readings will include stories revealing the true identity of Jesus Christ as God's Messiah. Surprisingly, this revelation was met with hostility in his day. We shall see how we react. A new year is upon us. While I am certain that we are all praying for better than a continuation of this same global pandemic, God calls us to ministry in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, wherever we are, and whenever we are. Be safe and minister on. With you on the journey of faith, The Rev. Duane A. Jesse, Pastor |
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