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Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
 
As I write this, Ascension Day was just last week, last Sunday was the last Sunday in the Season of Easter, and Pentecost is next weekend. This liturgical time provides many metaphors for just such a time as this.

In those days after his Resurrection, Jesus was occasionally with his disciples and occasionally not and he told them to wait until they had received the Advocate, his Holy Spirit. At the Lord’s Ascension, the disciples were caught staring into the heavens when two heavenly beings said to them, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven?” And at Pentecost the Holy Spirit did come in dramatic fashion and propelled them into a more active visible ministry.

At the May Council meeting, your Zion Congregation Council soberly and unanimously agreed that it was time to re-open for corporate worship with restrictions for the safety of
all. You can read about those restrictions on the Worship Table page in this June edition of Eye On Zion or click here to go to our Worship Matters-New Precautionary Measures page.

I heard a radio host articulate pretty clearly where we are. She said, ‘we are all in the same storm, but we are not all in the same boat.’ Well said, I thought. Since the Council made the decision, I have been congratulated and cautioned. Some of us are paranoid and others of us are not even sure the COVID-19 pandemic is worthy of the attention it gets.

Pastor Duane A. Jesse

Sermons

Worship Notes

However, I have always said this about you, the people of Zion: You are all very smart people and you know what the right thing to do is for you and your family. As I mentioned in the sermon on May 24, my health has not been affected by the coronavirus, but my life sure has been. I yearn for a return to some level of normalcy and I look forward to gathering for worship with you.

But listen carefully, you should stay home if you have a compromised immune system or underlying health issues or are on the list of people our civil leaders recommend should
stay home and not feel bad about it.

God revealed in Jesus Christ still loves you. He knows you love him too. I love you and the fellowship loves you. There will likely be a time when it is safer for you to come back. We’ll see you then. In the meantime, and maybe even permanently, Zion’s video presentations will continue to serve those who choose to stay home.

The members of the Council were asked to write you with words of encouragement on how they took advantage of the “Stay at Home” order to grow in the LORD. Their words are on the pages that follow.

With you on the journey of faith,
Rev. Duane A, Jesse, Pastor

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