Zion United Church of Christ Weekly Newsletter
Zion UCC Zmail                              
August 30, 2013
In This Issue
Local Mission Offering
We Need Photos!!
Special Announcements
Great Month!
Coffee, Church and Chatter
From the Pastor's Desk
Prayer Concerns
Birthdays and Anniversary
This Week at Zion
Quicklinks
 
Holy Communion This Sunday
                              Zion Rocks!!!   
Local Mission Offering
Apostle Build III

Thank You Zion!!

Once again, Zion has matched its extravagant hospitality with exceeding generosity.  You donated $569 during our special local mission offering last Sunday.  This brings our total raised for Apostle Build III to $2,569.  Our goal of $3,000 is in sight.  Thank you for your love and generous spirit!!  

Share Your Summer!!

Keep 'Em Coming - We Need Your Summer Photos!

The photos are coming but there are many we have not heard from.  There are some real beauties!!  Please share some of your summer photos with us for a Zion Summer Slideshow.  Please send your favorite photos of family members which share your particular memories of this summer.

One photo per family member (e.g. a family of five may submit up to five photos.) Please send your "jpegs" to pastorpete@uccdelaware.com.

Send your best photos to share with other members of Zion during an upcoming worship service.  

 

Special Announcements  

Sunday School Begins September 8. Route 66 - "A trip through the 66 books of the Bible."
 
Voices of Zion.  Wednesday September 4.  6:00.
 
 
 
Zion Handbell Choir. Wednesday September 4.  7:00






 
      What a Month for
       the WOW Wagon! 
 
               108 Pounds in August
              Year to date total = 676
                    Way to Go Zion!
      1,000 pounds is in sight!!  We Can Do It!   
 
                      
Coffee, Church and Chatter
 
New Members Class

We are so pleased attendance has increased dramatically at Zion over the past three years. Conversations with those new to Zion have indicated many new attendees would like to become members of Zion.

Good news!  Our Saturday morning new members class for 2013 will begin on September 7 at 9:30 in the morning. We will meet up on Saturdays until Founders Day (October 13) when new members will be welcomed into the church at Zion. Please let Pastor Pete know if you are interested in participating in the class and becoming a member of Zion.  

Come and enjoy a cup of coffee, some church chatter and wonderful fellowship with your friends.  We might even throw in some bagels!!

 
From the Pastor's Desk
 
"Why, those are the best seats in the house!"  "We're sitting up in the cheap seats!" "She hasn't finished making the seating arrangements for the wedding reception".
 
Is it really so important where we "sit"? In this week's lesson from Luke's Gospel, Jesus was critical of those who would seek a place of honor; "the best seat".  "Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."  (Luke 14:11 NIV).
 
This week as we come to God's Table, we should pray and reflect upon whether we have saved any seats at the Table for "the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind" (v. 13). Jesus says we will be blessed if we do so.  Have we made room at the Table for those who have the least capacity to care for themselves?  Are we doing everything we can do to escort those who need our assistance to their seats at the Table?
 
Or, as Jesus warns his host, are we perpetuating hierarchical "seating" systems which do not honor God's call for love, equality and justice?  We may be doing so without even giving the matter much thought.  We might be perpetuating systems of injustice only because they are deeply embedded within our culture and within our own personal histories.
 
Good News!  We are free to choose other seats!  No one forces us to sit in the same seats we have always occupied.  We can choose another seat!  Which seat will you choose?  
 
We will pursue this matter further on Sunday morning.  
 
We'll save a "seat/pew" for you!

 

Praying for Peace and Justice,

 

Pastor Pete

 

 

Immediate Prayer Concerns
 
Pat Pressler                          Sandy Nichols                    
Wendy Bell                           Ray Royster                      Jill Glass and Family              Tom Bordner           
Gary Zicht                            Bob and Sherry Bailey       
Lisa Parks                            Caroline Walker                 Katie Cahill                           Missy Fouts-Hooker        
Barbara Martin                      Barbara Patterson
Ann and Jerry Elliott              Rusty and Kay Lundy
Elaina Richardson                  Linda Fields               
                           
 

 

 
Happy Birthday
 
September 9 - Nancy Townley

 
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

September 1 - Jerry & Ann Elliot 
   


This Week at Zion

On Sunday, the message from Pastor Pete will be Seating Charts.  Our Old Testament reading is Jeremiah 2:4-13 and our Gospel Lesson this week is Luke 14:1, 7-14.
  
   
Pastor Pete                                 Zion Church
740.513.1440                                740.362.6691
pastorpete@uccdelaware.com          zion@uccdelaware.com 
 
             
Voices of Zion
Wednesday September 4.  6:00.
 
Zion Handbell Choir
Wednesday September 4.  7:00

Baptism of Brinley Alyse Hauff
Saturday September 7. 1:00.

 
This Sunday's Worship Service

Acolyte 
Elizabeth White 
 
Liturgist
Chet Hammond                                  
Greeters  
Jason Abahazi and Cheryl Rogers  
 
Nursery
Melissa Peterson and Sarah Newcomb
 
Communion Preparation
Melissa Peterson
 

Fellowship Hour will resume today!  Please let Betsy Johnson know if you are able to provide refreshments sometime during this fall.  Thank You!