From the Pastor

In Mark Chapter 2, there is a story about some men who wanted to get their paralyzed friend to Jesus but encountered problems. The conventional way of getting someone in the house was through the door but that was blocked and so were the windows. So wanting to accomplish their mission, they “stepped out of the box” and raised their friend up on the roof, dug up the roof and got their mission done.

The longer I serve here, I see lots of people who do not worship God and yet live within easy driving distance to Zion. We have done marvelous things in making our building accessible and being a hospitable people but still have people driving past us. Maybe we are still trying to get in the door when we need to “unroof the roof!” The families we are trying to reach have needs but we are not touching them. As Jesus went out to the homes and marketplaces to meet the people, so must we.

Right now we are primed to meet the needs of those who grew up in the 20th century. But what about those who cannot remember TV’s without remotes or phones you had to dial? We need to go out and ask them what they need. Oh, I am sure they still need the Christian faith and may even like much of what we Lutherans are about, but we must market in ways they can understand.

Early in May, our Dream Team will ask you to express your opinion on where we should go as a congregation in the next five years. But maybe first go ask your unchurched neighbor what would bring them to enter our building. Then share those results with us. Join your church council in reaching out to our “twenty somethings” who grew up in Zion. In August, join your leadership team as we survey the neighborhood around our church buildings. Then let us build together a mission plan that will not only serve Christ and those who live in our mission field.

Pastor Otto

Apply Bible Principles

What comes to mind when someone mentions "work" ?

Is your initial tendency to moan and groan, wishing you could avoid work ?

It might surprise you to learn that God described His creative acts as "work" and that He brought "work" into being shortly after He created man. Adam worked in the Garden before and after his fall due to his sin. Cain worked by raising vegetables. Abel worked by tending sheep. Throughout Scripture, people worked. Even the Lord Jesus worked while He was on earth, and He described God the Father as having worked. Work has always been part of God's nature and eternal plan for mankind.

Wait a minute ... If God created and owns everything, why should we, His children, have to work? Couldn't He just provide for us in some supernatural way that would enable us not to have to work? Surely, God could do that, but He doesn't do so. According to the admonition in 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12, one of the primary benefits from working and providing for our needs is to be able to lead lives marked by integrity and a healthy self respect. And God's plan is that we are best able to accomplish these worthy goals by working.

God also knows that by utilizing our talents and abilities through work, He will be able to minister to others through us in an effective way. Work, then, is one of the primary avenues by which we can demonstrate our Christian faith, particularly as we do our tasks to God's glory. Work is also the primary way through which we obtain money to give to God.

What should be the Christian's response to work? First, thank God for work and for the ability to work. As Solomon observed, this is a "gift of God." Second, view your work as a means of bringing glory to God. Third, whatever you do, no matter what your vocation or occupation, do it "with all your might", as unto the Lord. And finally, remember that by providing work for us to do, God enables us to give to Him and to His ministry at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church.

Pastor Otto

Peace is difference in unity

I recently read a statement prepared by the ELCA on working for peace in the world. It does not advocate that you and I attend a peace march. But it does advocate that we pray for peace and do some constructive actions that make for peace. Like the prophets of the Old Testament and Jesus, we are asked to take a stand even if it is a disturbing one. We dare not be silent and say the war is good. While we support our nation’s service men and women, we keep asking, “Isn’t there a better way?” We are also asked to be a community of moral deliberation, which means we are to discuss controversial topics like the war in Iraq and not avoid them. We are to listen to all sides. We are asked to even try to understand terrorism and listen to its voices.

One phrase jumped off the page. “Peace is difference in unity.” We are asked to respect the uniqueness of each person’s ideas and convictions. To me this kind of respectful open discussion is what freedom of speech is all about. It is also what it means to be a community of “moral deliberation.” Now we may not create one statement that fits all people but we can discuss issues in mutual respect and learn from each other.

So whether it is the war in Iraq or school funding or the values of marriage, we need to be discussing them openly and praying for God’s wisdom about them. I would be glad to share these two social statements with anyone. But even more, let’s be a community open to discussing issues, even our differences. I think when we do that, we witness to the world what unity in diversity is all about.

Pastor Otto

Who do you trust ?

For February I would like us all to think about Who do you trust?
Whether it is our local physician or government official, whom do you have confidence in?
Jeremiah 17 5:0 sets it right. People and systems will eventually disappoint you but not God!
In our culture that is enamored with technology and materialism this is a great message for all of us. Dare to dream of new vison even if the budget is tight. Why? In God to we trust.

Will some of our vision and or ministries fail. There is a strong probability since humans are in control. But that does not mean the Church has failed to be the witness of Christ's presence in the world. The church only fails to do that when it puts its faith and hope and trust in the policies of people instead of the power of God.

Applying Bible Principles

We've all heard the expression, "Money talks." That's true. Money does talk. Oh, not in words or phrases that constitute a language, but money talks. Because it is valuable to us, how we use it communicates volumes to those about us. People tend to spend their money on things that are important to them. With the exception perhaps of taxes, all of us vote with the contents of our purses, wallets and checkbooks concerning what means the most to us.

In fact, we could even go so far as to say that a person who does not spend money on something which is supposedly very important in his or her life really does not place much value on that item or activity. Suppose for a moment that you think "little league" baseball for kids is very important. You talk about it wherever you go. You attend the games. You enroll your own children in the program. But when someone calls you to ask you to be a sponsor of a team, or when someone "passes the hat" at a game to pay for equipment, you refuse to participate.

Would you not agree that an impartial observer of such behavior would conclude correctly that little league baseball really does not mean much to you? Your lack of financial support would outweigh the other positive aspects of your attendance, enthusiasm and participation.

The same thing is true in the spiritual realm. It is one thing to talk about Christianity. It is yet another to demonstrate our faith by how we use the money which God has entrusted to us. And that is especially true in our support of the ministry of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church. As someone said recently in one church just before the offering was received, "Lord, in spite of all we say and do, this is what we think of you."

Or as the Lord Jesus put it, "... let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to our Father in heaven". (Matthew 5;16)

Re-Gifting

As I sit here during the first days of January, I proudly wear my new sweater and reflect on how happy I was that I did not have to take any gift back for a larger size. Then I remember an article I read this week a from Martin Marty about "re-gifting."

"Re-gifting" is to give a gift, something one previously received as a gift." In a Christian context, we read 2 Corinthians 8:9. For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.
Jesus was willing to come to earth and be one of us so that we could be forgiven. He gave up the glories of heaven and endured the worst of earth so that we could be with Him in heaven.

The people Paul wrote about were very much like us; they were well off and had much to share. But why share? Paul gives us the reason: re-gifting! All of us know about church envelopes and also about giving to lots of charities. But why give? Paul makes it clear: if we are generous, loving and moved by the Christ mass spirit, we do not have to be this way, but we get to be. It is re-gifting to the max.

A real test to our gratefulness is to continue the Christ mass spirit into these months by continuing to look for ways to give our ourselves and our wealth in the name of the gift that keeps giving, Jesus the light of the world.

Moving off the map

When we take a trip I love to get maps of the area and scope out where we are headed. Over the years it has given me a sense of security that I am not lost. Once in a while we go into an area that I do not have a map for and that worries me. I am afraid that I will get lost. We never have but it is a worry. Peggy on the other hand sees these times as an adventure where we will learn new things. Which type are you?

At times my role as spirtual leader for Zion invites me to "move off the map." There are events and needs that I am not prepared for. No matter how many books or classes I take, I am placed in unfamiliar territory. It is not enough to have a well maintained building or a neatly organized worship or well trained staff. For an example, many of our young people are concerned that if the school administration does cut sports and the fine arts, what will they do. In conversation with others we would like to offer more youth porgramming to fill those needs but we have never done that before. Several times we have been asked to host "English as second language" classes, but as soon as they grow beyond ten people they have outgrown our classrooms.

Again and again I am reminded that change is happening quicker than before and the church is challenged to present the gospel in new ways. So I am inviting you to join me and our "dream team to a visioning process. We call it "moving off the map." In the next few months we will invite you to be a part of different small group experiences where you can share some dreams you have fo this community of faith. I know you are very busy, so am I. But we need to sit down and pray over and talk about the future of our congregation.

So beginning in January, watch the newsletter and web site for dates and times. For now, ask yourself what is God calling me to do? What is God calling Zion to provide?