Even though Zion is without a settled pastor, here are messages of hope and inspiration from former pastors and friends of the church.
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May 2020
ANNOUNCEMENT: Zion is still searching for a pastor. During this COVID-19 pandemic, the work of our Pastoral Search Committee has been temporarily stalled both locally and by our Association. Zion is updating its church profile so that the search can begin again once life gets more back to normal.
With Governor Pritzker’s announcement that he is extending the stay-at-home order through May with some revisions, it is unlikely that churches will be allowed to congregate in the usual ways for a while longer.
Zion will resume regular worship services and activities when it is clearly a responsible thing to do. Meanwhile, our concern is that everyone remains safe and healthy.
Our 150th Anniversary Celebration set for the weekend of June 13-14 has been postponed until we find a suitable alternate date.
“You know, we are getting accustomed to living without Church – – – I hope and pray that when this is all over, we will find our way back to Zion and Home.” – Rev. Roedder
May 2020
Days to remember in May according to Rev. Roedder –
“Every day that we are privileged to live on this good earth is a gift from the Good Lord, but we would mention three extra special days for this month. May 10 is Mother’s Day and how blessed I was to have the best mom in the whole world! Of course, hopefully, you are saying the same thing.”
“We will celebrate Memorial Day on May 25. The important thing we all need to remember and give thanks for is the countless number of people who have made the supreme sacrifice for us. Our Lord has truly blessed us and our great country. THANK YOU!”
“Then, May 31 is Pentecost, the birthday of the Christian Church. That’s the day the Good Lord gave us another life-changing gift – the Holy Spirit – God’s Spirit within us, enabling us to say things we could never say on our own – enabling us to do things we could never think of doing. His Spirit entered the world and it enters our lives.”
April 2020
From Trudy (Beauchamp) Feyereisen
I never would have anticipated that COVID-19 would have taken such a hold in our country and reeked such havoc all around the world with no clear end in sight. The abrupt upheaval of normal life has been stunning, as has the sacrifice and sorrow of so many healthcare workers and families of those suffering so much, not to mention those who have lost jobs and those having to still work jobs where their safety is daily compromised. It has left heads spinning and hearts broken. YET … absolutely NONE of this takes God by surprise. That too is absolutely stunning … and because of that, there is also HOPE and COMFORT.
There isn’t a person on the planet right now that doesn’t need some form of ENCOURAGEMENT. We are ALL in the same boat, riding the same storm, needing some form of RESCUE, whether that be from our temporary, earthly circumstance, our eternal spiritual void, or both. Wherever this finds you, my hope is that you will be encouraged to find sustaining life in Jesus. He is our hope in life and in death.
April 2020
From Rev. Kenneth Roedder –
“See You in the Morning – An Easter Message”
As you know, Maxine had Alzheimer’s and was in the nursing home for a number of years. I used to feed her each meal. Oh yes, I missed a few but not many.
When it came to the evening meal, I would feed her and then we would head for her room. I would get her all situated, wrap my arms around her and say, “Maxie, I love you and I will see you in the morning.”
At first I was just reminding us of the obvious – I’ll be back tomorrow and we will have breakfast together – but as time went on, there was something more going on – it was another one of those God Winks.
Yes, God’s Spirit was at work because what I was saying to her, as well as to myself, was if we make it through the night, I’ll be back tomorrow morning and we will have breakfast together, but if you don’t make it or I don’t make it through the night then I WILL SEE YOU IN GOD”S GOOD MORNING!!!
That is what Easter is all about – “See you in the morning.” Jesus lives and so shall I. Christ the Lord is risen today! Yes, there is more to come and the best is yet to be!!!
April 2020
From Rev. Dr. Robert L. Randall – “I have refrained for many years trying to figure out God. My quiet guess is that God grieves every death, moans with every suffering moan, whispers words of encouragement to exhausted nurses and doctors, applies impulses for corrected behavior in world leaders, and stands opposed to this current virus that destroys his vulnerable children.”
April 2020
From Pastor Dennis Hanner –
Our lives have changed with the coronavirus – the event of the year. I no longer go where I want to without a thought as to the effect it might have on me. I have not been with a group of people since March the 14. The last day I worked at Dick’s Field and Stream was March 17.
Do I feel isolated? Isolated is not the word I would use. I am not hiding. I am not lonely. I am not imprisoned. I am being careful. Even before the Governor and the President said stay at home, I took action and reduced my exposure based on the information available at the time.
I am not alone. I am aware of world events through the local and national news broadcasts. There is television, radio, telephone and internet. I also have many books to read. The most important line of communication I have was given to me by my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The gift of prayerful communication with God is a calming presence to my soul.
Sometimes I don’t always know what to pray for. Of course I pray for the souls of the people I know and love, church members, family, friends, coworkers, the government leaders and even enemies. A constant prayer of mine is for my wife as she travels back and forth to work and for her health since her job is considered essential. Did I get everything covered in my prayers?
The best book I have to read is the Word of God, the Bible. The word gives me comfort, hope and love not only is this time of worldwide stress, but also for my everyday life. I am told my prayers are heard. There is a scripture that gives me comfort that they are heard and it is:
Romans 8:26-27 “And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness.” For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 27 “And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.”
I can pray continually and the Holy Spirit sees into my hidden self and speaks for me. The Holy Spirit speaks to God for me. The Holy Spirit speaks to God about what I have hid, my fears, my weaknesses and my failures. I do not stop praying for I know the Holy Spirit speaks to God about all of our needs, which we might not be able to speak of for ourselves nor know of.
In these troubled times know that you are not alone. The Holy Spirit is helping God hear the cries of your heart. God hears, Jesus walks with you, and the Holy Spirit prays with and for you.
Maybe this bedtime prayer says it best. “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.”
I am ready to meet my Lord, but I’m not in a hurry, so I watch out for myself and others. I am keeping my communication open with the Lord. So should you.
April 2020
From Trudy (Beauchamp) Feyereisen
As I was out walking early this morning amidst the frostbitten barren field that parallels the apartment complex where we live in Michigan, it occurred to me that it was such a picture of DEATH … all around me … (which is what they are predicting this week will be in America) – our “modern day Pearl Harbor” – as the COVID-19 pandemic reaches monumental proportions. And I thought it also quite interesting that this forecasted week of increasing tragedy for us falls on the most tragic week for Jesus Christ, as He knowingly headed towards crucifixion – DEATH lying before Him.
My heartfelt prayer in that moment was that out of all this DEATH, Jesus is going to bring about ETERNAL LIFE – LIFE to dead souls, coming alive again because they have been awakened to their need for rescue from sin and death … turning to a “Suffering Savior” who understands, loves them, and weeps with and FOR them. Praying that once again, just like it was for Christ 2000 + years ago, that earthly crisis will end in heavenly triumph. Oh … may that be true of this desperately sorrowful week!!!