Zion Lutheran

Second Sunday in Lent 40 Days of Community: We’re Commissioned to Reach Out Together February 17, 2008 GOSPEL John 3:1-17

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Ash Wednesday Wednesday, February 6, 2008 GOSPEL Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21   In this passage Matthew sets forth a vision of genuine righteousness illustrated by three basic acts of Jewish devotion: almsgiving, prayer, and fasting. Jesus does not denounce the acts–in the New Testament they are signs of singular devotion to God. Rather, he criticizes those who perform them in order to have a sense of self-satisfaction or to gain public approval. Care for the poor, intense prayer, and fasting with a joyous countenance are signs of loving dedication to God.

[Jesus said to the disciples:] “Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.             ²“So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. ³But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.             ⁵“And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. ⁶But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.             ¹⁶“And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. ¹⁷But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, ¹⁸so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.       ¹⁹“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; ²⁰but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

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Second Sunday after Epiphany January 20, 2008   GOSPEL John 1:29-42   John the Baptist’s witness to Jesus initiates a chain of testimony as his disciples begin to share with others what they have found.   ²⁹The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!  ³⁰This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’  ³¹I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.”  ³²And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him.  ³³I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’  ³⁴And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.”              ³⁵The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, ³⁶and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!”  ³⁷The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.  ³⁸When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?”  ³⁹He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon.  ⁴⁰One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.  ⁴¹He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed).  ⁴²He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).

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First Sunday of Christmas December 30, 2007 GOSPEL Matthew 2:13-23   Matthew relates the slaughter of babies in Bethlehem as one example of evil in the world. Jesus has been born into this world to manifest God’s presence and save his people from their sins. ¹³Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.”  ¹⁴Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt,  ¹⁵and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, “Out of Egypt I have called my son.”              ¹⁶When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men.  ¹⁷Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:  ¹⁸“A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.”   ¹⁹When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said,  ²⁰Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.  ²¹Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel.  ²²But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee.  ²³There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, “He will be called a Nazorean.”

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Sunday School Christmas Program & Sermon

Second Sunday in Advent December 9, 2007 GOSPEL Matthew 3:1-12 Just before Jesus begins his public ministry, John the Baptist appears, calling people to mend their ways and speaking of a powerful one who is to come. In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, ²“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” ³This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’” ⁴Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, ⁶and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. ⁷But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸Bear fruit worthy of repentance. ⁹Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. ¹⁰Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ¹¹I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹²His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

Photos of the Christmas Program

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Christ the King Sunday November 25, 2007   GOSPEL Luke 23:33–43   On the cross, Jesus is revealed to be a different sort of ruler than many had anticipated. He has the power to welcome others to Paradise, but will not use that power to save himself from death.

³³When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. ³⁴Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots to divide his clothing.  ³⁵And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!”  ³⁶The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine,  ³⁷and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!”  ³⁸There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”              ³⁹One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”  ⁴⁰But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?  ⁴¹And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.”  ⁴²Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”  ⁴³He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

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All Saints Sunday Sunday, November 4, 2007 

Gospel Luke 6:20–31 ²⁰Then he looked up at his disciples and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. ²¹“Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. “Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. ²²Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man.  ²³Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.  ²⁴“But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. ²⁵“Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry. “Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep. ²⁶Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets. ²⁷But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,  ²⁸bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.  ²⁹If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt.  ³⁰Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again.  ³¹Do to others as you would have them do to you.

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Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost October 7, 2007

GOSPEL Luke 17:5–10   On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus instructs his followers: exhibit mutual support and forgiveness, to realize the power of faith, and to adopt the attitude of servants who do what is right without thought of reward..

  ⁵The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”  ⁶The Lord replied, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.              ⁷Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here at once and take your place at the table’?  ⁸Would you not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink’?  ⁹Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded?  ¹⁰So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, ‘We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!’”  

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Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost September 16, 2007     

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Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost September 2, 2007

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