| May
2009
Just before Easter we concentrate
our thinking on the Lord Jesus and his cross. We remember
the words he spoke as he faced and met his bitter death for
our salvation. The “Seven Words From the Cross” have
been in our minds as we have tried to understand and to fathom
the experience of our Lord as he went to his death.
Why is
it that no one seems to have made a similar collection of
the words the Lord spoke to his followers from this side
of the Tomb? What an exciting thing it would be if, after
our Good Friday meditation on what the Crucified Lord said,
we were to turn to what the Risen Lord said -- and still
says – to his people. Three things he said over and
over again, and they were very simple things.
He said, “Fear
not.” He said to his disciples, “All hail! Fear
not. Go and tell my brethren to go to Galilee, and there
they will see me.” Many times he questioned them and
then assured them with words such as “fear not” and “do
not be afraid.”
He said, “Bear witness.” Remember
how he challenged the fears of his disciples? And then calmed
them as he said, “As the Father has sent me, so I send
you.” From the hilltop in Galilee, “Go therefore
and make disciples of all nations.”
He said, “Receive
power.” John tells how he came saying, “Receive
the Holy Spirit.” Luke related how he replied to a
question from his disciples, “You shall receive power
when the Holy Spirit is come upon you.”
Yes, the
Lord comes to everyone including the simple, ordinary people
like you and me. This is his continued and continuous message.
These three statements sum up his comfort, his challenge
and his commission. FEAR NOT! BEAR WITNESS! RECEIVE POWER!
Harry W. McDowell
April
2009
“If you abide in me, and my
words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be
done for you.”
John 15:7
As we reach the halfway point in this Holy
Season of Lent, hopefully, we all will continue our preparation
for the rising to newness of life. Lent is the time for practice
and training in virtues and self-denial that are to be permanent
and habitual in the renewal life after Easter. We ask each
of you to plan to join the million of other Christians in
active remembrance of this Holy Season by attending church
services and through special meditation.
Spiritual Gifts! We all have
heard and/or read about Spiritual Gifts! Why this focus on
Spiritual Gifts? What are Spiritual Gifts? How do we use
our Spiritual Gifts? Through baptism one is given a Spiritual
gift or a mix of Spiritual gifts to carry on His mission.
The commitment to discovering one’s
own Spiritual gift (s) is a challenge to each one of us.
This is the endeavor to use our own God-given talents in
the ministry of our congregation. We are to use these Spiritual
gifts for the building up of the body of Christ, which is
the Church.
Spiritual Gifts include the following from (“Spiritual Gifts:
The Power the Drives You and the Congregation” by The Rev.
Neal R. Boese): Administration, Craftsmanship/Artistry, Evangelism,
Faith, Giving, Hospitality, Leadership, Music/Vocal and Teaching.
Do you find your Spiritual gift
(s) above? Whatever your gift, join our team! The usage of
our Spiritual gifts are the powers that will move our congregation
forward in its mission. As Pastor Boese says, “the understanding and usage
of these gifts are as necessary to congregational life as
oxygen is necessary for human life.”
Harry McDowell
March
2009
The axis of Our Lord’s
Life is fixed on Two Poles – The Incarnation and the
Resurrection.
Around the first, we have seen,
clusters the Nativity season, or Advent, Christmastide and
Epiphany.
Now comes Lent, the season of
fasting and preparation for the observance of Passiontide
and Eastertide. The Lenten fast became a period of preparation
for Easter. “We were
buried therefore with Him by Baptism into death, so that
as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the father,
we, too, might walk in newness of life.” (Rom 6:4).
Thus, the basic purpose of Lent is the preparation for the
rising to newness of life.
Yes, Lent is the time for practice
and training in virtues and self-denial that are to be permanent
and habitual in the renewed life after Easter. The temporary
interruption of some selfish habit for the limited period
of Lent, with the intention of resuming the old habit after
Easter, is not "keeping Lent." A daily material
offering, to be discontinued with the passing of Lent, does
not prepare for newness of life after Easter.
We are offering
our members and friends of Zion many services this 2004 Lenten
season as they prepare for newness of life. On February 25,
we begin with Ash Wednesday. As many of you know, the name
Ash Wednesday is derived from the medieval custom of the
penitents coming to the church on this day in sackcloth and
with naked feet and throwing ashes over their heads where
they had finished their prayers. These ashes were made from
palms blessed the previous Palm Sunday. On February 25, we
also will have the imposition of ashes as well as Communion.
We ask each and every one of
you to look over your Lenten schedule and make a special
effort to attend as many services as possible. Remember!
Lent is to renew us: The goal of Lent is pulsating life.
Our Annual Congregation Council
and Leadership Retreat – Stewardship planning for 2004 – was
held on Saturday, January 31 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
The Rev. Dr. Scott Schanzenbach was our leader and moderator.
Stewardship is not always a subject that holds an audience
attentive and responsive for even an hour or two – Pastor
Schanzenbach succeeded in presenting a six hour retreat on
Stewardship that not only held this audience in awe, but
had all the participants ready and eager for more as the
retreat reached its conclusion. Believe me, the success of
this retreat far exceeded our expectations. You will see
and hear more of the details as the Stewardship Committee
moves forward with its 2004 program.
The project to renovate
and refurbish the Sunday Church School “great room” in
the education Building is nearing completion. The floor has
been retiled after removal of the old tiles and repairs to
the floorbase; the new tile floor has been cleaned, sealed,
waxed (4 coats) and buffed; four new large colorful tables
and proper size chairs are in place; and, most importantly,
the children and teachers are smiling and praising God in
an environment conducive to learning about our Christian
faith. I encourage all of you to take the time to see this
beautiful room. Many thanks to the “angel of Zion” who
made this project possible.
Harry W. McDowell
February 2009
3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all my prayer for joy, 5 thankful for your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. PHILIPPIANS 1:3-5
I just want to thank everyone for their prayers and support of me during this past year as the President of the Council. It was wonderful serving God and you in this role. At this time, I have stepped down and I would like to welcome back Harry McDowell as the President for 2009. I will continue serving on Council and be the primary contact for Thrivent Financial as well as other roles as the Holy Spirit move me. I look forward to working with all of you in the upcoming year.
Yours in Christ, Patrick Sawler
January 2009
(9)And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. (10) And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. (11) For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. (12) And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”
Luke 2:9-12
Merry Christmas, Frohe Weihnachten, Feliz Navidad, Vrolijke Kerstmis, Feliz Natal, Joyeux Noël.
No matter which language you use to state it, the meaning is the same. It is the day to celebrate the birth of our Lord, Jesus. Christmas, to each of us, has it own special place in our hearts; for the child, it may be the excitement of Christmas morn and the opening of presents: for the adult, it may be the gathering of family and friends both near and far.
No matter how you celebrate this Christmas, I wish you and yours peace and happiness both now and through the years ahead, To close, I will use the words of George F. MCDougall:
"Best of all, Christmas means a spirit of love, a time when the love of God and the love of our fellow men should prevail over all hatred and bitterness, a time when our thoughts and deeds and the spirit of our lives manifest the presence of God."
Yours in Christ,
Patrick Sawler
December 2008
2The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;
6For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom.
He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onwards and for evermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
Isaiah 9:2,6-7
As the days continue to grow short, the night grows long.
We Christians enter the season of Advent. It is the season of waiting and watching for our Lord. Let us prepare for a surprise, for coming of the Lord who makes the impossible – possible!
We wait in anticipation for God’s light to penetrate the darkness and radiate within all of us. We wait with grateful hearts to prepare the way of the Lord. We wait in hope for our Prince of Peace, to bring God’s love into our broken world. We wait for the fulfillment of God’s covenant, for God’s Kingdom to come in its fullness.
As we wait, I encourage everyone to share your favorite memories of the season, with your family and friends as we prepare for our Wonder Counselor’s birth. In addition, help make new memories by inviting them to see our Drive Thru Nativity on Dec 13th and to one of our Christmas Eve services.
I pray that you and your family have a very safe and joyous Advent and Christmas season - Dear Lord, as we spend the upcoming days going about our work, I ask you, O Lord to give us all a special sense of your presence as we meet and greet all your children, that we shed on them the light of the Bethlehem Star, and the true Spirit of the Season.
Yours in Christ,
Patrick Sawler
President
November 2008
The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.
Deuteronomy 33:27
In these most uncertain times, we can all rest assured that God is always there to comfort us today and for all of our days ahead. I know it is hard at times to remember that when we, or a person close to us, is suffering from an illness, or when no matter how we try bad things keep happening to us, or when we feel that we did something bad that no one can forgive us. If ever I seem to be burdened with today’s events, I cannot help thinking about the lyrics from a song by MercyMe:
To everyone who's hurting
To those who've had enough
To all the undeserving
That should cover all of us
Please do not let go
I promise there is hope
Hold fast
Help is on the way
Hold fast
He's come to save the day
What I've learned in my life
One thing greater than my strife
Is His grasp
So hold fast
So hold fast indeed to his loving grasp!
Yours in Christ,
Patrick Sawler
President
October 2008
O Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth
PSALMS 96:1
There are 5 references in the Bible that tells us to sing to the Lord a new song. Psalm 96 goes onto say, Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.
The Bible is empowering us to step out into the world and tell others about the Good News of the Lord. We are encouraged to do it in song, through words and deeds. Next year, the youth of Zion will be traveling to Louisiana to see first hand how the City of New Orleans is trying to rebuild after Hurricane Katrina. It will be a week that our youth will be ambassadors of the love of God, singing songs of joy and work hand and hand with the people of the city.
Please keep them in your prayers as they gather in the months ahead in preparation for their journey.
Yours in Christ,
Patrick Sawler
President
September 2008
Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.
Deuteronomy 4:9
As we quickly approach the end of the summer, we begin another year of Sunday school here at Zion. As many of you are aware of, I am one of the alumni of our School. I was confirmed in 1974. It has truly been a blessing to be a part of the School as a student and later returning as a Seventh Grade Teacher and Youth Group Leader.
On September 7th, Zion will celebrate the start of another year of teaching our children. It is our RALLY DAY! I invite everyone, especially the Alumni to come and worship with us at 9:15. We have an exciting year planned!!
Please come and join us and celebrate another year of teaching God’s Word to the children of our community.
I am extremely pleased and excited to have Vicar Lara on staff with us and look forward to working with her to expand the Youth Program here at Zion. I am also excited and extremely proud to have my daughter, Christina assisting our Sunday school Teachers this year.
Yours in Christ,
Patrick Sawler
President
July 2008
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.
Proverbs 3:5-6
On June 7th, several of our church members participated in Relay for Life. It truly was a moving event. We met with so many survivors of cancer and remembered those who have passed on. It was amazing to hear stories of their battles and struggles with this terrible disease. At times, it was hard to understand why they have to endure such pain and suffering. However, as the evening progressed and as you walked with them through the night, you felt God’s presence and how your faith can inspire others to carry on.
Thank you to all who participated in this event, whether it be by walking in the Relay or supporting us by making a donation.
On July 13th at the 9:15 service we will vote on whether or not to move up the starting time of the Service to 9 AM. The reason for the change would be to allow for additional discussion time after the Sermon. On several occasions we have had to end our discussion due to lack of time. By moving the start time to 9 AM will allow us more time to explorer God’s Word.
Yours In Christ,
Patrick Sawler
President
June 2008
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost
(Matthew 28:19)
In a sermon during May, Pastor spoke of the Holy Trilogy and reminded us that there are many people in our area that are unchurched. Pastor spoke about our baptism and her love to perform baptisms. She also encouraged us to talk to our friends and neighbors about this fact and invited us to bring a friend to church. I would like to take this opportunity to expand on this idea. As you go on your way this month, make it a point to ask your friends and neighbors where they are in their faith walk. If they have not started or have strayed away for one reason or another, please encourage them to come to worship with you. Talk to them about your experiences at Zion and talk about how our Pastor loves to baptize people. I would love to hear about the different conversations that you have. Please call, email, or see me at one of the coffee hours.
Also, during the next Council meeting we plan to reach out to some our church members who we have not seen in a while. If you would like us to call someone, please let me know.
On final note, on June 7 th starting on 6 PM, Zion will participate in Relay For Life® . It’s theme is - One day, One night, One community. By us participating in the American Cancer Society Relay For Life® event in Roselle Park, we honor cancer survivors, remember the lives lost to the disease, and help raise money to fight it. This is much more than a walk around a track, Relay is a time to celebrate those who have battled cancer, remember those lost and get inspired to fight back.
Please join us in this 12 hour event, even if you can only make it for an hour or two. If you would like a ride, make a donation, or need more information, contact me, or visit their website.
Yours in Christ,
Pat Sawler
President
May 2008
“In all things I have shown you that by so toiling one must help the weak, remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
Acts20:5
Zion Lutheran gives us so many opportunities to put this verse into action. We have our Sunday School children leading us to fill up the pantry for the needy. We have our members baking cupcakes for Food For Friends. We have our members, lead by WELCA gather gifts and wrap them and they are given to Seafarers at Christmas, who may not otherwise receive any gifts. We have our Stephen Ministers quietly reaching out to those who are in need of a compassionate listening Christian ear to help them through a difficult time in their life.
Also, we have our members, lead by Prayer and Praise meeting twice every month to prayer for our sick and needy in our church and around the world. The list continues on, so I encourage everyone to come out and participate in one or more of these opportunities. If you not sure where your talents can be used, please feel free to contact myself or Pastor and we will be happy to discuss this with you. Hope to you see you all at one of our Coffee hours or one of our upcoming events. Special thanks to Lee Thor for running such a wonderful Spaghetti Dinner Friday night, April 18th. Everyone in attendance had a wonderful time!!
Yours in Christ,
Pat Sawler President
April 2008
"Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed."
Proverbs 16:3
Zion Lutheran has been committed to the Lord now in its 156th year and indeed our plans have been successful!
We have been a beacon of light and God’s love serving our member and the community of Rahway and God’s people throughout our country and around the world.
My faith journey started right here at Zion back in Sept 1960, when I was baptized. Sine then I have participated in Zion’s Sunday School, Communion classes, Confirmation, served as a 7th grade Sunday School teacher, Youth group leader, Church Council member, and Maria and I were married here in Oct 1989. Yes, I am indeed committed to the Lord and to Zion. Together with the Parish Council, we’ll set the course for Zion to have to a very inspirational and successful year.
Here are just a few of the things we plan to do:
- Add a Vicar to our staff.
- This addition will help us reach out further into our community to share our faith with more members of our community, thus in turn enrich our own faith journey
- Zion along with Thrivent Financial for Lutherans will participate in Relay for Life held on June 7th and 8th at Roselle Park
- Mission on the Move, there will be several meetings on how we can participate in this great program to help jump start new Lutheran churches.
Lastly, if you have any question, concerns, or comments. Please feel free to call me or see me at the Coffee Hour after the 9:15 service.
Yours in Christ,
Patrick Sawler
President
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