Zion
Church offers a weekend schedule of three Liturgies.
Saturday Lessons & Themes usually anticipate the coming
Sunday
Saturdays: 5:30
P.M. Word & Sacrament
Sundays: 9:15
A.M. Family Worship:
Word & Sacrament & Sunday School
Sundays: 10:30 A.M. Word & Sacrament with Choir
Comments? Questions?
Would you like us to contact you? Send us an email or phone us
at 732-388-1815 with your contact information and we'll get back
to you.
Pastor Whitlock will appear as the guest preacher on "Mountain Views" WMBC-TV at 6PM on Saturday August 23rd and Saturday August 30th. Check your local listings.
Web
Designer/
Webmaster
Jeffrey Mayer Enterprises www.jme1.com
September 2008
Calendars
The Liturgical calendar begins on the First Sunday of Advent,
often the last Sunday in November.
The secular calendar begins on January 1.
The astrological calendar begins on the first day of Spring. And the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah,
falls on September 30 this year.
But when you really get right down to it,
most of us really live our lives according to the school calendar.
There is something about September that makes us think
THIS is really the beginning of the year.
THIS is when we get our “back to school” clothes and school supplies.
There is something hopeful about a brand new notebook
and newly sharpened pencils with erasers intact.
It reminds me of the feeling we get immediately following
the confession and absolution at Worship.
At that moment, we have heard with our own ears
the glorious news that God has erased our sins.
We have been given a clean slate!
I imagine most of us did not use a “slate” when we went to school,
but some of us remember inkwells, and ink eradicator, and blotters.
That’s an image from Scripture – God blots out our sin.
You could also think of it as
God hitting the “delete” key on a computer
or using “white out” on a piece of paper.
So, as you are shopping for your school supplies,
may erasers and white out remind you
of God’s unlimited mercy and forgiveness.
August 2008
IHS
“Pastor, what do those letters mean?” Someone asked me the other day. They are on the front of our altar.
A good question, especially if you don’t speak Greek.
In Greek
I = iota H = eta
S = sigma These are the first three letters of the name of Jesus: IHSOUSCR
Another symbol we see is the Chi Rho Sometimes these two letters are superimposed on each other.
They are the first two letters of the word CRISTOS,
which translates as Christ, or Messiah.
ICQUS
Another Christian symbol is the fish,
because in Greek, the letters spell out the anag
I = iota for Jesus
C = chi for Christ,
Q = theta for God’s
U = upsilon for Son,
S = sigma for Savior.
May these symbols all remind of us of our loving savior.
MAHJONGG MINISTRY
Friday, August 15
6:30 PM in the Social Hall
ALL WELCOME
Beginners, Advanced Players,
Or people who just want to
See how the game is played.
July 2008
JUBILEE AND “MINISTRY NIGHT”
In the Hebrew Scriptures we find the concept of Jubilee:
Just like the people of God are given
a Sabbath day of rest every week,
the land got Sabbath of its own every seventh year.
The land would lie fallow and take a rest.
We’ve adapted this concept at Zion regarding our many meetings.
Once a year we invite everyone to cancel
all regularly scheduled meetings.
Most of our Ministries, Committees, Task Forces, and Organizations
meet regularly on a set day every month.
For the month of July,
we invite you to take your regular meeting time off,
and celebrate by attending “Ministry Night” on July 17.
We will begin with a pot luck at 6 PM.
If your Ministry, Committee,Task Force, and/or Organization
has any pressing business, you can discuss it over dinner.
Then we go around the circle and introduce ourselves and our ministries.
EVERYONE
including those who are not presently serving on a ministry is invited to attend.
We find this to be a great evening of food, fellowship,
and a means of communication among the various ministries at Zion.
Mark your calendars. See you there.
June 2008
The Letter of Paul to the Romans
The book of Romans is actually a letter written by Paul to the believers in Rome. Unlike many of Paul's other letters, which are to churches Paul had founded, Paul did not found the church in Rome. In fact, at the time of Paul's writing it, he hadn't even been there yet.
In this letter, Paul outlines many of the foundational themes of the Christian faith:
First, our need for redemption, then God's saving action in Christ, which leads to the "new life" we are called to as followers of Jesus. Martin Luther was greatly influenced by this letter, especially the concept of "justification." The new understanding Luther gained of the righteousness of God based on meditating on this Scripture energized the Reformation.
Excerpts from the book of Romans will be read as our Second Lesson every Sunday for the next few months. Why not get out your Bible now and get a head start? If you don't have a Bible, please contact the church office and we will make sure you get one.
MAHJONGG MINISTRY
Friday, June 20 6:30 PM in the Social Hall
ALL WELCOME: Beginners, Advanced Players, Or people who just want to See how the game is played.
May 2008
MISSION ON THE MOVE
Zion has chosen May as “Mission on the Move” month.
Our number one Mission on the Move priority is to rediscover our passion for God’s mission here at Zion and in the New Jersey Synod.
“Mission on the Move” is known as “MOM” for short.
What’s the first word you think of when someone says Mom and… ? Apple Pie!
So, to introduce the congregation to “MOM,” we are having a series of “cottage meetings” to talk about “MOM” and have apple pie!
Some meetings will be in people’s homes, and some will be at the church.
See you then.
April 2008
CHRIST IS RISEN!
CHRIST IS RISEN INDEED!
CHRIST IS RISEN!
CHRIST IS RISEN INDEED!
CHRIST IS RISEN!
CHRIST IS RISEN INDEED!
CHRIST IS RISEN INDEED, ALLELULIA!
The Risen Christ commands his followers to GO and TELL this glorious news to all the world. That is our mission.
We exist for more than ourselves. We exist for the world.
This is what “MISSION ON THE MOVE” is all about:
To emphasize our role as followers of Jesus with gifts to share
and a vision for God’s dream for the world.
Our objective is to extend God’s love to others,
who will then also become followers along with us.
As followers of Jesus, we are all stewards of the message of salvation,
and we all participate in spreading the Good News
of God’s extraordinary grace, love, and mercy.
This message is not something for us to keep to ourselves,
but for the sake of this world
that God loves to share will all who will listen.
Come follow Jesus for the sake of the world!
Information Meeting
National Youth Gathering
“Jesus, Justice, Jazz”
New Orleans, Louisiana
July 22-26, 2009
Meet in the parking lot at 1 PM
Sunday April 23
March 2008
EASTER, THE RESURRECTION OF OUR LORD
Our celebration of the Risen Christ begins on “Easter Eve,”
The same way our celebration of Christmas begins the night before.
We gather together in candlelight to hear the Easter Proclamation:
Rejoice, now, all heavenly choirs of angels,
and celebrate the divine mysteries with exultation.
And, for the victory of so great a king,
Sound the trumpet of salvation.
Exult also, O earth, enlightened with such radiance,
and made brilliant by the splendor of the Eternal King.
Know that the ancient darkness has been banished
from all the world…
This is the night in which, in ancient times,
You delivered our forebears, the children of Israel from the land of Egypt;
and led them dry-shod through the Red Sea.
This indeed is the night in which the darkness of sin has been purged away
by the rising brightness.
This is the night in which all who believe in Christ
are rescued from evil and the gloom of sin,
are renewed in grace, and are restored to holiness.
This is the night in which, breaking the chains of death,
Christ arises from hell in triumph.
Our celebration continues the next morning with
a Sunrise Service at Hazelwood Cemetery,
followed by an Easter Breakfast here at Zion,
along with our regularly scheduled Worship at 9:15 and 10:30AM.
August 2007
ZION in the Hebrew Scriptures
The name Zion first appears in Scripture in relation to the conquest of Jerusalem by David: “Nevertheless, David took the stronghold of Zion, which is now the city of David.” -- Second Samuel 5:7 -- First Chronicles 11: 5
The next reference is to the time when the ark of the covenant was moved “from the City of David, which is Zion” to the New Temple built by King Solomon. -- First Kings 8:1 -- Second Chronicles 5:2
In general usage, the name Zion appears to have moved, along with the ark, and came to refer to the temple itself, especially in the Psalms. In Isaiah, the prophet foretells a foreign nation coming to Worship the Lord God. “At that time gifts will be brought to the LORD of Hosts… to Mount Zion, the place of the name of the LORD of hosts.” -- Isaiah 18: 7
Somewhat later, the prophet Isaiah mentions Zion again: “See, I am laying in Zion a foundation stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation: ‘One who trusts will not panic.’” -- Isaiah 16:28
From the Messiah, we have, “Oh thou who tellest good tidings to Zion…say unto the cities of Judah, ‘Behold your God.” -- Isaiah 40: 9
The phrase “daughters of Zion” sometimes can refer to the women of Jerusalem, but recent Biblical Scholarship suggests an additional meaning: if Zion is the metropolis, the daughters are the suburbs. Thus, depending on the context, in the Hebrew Scriptures, Zion can refer to hillcrest, the City of David, The Temple and/or the Temple Mount, or the people.
Stay tuned! Next month: Zion in the New Testament.
July 2007
MARTIN LUTHER’S SPIRITUALITY
When I attended the Synod Assembly, I learned that Phil Krey, one of my favorite Professors from the Philadelphia Seminary, and now the President there along with his brother had written a book on Luther’s Spirituality. We immediately ran off to the bookstore and I bought the last copy, which Phil autographed for me, and I’ve been reading it ever since.
It turns out the preface was written by another one of my professors, Timothy Wengert. He explains how Luther’s Spirituality emerged from the monastic tradition of “oratio, meditatio, et illuminatio seu contemplatio” that is, prayer, meditation, and illumination or contemplation. The Biblical text must be PRAYED, not simply read, because “the Holy Spirit uses a whole different grammar and logic.” Luther’s understanding of MEDITATION is simply a close reading of the text. Ask yourself, “What is the Holy Spirit up to here?” However, in the third step, Luther veers from the old pattern.
Instead of illumination or contemplation, Luther’s method is more like a SPIRITUAL ATTACK. For Luther, “when the Holy Spirit breaks our reason and reveals to us the true intention of God’s Word, we are not drawn into some sort of heavenly realm. Instead, all hell breaks loose. The flesh, the world, and the devil and any other anti-spiritual power attempt to wrest from the believer the comfort Of God’s unconditional grace and mercy….”
May God’s unconditional grace and mercy fill your hearts to overflowing.
June 2007
As pure white light shining through a prism refracts into the three different colors of the spectrum, so the three different aspects of God’s nature are revealed in three “persons” Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Think of the Green as representing God the Father, the Creator. Think of the Red, as representing Jesus, the Savior. Think of the Blue, representing the Spirit. Service and Commitment to the Savior on the one hand (red) are connected to the gifts and power of the Spirit on the other (blue). What brings them together is the Wisdom of God (green), working to connect the two.
I didn’t make up this illustration, it comes from a book called “The Three Colors of Ministry,” What color is your circle of light – white? Mostly green? Mostly red? Mostly blue? Or do two predominate? The ONE GOD is experienced when all colors, all three “persons” of the Trinity Come together.
There are different kinds of gifts but the same SPIRIT, There are different kinds of service but the same LORD, There are different kinds of working but the same GOD. Likewise, a holistic faith is experienced and expressed when Power, Commitment, and Wisdom come together. When we are clothed with POWER from on High, the yearning for Service comes from COMMITMENT to Jesus and WISDOM is a result of discovering the natural working principles God has already built into creation.
May 2007
QUESTIONS REGARDING COMMUNION PRACTICE
A lot of people have questions!
What is the Sacrament of the Altar? (It is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ under the bread and wine, instituted by Christ himself for us Christians to eat and drink.) · Do Lutherans believe the Lord’s Supper is a sacrifice? (Yes, but only Christ’s sacrifice for us! We don’t think of it as a sacrifice we offer to God.)
What is the difference between using bread and wafers for Communion? (Jesus is present is whatever form of bread we use, but the one loaf is a better visual representation of our unity in Christ.)
What does it mean to celebrate the Eucharist “in memory” of Jesus? (In the Greek the word anamnesis means a way of remembering something not only in the past, but in a way which makes it present here and now. We believe Jesus comes to us as we eat and drink.)
Do Lutherans believe in transubstantiation or that the Meal is just a memorial? (Neither – Lutherans believe in the REAL PRESENCE – that Jesus is REALLY PRESENT in the Bread and the Wine, but we do not need to explain how.)
Why do we sing “Lamb of God” during Communion? (Both during Passover in the Spring and on the Day of Atonement in the Fall, the Hebrew people sacrificed a lamb. On the Day of Atonement, all the sins of the people of Israel were put on the lamb, and at Passover, the blood of the lamb saved the children from the Angel of Death. In the same way, Jesus is OUR lamb. Jesus takes all our sins and Jesus saves us from everlasting death.)
What is this C-O-P Pastor is always talking about? (A shorthand way of remembering the Key points about the Sacrament in Martin Luther’s Small Catechism. C = Command of God, in other words, we receive Communion because Jesus commanded us to. O = Ordinary Elements, the bread and the wine. P = Promise, that is “given for you” and “shed for you” for the “forgiveness of sin.”)
Perhaps you have other questions as well. Come to the “Focus Group on Communion Practices” Sunday, May 20 at 11:45. You may come with your questions written down, or ask them aloud.
April 2007
CHRIST IS RISEN! CHRIST IS RISEN INDEED!
The Week before Easter is known as Holy Week. On Palm Sunday, we celebrate Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. We will also be reading the Passion according to St. Luke. Especially prominent in our Worship life are the Services for the Three Days of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Vigil of Easter.
On Maundy Thursday, we hear Jesus’ new commandment to love one another. The Service includes Foot washing, Communion, and the Stripping of the Altar. There is no “Sending.” It is as if the Service just continues into Good Friday.
At the heart of this Service is the Passion according to St. John, and the Meditation on the Cross. The Easter Vigil is to Easter Morning what Christmas Eve is to Christmas Morning. In the evening service, we hear the Easter Proclamation: that this is the night which in ancient times God delivered our forebears, the children of Israel and led them through the sea. We come to understand that Jesus is our Lamb, by whose blood the doorposts of the faithful are made holy. We also hear this is the night in which, breaking the chains of death, Christ arises from hell in triumph. We praise God for the light of the Resurrection, reflected in the Paschal Candle, which is why we light it during the Easter Season, as well as for Baptisms and Funerals. Then there follows a Service of Baptism, and the First Eucharist of Easter.
On Easter Sunday morning, we gather again to celebrate the Resurrection. Actually, every Sunday is celebrated as a “Little Easter.” That is, we worship on Sunday because Sunday is the day Christ rose from the dead. And the primary reason we gather is to celebrate the Resurrection.
CHRIST IS RISEN! CHRIST IS RISEN INDEED!
March 2007
Bring a Friend to Worship March 24 and 25
Sunday, March 25 is “Bring a Friend” Sunday.” Which means Saturday, March 24 is “Bring a Friend Saturday.”
Take a moment right now to be in prayer. Ask the Lord who the LORD has in mind for you to invite. You may not get the answer right away. Maybe it will come to you as you wake up one morning. Or maybe it will come to you as you are in the middle of a conversation. Maybe several names will occur to you.
Write the name or names on a piece of paper and put it where you will see it every day – on your refrigerator, or on your mirror. When you see the name or names, say a prayer that goes like this:
“Dear Lord, let me be a vehicle of your love.” Show me how to reach out to _____ with your love.” Give me an opportunity to share what you mean to me. Let me extend the hand of Christian hospitality to someone who really needs you.” Practice on your family and friends. “Did you know we are having a Healing Service at Zion on March 24-25?” “I’d like you to come to church with me on March 24-25; I hear there’s going to be some excellent food at the Coffee hour.”
Then pray for the Lord to give you the courage to invite the people whose names are on your “list.
December 2006
PREPARING FOR CHRISTMAS
We know how to go shopping.
We brave the malls, or we order on line.
We know how to decorate.
We light up trees, and hang the mistletoe.
We know how to eat.
We plan our special dinner with care,and bake batch after
batch of cookies.
But what about Jesus?
As the saying
goes, “Jesus is the reason for the season.”
How do we prepare for Jesus?
During Advent, the Lectionary gives us a program to follow.
On the First Sunday of Advent, we hear how Christ will come
again.
On the Second and Third Sundays of Advent
We listen to John the Baptist telling us to
“Prepare the Way.”
On the Fourth Sunday of Advent, we hear Mary’s story.
This year, our Gospel lessons are coming from Luke.
In Luke’s “prologue” we
have four canticles, or hymns:
“The Magnificat” sung by Mary in response to the
visit from the Angel.
“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel” sung when John
the Baptist is born.
“Glory to God in the Highest” sung by the angels
when Jesus is born.
“Lord, now let your servant go in peace” sung when
Jesus is brought to the
temple, 40 days after his birth.
These songs will take us deeper into the mystery of Christmas:
how God who is utterly divine takes on human form to become
one of us and
share our joys and sorrows.
See you in Church!
