VIDEO: Wednesday February 19, 2025 - Complete Service

View the Bulletin for Wednesday, February 19, 2025
Worship Service: 2:00 p.m.
Bible Study (the Book of Malachi): 2:30 p.m
All are welcome, bring a friend, neighbor or relative

Visit our YouTube channel — Click the red “subscribe” box, and then click on the “bell” next to that box to receive Live Streaming notifications. You must be logged into YouTube to activate these features.

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AUDIO: Readings & Sermon for Wednesday February 19, 2025

View the Bulletin for Wednesday, February 19, 2025
Worship Service: 2:00 p.m.
Bible Study (the Book of Malachi): 2:30 p.m
All are welcome, bring a friend, neighbor or relative

Visit our YouTube channel — Click the red “subscribe” box, and then click on the “bell” next to that box to receive Live Streaming notifications. You must be logged into YouTube to activate these features.

Archive of AUDIO “Readings & Sermons”
Archive of VIDEO “Complete Service”
Archive of BULLETINS

Ezekiel 44:1-16, 23-29 
Then he brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary, which faces east. And it was shut. And the LORD said to me, “This gate shall remain shut; it shall not be opened, and no one shall enter by it, for the LORD, the God of Israel, has entered by it. Therefore it shall remain shut. Only the prince may sit in it to eat bread before the LORD. He shall enter by way of the vestibule of the gate, and shall go out by the same way.” 

Then he brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the temple, and I looked, and behold, the glory of the LORD filled the temple of the LORD. And I fell on my face. And the LORD said to me, “Son of man, mark well, see with your eyes, and hear with your ears all that I shall tell you concerning all the statutes of the temple of the LORD and all its laws. And mark well the entrance to the temple and all the exits from the sanctuary. And say to the rebellious house, to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: O house of Israel, enough of all your abominations, in admitting foreigners, uncircumcised in heart and flesh, to be in my sanctuary, profaning my temple, when you offer to me my food, the fat and the blood. You have broken my covenant, in addition to all your abominations. And you have not kept charge of my holy things, but you have set others to keep my charge for you in my sanctuary. 

“Thus says the Lord GOD: No foreigner, uncircumcised in heart and flesh, of all the foreigners who are among the people of Israel, shall enter my sanctuary. But the Levites who went far from me, going astray from me after their idols when Israel went astray, shall bear their punishment. They shall be ministers in my sanctuary, having oversight at the gates of the temple and ministering in the temple. They shall slaughter the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before the people, to minister to them. Because they ministered to them before their idols and became a stumbling block of iniquity to the house of Israel, therefore I have sworn concerning them, declares the Lord GOD, and they shall bear their punishment. They shall not come near to me, to serve me as priest, nor come near any of my holy things and the things that are most holy, but they shall bear their shame and the abominations that they have committed. Yet I will appoint them to keep charge of the temple, to do all its service and all that is to be done in it. 

“But the Levitical priests, the sons of Zadok, who kept the charge of my sanctuary when the people of Israel went astray from me, shall come near to me to minister to me. And they shall stand before me to offer me the fat and the blood, declares the Lord GOD. They shall enter my sanctuary, and they shall approach my table, to minister to me, and they shall keep my charge. 

Romans 9:1-18 
I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen. 

But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. For this is what the promise said: “About this time next year I will return, and Sarah shall have a son.” And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” 

What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means! For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy. For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. 

The Sacrament of Holy Baptism
What is Baptism? 
Baptism is not just plain water, but it is the water included in God’s command and combined with God’s word. 
Which is that word of God?
Christ our Lord says in the last chapter of Matthew: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matt. 28:19) 

Bulletin: Wednesday February 19, 2025

View the Bulletin for Wednesday, February 19, 2025
Worship Service: 2:00 p.m.
Bible Study (the Book of Malachi): 2:30 p.m
All are welcome, bring a friend, neighbor or relative

Visit our YouTube channel — Click the red “subscribe” box, and then click on the “bell” next to that box to receive Live Streaming notifications. You must be logged into YouTube to activate these features.

Archive of AUDIO “Readings & Sermons”
Archive of VIDEO “Complete Service”
Archive of BULLETINS

BINGO NIGHT: Friday, February 28, 2025

BINGO NIGHT at Zion Lutheran Church
Friday, February 28th @ 6:15 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall

• FAMILIES WELCOME

• POTLUCK DINNER

• CHICKEN TENDERS PROVIDEDSign Up in the Narthex

• FUN & PRIZES

Trustee News

Have you ever wondered what the Board of Trustees does? In the simplest terms, we manage and maintain all church property. Whether it’s fixing a broken window, looking for ways to save on utility bills, hiring contractors, weeding a planting bed, or painting a classroom, we do what’s needed to keep our property in good condition. At times, that can seem like a daunting task, given the age of our buildings and the amount of wear and tear they ex-perience. Thankfully, we have a dedicated Board that unselfishly shares its time and talents with our congregation to accomplish this important work. And, just as importantly, we have a generous congregation that supports our work with gifts of time, talent, and finances. 

Last year, the Trustees identified over one hundred maintenance and repair tasks that needed to be done in the church, preschool, and parsonage and we were able to complete more than half of them. Here are some of the biggest ones: 

• Replaced all 96 fluorescent ceiling light fixtures in the preschool with energy-efficient LED units, saving the congregation almost $2,000 annually in electricity bills 

• New energy-efficient AC units in offices and other areas 

• Replaced worn out carpeting and window shades in the choir loft and conference room 

• Extensive electrical work in the parsonage 

• Built a deer-resistant enclosure for the parsonage vegetable garden 

• Reconfigured, weeded, and re-mulched the preschool playground 

• New Wi-Fi pods throughout the church, office areas, and preschool 

• Reorganized several storage areas for Sunday School and VBS 

• New cushioned chairs for the undercroft 

• Repainted the conference room, a preschool classroom, and other areas 

• Removed several large dead, or dying, trees and trimmed or treated others 

• Replaced corroded steel exit doors at the rear of the preschool and in the boiler room 

• Replaced the steep grass hill on the north side of the undercroft with decorative rock 

• Hired a new, more reliable snow-removal contractor 

• Mowed grass every week, collected leaves in the fall, and maintained all planting beds 

• Daily custodial services for the church and preschool 

Mike Debowski,
Head Trustee

The next time you see one of our Trustees -- Paul Hayes, Jim Oelschlager, Ben Meyer, Deborah Sterba, and Linda Kroeger -- let them know you appreciate what they do to keep our church, school, and parsonage in good shape. And the Trustees would like to thank everyone at Zion for your continuing support. We would love to have you join us next year! As the saying goes, “many hands make light work”, and we can always use some extra hands. God bless! 

– Mike Debowski, Head Trustee 

Community Event: Free Tax Assistance by VITA

Community Event: Free Tax Assistance by VITA
Free Tax Assistance by VITA at The Bible Chapel, 300 Gallery Drive, McMurray, PA 15317.

Monday through Thursday starting February 3, 2025 and running through April 10, 2025. Hours: 8:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.
No appointment. First come, first served. NO NEW RETURNS started after 1:00 p.m.

Must bring: Last year’s tax return, ID for yourself and spouse, Social Security numbers and birthdates for yourself, spouse and dependents. All W-2 and 1099 tax documents (including Social Security 1099), 1095 health care statement and property tax receipts. Both spouses must sign joint returns.
CLICK HERE for a more detailed list

Federal, state, local taxes and property tax/rent rebate forms are prepared.
Questions? Call the IRS at 800-829-1040.
Online: search “VITA” at www.sqpavita.com. Please do not contact “the Bible Chapel.”

Note from Zion’s webmaster.
VITA prepared our taxes this year, and it was a great experience. Highly recommended — and it was completely free.

 

Focus on Fellowship

(Bottom right) Pastor Grimenstein and Deaconess Joanna present Amanda Parker and Katherine Hoffman of The Still Remembered Project with a $10,000 donation from Concordia Lutheran Ministries (CLM). Through it’s Angel Tear Grant program, CLM generously supports faith-based, non-profit organizations making an impact in our community. 

Zion hosted its first Prayer Breakfast on Saturday, January 18th in partnership with The Still Remembered Project (TSRP). More than 45 attendees from Zion, local LCMS churches and the community came together to pray and learn more about this local, faith-based organization that ministers to those who have experienced the loss of a child through miscarriage or stillbirth. 

After a delicious breakfast, attendees heard from Amanda Parker, Vice Chair of TSRP. She shared her families’ personal journey through loss, then discussed the variety of ways the group supports women, and men, struggling with miscarriage or infertility. Following a Q&A session, Pastor led prayers for those impacted by infant loss and for the ministry of TSRP.