LWML Pittsburgh Zone Fall Rally - Saturday, Oct. 12th

Come and enjoy a morning program and catered lunch with LWML sisters from across the Pittsburgh area as we host this year’s Fall Zone Rally.

A special ingathering will be collected that day for the Bridgeville Area Food Bank:
non-perishable holiday food items such as canned vegetables, canned broths and gravies, dried noodles, canned tomatoes, stuffing mixes and instant potatoes, canned yams and pumpkin, and cranberry sauce.

Donations may also be in the form of cash or checks made out to Bridgeville Area Food Bank

RSVP to Tevia Grimenstein at grmnstns@live.com by Sunday October 6, 2024

Zion’s Response to Hurricane Helene/Milton

Zion Lutheran Church is taking up a collection to help with the hurricane disaster response.
You may place your donation in the offering plate at church.
Checks should be made payable to:
“Zion Lutheran Church”
with “Disaster Response” in the memo line.

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TO VOLUNTEER
Visit lcms-lert.org.

TO GIVE
VISIT lcms.org/givenow. TEXT “LCMSDISASTERS” to 41444. CALL the LCMS toll-free gift line between 8 a.m. and 4:10 p.m. Central time at 888-930-4438.

MAIL
Make checks payable to “The Lutheran Church— Missouri Synod” (or “LCMS”). On the memo line, write “Disaster Response” and mail to the LCMS, P.O. Box 66861, St. Louis, MO 63166-6861. Gifts are tax-deductible as allowed by law.

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PRAYER
Lord of heaven and earth, we know that you hold all things and people in Your hands. In your mercy, provide for the needs of those who have been affected, in big ways or small, by Hurricane Helene. Work through the efforts of those who bring relief, aid and comfort, and protect all involved from any further harm. Most of all, help us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. In His name we pray. Amen.

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ADDITIONAL DETAILS
Hurricane Helene made landfall near Perry, Fla., on Sept. 26 as a Category 4 storm. Since that time, it has left a devastating trail of death and destruction across the southeastern United States. The death toll is currently estimated at more than 180 people in six states.

On Sept. 30, the Rev. Dr. Ross Johnson, director of LCMS Disaster Response, departed for a multi-day visit to assess the damage, after which an initial response plan will be developed in cooperation with the districts affected. Other LCMS districts and Recognized Service Organizations are also assisting with the response.

While early reports seemed to indicate the damage would not be extensive, that quickly changed. In Florida, the Tampa and St. Petersburg areas sustained severe flooding, with multiple homes taking in water, making them currently uninhabitable. Meanwhile, south-central Georgia experienced significant tree damage, and western North Carolina — particularly Asheville — remains in dire conditions, with closed roads impeding transportation, and widespread power and cellular outages making communication difficult or impossible.

Johnson encourages everyone in the LCMS to take part in the response as they are able. First, and most important, please pray for those affected by the storms. Second, consider volunteering to assist with the response. Third, consider a gift to LCMS Disaster Response.

Upcoming Youth Group Events

Youth Group for Teens in 8 - 12th grade is the Third Sunday of every month!

Sunday, October 20th, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Join us for pumpkin carving and seasonal treats!

Sunday, November 17th, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
We'll have paper crafts and a devotional

Food Bank Sunday - Sunday October 13th

Bridgeville Area Food Bank
Pantry supplies are running low … you support is greatly appreciated! 

The October collection for the Food Bank is Sunday, October 13th. The “items of the month” are BAKING PRODUCTS. 

Items may be placed in the wicker bin in the narthex near the coat rack. Thank you for supporting this vital community service! 

Pastor’s Corner

The Ongoing Reformation 

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 
Romans 5:1 

Is God angry? That may seem like an odd question but consider it for a moment. Some other religions, even some Christian denominations, have a tendency to view God as an angry judge, sitting on a throne, and frowning all the time. They portray God as if He is eternally grumpy, uncomfortable and mad. But WHY could God be angry? Even when we get angry, there is usually a reason. God is the same way. 

Every Sunday at church we say the same words during the confession of sins. Because we say these same words every week, we may overlook how significant they really are. They go something like this, 

“O Almighty God, I, a poor miserable sinner, confess unto you all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended you and justly deserve your temporal and eternal punishment . . .” 

Is God “mad”? Yes. God is mad. Just look at the underlined portion above. He is mad at all the “sins and iniquities” we have offended Him with. He is mad at the “sins and iniquities” that we KEEP offending Him with time and time again. 

What is fascinating about God is this: He doesn’t just sit around on a throne being mad and grumpy. God is indeed mad at our sins . . . and He is so mad that He did something about it! God the Father sent Jesus Christ to suffer and die in our place, for all our sins. He sent Jesus to be sacrificed for every single one of those “sins and iniquities” we have ever done so that God will NEVER have to be mad at any of us again. 

Our passage above from Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” We have peace with God because of Jesus Christ. We don’t have peace with God because we tried really hard not to sin (and still sinned anyway), we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We do don’t have peace with God because we somehow suffered and were punished enough to make up for the sins and iniquities we have done (we could never suffer enough); instead, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 

As we prepare to celebrate the Reformation this month, I pray we ALWAYS remember that we only have peace with God because of our Lord Jesus Christ who suffered and died for us on a cross. Jesus has made peace between you and God the Father. Never let anyone take this eternal treasure away from you! 

-- Pastor Grimenstein 

VIDEO: Sunday October 6, 2024

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AUDIO: Announcements, Readings & Sermon for Sunday October 6, 2024

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Old Testament Reading -- Genesis 2:18–25 
Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” So out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, 

“This at last is bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Woman,
because she was taken out of Man.” 

Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed. 

Epistle Reading -- Hebrews 2:1–13 
Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. 

Now it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. It has been testified somewhere, 

“What is man, that you are mindful of him,
or the son of man, that you care for him?
You made him for a little while lower than the angels;
you have crowned him with glory and honor,
putting everything in subjection under his feet.” 

Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. 

For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one origin. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying, 

“I will tell of your name to my brothers;
in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.” 

And again, 

“I will put my trust in him.” 

And again, 

“Behold, I and the children God has given me.” 

The Holy Gospel according to St. Mark, the tenth chapter
Pharisees came up and in order to test [Jesus] asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.” And Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” 

And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. And he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.” 

And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.