Shout Out to Students

Ava Pasquini, a sophomore at Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, made the TCU collegiate all-girl cheerleading team for the 2024-25 school year. She will be cheering on the "Horned Frogs" for Football, Volleyball and Basketball.

Welcome New Member!

On Sunday Sept. 22nd, Zion received several new members into our church family. If you haven't had an opportunity to meet them yet, be sure to welcome them to our fellowship! 

Pastor Kenneth Spence recently became a member of the Zion church family. Pastor Spence attended Michigan State University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Industries, before working in the meat industry for many years. He married his sweetheart Karen Bullock in April 1969. God called him to become a Pastor in the late 90s and he attended Concordia Theological Seminary, graduating with a Masters in Divinity. During his years in the ministry he served four congregations in Wisconsin and Michigan, as well as chaplain in a hospital and elder care setting. 

Pastor and Karen, who entered eternal rest in 2018, are parents of two adult children --one being Zion's own Tevia Grimenstein -- and grandparents of nine. 

Welcome New Members!

On Sunday Sept. 22nd, Zion received several new members into our church family. If you haven't had an opportunity to meet them yet, be sure to welcome them to our fellowship! 

Richard and Joanna Lee, together with their children Janna (3) and Leopold (1), joined our church family. Joanna is Zion's new Director of Family Life, having recently graduated from Concordia Theological Seminary with a master's degree in Deaconess Studies. Richard is a stay-at-home dad with a degree in Electronic Engineering from National United University in Miaoli, Taiwan. 

Joanna was born in Saginaw, MI and grew up in Newton, NC. She is the daughter of an LCMS pastor and the third of six siblings. Richard was born in Chiayi, Taiwan. They met while Joanna was serving as an LCMS missionary in Taiwan. Hobbies include doing puzzles, watching football, playing ping pong, and jogging. As parents of two active toddlers, they also enjoy catching up on sleep when they have the chance! Welcome Lee family! 

Women's Ministry Meeting & Chrismon Crafting Night

Women's Ministry Meeting & Chrismon Crafting Night 
Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024 starting at 7:00 p.m. 

Join us to discuss plans and future events for our Zion Women's Ministry. 

After the brief meeting, we'll enjoy making Chrismon ornaments for Zion's Christmas tree. 

P.S. If you like crafting, you'll LOVE making these special Christian symbols that adorn our sanctuary for Christmas! 

VIDEO: Sunday October 27, 2024

View the bulletin for Sunday, October 27, 2024
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AUDIO: Announcements, Readings, Sermon & Bell Choir for Sunday October 27, 2024

View the bulletin for Sunday, October 27, 2024
Archive of AUDIO “Readings & Sermons”
Archive of VIDEO “Complete Service”
Archive of Bulletins

First Reading -- Revelation 14:6–7 
Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.” 

Epistle Reading -- Romans 3:19–28 
Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. 

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. 

Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. 

The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the eighth chapter
So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” 

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” 

What about … Living Together without Ma

Increasingly, men and women choose to live as husband and wife without being married. This essay will answer some questions asked about living together. 

What is marriage? 
We learn from the Word of God that marriage is the lifelong, exclusive union of one man and one woman, as husband and wife. Marriage is a part of God’s creation. Thus, we read in God’s Word, the Bible: “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh” (Gen.2:24;cf.Matt.19:5–6;Eph.5:31). Elsewhere we read, “Since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband”(1 Cor. 7:2). And, “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral (Heb.13:4). Marriage is such a precious blessing that God inspired the Apostle Paul to describe marriage as a picture of Christ’s relationship with His bride, the church (Eph.5:22–33). 

Why is it wrong to live together without marriage? 
Simply stated, a couple that lives together as man and wife without being married is sinning. God’s Word is clear: “You must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts....Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more”(Eph.4:17-19). Our Lord Jesus Christ once helped a woman living with a man who was not her husband to recognize that what she was doing was wrong (John 4:16–18). Lutheran Christians believe that the sixth commandment, “You shall not commit adultery,” means, “We should fear and love God so that we lead a sexually pure and decent life in what we say and do; and husband and wife love and honor each other" (Luther's Small Catechism, p. 10). All of this is another way of stating the obvious: Men and women are not to live together as husband and wife, unless they actually are husband and wife. This is as true for 80-year-olds as it is for 18-year-olds. 

Why does the church care about this? 
The church cares because God cares. The Lord’s Word is very clear in its condemnation of sexual activity outside of marriage. Consider these passages: “Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers...will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor.6:9-10). “Among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people”(Eph.5:3). “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery. ...I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom ofGod”(Gal.5:19–21). 

Why is living together such a serious problem? Because God’s Word clearly shows that it is sinful for couples to live together without marriage, people who persist in behavior that God rejects and condemns as sin are choosing a course that may lead to eternal punishment. God’s Word is clear: “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God. ...The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life”(1 Thess.4:3-7). 

Isn’t the church being ‘judgmental’? 
The church is declaring the truth of God’s Word. On behalf of Christ and His people, pastors have the responsibility to speak clearly to couples living together and to proclaim the Word of God to them both Law and Gospel. It is never easy for a pastor, or a congregation, to deal with couples who are living together without marriage. It is important for both pastors and congregations to deal with these situations pastorally and faithfully, in a caring manner. 

Shouldn’t a couple find out if they are compatible? 
Research has demonstrated that living together without marriage results in a relationship that it less stable and fulfilling than marriage. Furthermore, couples who live together have a much higher risk of divorce when they finally do marry. Living together is a bad idea, even from a purely human perspective. One study notes, “Those who cohabitate before marriage have substantially higher divorce rates than those who do not; the recorded differentials range from 50 to 100 percent higher” (“The Relationship Between Cohabitation and Divorce”[1992], Demography,29:357–374). Studies conducted at Yale and Columbia found that “the dissolution rate for women who cohabit premaritally with their future spouse is, on average, nearly 80% higher than the rates of those who do not” (“Commitment & the Modern Union,” American Sociological Review,[1988],53:127–138). 

How does the church deal with these situations? 
The church, and the church’s pastors, will inform couples living together without marriage that what they are doing is sinful. These conversations will take place in a loving manner; but in faithfulness to the Word of God, such conversations need to take place. These situations cannot be ignored or overlooked. It may be necessary to place unmarried couples living together under church discipline in order to help them realize the seriousness of the situation. This response may offend people. They may become angry at the church, or the church’s pastor. Sometimes an entire family is upset when a situation they have ignored is finally dealt with. The Word of God has a way of cutting through all issues and exposing our sinfulness. That is the work of the Law of God, which shows us our sin. Offending people is certainly not the church’s goal, nor is it the church’s desire only to have people recognize their sin. The church wants people to see their sin, so that they may see their Savior. The proclamation of the Gospel is the church’s highest priority. 

How can such a couple resolve the situation? 
A couple living together without marriage needs to take concrete steps to end the situation. They may choose to separate, with no plans for marriage. They may choose to separate until they are married—hopefully soon. It is important that they make a commitment to marriage counseling before their wedding, and perhaps after their wedding. Some couples may choose to be married by an officer of the court. This is a completely valid marriage in the view of the church. Couples choosing this option are encouraged to have their marriage publicly recognized by the church as well. No matter the decision, they will want to seek their pastor’s counsel. 

What is the ultimate solution to this problem? 
There are many solutions we can identify. Christian families need to understand what is right and wrong. Early on, parents need to speak with their children about God’s expectations for marriage. Pastors and congregations will want to work patiently and lovingly with couples caught up in this sin. Concerned Christian congregations need to pray that the Holy Spirit will work in the hearts and lives of those involved in this lifestyle in order to break down their resistance to God’s Word. Christian congregations must not ignore the problem, but must deal with it faithfully. Congregations need to speak about this matter. Couples that recognize their sin need to hear God’s comforting word of promise: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness”. If they choose to be married, they should do so with joyful confidence in God’s forgiveness and His blessing on their marriage. 

Dr. A. L. Barry
Past President (1992-2001)
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod