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Windows Into Zion is the monthly newsletter of Zion Mennonite Church. The publishers are Dorothy Hartman, Julie Hottinger, Fern Nisly, and Myrna Piper. Return to the Newsletter Archives. April 2004 Please note that calendar information and the Worship Schedule are located on the Calendar page.
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| Volume 9 |
Number 6
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April 2004
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Library News --Celah Pence The Prayer Ministry Team (Ed Gant, Cheryl Lantz, Celah Pence, and Clyde Kratz) is providing ten books on the subject of prayer for Zion's library. Reviews of these books will appear from time to time in Windows. Here is what Celah had to say about one of them, entitled Hearing God's Voice. Henry Blackaby (author of Experiencing God) and his son Richard have teamed up in this book to provide an answer to a question we all ask: does God actually speak to me here and now in my life, and if so, how can I hear what he has to say? To this question the Blackabys give a resounding YES! God hears. YES! God responds to you. You can know what God is saying to you about the particulars of your life, and your relationship with him can be a two-way street. In the process, Henry reminds us that God's purposes are not the same as ours. We want him to indulge us; he wants to transform us. (Romans 8:29) (p. 46) It's easy to forget that the point of prayer is relationship! The danger of praying and never hearing from God is that we can spend a lifetime in a legalistic mess: yes, we may obey what we read in scripture, but we are relating to a non-responsive God; we feel bereft of his interest and help in our lives and we find ourselves deeply longing for something we can't even define properly. I hope you read this book, now available in Zion's library, because I think it will change the way you experience prayer, and more importantly, it will convince you that God does speak to you! |
A prayer --J. P. Alger O Lord, your name is excellent in all the earth. Let your name be hallowed in our hearts today. We come because there is no other to whom we can come. You only are God! You look down on us with love and mercy. Your justice is withheld because Jesus gave his life and has redeemed us who confessed our sins and walk with him. He has promised to remove our sins as far as the east is from the west. Praise be to God! We are an imperfect people. We fall into temptation. We pray that your Spirit will shine His light of Truth on us. Give us the joy that comes at repentance. Strengthen us we pray for the times we forget and are tempted to slip into sin. For the Spirit's work in our lives, we thank you God! Dear Lord, by your Spirit prompt us to pray for and show caring for those in need or in danger. We thank you and pray for Christians everywhere. They are our brothers and sisters. Keep them out of harms' way and make the message of Jesus effective in their lives and in the lives of the people they meet. Thanks be to God for His goodness and power! Dear Lord we pray that your Word will be powerful in convicting the world of sin-that His Spirit will bring persons to faith, and light and truth are preached and lived. May the Love, Joy and Peace be multiplied to all who will believe. To this end we share our money, our faith, and out people. In the name of our Lord Jesus-the Christ, Amen. Thoughts on balance --J. P. Alger As I try to explore what balance means to me, here are a few thoughts that come to mind. 1. To me, a good place to start is "moderation in all things." But what is moderation? To me it must be adjustable within parameters. 2. To me, balance is proportionate spending, giving and saving. 3. To me, balance is moderation in work, recreation, and rest. This does not mean we should avoid stretching our limits as the occasion may demand. If possible, offset stressful times by times that are relatively stress free. 4. To me, balance includes a healthy interest in the arts and sports. 5. To me, a balanced person has an outgoing and on-going interest in others-seeking to communicate love in caring acts that do not embarrass the recipient. Balance is also shown by gracious receiving. 6. To me balance is shown in the ability to compromise on non-essential and non-moral issues. 7. For me, balance is often achieved by switching gender roles for a period of time, or by necessity. 8. To me, balance in spiritual life avoids taking scripture "out of context" but looks at the whole of what the scripture says. 9. In short, balance has a great deal to do with "common sense." In no way is this exhaustive or profound, but it has helped me to think and work at the question of balance. |
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Where does all that money go? |
Steve and Betsy Dintaman - March 28, 2004 Dear Zion friends, Several of you have mentioned that our faces appeared recently in your mailboxes, so we thought we'd also report a bit on what those faces have been up to. We had a week off for Spring Break earlier this month. LCC faculty dispersed in all directions-- from recruiting trips to Belarus and Ukraine to Spain and Egypt for those who were gasping for some sunshine. We stayed in Klaipeda for the first half of the week and invited the international students to our place for dinner one evening. A dozen Albanian and Belarussian students showed up for a lively (and cozy) evening of fellowship. There were no leftovers! On Wednesday, we took the train north to Siauliai (show-LAY), the 4th largest city in Lithuania. There we met Barb Nissley, an EMM (Eastern Mennonite Missions) worker who is in her 5th year as an English teacher there. She gave us a walking tour of the city center and also of the Evangelical Bible Institute, a training program for emerging church leaders which was begun by one of the founders of LCC. Steve is on the Board of the Institute. Among the interesting people we met was a Roma (Gypsy) man who is working with his people near Vilnius. That evening we took the bus to Panevezys (pan-a-vi-ZHEES), the 5th largest city in Lithuania, and met Jim and Donna Dombach, also EMM workers from Pennsylvania. They are involved in church work with the Free Christian Church, teach English, and do a variety of counseling and Bible studies. They have renovated a large apartment in a village outside of the city and have the gift of hospitality! The next day we went into the city and Barry Freed, another EMM worker and EMU grad, led us on a walk around town. We also drove out to the "killing fields" in the woods outside of the city, where 8,000 of the city's Jews were killed and thrown in wide trenches during WWII. That evening, Barry and the 4 girls that make up the YES team serving in Panevezys joined us at the Dombach's for the evening. It was so good to hear about their involvements and experiences in the local church and community, which are very different from those of us at LCC who deal primarily with students, and in English. Friday morning we took the bus to Kaunas, the 2nd largest city in Lithuania. Steve was scheduled to preach at the Free Christian Church there on Sunday, so we had a day to do some exploring. We found the marker that shows where the entrance to the Kovno (Kaunas) Ghetto was. Before the war, there were 37,000 Jews in Kaunas. In 1941, they were "resettled" into this enclosed area of the city which was then liquidated in 1944. The area is still derelict and very depressing. Steve also found a rundown Jewish cemetery where there is a small monument to the murdered Jews of Kaunas. (Betsy, discouraged by mud, stray dogs and shabbiness, had abandoned the expedition by then.) After seeing some of the Lithuanian Holocaust sights, it was interesting to hear from Anna about meeting a Lithuanian man on the kibbutz in Galilee who had been hidden as a child during the war by his Christian nanny. After the war, she emigrated with him to the kibbutz in Israel and was later buried in the Jewish cemetery there. It was good to hear a survivor's story after standing on the ground where so many perished, and where so many Lithuanians did not come to the aid of their Jewish neighbors. After a good time of fellowship at the Kaunas church (YES team led the worship), we took a crowded and sweltering bus back home to Klaipeda, the 3rd largest city in Lithuania. Steve finally asked the bus driver to turn the heat down, with little success. An LCC student also on the bus informed us that "Lithuanians never complain when it's too hot, only when it's too cold." I should mention that we had clear sunny skies every day of our travels which helped make the drab landscapes tolerable. The people connections were definitively the highlights of this trip, and not the scenery. It's nice to live in a manageable-sized country (it's about the size of West Virginia) where you can hit 4 of the 5 largest cities in a few days, something you would not be able to do in the US! Now we are heading into the last busy month of the semester, with graduation on May 1. We've received several emails from Zion folks recently that have really been such a blessing to us, and we continue to remember you with thanksgiving. In Birmingham with Alisha --Alisha Risser Dear Zion, I have appreciated all the prayer and support you all have given to our team. It is a huge blessing to know that you all have been praying for us and keeping us in your thoughts. Melissa flew back to Oklahoma to recover for a few months, and then will be returning to Birmingham to finish out the term with us. She is physically doing a lot better, and is gaining her strength back slowly. The rest of our team is doing well, and we are getting used to being flexible and adjusting to all the new situations. The Church that we are working with is still struggling with attendance. On a normal Sunday there is about 25 people with the majority being children. It is hard at times for our team to keep pressing on when we don't see much growth. Though it is tough, we try to remember that what is done in Christ is not done in vain. My time here seems to be flying by. We have already seen four months pass, which means four more months to go. Thanks again for all the prayer and support during this time. Blessings to you all. Sons of the Day --Clay Showalter When Full Table ended in the summer of 2002, there were mixed feelings both from members in the group and from the broader community. The two years spent together as a group was a very positive experience, and many were disappointed to see that experience come to an end. The music of Full Table opened many doors and helped to foster many new relationships in our community and beyond, and the conclusion of Full Table left a void that begged to be filled once again. It was because of this void that Matt Hunsberger and I began to talk about the possibility of starting a new group back in the fall of 2002. We passed ideas back and forth over the course of a year while I was involved with MVS in Chicago. When I decided to return to the Valley in the fall of 2003, we decided to go ahead with the new group. We held auditions in October, and formed Sons of the Day in November of 2003. People are often curious as to the origins of the group's name. After choosing the group, we made it a priority to come up with a name that would be an appropriate reflection of who we are and what we do. More than a month of brainstorming didn't produce a name, so we asked friends and family for input and ideas. Paul Souder, Director of Marketing services at EMU and father-in-law of group member Aaron Kauffman, stumbled across a passage in 1 Thessalonians one day that seemed to fit the bill. The passage reads: "You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness." 1 Thessalonians 5:5. We knew immediately that this passage held a name that would serve us well. We've had the opportunity to sing in a variety of settings over the past 5 months, and we're excited about the possibility of singing in many more different venues. If you'd like to know more about Sons of the Day, you can talk to one of Zion's three "Sons"-- Matt, Aaron, or myself--or visit our website at http://www.sonsoftheday.com/. We hope to see you at a concert soon! |
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Women's Weekend Retreat --Marci Myers Almost anyone I talk to these days has the same gripe that I do: life is too busy! In the midst of our busy schedules, how many of us take the time for spiritual renewal and reflection? On March 26 and 27, twenty-six Zion women chose to take a much-needed break from the demands of life and do just that. The Wingate Inn in Winchester was the setting for this getaway time. Megan Hartman helped to get the weekend started by leading us in a devotional and Celah Pence followed with a time of singing and communion. Optional activities of rubber stamping with Susan Stoltzfus and a Bible study with Becky Brenneman were then offered. Some women topped the evening off with a dip in the pool and a soak in the hot tub. After a continental breakfast the following morning, we again focused on worshipping God through song with Celah and devotional words with Megan. The remainder of the morning was spent with our featured speakers, Joann Henderson and Lori Gant as they shared parts of their faith journeys with us. In each of their stories we were able to see how God's hand led and is still leading them through the valleys in their lives. Through their words we were encouraged to step out in faith and with open hands offer our burdens and those things that we hold dear to God. God's presence was with us that morning as we heard His words spoken through Joann and Lori. I am encouraged by the way God is at work among his people at Zion and I especially felt him working that day. As some left the hotel that day to do a little shopping and some to attend the EMU presidential inauguration, I believe we each felt renewed, encouraged and challenged to allow God to work through us. We were reminded that if we have faith even as small as a mustard seed God can do great things in our lives. I would like to extend a big "thank you" to Diane Emswiler for pulling the whole weekend together and to God for His presence there! Nurturing self and soul; our faith --Barbara Risser On March 26 from 6 p.m. to Saturday 12 p.m., twenty-six Zion women retreated from usual schedules for physical and spiritual renewal. The Wingate Inn in Winchester was the comfortable setting. There was a room or two for our meetings, crafts, and Bible study. Input persons were well-prepared to lead us in our study and growth. Diane Emswiler did a super job of program planning and choosing speakers. Celah Pence helped with music and Megan Hartman led devotions preparing us for scripture studies. Susan Stoltzfus organized crafts and Becky Brenneman led Bible study, It was a power packed 18 hours that took us out of our comfort zones and stretched us to grow. Laughter came easily, but tears of pain and emotions were also part of the experience. Lori Gant and Joann Henderson shared their personal faith journeys in a way that God was honored and glorified. The illustrations of mustard seed faith and hand lotion fragrance to represent our activities of spreading the love of Jesus Christ were meaningful. Stories are like medicine that heals the sick part of our souls when shared with another trusted Christian "on the way." We were challenged to let our experiences become a force for compassion and justice in the world. God creates a divine discontent that seeks expression in our walk with Him. We asked ourselves some hard questions such as, "What do we need to do to receive God's love?" In our busyness it is hard to realize we can do nothing but just accept His love. Listeners named people of faith recorded in the Bible and were instructed to learn from them. "Our lives are under reconstruction-miles and miles of it," Joann repeated. "When we call out to Him, we will find Him waiting!" Is your faith in the "help me" or the "thank you" stage? "Next year," quipped an enthusiastic attendee, "we need to make it a bit longer. It was just too short!" Other responses heard were, "It was wonderful! So many new people who shared helped me so much!" Don't be surprised if you hear more from these Zion women! MYF news - 30 hr. Famine -- Steven Stauffer Thirty hours with no food could seem unbearable, but with an MYF like this, it's no problem. We are so wired even without food, that we were distracted from hunger while we were together. That Friday night started out with everyone meeting at the church. After we got the ride arrangements settled (SOMEONE was late, but we won't mention any names), we headed over to the theater for a powerful experience. We watched The Passion, and everyone was deeply moved. From there, we changed gears considerably, and headed over to the bowling alley. After heated competition of three hours of bowling, we headed back to church around 1:15. While there, some worked on their dance moves with a dance pad and Playstation 2, some resurrected Pac-man in a mini-Atari gadget brought by Amy, some tried their hand at card games, and some relived their favorite episodes of The Simpsons, while sipping on micro waved chicken broth. Eventually, most of the MYFers and youth sponsors settled down and slept through the few remaining hours of darkness. However, the hardcore dancers danced on through the night for a grand total of about five hours, and several others stayed up the entire time as well. Needless to say, on Saturday morning, the houses of the MYFers were quiet, as most of us finally crashed on our beds or couches or kitchen floors. The best way to occupy the mind until 6 o'clock p.m. Saturday evening, when we could finally break the fast at CiCi's, was to sleep. At long last, we had the ceremonial breaking of the fast at CiCi's, where most had fasted for a full thirty hours. Some had even fasted 48 hours or more. The whole experience was very fulfilling. Even though we had a lot of fun doing this, we shouldn't forget that there are people in the world that do this for days at a time, and that we should be grateful for what we have and how fortunate we are. I, like most others, would be very willing to do it again. Acquire the Fire --Laura Lehman Two months ago on January 30-31, the executive committee of MYF, Jesse Morris, Anna Henderson, Laura Lehman, and Sarah Bixler (Steven Stauffer was unable to attend), had the opportunity to attend Acquire the Fire held in the Richmond Coliseum. The convention was nondenominational and therefore consisted of many different styles of worship as well as preaching. As veteran attendees of previous Mennonite Conventions, we had the chance to compare and contrast the two on our drive home. At times, culture shock is the only phrase to describe how we felt. A few of the things that threw us for a loop were: the sheer number of people who attended, the witnessing styles, and the various worship styles. There was an altar call at almost every worship service. Although it was wonderful to see so many teenagers accepting Christ, we just weren't used to it. We accept Christ when we fully understand our need for redemption and having accepted Jesus, we fully understand what that means regarding how we live out the rest of our lives. We felt that perhaps a little too much emphasis was put on "saving people" rather than actually what accepting Him means, beyond being forgiven for your sins. As for the number of people there, approximately 10,000 attended. This was wonderful and powerful; however, at times it proved to be distracting. There were many things that we enjoyed about Acquire the Fire. We unanimously agreed that we liked the style of worship. The worship began with praise and worship songs followed by various bands. The bands varied in music style, all the way from country twang to rap. The songs were inspiring and uplifting, while at the same time providing a way for many of the people to relate with Jesus' message. As one, we decided that we had a worthwhile weekend and Acquire the Fire was an excellent opportunity to worship in a unifying style with people who might not have had the exact same viewpoints we had. We came away with new ideas, thoughts and a renewed appreciation for the Mennonite conventions. SonHarvest 2004 Vacation Bible School Volunteers Needed! The rooster's crowing and it's time to get crackin'! It's fair time and the farm is buzzing with excitement. Students from age 3 to grade 5 are invited to join SonHarvest County Fair to experience down-to-earth fun. Through the examples of Jesus and His parables, students will grow a crop of love, sprout joy, plant peace, produce patience, and pick a bushel of kindness too! Each day they will look forward to creating blue-ribbon crafts, eating farm fresh snacks, singing down-home songs, and watching exciting skits. Family members are invited to join us the last evening for a program, picnic with wonderful food, and a liftoff of balloons! So polish your pumpkins, practice your hog-calling, and pick your sweetest peaches. It's sure to be a blue-ribbon year at SonHarvest County Fair! If you would like to help with this year's VBS, please contact any of the persons on the planning committee. You won't want to miss the excitement! VBS Planning Committee: Jimmy (chair) & Amy Shrock, Tony & Steph Resto, Doug & Kathy Alderfer, Clyde Kratz Craft Coordinator - (1 person needed) Craft Helpers - (2 persons needed) Recreation Leaders - (2 persons needed) Snack Coordinator - Marci Myers Snack Helper - (1 person needed) Decorating Coordinator - Amy Shrock Music Leader - Jimmy Shrock Prayer Support - Prayer Ministry Team Assembly Leader - Doug Alderfer Finance Coordinator - Kathy Alderfer Skit Director - Sarah Bixler Skit Actors - MYF members Nursery - (2 persons needed) Pre-K (3-4 yrs.) Teacher - (1 teacher and 1 helper needed) Kindergarten Teacher - (1 teacher and 1 helper needed) 1st Grade Teacher - (1 teacher and 1 helper needed) 2nd Grade Teacher - (1 teacher and 1 helper needed) 3rd Grade Teacher - (1 teacher and 1 helper needed) 4th Grade Teacher - (1 teacher and 1 helper needed) 5th Grade Teacher - (1 teacher and 1 helper needed) |
Did you know?
Progressive supper -Marci Myers Our family enjoyed being part of the young adult Sunday School progressive supper on Sunday evening, March 28. It was great getting to know this wonderful group of people! Several in the group asked for the recipe for the soup that we served that evening and I promised that I would put it in Windows for them and others to enjoy. Cheesy Vegetable Chowder simmer 10-15 min. in 1-2 c. water 3 cups cubed potatoes 2 c. carrots, diced or sliced 2 c. celery 1 small onion, chopped 2 tsp. salt ½ tsp. pepper add and simmer 5 minutes 4 c. creamed corn 1 c. regular corn 10 oz. pkg. frozen broccoli add 1 c. evaporated milk 11 oz. regular milk 1 c. cheese serve with: 1 lb. bacon, crumbled; croutons; shredded cheese |
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Home with Amy --Amy Shrock Spring is almost here; warm rain and sunshine will surely bring it! It has been warm enough to hang the laundry out on the wash line. I love the smell of Downy and fresh air on the clean laundry. Did you know that the sun can serve as a natural bleach? If the item is white, dissolve bleach in cold water in your regular wash cycle, add soap, and wash. If treating a colored item, rinse in soapy cold water, pour bleach in the bottle cap, and pour directly on the stain. Put immediately back in the washer, and finish the wash cycle. (The secret of spot bleaching colors is the soapy water first, then take it out of the washing machine, and throw it back in the washer and finish the cycle.) This works best on light colors, not navy, black, or red. Hang out in the warm sunshine to complete the bleaching process, and enjoy your fresh-smelling laundry! My wash line has been sagging with quilts, bedding and curtains. I love spring-cleaning; getting rid of excess clutter, and a clean house as the final result! Maybe leaving the winter doldrums behind, and preparing for new beginnings give us all a better outlook on life. I think God must really enjoy our pleasure in his creation of new life springing from surrounding nature. Stromboli 1 loaf of frozen bread dough, thawed 2 egg yolks 1 tbsp. parmesan cheese 1 tsp. parsley ½ tsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. oregano ¼ tsp. pepper 2 tbsp. oil ½ lb. pepperoni slices 12 oz. mozzarella cheese egg white Thaw frozen bread and spread on a cookie sheet like pizza. Mix next 7 ingredients and spread on dough. Cover with pepperoni and mozzarella cheese. Roll up like a jellyroll. Place seam side down and brush egg white on top. Bake at 350 for 30 to 40 minutes. Slice and serve with warm tomato sauce. Easy Mandarin Cake 1 yellow cake mix 1 (11 oz.) can Mandarin oranges with juice 4 eggs ½ c. oil Mix together for two minutes. Bake in a 9 x 13 greased baking pan at 350 for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool. Topping: 1 (9 0z.) Cool Whip 1 (20 oz.) crushed pineapple with juice 1 (3oz.) pkg. instant vanilla pudding Mix together well and spread over cooled cake. Keep refrigerated. |
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Birthdays Anniversaries Worship schedule |
Coming Up
March 13-14 Spiritual Renewal Weekend with Harvey Yoder March 14 Jr. MYF Potato Bar fundraiser after church March 26-27 Women's Retreat in Winchester April 4 EMU Chamber Singers; College student appreciation day; Fellowship Meal April 8 Maundy Thursday evening service April 11 Easter sunrise service and breakfast April 16-18 Zion hosts Christopher Dock choir for MSEC festival April 18 Christopher Dock Touring Choir April 24 EMU graduation April's Who am I??
A prize from Dairy Queen will be given to a person who correctly identifies the mystery person. If more than one person is correct, the winner's name will be drawn from the correct entries. Only one prize will be awarded each month. Give your answer to Myrna Piper or email pipermr@aol.com by April 25. Family members of the mystery person are not eligible. March's Who am I?? Maude Lantz
Congratulations to Maude! No one identified her so she will recieve the gift certificate to Dairy Queen. Please place news items for the May issue in the Windows mailbox by April 25. You may also send your news by email to: pipermr@aol.com. We appreciate all your comments, ideas, and submissions! Dorothy Hartman, Julie Hottinger, Fern Nisly and Myrna Piper publish Windows Into Zion. |
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