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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. Please note that calendar information and the Worship Schedule are located on the Calendar page.
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Volume 11 |
Number 5
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July/August 2006
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God is Everywhere-Esther Gillespie There's not a tint that paints the rose Or decks the lily fair, Or marks the humblest flower that grows But God has placed it there. There's not a star whose twinkling light Illumes the spreading earth; There's not a cloud, so dark or bright, But wisdom gave it birth. There's not a place on earth's vast round, In ocean's deep or air, Where love and beauty are not found, For God is everywhere. Canner Operators Needed Do you know any young men willing to volunteer for two years to operate MCC's meat canner? MCC urgently needs candidates who can begin in October 2006. The meat canner is a vital part of MCC's worldwide relief ministry. Contact Tim Friesen at (717) 859-1151 for more information. MCC continues to increase the amount of meat processed. Last season a record 534,000 cans were processed. This is largely due to the switch from beef to turkey. MCC is able to produce more cans of turkey in a day than beef. Thanks to the thousands of volunteers who give of their time to make this unique project possible. |
Jesus makes a world of difference -Dawn Mast If you walked into the sanctuary a few weeks ago and saw decorations from around the world you may have wondered, "What in the world is going on?" That's exactly what we wanted you to think! This year's Vacation Bible School theme was "Trading Places" using various countries as the backdrop for Bible stories, missionary sharing, and looking at life from a child's perspective no matter if they are at Zion or half way around the world. We were thrilled to have 28 children pre-registered on the first night, but we were totally elated to have our numbers quickly jump to 44! We praised God for His faithfulness in bringing these precious ones to Zion so we could teach them His Word throughout the week. The first night was busy as the children "traveled" to Mexico. Ryan Landgraff did a fantastic job of getting the children excited about each evening's activities and Eric and Peggy Brubaker had fun learning music. It was special joy to hear children's voices singing in Spanish! The other highlight of the Mexico evening was that each class got to take a swing at a pinata filled with candy. By the end of the evening there were some pretty excited children (could it have been all the sugar?) and we noticed that the singing in Spanish was louder and faster than it had been earlier! Throughout the week the children also "traveled" to Brazil, China, and Kenya and heard Bible stories about Ruth and Naomi, Paul, Andrew, James, John, and David. Each classroom was decorated to highlight the country of the evening and we were especially blessed to have Paul and Mary Leaman take over the Kenya room with their personal souvenirs from Africa. Also, June Lantz displayed her creative touch in the China room so the children could get a sense of what it would be like to go there. Our offering project focused on Sara Neuenschwander and her work in a clinic in Nigeria, Africa. Our goal was to raise $100 to support her but the children surpassed that by filling the sombrero (our offering basket) with about $150! Way to go kids! Snack time is important to hungry little travelers so on the night when the children visited Mexico they dined on cookies that looked like miniature sombreros! Very clever! Plus, the Goldfish crackers were appropriate when the children studies China and the Bible lesson about being fishers of men! Diann Beach did a great job of coordinating snack and making sure 44 children got plenty to eat and drink each evening. It's always nice for the children to have something to take home from Bible school and Kelly Sawyer put her gifts to great use helping make crafts each evening. She showed the boys and girls how to make decorated flower pots using small, colorful tiles, paper lanterns and T-shirts with iron-ons of the Bible School theme "Jesus makes a world of difference." Friday evening, as we celebrated a wonderful week of Bible school, each child stood in front of the sanctuary wearing their T-shirt and singing songs they had learned during the week. What a beautiful sight! We then watched a slide show that Daryl and Rebekah Brubaker put together showing the children learning Bible stories, singing, making crafts, and playing. Everyone agreed that Bible school was a great success this year. We felt blessed not only to have 44 children in attendance, but to have about 38 adults sign-up to help. An enormous thank you is extended to the Vacation Bible School staff Daryl and Rebekah Brubaker, Jenni Piper, and Jennifer Showalter. Most of all, we hope seeds were planted as we reached out to not just the children of Zion, but also to quite a few in the community. Continue to pray that these young hearts will turn to God and trust Him with their future. It's a wonderful feeling to know that God is using Zion to reach these precious, young hearts. |
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Congratulations Food for thought -BERYL PFIZER -MARK TWAIN -MASON COOLEY -ALBERT SCHWEITZER -ELEANOR ROOSEVELT -MOTHER TERESA -BILL COSBY |
"It's time for Conference!" -Elwood Yoder I remember that expression coming from my parents as I grew up in the Conservative Mennonite Conference. Every summer Mom and Dad would load up the kids and off we’d go to some distant place in New York, Iowa, or Pennsylvania. I wasn’t always happy about going, but I did learn an appreciation for the way churches work together through relationships and business meetings. Like Virginia Conference assemblies in the past, these meetings took place under a big tent next to a church and we had meetings outside in whatever sultry summer weather happened to be coming our way. So why should anyone attend the Virginia Mennonite Conference Assembly, July 6-9? First, attending Conference helps us to renew friendships and build relationships with others in the wider Mennonite Church. Folks from at least six surrounding states will come to the event at EMU, but the primary agenda is not so much the business that goes on during the delegate sessions, but the networking of people during the breaks and meal times. Another reason to attend Virginia Conference is to learn what the ministry programs of the Conference are doing. Like Zion, the Conference is organized into ministry groups that carry out God’s work among 66 congregations and 8,800 members. The biggest ministry group, of course, is the mission board, which sponsors work in the Caribbean and Mediterranean areas. A number of fraternal visitors from those mission regions will attend our Conference this summer. Delegate sessions are usually stimulating, at least if you like attending meetings where issues are discussed and decisions are made. I well remember the delegate sessions held in Hickory, North Carolina, several years ago, when integration issues were debated. Leaders and delegates made their impassioned statements and delegates listened closely to pastors and overseers speak for and against the merger. I remember another delegate session in Richmond, when, as chair of the Northern District, I took the announcement of a congregation that was leaving the conference. I hadn’t prepared for the strong reactions that came from several delegates while I stood on the podium next to overseer Sam Weaver and waited for a decision. I don’t expect any tense moments like those when the delegates gather for business at EMU on July 7. At least one significant event this year will be for the wider Conference to recognize Clyde Kratz as a newly appointed overseer of the Northern District. Joy and I can’t pack up the kids and head off to Conference like my parents did—our children have their own agendas, it seems! But I hope through the youth meetings and Sunday morning worship service together in the EMU Commons, they too can catch a vision for the mission and vigor of the wider Mennonite Church. It’s time for Conference! Bridges and canals -Barbara Risser One vacation with family had us viewing part of the Welland Canal Corridor in Canada. This by-pass of Niagara Falls allows ships to join waterways to the rest of the world. Gates contain the ships until a safe water level is reached to navigate to the next level. By way of eight lock-ins, the ships are raised or lowered, whichever way they are traveling, to Lake Erie or Lake Ontario. After first viewing Niagara Falls, our six-year old grandson exclaimed, “awesome!” Early teenagers had a different response. “Is this all we came to see?” They were more fascinated seeing the huge freighters pass through the locks at the Canal. One of the world’s greatest engineering feats is the Welland Canal Corridor between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. A difference of 326 feet exists between levels. Lake Erie is the highest above sea level. Indeed it was an uplifting experience to observe. For hours we watched and marveled at the wisdom God gave men to accomplish such engineering. Two ships traveled the Canal in opposite directions. Depending on the weather and ship traffic, the average trip takes 12 hours to pass through the entire Canal. Without pumps, ships are lifted or lowered by gravity flow and gates in ten minutes to accommodate continued travel. Lock number three is 859 feet long, 80 feet wide and 80 feet high. In 1998, 2,255 lake boats and 1,237 ocean vessels used this passage. Hard working freighters carry grain, coal, salt, stone, iron and steel. Four swing-lift bridges crossing the Canal raise straight up to allow ships to pass while car traffic waits. I was reminded of the need for Christians who are willing to be canals or passage ways between people. Are there persons willing to be bridges, creating space necessary to allow safe passage through the storms created by differing opinions, racial conflicts, or difficult relationships, without losing faith in God? Can I permit Jesus Christ to create in me what I cannot do myself? If so, I can grow more into His likeness. This too, is Awesome! |
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Musings Sing a song of sixpence -Katherine Donnelly “Diddle, diddle dumpling, my son John, He went to bed with his stockings on…” and “Wee Willie Winkie runs through the town, Upstairs and downstairs in his nightgown…” and “Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, Jack jump over the candlestick.” When I was a child these Mother Goose nursery rhymes were among the stories and songs I heard every night before bed. Now I am convinced that Mother Goose played an important role in my language development. My hunch is that nursery rhymes work their way into the ears and tongues of young children, developing those important language pathways in the brain and vocal mechanism. I grew up in a rural area without a public library. Since quality children’s books weren’t available, my parents invested in the popular children’s encyclopedia of the time, Childcraft. Of the fifteen volumes in the set, the first three were Mother Goose, children’s poetry, and fairy tales. My mother read and sang to me from those books every night. Homes and families were different then—smaller houses, less television, and fewer activities. As the oldest of four, I heard this literature read aloud over and over. We all sat in the living room in the evenings; I couldn’t help but overhear even as I got older. The rhythm, rhymes, alliteration, and playfulness in the words were infectious. As toddlers we were spellbound by the pictures and sounds, and as adults all four of us have fond memories of those magical orange books. Unfortunately, I have to admit that my own children didn’t always receive the same quality in what I read to them. At that time in my life I felt I needed to give them more overtly Christian material. I read to them from a watered-down version of Christian Mother Goose, and it wasn’t nearly as good. Now I see that I should have read them Bible stories from top-notch children’s books, and let them have good, old-fashioned nursery rhymes. If I had to do it over, I wouldn’t worry too much about gender stereotypes, either. I would just give my kids the joy of the tongue-twisting language. With all the new babies being born into the Zion church family, maybe some of them will experience the sheer fun of “Rub-a-dub-dub” on Mommy or Daddy’s lap: “Rub-a-dub-dub, three men in a tub, And who do you think they be? The butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker, And all of them gone to sea.” Improving our Memory -Judy Nafziger "I am fearfully and wonderfully made." Psalm 139:24 Recently I read an article on improving our memory capacity with many references from Gary Small, M.D., director of the Memory Clinic at UCLA. Several tips he gave to improving our memory were: do crossword puzzles or Sudoku-exercise (increases blood flow)--eat right...fish, nuts and olive oil. Of course, fruits and vegetables are also good. Create associations...the more vivid, the better…manage stress. He says studies show that humans injected with stress hormones can't learn or remember. One thing I was relieved to learn was that mental congestion or busyness is often responsible for forgetting rather than age. Multi-tasking makes it hard to commit things to memory. "Attention is the gateway to retention" says Barry Gordon, M.D. a professor of neurology at Johns Hopkins. The older we get, the more data we have to sort through. He compared the middle-aged brain to a bridge at rush hour. "When you have too many cars and too few lanes, nothing can move." One of the reasons we blank on names is that we know too many of them. Anxiety makes it worse, by creating more "traffic." That's why often a name will pop into our minds once we've relaxed and the mental traffic has slowed down. There are also certain medical problems that can interfere with our memory such as depression, high blood pressure, thyroid disease, a concussion, diabetes, and drug side effects. The experts do admit, however, that eventually all of us will struggle with lapses in memory due to the normal wear and tear that goes along with aging. Again, this is reassuring to me that all of us are in the same boat. Now where did I put my list? |
For all lexophiles (a lover of words) |
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July Birthdays 3 - Joanna Souder 4 - J P Alger 5 - Arnold Driediger, Paul Glanzer 7 - Chad Esch, Larry Yoder 8 - Bobby Fairweather 9 - Philip Yoder 14 - Nell Alger 15 - Todd Stoltzfus 17 - Valerie Showalter, Kaitlin Stauffer 19 - Darlene Lehman 22 - Jennifer Lantz 24 - Travis Nyce 26 - Jodie Baker, Rhoda Olinger 28 - Eunice Kratz 29 - Jennifer Bowman 30 - John Hahn, Laura Kauffman, Wayne Showalter 31 - Adam Jacobs July Anniversaries 11 - Dwayne & Dorothy Hartman (36th) 13 - Shawn & Tonya Parker (10th) 14 - Paul & Eva Glanzer (16th) 15 - Tom & Kellie Sawyer (10th) 17 - Tony & Becky Brenneman (30th) 17 - Jim & Amy Shrock (13th) 18 - Everette & Julie Hottinger (14th) 19 - Larry & Marilyn Yoder (8th) 23 - Will J & Cathy Fittry (1st) 25 - Arnie & Penny Driediger (19th) 27 - Grant & Susan Stoltzfus (21st) 27 - Steve & Carlene Lantz (10th) 28 - John & Velma Stauffer (33rd) From every throbbing care; 'Tis when before a throne of grace, I kneel in secret prayer, When one by one, like threads of gold, The hues of twilight fall, Oh, sweet communion with my God, My Savior and my all! -FANNY J. CROSBY |
August Birthdays 2 - Betty Byler, Dianna Jacobs 4 - Cheryl Lantz 9 - June Lantz, Eula Showalter 10 - Jim Warsing, Maria Yoder, Chason Bryant, Jonathan Bryant 11 - Betsy Dintaman, Lois Hertzler, John Lantz 12 - Brenda Fairweather 14 - Jesse Morris 15 - Carolyn Heine 16 - Becky Brenneman, Ruth Kauffman 17 - Matthew Nafziger 18 - Ryan Landgraff 21 - Katrina Alger, Megan Throngard, Shawn Parker, Helen Shank 23 - Tommy Williams 26 - Will J Fittry 27 - Ida Showalter, Emily Vaccaro 29 - Michael Snader 31 - Sarah Bixler, Sarah Piper August Anniversaries 5 - Mike & Sarah Piper (11th) 10 - Aaron & Laura Kauffman (4th) 11 - Herman & Gladys Ropp (57th) 12 - Steve & Betsy Dintaman (33rd) 13 - Joel & Darlene Lehman (23rd) 15 - Matthew & Katy Goins (2nd) 16 - Jim & Gerry Rush (42nd) 19 - Tony & Stephanie Resto (17th) 22 - Deward & Phoebe Brenneman (53rd) 24 - Marvin & Ruth Kaufman (52nd) 26 - Marv & Fern Nisly (39th) 27 - John & Diana Jacobs (24th) 29 - Tommy & Donnita Williams (36th) -ROBERT HALL -JACQUES ILLUL -MARK 1:35 |
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Thanks and more thanks! This summer, I will be co-leading a service team to Montreal with Mennonite Mission Network for two weeks. We will be serving in two placements: first, at a summer camp for kids, and second at a drop-in center for street youth. As I have just graduated from EMU, I am looking to move back to Albuquerque this fall to work at the Center for Action and Contemplation. I will be managing the guesthouse there for people who come to our conferences, internships, or just individuals who need a space to reflect. My duties will include things like gardening, cooking, cleaning, as well as some secretarial work. I would love to have visitors if you're ever out in that area - you can check out our website at www.cacradicalgrace.org. I will be driving out with my mom in late August and will start working right away. I do not yet know my mailing address, but feel free to email me anytime at valerie.showalter@gmail.com. Thanks again for everything, Zion! -Valerie Showalter Youth news -Sarah Bixler The Jr. MYFers were disappointed to learn that the Creation Christian music festival was cancelled this year due to rain! Leaving one day later than planned, the Jr. MYF spent June 29 at Hershey Park and June 30 serving in Ephrata, PA. They volunteered at the Ten Thousand Villages warehouse and MCC Material Resources Center, and visited the U.S.'s largest Ten Thousand Villages store. Two comforters pieced by Zion Mennonite Women's Ministries and knotted by the Jr. MYF were hand-delivered to MCC. The MYF will spend July 2-8 with Mennonite Disaster Service. After traveling 15 hours to Bayou La Batre, Alabama, they will work 5 days in construction-related projects helping local residents rebuild after last year's hurricanes. Four additional adults from Zion will join the youth group to provide construction leadership. The youth will learn the extent of the damage and time it takes to rebuild, establish relationships with families they are serving, acquire new skills, support each other while serving, and get a taste of the local culture and the Gulf of Mexico's warm waters. Highland weekend schedule -Valerie Helbert Friday: Saturday: Sunday: |
Worship Schedule July 2 - Making the transition: brief sabbatical reflections Speakers: Clyde Kratz, Interim Leadership Team members 9 - Virginia Mennonite Conference Assembly: Worship at EMU 16 - Children's Sunday Speaker: Clyde Kratz Worship & Music Leader: Matt Hunsberger 23 - Special events: Communion Speaker: Clyde Kratz Worship Leader: Sarah Bixler Music Leader: Welby Showalter 30 - Highland Retreat Special events: Baptisms, Youth slide show and Alabama mission report Speaker: Clyde Kratz Worship & Music Leader: Dave Yutzy August 6 - Speaker: Clyde Kratz 13 - Speaker: Clyde Kratz Worship Leader & Music Leader: Matt Hunsberger 20 - Speaker: John Jacobs 27 – Back To School Sunday Speaker: Clyde Kratz Worship Leader: Penny Driediger Worship Leader: Penny Driediger Please put news items for September/October in the Windows mailbox by August 27 or email: pipermr@aol.com. We appreciate all your comments, ideas, and submissions! Dorothy Hartman and Myrna Piper publish Windows Into Zion. |
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