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Windows Into Zion is the monthly newsletter of Zion Mennonite Church. The publishers are Dorothy Hartman 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 12 |
Number 2
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January/February 2007
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Can You volunteer for MDS in 2007 -Karla Souder, Zion MDS Representative Zion would like to help a group of volunteers work with Mennonite Disaster Service in 2007. We would work in one of the nine sites along the Gulf Coast, continuing rebuilding from Katrina. Possibilities would be the week before Thanksgiving (November 10-17) or the week after (November 24-December 1). These weeks can be ones of higher need for volunteers. If people prefer another week in the fall, we could consider another date. Right now I am not looking for a firm commitment, but more your level of interest. If you have any interest in volunteering, please let me know. Tell me, phone me (833-8202) or e-mail me at mayk50@aol.com. At that point in the rebuilding, there will be need for persons with any carpentry or electrical skills. However, work can be found for anyone! Many people at Zion have worked with MDS over the years. Accommodations are adequate (usually bunk beds), the food is fantastic, and you meet some unique people from across the US and Canada. You often get to know the person whose home you are restoring. There is a sense of satisfaction that comes from actually going and doing something concrete, however, small it seems against so great a need. You can review project sites and learn more about MDS on-line at www.mds.mennonite.net. Check it out. |
Update from the building committee on the new fellowship hall -Amy Rush As anyone who has parked at Zion in the last month can see, work on Phase One of the Fellowship Hall has begun and we have a great big hole in the ground! Phase One is the grading of the land in the north end of the parking lot to the final levels. The new sub-grade is nearly complete in this section and it is estimated that over 350 loads of dirt have been hauled away. Tony Brenneman and crew spent several days over Christmas vacation cutting down additional trees that were too close to the top fo the bank to be stable. Also as a part of Phase One, the septic system for the Brennemans has been relocated and is in operation. The work has actually come further south than originally planned for this phase as the contractors hit more "bad dirt" that had to be hauled away than was anticipated. They needed to dig further south to obtain additional good dirt to build the levels back up. This has caused the remaining parking area to be smaller than hoped, but thank you to those willing to park on the ball field and walk across the road. No paving will be done until the entire parking lot has curb and gutters in place. Once the sub-grade is completed on the north end and gravel put down, parking will switch to this new section as they work on the area just east of the church. However, before that work can begin, two new electric poles will be placed on the north and south ends of the property to replace the existing electrical wires that run underneath the area where the new fellowship hall will be located. During this second phase, our main door to the east will be blocked off and entry into church will need to be through either the front (south) entrance, the door outside the children's department that faces east, or the basement. We know this will be an inconvenience, and may not be very welcoming for guests. Hopefully, everyone can pitch in to help all feel welcome in spite of the mess. Deposits towards the building fund (including interest and funds from the sale of the parsonage) total $708,663 to date, with expenses of $156,589 paid out. It's exciting for us to see this project begin after the years of planning. Please feel free to contact a member of the building committee if you have further questions: Tony Brenneman, Bob Fairweather, Marv Nisly, and Amy Rush. Promises for the New Year This year make some promises rather than resolutions for the New Year. The following list should get you started. Promise to...
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A new front door -Elwood Yoder Our family parked in the ball field on the last Sunday of December and while we walked up to the door of the church I remarked that we would soon have a new front door to the church. There will still be other doors to enter, of course, but we'll have a drop-off door that leads to a new lobby. I started to make a few other comments, but by then my family had quickly left me behind and I was left to my own thoughts. What is our "front door of faith" in the Zion congregation? What are we known for in our community, in the wider region, and beyond? I hope that Zion can be known for changed lives that we've experienced in knowing Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, and for telling that to others. The same morning that I made the comment about getting a new front door to my family, Steve Dintaman emphasized in his sermon that knowing Jesus really makes a difference in a Christian's life. My hope is that Zion's "faith front door" leads those who come into our regular doors to a renewed relationship with Jesus. In the Sojourners Sunday School class that I am currently teaching, we are using 2nd Corinthians 4 as the basis for a study on the missional church. The apostle Paul writes in verse one that it is through God's mercy in Jesus Christ that we have ministries in the church. We need to remember that our activities at Zion and in the community spring from a living relationship with Jesus, experienced in worship, outreach, and in private devotional times at home and elsewhere. At a New Year's Eve gospel music program at the Broadway Baptist Church, one musician from Elkton remarked that he was Baptist and he knew that he was in a Baptist church because he saw food in the kitchen and an offering plate in the lobby! I hope that when people come through our doors, and later this year, our new front door into the fellowship hall, they will know that we are Christians who have experience a vital, fresh, and renewing experience with Jesus Christ. They may notice other things about our life together, such as crockpots heaped with food, but may God's mercy in Jesus Christ be our primary characteristic for which we are known. A touch of LIFE -Barbara Risser All that week I'd been in a low boil, scarcely able to forget the hurt of a "friend's" sudden criticism of me to another person. She probably thought she was being helpful, but it left a sore spot. She had criticized unjustly. My action had been grossly misinterpreted. She didn't seem to try to understand even after my explanation. One of those things that often happens when you work closely in the same ministry jobs. I had waited for an apology that didn't come. When Sunday came, a sunny, crisp and invigorating day invited me to participate in the joys of creation. Not this woman! A heavy dullness settled into my whole body. I was only going to church out of habit this morning because the children wanted to go to Sunday school classes. For me, everything seemed fake, wooden, mechanical, and forced. I was sure I'd get little out of the service to say nothing of enjoying it! What I hadn't counted on was the "sound" of silence as we entered the auditorium. We were early. The children had scattered to classes. Only a few members were already in their seats. No one whispered. Everything was so quiet! Suddenly the walls seemed to close in around me, shutting out everything and everyone else. I waited! The room seemed full of "Presence"! The tightness began to unwind as background organ music breathed subdued, silvery bells with, of all things, The Lord's Prayer. As the notes swelled and built to a crescendo, tears formed. I bowed my head for a moment. The inferno inside cooled and began to dissolve. ... "forgive us our debts as we forgive"...as we forgive...as WE forgive...as we forgive!" I was sitting on holy ground! Then I was free, washed clean, free to love again, aware that un-forgiveness harms the offended more than the offender. The sanctuary began filling now. The usher seated someone next to me. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed that it was my "friend." She stiffened at my glance. The congregational hymn was announced. I reached over to share my hymn book with her. "I am fearfully and wonderfully made." Ps 139:24 -Judy Nafziger "Figuring out Fats" Here is a quick guide to help you choose the fats that are good for you, and avoid those that aren't. HEALTHY FATS
UNHEALTHY FATS
Remember good fats can add excess calories in your diet, so use in moderation. In general, try to eat less animal products and fewer processed foods. KIND WORDS CAN BE SHORT AND EASY TO SPEAK, BUT THEIR ECHOES ARE TRULY ENDLESS. - Mother Teresa |
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Musings: God's pleasure -Katherine Donnelly One of my favorite quotes is from the movie, Chariots of Fire. The movie tells the story of 1924 Olympic runner and Scottish missionary, Eric Liddle. While Liddle is training for the Olympics, his sister pressures him to give up his gold medal dreams and travel to China as a missionary. Though he does so later, in the movie he defends his decision to compete by saying, "When I run, I feel God's pleasure." How often do we allow ourselves to do things because we feel "God's pleasure"? The magi seemed to know something about this. During Epiphany we hear about the wise men that followed a guiding star from the east. I love the Jerusalem Bible translation of Matthew 2:10. "The sight of the star filled them with delight." That delight helped them recognize their destination. Some of their wisdom came from recognizing delight as a source of guidance. My mother has long been a believer in delight. Her favorite expression is, "Delight orders the soul." She sees delight as an important element in how we make decisions. The activities and choices that "fill us with delight" tend to be things that energize us. We find ourselves giving to others out of our strengths, not our weaknesses. Those who receive our time, energy, and talents can feel a difference. Activities we enjoy simply because they delight us create balance in our insane world. A friend of mine was telling me about her need to attend concerts. The live music nourishes her in ways nothing else can. "It lights my candle," she said. Sometimes we need permission to spend time and money on that which lights our candle. Many influences in our culture encourage self-sacrifice, even at the expense of completely depleting an individual. We need to be reminded that we can't light someone else's candle unless our own is lit first. What lights your candle? What delight orders your soul? What guiding star fills you with delight? When do you feel God's pleasure? Go do those things. |
Did you know... ...Ben Emswiler and Drew Shrock made the 7th grade basketball team at J Frank Hillyard Middle School under the leadership of Zach Yoder. CONGRATULATIONS! ...to Joanna Souder & Clay Showalter who were married on December 30. Their address and phone number: 965 South Dogwood Drive Harrisonburg, VA 22801 540 438-9856 |
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Thank you to... ...the Hospitality Committee, Joe & Dabney Vaccaro, Mary Leaman, Darlene Lehman, Bill & Michele Baker, for the Christmas Tea, New Year's breakfast, and making coffee every Sunday morning. ...Aaron & Laura Kauffman and Steve & Betsy Dintaman for coming "home" and sharing their lives with the congregation. |
Thank you... "Thank you very much for providing the EMU Church Matching Grant for me to attend EMU for the 06-07 school year. Currently, I am pursuing a Vocal Performance Music Major. On January 5-7, I was invited to attend the Laurelville music conference, and I will be traveling with five other EMU students and one supervisor. I am thoroughly excited to interact with others at the conference with my same love for music. This year I made it into the EMU Chamber Singers and I am excited to sing with the choir at Zion in April. Thanks again for my support while I attend EMU." -Maria Yoder "Thank you so much for the fruit and baked goodies basket. The Christmas carols were so beautiful to hear. Thank you for all the wonderful, nice things you do for the community." -Elwood & Savilla Shipe "Thanks so much for the wonderful fruit basket. We appreciate your kindness." -Ellie & Frank Mitchell |
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JANUARY Birthdays 1 - Tony Brenneman, Rob Pence, Betty Lou Buckwalter 3 - Sierra Fittry 5 - Joe Vaccaro 6 - Janet Rhodes 7 - Jonathan Piper, Rachel Nafziger 9 - Marci Myers 10 - Audrey Shenk 11 - Melissa Hottinger 12 - Jim Henderson, Ed Miller, Gerry Rush, Virginia Showalter 13 - Eric Brubaker, Zachary Emswiler 14 - Doug Alderfer, Wes Showalter 16 - Cathy Fittry 18 - Jessica Showalter 21 - Fern Nisly 22 - Stuart Fairweather, Justin Showalter 27 - Noah Emswiler 28 - Mandi Stoltzfus 31 - Allen Showalter, Welby Showalter Anniversaries 3 - Bill & Michele Baker (31st) FEBRUARY Birthdays 2 - Diane Emswiler, Tom Sawyer 3 - Dwayne Hartman 4 - Radell Schrock, Kari Souder 5 - Caleb Mast, Celah Pence, Dabney Vaccaro 10 - Michael Stauffer, Tiffany Williams 11 - Ruth Alger 12 - Joann Henderson 14 - Kathy Alderfer, Stephanie Resto 16 - Becky Crider 17 - Doug Nyce 19 - Aaron Yutzy 23 - Amy Shrock 25 - Deb King 26 - Rebekah Compagnari, Martha Whissen 27 - Peggy Brubaker, Marv Nisly Anniversaries 5 - Larry & Carolyn Heine (42nd) 15 - Dale & Rebecca Hess (15th) 19 - J.P. & Retha Alger (58th) 27 - Chad & Laura Esch (3rd) Please put news items for March/April issue in the Windows mailbox by February 25 or email: pipermr@aol.com. Dorothy Hartman and Myrna Piper publish Windows Into Zion. |
UPCOMING EVENTS
JANUARY 7, 9:15 a.m. - Young Adult Pancake Breakfast 9, 7 p.m. - Worship Commission 11, 6:30 p.m. - Congregational Leadership Team meeting 14 - New Driver Dedication Sunday 19 - Church Office will be closed 21 - Guest speaker, Michael Shenk 25, 7 p.m. - Congregational Care Commission meeting 28 - Fellowship Meal 28, 1 p.m. - Congregational Business meeting FEBRUARY 1, 8:30 a.m. - Zion Mennonite Women's Ministry meeting (lunch at 11:30) 2, 8:30 a.m. - Pastor-Congregation Relations Committee meeting at Daily Grind 4, 9:15 a.m. - Young Adult Pancake Breakfast |
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