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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 3
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March/April 2007
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The legend of the dogwood According to legend, the dogwood tree once grew straight and tall. But then it was used to make the cross on which Jesus was crucified. As a memorial of this event, the tree never again grew large enough to be used for this purpose. In the spring, when the dogwood blooms, the four-petal arrangement of its flowers reminds us of the cross. Each white petal has an indention on its outer edge - a symbol of the nail marks in our Savior's hands. Then, in the fall, the leaves of the dogwood turn a fiery red to commemorate the blood of Jesus with which our salvation was secured. The Greatest Person in History Jesus had no servants, yet they called Him Master. Had no degree, yet they called Him Teacher. Had no medicines, yet they called Him Healer. He had no army, yet kings feared Him. He won no military battles, yet He conquered the world. He committed no crime, yet was crucified, and although He was burried in a tomb, He lives today. |
Our project of faith at Zion -Barbara Risser While the building of our Fellowship Hall looks like a stupendous task, let's remember two things: 1. God dwells in the praises of His people, Psalm 22:3. As we meet each Sunday to worship together, we also encourage each other's faith. "Our worship," says Francis Frangipane in his book, The Three Battlegrounds, "is the ark of safety which carries us through adversity." God loves to see and hear our praises to Him both privately and in our daily living. Our worship of Him rises as sweet perfume just like the Old Testament sacrifices by His people. Satan flees when we worship God with sincere hearts and minds. Let's keep on worshiping Him together with pure hearts. 2. While finances loom large, this project is more a matter of faith than monies. We have a good group here at Zion with optimistic attitudes that believe God is in this work. As we pray, tithe faithfully, and continue to love each other, God will bless. Just like He increased the loaves and fishes when they were given to Him. God is still capable of increasing our faith and tithes. Can we allow Him to increase our faith to the extent that miracles can happen? Do we place God in a box or tie His hands because of our unbelief? God forbid! As we reach out in faith believing God and freeing Him to work it all out, let's examine our attitudes and be prepared for some surprises. He is already at work in this endeavor. Let's join Him! "I am fearfully and wonderfully made." Ps 139:24 -Dabney Vaccaro February was dental health month. As a dental hygienist, my primary focus is education and prevention. Many people believe that bleeding gums are normal and if bleeding occurs it’s because they brushed too hard. Did you know that after the age of 35, more people lose their teeth due to periodontal disease than cavities? Periodontal disease is caused by a group of aggressive bacteria that destroy the bone around the teeth. It is a bacterial infection. Bleeding gums (gingivitis) is the first sign of periodontal disease. Bacteria around the tooth and gums excrete acid causing bleeding. Overtime, the bacteria, if left undisturbed, penetrate deeper into the tissue and change form causing greater damage. Gingivitis only affects the gums surrounding the teeth and is 100% curable. It is cured only when the areas are treated with proper plaque control. That includes brushing the gums and teeth and daily flossing. Periodontal disease destroys bone and is not curable—only controllable. Professional cleanings and exams are essential in diagnosis and maintaining oral health. Your dentist or hygienist check the condition of your oral health at each visit and make recommendations about your oral care. Contributing factors to oral health are side effects from medications, stress, pregnancy/nursing, and smoking/tobacco use. It is important to let your dentist/hygienist know about changes in medications or health issues. Products can be recommended or prescribed to help combat inflammation. Ask your dental professional at your next visit if your gums are healthy. |
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A visit with Ida Showalter -Barbara Risser In mid-December as one of my volunteer jobs at VMRC, I was asked to be a companion to Ida Showalter for a blood transfusion “to give her more energy” her doctor said. It was an early morning appointment that would take four hours. Having missed her regular attendance at Zion, I agreed to accompany her. She recently moved to VMRC and more recently moved to OakLea where she could have more personal care. Although she was transported in a wheel chair, she was able to walk short distances. The driver escorted her to the floor where the process would take place. He left saying he would return when the nurse called him. Ida certainly didn’t need any of the hand-holding suggested, but we kept warm blankets tucked around her in the recliner chair. The day was chilly and she was sure a draft came in the window which upon examining proved otherwise. The wait was long until they were ready to administer her treatment. I told her stories of our recent Alaskan trip. I read her humorous quips from Reader’s Digest. She soon had us both laughing with some of her own memories. In fact once she started, she was on a ‘roll’. One anecdote after another rolled off her tongue and I started writing down her jokes. When she tired, a catnap was suggested while in a sitting position. That only worked a short time. The wait was long between procedures. For the almost 90-year old she wearied of just waiting, waiting, waiting. Nothing could be rushed. “I need to take a walk’ she informed me. “Let’s go out into the hall.” So we pushed the pole holding the blood in front of her. Just a few steps and she was ready to sit again. The precious life-giving fluid, one drop at a time, entered her veins. “Soon,” I reminded her, “you will be running up and down the halls at VMRC.” She smiled as we shared many memories of early life in different places. We talked of what life with Jesus would be like and she wondered why she was here so long. “I’m ready to go,” she declared, leaning back in her chair. “Pray that I’ll be content to wait for His timing.” She spoke of how kind her niece, Karla Souder, is to her. “She visits me and takes care of my legal affairs. She is a real help to me, and she is busy enough.” Ida had been a medical secretary for many years. She was used to keeping after doctors to get their records down in proper form so they could be filed systematically. “You’d be surprised how doctors hate to keep records,” she laughed. Being a single woman, someone asked her once why a nice girl like her was not married? With ready wit she replied, “Oh, my man is missing in action!” as if to sluff off the question in a playful way. Not to be outwitted, the undaunted questioner asked, “Which one? The Civil War?” She threw back her head and laughed.” You know my initials are really IRS. Ida Ruth Showalter.” On and on we chatted as friends. What was to have been four hours stretched into six before she was dismissed. I complimented her on her sense of humor and what a valuable trait it is to foster in old age. I hope to remember that lesson. The long drawn-out procedure really turned into a blast and I felt my time well spent. Blessings on your day, Ida! |
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Musings: Barcelona adventure -Katherine Donnelly “We’re excited about people who go on adventures,” Pastor Clyde Kratz said in his sermon January 14. I chuckled to myself. I was getting ready for an adventure, but didn’t think it was quite what he had in mind. My son Matthew Goins and I were leaving the next week for an impromptu vacation to Barcelona, Spain. Matthew’s first and second choice vacation plans had fallen through and his wife was unable to go with him. I was the fortunate one. The week in Barcelona was quite an adventure, and was for me the trip of a lifetime. Without a doubt, the most inspiring and rewarding sight Matthew and I viewed was the Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família. This Roman Catholic cathedral dedicated to the Sacred Family—Jesus, Mary, and Joseph—was designed by the visionary Catalonian architect, Antoni Gaudí. Begun in 1882, the Sagrada Família is still at least twenty-five years from completion. Because Gaudí believed that most people would never enter a church, he wanted to remind them of the faith from the outside. In detailed sculptures extending from the sides, the story of Jesus’ life is told through the Nativity façade, the Passion façade, and the unfinished Glory façade. The only way to describe the cathedral is to give you our first impressions as we gazed at it from the outside. Matthew said, “It looks like the ents from The Lord of the Rings.” “That’s one funky building.” “What was this man smoking?” My first impressions were that of a child’s sandcastle made without a bucket, tall and pointy, with lots of wet sand drizzled down the sides. For me, words like weird, bizarre, strange, ethereal, other-worldly, and almost macabre came to mind. And yet, without even stepping inside, both of us were overcome with a deep sense of awe, mystery, and reverence, so much so that we went back two more times to see the temple lit up at night. The entire trip to Barcelona was worth the experience of la Sagrada Família. My first Sunday back at Zion I was describing the Sagrada to Celah Pence. She listened to my excited rambling and then asked, “What does it look like on the inside?” I thought for a minute and said, “I don’t really know. We went in, but it’s a hard-hat area, with jackhammers, plastic on the floor, and most of it roped off. It’s still under construction.” Then I was struck by how Gaudí had accomplished his mission. Matthew and I were deeply moved before we even went inside. That same first Sunday back at Zion, I heard reports of the successful wild game supper for the Daphna community. I was struck by some interesting parallels between Gaudí and Zion. Zion too, is reaching out to its neighbors to remind them of the faith. And like Gaudí, Zion is doing it from the outside, without the expectation that people will enter the church building. The Daphna picnic, Christmas fruit baskets, the bread ministry, the wild game supper, and visits from Larry and Marilyn Yoder show our neighbors that we care about them. We hope that people will drive by Zion, the new fellowship hall, and the ball field and associate compassion with those spaces. They won’t have to come in, because we will be going out to them. |
Children's Answers about Angels
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Bloopers, Boggles, Typos and Stuff
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Materials missing from the library -Audrey Shenk Have you seen these items? Please check your bookshelves at home to see if you might have any of these items from the Zion Library. Please remember to check out materials when you take them from the library and include the date on the card. Thank you for keeping our collections in order and available for all to share. Adult Books: (230 Le) Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis; (236.2 Le) The great divorce by C.S. Lewis; (B Sa) Pilgrim aflame by Myron Augsburger (biography of Michael Sattler); (B Te) The hiding place by Corrie Ten Boom; (F Ho) Winds of Graystone Manor by B.J. Hoff; (F Mi) Eyes at the window by Evie Yoder Miller; (F Pe) Hangman’s curse by Frank Peretti; (F Ri) The atonement child by Francine Rivers Youth and Children’s Books: (E Ha) Fear not!: touched by an angel by Monica Hall; (E Ye) The story of Moses by Bill Yenne; (J 333 Ho or E Ho) Caring for planet earth: the world around us by Barbara Holland; (JF Da) The upstairs connection by Barbara Davoll Cassette Tapes: (AU Bi) The Bible on cassette: Old Testament, King James Version, 3 volumes CD: (CD Si) 16 great kids classics Videos: (VF Li) A little princess; (VF Ve) Veggie tales : Larry-Boy and the rumor weed (The library has the case, does someone have the tape?) |
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MARCH Birthdays 1 - Keith Morris, Jennifer Showalter 2 - Alma Hottinger 6 - Christopher Miller, Katherine Pence, Rebecca Pence 7 - Velma Stauffer 8 - David Brenneman 9 - Matt Goins 11 - Kevin Leaman 12 - Jeremy Baker, Henry Showalter 16 - Jordan Compagnari, Heather Vaccaro 17 - Emily Compagnari, Kristina Snader 18 - Alex Morris 21 - Jessica Hess 24 - Julie Hottinger 27 - Krista Nyce 30 - Rebekah Brubaker Anniversaries 6 - Dave & Cheryl Lantz (31st) 19 - Ron & Myrna Piper (41st) 24 - Keith & Marie Morris (28th) Please put news items for May/June issue in the Windows mailbox by April 29 or email: pipermr@aol.com. Dorothy Hartman and Myrna Piper publish Windows Into Zion. |
APRIL
Birthdays 2 - Bill Baker, Anouk Landgraff 3 - Ezra Sawyer 4 - Ray Kuykendall 5 - Vince Throngard 7 - Beth Cantor, Dave Lantz, Hannah Stoltzfus 9 - Robert Juarez 14 - Will Hess 15 - Teresa Miller 16 - Anna Henderson 17 - Retha Alger 19 - Ben Risser, Sr., Liam Esch 20 - Maria Driediger, Zachary Stoltzfus 21 - Ellie Pence 22 - Ella Hahn 24 - Marie Morris, Sharon Showalter 25 - Jeremy Beach, Becky Gant 28 - Alexei Fittry, Nevin Lantz, Tara Cupp Anniversaries 13 - Jeremy and Diann Beach (5th) 13 - Ken and Judy Nafziger (22nd) 16 - Vince and Megan Throngard (2nd) |
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