Welcome to Zion Lutheran Church

17th Sunday After Pentecost

INTRODUCTION TO THE DAY

The parable of Jesus about two sons who don’t do what they say reveals surprises in the reign of God, such as prostitutes and tax collectors going before others into God’s kingdom. In the reading from Ezekiel the people question whether the ways of the Lord are unfair; instead they are to repent and turn to the Lord. Paul urges us to look to Christ as a model of humility, looking to the interests of others above our own. Nourished by the broken bread and shared cup, we offer our lives for the sake of our needy World.

FIRST READING: Ezekiel 18: 1-4, 25-32

Ezekiel challenges those who think they cannot change because of what their parents were and did, or who think they cannot turn from what their parents were and did, or who think they cannot turn from their wicked ways. God insistently invites people to turn and live.

PSALM: Psalm 25: 1-9

SECOND READING: Philippians 2: 1-13

As part of a call for harmony rather than self-seeking, Paul uses a very early Christian hymn that extols the selflessness of Christ in his obedient death on the cross. Christ’s selfless perspective is to be the essential perspective we share as the foundation for Christian accord.

GOSPEL: Matthew 21: 23-32

After driving the moneychangers out of the temple (21:12), Jesus begins teaching there. His authority is questioned by the religious leaders, who are supposed to be in charge of the temple.

Announcements!

ELCA ADVOCACY

RAISING THE REFUGEE CEILING

As we approach the end of the federal government’s fiscal year on Sept. 30, the Administration is considering how many refugees to welcome in 2021. Although refugee admissions have gone down each year of the current administration, we know refugee admissions have not been eliminated due to strong advocacy – particularly from the faith community. Reflections from our summer intern give us background and conclude with an opportunity for us to again respond with impactful advocacy as the calculation is being made.

By Jenn Werth

Summer Intern with ELCA advocacy

According to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, the number of refugees on the African continent has nearly tripled over the past decade, yet the number of refugees the United States admits every year has continually fallen.

As a church dedicated to supporting compassionate survival assistance and vigorous international protection for refugees, it is essential that we hold our country responsible to increase the number of refugees it admits.

Lutherans have a strong history of providing hospitality to refugees resettling 57,000 refugees in the United States post World War II, resettling 50,000 refugees from Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos after the fall of Saigon in 1975, and providing sanctuary for refugees endangered by wars in Central America in the 1980s.

Today the ELCA remains active in many ways, including through its AMMPARO program, (Accompanying Migrant Minors with Protection, Advocacy, Representation and Opportunities). AMMPARO helps ensure basic human rights and safety of migrant children from El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala.

With such a deep focus on the accompaniment of immigrants and refugees in one small part of the World, it can be easy to lose sight of the international expanse of refugee populations. In 2019 alone, the Lutheran World Federation supported 1.3 million refugees and internally displaced persons, most of whom reside in African countries including but not limited to Uganda, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Cameroon.

We as a Church can be a strong voice for both the refugees we work with close to home and the refugees we support from countries across the globe. As it is written in Leviticus 19:34, “The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt”.

Immigration, refugee and asylum policies not only can be evaluated against who we are as a Church, but also express our character as a nation. As the United States commits to receiving fewer and fewer refugees every year, dropping from 45,000 in 2018 to 30,000 in 2019 to 18,000 in 2020, our country is not meeting the expectations we as a church have for a generous policy of welcome.

The Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (LIRS) calls on Congress and the current Administration to raise that ceiling to 95,000 refugees. As advocates for generous immigration and refugee policies, we can use our voices to support the efforts to raise our refugee ceiling rather than allow further reduction.

PRAYERS

Please keep these people in your prayers: Al Bausch, Dortha Feddern, Michael Koch, Wesley and JoAnne Porter, the family of Doralee Wendel, the family of John Murray, and all those who are suffering from COVID-19. Please remember all of our shut ins and sick. (Also, pray for the families and caretakers of those on the prayer list.)

FUNDS FOR ZION

Please check the bulletin board behind the office door for all of the sign-up sheets for this year. Communion, birthday Sundays, and Worship Assistants/helpers. Thank you so much!

You can also remember special occasions or special people by contributing money that would normally be used for altar flowers. Instead the donation goes to our local food pantry.

Changes for the congregation:

Please attend Sunday worship services only if you are feeling well.

All members are asked to take their temperatures prior to leaving their homes. If over 100, we are asking that person to remain safely at home for the safety and health of themselves and others.

All members and guests will be required to wear a mask.

Masks must be worn throughout the services.

Please also bring hand sanitizer for yourself to use as you may come in contact with chairs, bulletins, etc.

Cleaning each week before and after each service will be increased greatly. That includes the restrooms. We ask that the actual “men’s” and “women’s” restrooms are not used. Rather, use the facility on the left across from the men’s room only should the need occur (cleaning is addressed later).

Changes within the Sunday service itself:

Both the front and back doors will be propped open to avoid repeated contact with door handles for those in attendance. The sanctuary door will also remain open.

Seating within the sanctuary will be different. In accordance with the present social distancing guidelines, we will maintain 6 feet of separation between seats. (Note: Household members who reside in the same home will not be required to be 6 feet apart. But, the household group will be required to be 6 feet from others.)

Bulletins used to follow the service and hymns will be placed on each seat prior to the service by the setup team (discussed later).

Our hymns will bring about two changes.

* We will still use our masks during the hymns.

* All hymns will be limited to 3 verses each.

Due to the social distancing guidelines, there will not be a worship assistant at the front (with Jon). Volunteer readers will read standing from their seat to avoid any common spacing issues we may encounter.

Preaching by Jon (or alternate when necessary) will be done only in the altar and pulpit area. A mask will not be required for the person presiding given the distance involved. As the service progresses, though, hymns being sung, walking in and out of the sanctuary, etc. the mask must be worn.

Alter accoutrements will be minimized to two candles, one small parament on the alter and the processional cross in the back.

Sharing of the peace will not be with handshakes and hugs (unless direct family within the same household). As we share the peace, it will be in body language only, bows, nods, smiles (even under a mask we can still smile), along with “God’s peace” or “Peace be with you” only.

Communion will be different. We will use pre-packaged wafers and cups (grape juice) to avoid close contact with one another. These cups will either be placed at each chair prior to the service or on the table as you enter the sanctuary by the setup team. They are to be thrown away when leaving.

The offering plate will not be passed around or walked around by Tim. The setup team will instead have the plate on the table as you enter the sanctuary.

After the service, we will not have coffee or any snacks being offered. We do understand that fellowship is still a very important part of worshiping, so there will be tables in the lobby configured in a square that will allow for social conversation while maintaining social distancing (masks still required).