Zion Lutheran Church 700 Main St., Clyman, WI (920)

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1 The Grapevine Zion Lutheran Church 700 Main St., Clyman, WI (920) September In this issue: Pastor s Message Rev. Harrison s Message Council Meeting Minutes 4 Announce - ments & 3 Birthday s & Anniversaries 6 September Calendar 7 Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ. Ephesians 4:15 One seed in my garden has gone crazy. It s an Atlantic Giant pumpkin seed that sadly was planted in late June. I say sadly because there isn t enough time for it to produce the enormous pumpkins for which that variety is known. But my pumpkin plant is trying. Is it ever trying!! Huge leaves have spread out across my raspberry patch. Today I was amazed to see runners and leaves ascending twelve feet into a tall pine tree. Wouldn t that be a sight? Giant pumpkins hanging from the tops of pine trees!? My pumpkin s rapid and urgent growth however is the exception. Other garden plants have already peaked. There comes a time in late summer when even though the produce continues to ripen, plants themselves cease growing. Our bodies continue to grow into our teen years until we reach our adult height, yet in many other ways we keep growing. Intellectual and emotional growth continues through many life experiences. We keep learning. Throngs of children across the nation are heading back to school right now because learning is so vitally important. In Paul s letter to the Ephesians, he exhorts us to keep growing in our relationship with Jesus. We are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ. The ultimate learning and the source of spiritual growth is found in God s powerful Word. All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 Tim. 3:16 And St. Peter writes, like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation Got Milk? Pray earnestly for Zion s youth as they dig deeper into God s Word through Sunday School and Confirmation classes in the coming year. Our youth are the clay that God shapes as they study the Bible together. In our crooked world with its countless crooked roads leading to destruction our youth will be learning and walking the straight and narrow road that leads to life. Pray for their teachers that God would give them great success and joy in their labor. What other work carried out at Zion is more vital than the work of our Sunday School teachers? They accomplish great things during their brief hour through the work of the Holy Spirit. And how about you? Got milk? Will you consider studying God s Word more deeply with your brothers and sisters in Christ at Zion? There s great treasure for the taking between those sacred pages. I m eager to help you dig in. There will be growth in the Lord and growth with each other at the same time. Sunday Bible class begins Time and topic will be announced. You can learn a lot from a crazy pumpkin seed. Soak up the light with a vengeance. Grow, while its still faith s growing season. Pastor

2 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Harrison says U.S. Supreme Court got it wrong on marriage ruling Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress (Psalm 46:1 7). A one-person majority of the U.S. Supreme Court got it wrong again. Some 40 years ago, a similarly activist court legalized the killing of children in the womb. That decision has to date left a wake of some 55 million Americans dead. Today, the Court has imposed same-sex marriage upon the whole nation in a similar fashion. Five justices cannot determine natural or divine law. Now shall come the time of testing for Christians faithful to the Scriptures and the divine institution of marriage (Matthew 19:3 6), and indeed, a time of testing much more intense than what followed Roe v. Wade. Like Roe v. Wade, this decision will be followed by a rash of lawsuits. Through coercive litigation, governments and popular culture continue to make the central post-modern value of sexual freedom override the free exercise of religion enshrined in the Bill of Rights. The ramifications of this decision are seismic. Proponents will seek to drive Christians and Christian institutions out of education at all levels; they will press laws to force faithful Christian institutions and individuals to violate consciences in work practices and myriad other ways. We will have much more to say about this. During some of the darkest days of Germany, a faithful Lutheran presciently described how governments lose their claim to legitimate authority according to Romans 13.

3 The Caesar cult in its manifold forms, the deification of the state, is one great form of the defection from the [true] idea of the state. There are also other possibilities of such defection. The government can forget and neglect its tasks. When it no longer distinguishes between right and wrong, when its courts are no longer governed by the strict desire for justice, but by special interests, when government no longer has the courage to exercise its law, fails to exercise its duties, undermines its own legal order, when it weakens through its family law parental authority and the estate of marriage, then it ceases to be governing authority. Raising such a question can lead to heavy conflicts of conscience. But it is fundamentally conceivable, and it has time and again become reality in history, that a governing authority has ceased to be governing authority. In such a case there may indeed exist a submission to a superior power. But the duty of obedience against this power no longer exists. [Hermann Sasse, What Is the State? (1932)] As faithful Christians, we shall continue to be obedient to just laws. We affirm the human rights of all individuals and the inherent and equal value of all people. We respect the divinely given dignity of all people, no matter their sexual preference. We recognize that, under the exacting and demanding laws of God, we are indeed sinners in thought, word and deed, just as are all (Romans 3:9ff.). We confess that the blood of Jesus Christ, God s Son, cleanses us from all our sins (1 John 1:7). We confess that God s divine law of marriage and the entire Ten Commandments apply to all, and that so also the life-giving sacrifice of Christ on the cross is for all. It is a righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe (Romans 3:22). However, even as we struggle as a church to come to a unified response to this blatant rejection of the entire history of humankind and its practice of marriage, We shall obey God rather than man (Acts 5:29). Christians will now begin to learn what it means to be in a state of solemn conscientious objection against the state. We will resist its imposition of falsehood upon us, even as we continue to reach out to those who continue to be harmed by the ethic of radical sexual freedom, detached from God s blessing of marriage. And we will stand shoulder to shoulder with Christians, churches and people of good will who are resolute on this issue. God help us. Amen. Pastor Matthew C. Harrison

4 Zion Lutheran Church Clyman WI Minutes for July 9, 2015 Attendees: President Dan C, Secretary Connie, Treasurer Erica G, Archivist Marlys B. Call to order at 7:10 pm by President Dan C. Secretary s report: Reviewed May s minute s motion was made by Erica to accept minutes as written seconded by Marlys, MOTION CARRIED. Treasures report: Reviewed Treasures report motion was made by Connie to accept the treasures report, seconded by Dan, MOTION CARRIED. Pastor s report: Not present Board Reports and Submission of Business Items Elders Report None present but Marlys brought the questionnaire that Wally put together for our review regarding adult bible study to see what kind of interest there is for it. Trustees: None present. Dan meet with the trustee s, everything from the June Voters meeting is in motion. There are more problems with the back roof that will need to be addressed; Tim is getting quotes for the roof. Stewardship: Not present Finance: nothing to report. Archivist: We had 2 genealogy inquires. Need to make sure we get all the correct information to keep on file from weddings baptisms etc. Old Business: Carpet for balcony: nothing new to report Still need to get the boards together to put together SOP s Dan has meet with everyone except the Stewardship committee. New business: Next meeting will be august 6, 2015 at 7:00pm Motion was made by Connie to adjourn the meeting seconded by Ericka MOTION CARRIED. Closed with the Lord s Prayer Respectfully Submitted Connie K

5 Adult Choir Begins September 9 7 p.m. All are welcome to join. We d love to have more of you join our happy throng. Handbell Choir will begin in mid-october Would you like to be a part of a mission trip without leaving the state of WI? You are invited to join an upcoming Zion Servant Event-Feed My Starving Children scheduled for Sat. morning Sept.19th at Brookfield Lutheran Church. Volunteers cooperate to produce Manna Pack meals in production line style. All training takes place on site. No special skills needed. Feed My Starving Children is a Christian non-profit organization committed to feeding God's children hungry in body and spirit. Volunteers hand pack meals with vegetables, soy protein and rice specifically formulated for malnourished children. The meals are sent to 70 different countries. A meal costs less than a quarter and more than 90% of total donations support the food program. In a matter of two hours we can pack thousands of meals. Last year we had a great team of volunteers from Zion that packed meals. At the past Voter's Meeting in June, Zion generously donated money to cover the cost of many meals. Now it's our turn to help pack meals! A sign-up sheet is available in the back of church. Please leave your current and cell phone number. See Pastor or Karen S for details and to arrange carpooling. Kindergarten children through Seniors are encouraged to attend!

6 Brandon V 9/1 David S 9/2 Nancy B 9/9 Quendin S 9/9 Joel K 9/10 Kris K 9/10 Brian M 9/11 Christian N 9/13 Martin P 9/13 Ed W 9/13 Sara C 9/14 Jaxon S 9/15 Russell L 9/16 Dale D 9/20 Jason J 9/22 Paul & Lori Po 9/16 John & Sara C 9/20 Quendin & Lana S 9/20 Robert & Marilyn S 9/21 Dick & Nancy B 9/29 Brock & Kelly C 9/30 Richard & Mae S 9/30 Bo V 9/22 Brock C 9/23 Douglas R 9/23 Daniel C 9/25 Dawn P 9/28 Mae S 9/28

7 2015 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 1 Elder s Meeting 6:00 pm 2 3 Council Meeting Elder: Wally Usher Team # 1 Food Shelf NO SERVICE 8 9 Bethesda Workers 1 5pm Choir Elder: Gary Usher Team # 2 14 Mid-Week Elder: Scott Choir Elder: Scott Usher Team # 3 27 Elder: Jason Usher Team # 4 21 Mid-Week Elder: Jason 28 Mid-Week Elder: Joel Choir GRAPEVINE ARTICLES ARE DUE Choir