Zion News for January 2019

Transcription

1 Zion News for January 2019 Zion Evangelische United Church of Christ - Evansville, Indiana Zion UCC Choir 4-January 4-January 5-January 8-January 11-January 19-January 22-January 23-January 30-January Bonnie Barnhart Kristy Brown Michele Daum Colton Lord Steve Kuehn Rev. Kimron Reising Michael Caufield Kacy Jones David haddix UCS Meal Ministry Zion volunteers will meet at UCS on January 10 at 3 pm to start meal preparation. We can use extra hands from 4:45 to 5:30 when we serve the meal. Let us know if you would like to help. You can call the Zion office at January Church Meetings: Council: Monday, January 14, 3:30 pm Trustees: Monday, January 14, 5:00 pm Zion UCC Congregation Dec. 16, 2018

2 Isaiah 42:6-9 I am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. I am the LORD, that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to idols. See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth, I tell you of them. Thank YOU! Thank YOU! Thank YOU!!!! You have been an inspiration and a blessing over the three and half years that we have journeyed together. Thank you for allowing me to minister with you, to teach among you, to learn from you and to experience God s presence, God s calling, God s faithfulness and God s unconditional love with you here at Zion. God is, and will continue to declare new things in Zion Once again we celebrate the birth of Jesus and the opportunities of a New Year, to live the way Jesus lived, love the way Jesus loved, and care for our neighbor the way Jesus cared for everyone he met. Let us always hold fast to the wisdom which reveals that Jesus was not born in order to establish a new religion, a new group to which people belong or not belong. God did not come to live among us in order to give us another way to separate and alienate ourselves from each other according to which spiritual practices we adopt, what day of the week we set aside for worship, what sacraments we practice, Or what hymns we sing. that love is the most powerful force in the universe, and that we can live our lives free from guilt over our failures and mistakes, and free from the fear of death itself! The motto of the United Church of Christ is from Gospel of John, chapter 17, verse 21: that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. This is Jesus speaking to the promise, the vision that is born anew each Christmas. God has indeed taken us by the hand and led us along the path of grace and unconditional love. It has required courage and faith to travel the path we have been on together, and I am so thankful for your willingness to take this journey. I could not wish for a more fulfilling and inspiring congregation, with which to bring my formal Pastorate to conclusion, you have been a dream team for me and Jenny. You have provided sacred space for the vision of a place that welcomes all, as Jesus did. A safe space for those who are seeking a new way to live in community that is focused on growing in our relationship with God, loving one another unconditionally, without judgement, and caring for one another as best we are able. Zion is Holy Ground, thank you for allowing it to be so. Merry Christmas And Blessings for the New Year, Jesus was born so that we might establish a new covenant with God, being assured beyond any shadow of doubt that God loves us unconditionally,

3 Farewell Reception for Pastor Kim and Jenny Reising Pastor Kimron Reising and his wife, Jenny Reising Pastor Kim and Neal Biggers, Minister of Retirement T-Shirts from the congregation Jenny Reising, Susie Niethammer and Pastor Kim Great Food and delicious cake was shared with Pastor Kim and Jenny

4 Epiphany: Spreading Light and Energy by Neal Biggers, Minister of There Is a Hole in My Sidewalk Autobiography in Five Short Sentences By Portia Nelson This year Sunday falls on the sixth of January, which means we get to gather for worship on the traditional date for celebrating Epiphany. On Epiphany we think about the story of the wise-men following the star to Bethlehem, of people beginning to see in Jesus the light of the world and eventually to identify him with the very Source of that light. That's why some of our music on January 6 th will focus on the theme of light. The organ prelude will be based on the familiar Epiphany hymn: As with gladness men of old Did the guiding star behold, As with joy they hailed its light, Leading onward, beaming bright, So, most gracious Lord, may we Evermore be led to Thee... The offertory is based on a German hymn: Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern. How brightly shines the morning Star! The nations see and hail afar The light in Judah shining... During a recent after-worship discussion we talked about light/ energy in connection with Jesus, going back to the story of Jesus's mother's visit with her relative Elizabeth when they were pregnant with Jesus and John the Baptist. Mitzi, our office administrator, observed that during Mary's visit with Elizabeth there was a special energy in the room which spread in and around both excited mothers and the sons in their wombs, as evidenced by John's leaping in the womb. We talked about how that energy was connected with light and how it was part of the light of the world that would radiate beyond that room, and be seen more and more brightly in John's preaching and in Jesus as his life and ministry unfolded. That after-worship discussion had some twists and turns that are probably unique here at Zion due to our openness to sharing our space and time with people who look at things from a variety of spiritual perspectives. Mitzi has special training in one of those perspectives, Reiki, which is about sensing and moving life energy through physical presence and touch. That life energy is light and love, and Jesus was all about moving light and love around through physical presence and touch. That's what we celebrate in a special way on Epiphany, and in many different ways throughout the year. Happy Epiphany! Chapter One I walk down the street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I fall in. I am lost I am helpless. It isn t my fault. It takes forever to find a way out. Chapter Two I walk down the street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I pretend that I don t see it. I fall in again. I can t believe I am in this same place. But, it isn t my fault. It still takes a long time to get out. Chapter Three I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I see it is there. I still fall in it s a habit but, my eyes are open. I know where I am. It is my fault. I get out immediately. Chapter Four I walk down the same street. There is a deep hole in the sidewalk. I walk around it. Chapter Five I walk down another street. It is that time of year when many of us in the world begin to reflect and re-organize their priorities. The phrase used in acknowledgement of this process is, New Year s Resolutions. Often times those resolutions are health related. In those moments of reflection, revisiting what didn t work out quite as hoped for will lead individuals to simply give up and allow the old patterns to return. The poem, There Is a Hole in My Sidewalk serves as a gentle reminder to stay steady and work with what is serving to keep moving in the new direction. What are your choices in support of new directions? For myself, this year I will be giving more focus to a phrase I hold near and dear, nothing in excess. The modern term may be minimalist and I certainly, am growing to appreciate how helpful that is in relation to my own health needs. Whatever your direction, I hope, this poem will help you in support of any new path that appears to have failed. Happy New Year to all! Kay THANK YOU!! A BIG APPRECIATION FOR YOUR SUPPORT FOR THE SOCKS THAT WERE DONATED TO UNITED CARING SERVICES FOR THE ZION CENTER PROJECT!!

5 ZION CENTER Mindscapes Art Galley SPECIAL EVENTS CLASSES & RESOURCES: Kundalini : 6 PM on Mondays led by Bambi Hansen. 6 PM on Thursdays led by Pastor Kim, Bambi or Michael Below. Introduction to Qigong: 6 PM on Tuesdays, Richard Ogilvy, Instructor Open Monday-Thursday 11:30-2:00 pm Second Tuesday Song Circle January 8 at 6 PM Yin : 6 PM, Wednesdays led by Bob Tenbarge Meditative Walking and : 12 PM -1 PM on Wednesdays, by Neal Biggers Linda s Little Bookstore: Used books on religion, spirituality, health, fiction, etc. at reduced prices Kay Hummel / Optima Flow 2 Wellness: Alternative & holistic health. By appointment Organic Produce Club & Frontier : Common Ground Community Hours for lunch are: 11:30 am to 2:00 pm Mondays thru Thursdays Organized by Missie Carrigan, Blythe Anne & Linda Howard, Tuesdays 10am to 2pm Wednesdays 11:30-2:00 Thursdays 11:30am to 2pm Offering Soup to Go Call to order or Visit the website at:commongroundkitchen.com Common Ground will be closed Christmas Eve/ Christmas Day and New Years Eve/New Years Day Watch for more information on Soups-To-Go offered in January at commongroundkitchen.com. Kombucha in the Tuesday & Thursday 12 noon 2 pm Mychele will be at the Kombucha Counter with her healthy brew made from organic and locally grown foraged ingredients at a fizzy-sweet pay-what-you-can-price.! Join Us: Veggie Pot Luck At Zion C enter Changing to the First Friday of every month Starting: January 4 5:30 pm 7 pm Bring a dish, share recipes, try new foods, meet old and new friends

6 Exciting things happening at Zion Center Fun times at the Common Ground Cooking Class Cooking Class Go to for January and February class sign up!! Groove With Tami Tenbarge Light, gentle movement January 3, 7 & PM Zion Center Presents: Paint Pouring with Elizabeth Pierce This class is offered to teach you the skill of letting go while creating your own piece of art. Only ten spots open to anyone over 18 years and older.. Please RSVP by January 2nd. Call Zion Center at or Epartdesigns@gmail.com or zionucc@zionucc.net Cost is $15 per person

7 January 2019 Zion United Church of Christ Evansville, IN Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 Office Closed 2 Yin 3 4:00 pm Groove Kundalini 4 Veggie Pot Luck 5:30-7:00 pm 5 Paint Pouring 1-2 pm 6 10:30 am Worship with Communion Discussion Group after Worship 7 4:00 pm Groove Kundalini 8 10am-2pm Veggie Club 5:00 pm Choir Practice Qigong Song Circle 9 Yin 7:00 pm Spirit Share Group 10 3:00-5:30 pm UCS Meal Ministry 4:00 pm Groove Kundalini :30 am Worship 11:30 am Christian Board of Ministry Mtg. 14 3:30 pm Council Mtg. 5:00 pm Trustee Mtg Kundalini 15 10am-2pm Veggie Club 5:00 pm Choir Practice Qigong 16 Yin 17 Kundalini :30 am Worship Discussion Group after Worship 21 Kundalini 22 10am-2pm Veggie Club 5:00 pm Choir Practice Qigong 23 Yin 7:00 pm Spirit Share Group 24 Kundalini 25 Plant Based for the New Year Cooking Class 6:00 8:00 pm 26 Chanting, Pranayama and Meditation 9:30-11:00 am 27 10:30 am Worship Discussion Group after Worship 28 Kundalini 29 10am-2pm Veggie Club 5:00 pm Choir Practice Qigong 30 Yin 31 Kundalini

8 Zion United Church of Christ 415 N.W. Fifth Street Evansville, IN RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Zion United Church of Christ Evansville, Indiana Rev. Kimron Reising, Pastor Rev. John Schroeder, Pastor Emeritus Neal Biggers, Minister of Mitzi Windsor, Office Administrator Sara Miller, Handbells Freddie Greer, Custodian Allen Powers, Security Phone: Office Pastor s revreising@zionucc.net Website: zionucc.net Facebook: Zion Center for Spiritual Development and Healing Worship Service: 10:30