First a widow. Then she lost her only son. This woman of Nain knew the pain and sorrow of death. I know you do too. Parents. Grandparents. Children. Loved ones. Friends. We’ve seen too much grief and sorrow that death causes. Then Jesus strolls up to this funeral procession and tells the woman, “Don’t cry.” Maybe Jesus isn’t familiar with the five steps of grieving to say something like that! Or maybe it’s because He knows what death is because He will undergo it. Jesus, the Son of God, will die as we do. Yet He will rise the third day so that our death is transformed and made NOT permanent. So when Jesus strolls up and touches that coffin with the young man inside, He does it as the One who has power even over death. At its heart, this is the hope and promise of the Christian faith. To be a disciple of Jesus is to live with the Good News that death has been defeated. Jesus offers something no other earthly person or thing can: eternal life. That’s our celebration this week, the 16th Sunday after Trinity.

WHICH BIBLE STUDY IS FOR YOU?
We currently have three opportunities for learning and growing in God’s Word and I hope you’ll take advantage of one or more of them. Unless you’re an expert on the Bible, you need to join us! You can ask any question and you never have to read out loud. I want everyone learning God’s Word to cherish and treasure it, not be intimidated or uncomfortable! Here’s what we’ve got:

Sundays
8:45am – Bible Study – We’re reading the book of the prophet Isaiah. It’s a book full of promises that God makes and Jesus keeps.
10:15am – Learning the Faith – This is for ALL ages, and we mean ALL. Kids and adults learn side by side and have a lot of fun. We’re focusing on getting to know and using our Bibles.

Tuesdays 
10:30am – Bible Study – We’re reading the Book of Acts to see how the Lord grew His church through the work of the Spirit in the preaching of the Good News of Jesus. Lots of good application to our life as the church today and in recognizing how the Lord continues to build up His church in a world that doesn’t care or is even hostile to God’s Word.

FALL BONFIRE
We’re going to have a Bonfire on FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1 at 7pm down by the picnic pavilion. Everyone is invited to have some Fall fellowship and fun. We’ll pray Evening Prayer and then enjoy s’mores and hot chocolate. We’ll have rides available for those who need them to the bottom of the hill. Mark your calendar!

MASKS IN WORSHIP
We are currently wearing our masks during worship. At this time there is no restriction on capacity or seating arrangements. Please consider the well-being of your neighbor most especially by staying home if you have any symptoms of illness. As always, you can get in touch with me to request a visit if you can’t be in church. Thank you for your patience and understanding and love of neighbor in all of this!

LIVE STREAM INFORMATION
You can watch live and find recorded services here:
We stream live on our FACEBOOK PAGE HERE.
Our videos are also live and recorded on YOUTUBE HERE.
The simplest way to watch online (not live) is probably through our church’s website HERE.

PROCESSIONAL CRUCIFIX DEDICATION
If you didn’t get a chance to watch last week’s Holy Cross service with the dedication of our new Processional Crucifix, you can watch it HERE.

We are no strangers to the pains of death and the grief it brings. We share that with this woman from Nain. But up walks Jesus whose touch and Word raise the dead to life. That’s a hope and promise offered by nothing else in this world. Our Savior has the power over death since He Himself died and was raised. His victory over death is joy for us and a cause for celebration. It’s like Easter in September! See you in the Divine Service.

In Christ,
Pastor Buetow
Zion Processional Crucifix with Artist Ed Riojas

More Crucifix Pictures