3-28-21 Bulletin

Over the past few days, I have been following the story of the huge cargo ship blocking the Suez Canal. The canal itself is a massive human achievement. Stretching over 120 miles and more than 2 football fields wide, the canal is huge. Twelve percent of global trade passes through the canal every year.

The boats which go through it are equally massive. The stuck boat had an engine failure, combined with strong winds, that turned it sideways. The stuck boat is itself an incredible 1300 feet long. It may very well be several weeks before the boat can be completely freed and the canal unblocked. Looking up the history of the canal, I learned the longest any  boat has ever been stuck in the canal is 8 years, so hopefully this one will not take quite so long.

Looking at the canal on a globe, I got a different view of these massive numbers. The canal is actually not very big at all compared to the Mediterranean Sea or the Indiana Ocean. It is rather small. Almost impossible to see when viewing the entire world. And yet, one little stuck boat in a tiny little man made river is currently causing massive disruptions in global trade.

I have noticed something similar in my life. There are some habit for practices that in and of themselves don’t look very important in light of my entire life and yet have a huge impact on me. One small example is my bed time. When I go to bed early and get enough sleep, I am an entirely nicer and more productive person. That tiny decision has a huge impact on me and everyone around me the next day.

Most important for me is my time in scripture. I can go a day or two without reading scripture and spending time in prayer and I may not even notice. Just like global trade was not affected immediately by this stuck ship. But over time, I see the effects. I feel more distant from God. Temptations become, well, more tempting. I become more self-focused rather than thinking of others. Those small habits have a huge impact on my life and those with whom I spend time.

How about you? What are the small daily practices in your life that pay outsized dividends for you?

Greg

Connect to God
This Sunday we will gather in person at 9:30 am and online at both 9:30 and 11 am. You can find the services either on our Facebook page or at zionreformed.online.church. We will also rebroadcast the service on WCET at noon on Friday and 4pm next Sunday.

Beginning this Sunday, March 28, our in-person worship time will go back to 9:30 am. We look forward to seeing you then and hope you enjoy the extra half hour of sleep each Sunday morning.

Christianity at its core is not about thinking the right things about God or knowing our Bibles inside and out, but about following Jesus. The earliest believers were called Christians because they looked and acted like little Christs, little Jesuses.  This Sunday as we celebrate Palm Sunday, we come to Jesus summary of the law: loving God and loving others. As we think about what it means to follow Jesus it all comes down to this elegant command to love. How might we love our neighbors today?

Grow in Community
We extend our sympathy to Rog and Teresa Beute in the passing of Rog’s sister Barb passed away yesterday morning.

We extend our sympathy to the family of Gloria Slagter who passed away yesterday morning. Funeral arrangements are still pending and will be shared as they become available.

Jim and Barb Overweg also ask for continued prayer for their son-in-law Clyde who experienced a setback in his recovery recently as they found additional fluid built up around his heart. Prayers for hope, strength and healing and appreciated.

If you would like to keep up with Steve Landstra’s health journey as he battles lung cancer, the family has set up a CaringBridges page and you can find it here.

We are reading through the New Testament over the next year as a congregation. The reading schedule for this coming week is below (and thank you to everyone who reminded that Luke only has 24 chapters and not chapters 25 and 26 I included in last weeks e-mail):
Monday: John 18
Tuesday: John 19
Wednesday: John 20
Thursday: John 21
Friday: Acts 1

You can also find the reading schedule on our website under the Ministries tab.

Serve the World
Camp Zion will be occurring again this summer. If you have or are a teen interested in working at Camp Zion this summer, make sure you apply by filling out the application at the link below by the end of March. It is a great way to invest your summer in blessing our neighbors.
Camp Zion Teen Staff Job Application

If you need help, either with food, personal care items, help grocery shopping, or with financial needs, please contact Chip Harkes, our chair of deacons, and he can help connect you with the appropriate resources at Zion. His e-mail is chip@harkeslandscape.com and his phone number is 616-299-4804.

Administration
We continue to thank God for his provision of all of our needs and for the generous support of our congregation with their time, talent, and treasures.

Fiscal Year to Date Budget:  $441,263.76
Fiscal Year to Date Contribution: $425,162.47
Giving Last Week: $11,714.00
Benevolent Fund Offering of 3/21: $5,735.00

During the month of January, the RCA is emphasizing the spiritual practice of generosity. Earlier this week I received an e-mail from Billy Norden that I appreciated as he shared his journey with generosity. It follows below almost in its entirety.

“Having me take the lead during generosity month is dripping with irony. I feel like I’m someone who is one of the least naturally inclined toward generosity. Generosity is the vegetable of my spiritual diet.

“Don’t get me wrong. I’ve always been inclined to be generous with my time and talent—but giving money, well, let’s just say that took work. When I was lamenting having to pay for airport parking on a family vacation because we couldn’t score a free ride to the airport, my wife turned to our seven-year-old and said, “Daddy has trouble parting with money.” Truer words have never been spoken. It was early in our marriage that she initiated our giving regularly to our church, and it was anything but natural for me.

“I do give of my money now (it’s really all God’s, but you know what I mean.) Giving away money comes naturally to some, but I have a hunch most people are like me. It takes practice, work, and discipline to be generous with money and eventually enjoy giving it away. I’ve never been naturally inclined to eat vegetables but know they are critical to my diet. As an adult, I’ve learned to be intentional about adding them to my diet, I’ve learned to cook them in a way where I really enjoy them, and I’m more satisfied and feel so much better when they’re a part of my life. Generosity with our finances is no different. It takes some discipline, but it helps us to be so much healthier.”

Earlier this week, I received a letter from a member of Zion telling a story of how Zion came alongside their family many  years ago when everything had fallen apart relationally and financially. And then, I noticed the Benevolent fund offering again this past week. And I am reminded the spirit of generosity continues at Zion.

Thank you for the ways you give freely of what you have to bless others.

Greg

Connect to God
This Sunday we will gather in person at 9 am and online at both 9 and 11 am. You can find the services either on our Facebook page or at zionreformed.online.church. We will also rebroadcast the service on WCET at noon on Friday and 4pm next Sunday.

Beginning March 28, Palm Sunday, our in-person worship time will go back to 9:30 am. We look forward to seeing you then and hope you enjoy the extra half hour of sleep each Sunday morning.

Christianity at its core is not about thinking the right things about God or knowing our Bibles inside and out, but about following Jesus. The earliest believers were called Christians because they looked and acted like little Christs, little Jesuses.  This morning we are excited to welcome Julianna Kempema back to Zion as she shares a message from Mark 9.

Grow in Community
Zion Families! Pick up your “Eggs of Easter” gift at church this coming Sunday! It is a 12-day devotion for families to lead them towards the true meaning of Easter. There’s also some candy filled eggs included, just for fun. And, if you’re not worshiping in person, we’re happy to drop one off at your home.  I made some extras too, if someone would like to gift one to a grandchild, niece, nephew, friend or neighbor. Limited extras available.

We express our sympathy to Dave and Tami Hewitt and family in the sudden passing of  his father, Arthur Hewitt, on Sunday and his step-mom, Carol, on Monday.  May God give them peace, comfort, and hope in this time of deep loss.

Jim and Barb Overweg would like to thank everyone for the prayers for our son-in-law Clyde.  He is improving and at Blodgett  for therapy.  He still has a ways to go and we would appreciate your continued prayers for him, our daughter Brenda, and our granddaughter Anna.

We extend our congratulations to Justin and Amanda Vasquez as they welcomed two healthy babies into the world on Friday, March 12. Emersyn Grace was born at 8:45 at 19 inches long and weighing 5 lbs 4 oz and Quinton James was born at 8:46 at 18.5 inches long and weighing 5 lbs 10 oz. Amanda and both babies are doing well.

If you would like to keep up with Steve Landstra’s health journey as he battles lung cancer, the family has set up a CaringBridges page and you can find it here.

In the last decade, a giant cultural wave has swept the North American church into a brand new world — a pluralistic, complicated, high-tech/low-touch world that has only been accelerated during this Covid-time. Facing the challenge of engaging a jaded world, a fresh expression has emerged alongside the traditional church. If you have any interest in church planting or how to reach new generations, join us for a 3 week discussion led by Andrew Moore of the book Fresh Expressions of the Church. You can sign-up for this book discussion by e-mailing Pastor Greg at gbrower@zionreformed.org.

We are reading through the New Testament over the next year as a congregation. The reading schedule for this coming week is below (and thank you to everyone who reminded that Luke only has 24 chapters and not chapters 25 and 26 I included in last weeks e-mail):
Monday: John 13
Tuesday: John 14
Wednesday: John 15
Thursday: John 16
Friday: John 17

You can also find the reading schedule on our website under the Ministries tab.

Serve the World
Camp Zion will be occurring again this summer. If you have or are a teen interested in working at Camp Zion this summer, make sure you apply by filling out the application at the link below by the end of March. It is a great way to invest your summer in blessing our neighbors.
Camp Zion Teen Staff Job Application

If you need help, either with food, personal care items, help grocery shopping, or with financial needs, please contact Chip Harkes, our chair of deacons, and he can help connect you with the appropriate resources at Zion. His e-mail is chip@harkeslandscape.com and his phone number is 616-299-4804.

Administration
We continue to thank God for his provision of all of our needs and for the generous support of our congregation with their time, talent, and treasures. 

Fiscal Year to Date Budget:  $430,757.48
Fiscal Year to Date Contribution: $413,448.47
Giving Last Week: $5,115.00
Benevolent Fund Offering of 3/14: $2,620.00

My family has been watching WandaVision on Disney+ for the past couple of months. Every Friday, we all gather around and enjoy a shared story. The show tells the story of Wanda whose husband has died and in her grief, she creates a fake world tied to old sitcoms, a new husband, and through mind control forces a whole town into her grief induced fantasy.

The show resonated with me because I think many of us have been living through grief this past year, often unacknowledged. When we don’t acknowledge out grief, it often comes out in unhealthy ways.  In the show, it comes out in Wanda kidnapping an entire town. For many in our culture, it has surfaced in angry outbursts, arguments over truly minor issues, political polarization, valuing winning over relationships, and a retreat into our own bubbles where everyone agrees with us.

I see it in me and in our church.

So, one year into the pandemic, let’s give each other space to grieve a hard year. I still grieve I was not able to be present for several funerals of our church members. As one example, I was talking with my kids last night and telling them about how Thelma VanderZouwen teased me one Sunday when I gave myself a giant forehead hickey from one of Ethan’s bath toys when he was just a baby. Even now, remembering her and so many others, brings tears to my eyes. We have not been able to grieve the loss of people as we normally would.

Last spring, kids were never able to return to school. It was isolating and lonely. And, sometimes just plain boring to be stuck at home. They missed out on lots of normal school growing up stuff they won’t get back. Mission trips. 6th grade camp. Overnighters at friends houses. Little league. Sports season lost. Those losses are real and they hurt.

We haven’t been able to see the people we love as often. Grandparents are separated from grandchildren. Children from parents in nursing homes. It is OK to grieve the small losses of small groups meeting and hanging out with large groups of friends and high school football games and big weddings and so much more. We have not been able to be together as we normally would and it is right to grieve those losses.

So, be kind to yourself this week. Take time to grieve the big and small losses of this past year. And, when someone lashes out in their own grief, have sympathy, compassion and grace for them, too. It has been a rough 12 months for us all.

And keep hope. This season will end. As more and more people are vaccinated, as the economy continues to open up, we are returning to whatever the new normal will be. God has been faithful in the midst of an odd year and he will be faithful in the next.

Trusting in his provision,
Greg

Connect to God
This Sunday we will gather in person at 9 am and online at both 9 and 11 am. You can find the services either on our Facebook page or at zionreformed.online.church. We will also rebroadcast the service on WCET at noon on Friday and 4pm next Sunday. (I heard recently WCET has been having problems with the audio on several of their broadcasts. We have been in contact with them and hope they can resolve the issue.)

Beginning March 28, Palm Sunday, our in-person worship time will go back to 9:30 am. We look forward to seeing you then and hope you enjoy the extra half hour of sleep each Sunday morning.

Christianity at its core is not about thinking the right things about God or knowing our Bibles inside and out, but about following Jesus. The earliest believers were called Christians because they looked and acted like little Christs, little Jesuses. In Mark 8, Peter proclaims Jesus to be the Messiah, but when Jesus explains what being Messiah actually entails the disciples push back. The disciples want Jesus on their own terms. But, if Jesus really is the Messiah he claims to be, it requires a response from us, a response that looks a lot like death. Do we believe Jesus or what we wish to be true of Jesus?

We are sending out a lot of surveys lately. Consistory has sent another survey out this week to gauge the congregation’s current feeling about wearing masks at worship. We encourage everyone to fill out the survey and let us know what you think. You can find the survey here.

Grow in Community
If you would like to keep up with Steve Landstra’s health journey as he battles lung cancer, the family has set up a CaringBridges page and you can find it here.

In the last decade, a giant cultural wave has swept the North American church into a brand new world — a pluralistic, complicated, high-tech/low-touch world that has only been accelerated during this Covid-time. Facing the challenge of engaging a jaded world, a fresh expression has emerged alongside the traditional church. If you have any interest in church planting or how to reach new generations, join us for a 3 week discussion led by Andrew Moore of the book Fresh Expressions of the Church. You can sign-up for this book discussion by e-mailing Pastor Greg at gbrower@zionreformed.org.

We are reading through the New Testament over the next year as a congregation. The reading schedule for this coming week is below (and thank you to everyone who reminded that Luke only has 24 chapters and not chapters 25 and 26 I included in last weeks e-mail):
Monday: John 8
Tuesday: John 9
Wednesday: John 10
Thursday: John 11
Friday: John 12

You can also find the reading schedule on our website under the Ministries tab.

Serve the World
Camp Zion will be occurring again this summer. If you have or are a teen interested in working at Camp Zion this summer, make sure you apply by filling out the application at the link below by the end of March. It is a great way to invest your summer in blessing our neighbors.
Camp Zion Teen Staff Job Application

We want to share a huge thank you to our congregation and broader community for their support of the Rissley family after the tragic loss of their daughter Ruby 2 weeks ago. Last Friday, we had a great response to our spaghetti supper and were able to raise over $6,800 for the family. We are grateful for all who donated and/or volunteered their time too this event and especially to the entire Austin family for their efforts organizes and running the dinner.

Our missionaries, Keith and Denise Krebs, serve in Bahrain where Keith is a chaplain for the American Mission Hospital. His services include spiritual and emotional care to the hospital’s patients, their families and the staff. The hospital recently broke ground for a new women and children’s hospital set to be completed in 2022. Keith asks prayer for their safety, courage and endurance, for the recruitment of 200 new staff for the new hospital and especially for the recruitment of a new chaplain.

If you need help, either with food, personal care items, help grocery shopping, or with financial needs, please contact Chip Harkes, our chair of deacons, and he can help connect you with the appropriate resources at Zion. His e-mail is chip@harkeslandscape.com and his phone number is 616-299-4804.

Administration
Our Consistory met on Tuesday this week. As part of our meeting, we reviewed the list of people who responded they were willing to be considered to serve on Consistory beginning in June. According to our Bylaws, our Consistory nominates a double slate (twice as many nominees as open positions) and then after the congregation approves the slate we draw the new Elders and Deacons names from a hat. This year, we have decided to set aside our bylaws (we double checked and this is OK to do) and simply have a single slate of nominees because we had exactly 4 people respond they were willing to serve. We believe each of them are more than qualified to serve and will be a blessing to our congregation during this season of ministry.

Our nominees for the office of Elder are Ken Johnson and Haley Stone and for the office of Deacon are Troy Austin and Tom MacGraw. We will formally bring these names to the congregation at our annual congregational meeting in May for your final approval.

We continue to thank God for his provision of all of our needs and for the generous support of our congregation with their time, talent, and treasures.

Fiscal Year to Date Budget:  $420,251.20
Fiscal Year to Date Contribution: $408,333.47
Giving Last Week: $8,215.00
Benevolent Fund Offering of 3/7: $2,350.00
Donations to the Rissley Family: $6,874.39