Last week, I shared a little about how to intentionally BLESS people with whom you want to share the gospel. The acronym BLESS stands for: Begin to Pray, Listen, Eat together, Serve them, and telling the Story.

As I was pondering the idea of being a blessing as a way to intentionally share our faith, I was reminded that growing up in Zeeland at a CRC church, evangelism was rarely a topic of our discipleship. I could tell you all about predestination and infant baptism and the sovereignty of God, but no one ever told me how to or even that I should tell people who did not know Jesus about the gospel. Which sent me down the rabbit hole of books in my office and led me eventually to a book by a former pastor of Zion, Kevin Harney. Kevin wrote a book entitled, Organic Outreach for Churches. It is a companion to his book Organic Outreach for Christians. Both books are about 20 years old now, but still offer a great reminder to each of us that the mission of the church is not only to disciple people, but to make new disciples.

In chapter 4 of the book focused on churches, he highlights 7 mental shifts churches need to make to become more focused on outreach. They are:

1. From random to strategic: we think outreach just happens. We need to put in the effort to be intentional.
2. From fame to funding: we fund what matters to us and most church budgets direct most of the money to ourselves or to pay someone else to evangelism somewhere else in the world. We need to fund local outreach and evangelism.
3. From believing to belonging: we have assumed people need to believe to be active in the church, but for many people, belief follows after their experience belonging in the church
4. From us to them: for many Christians, the church exists to meet their needs. We need to shift to remember the church exists to meet the needs of the world and the greatest need is to know their God
5. From programs to praying: We love programs in the church, systems and structures, but hearts get changed when we pray. We need to pray for those who don’t yet know God.
6. From mush to clarity: I need to be clear and our leaders need to be clear on the need in our community. While we do not see it very well, church attendance in our community is actually below the national average. People are living and dying every day in our neighborhoods not knowing God. There are eternal consequences when we fail to reach people with the gospel.
7. From fatalism to faith: It is easy when evangelizing to grow discouraged because people do not change quickly or on our time schedule. We need to be a people who live in the faith, the confidence, that God is at work all around us reconciling his world back to him.

Where do you need to shift your thinking to begin actively engaging and supporting evangelistic outreach in our community?

Greg

Connect to God
This Sunday we will gather for worship both in person and online. We will gather by the playground for an outdoor service at 9 am. If there is a likelihood of rain, we will cancel our 9 am service. We will try to announce any change in venue by Saturday night on our Facebook page.

If you are not able to join us in person or would simply prefer to not gather in a large crowd yet, you can still join us for online worship. Our 11 am service will be livestream and you are welcome to attend worship at 11, thought the focus will be on the livestream participants. We will be live streaming our 11 am service at zionreformed.online.church and Zion’s Facebook Page. We will also rebroadcast the service on WCET at noon on Friday and 4pm next Sunday.

This week, we continue our series entitled 20 Minute Theology as we think through some basics questions of faith led by the Heidelberg Catechism. Over the first three weeks, we saw our identity as beloved children of God, the mess we have created by our sin, and how God joins us in and rescues us from that mess in Jesus. This week, we will be considering what this God who saves us is like as we see him revealed in Jesus who is the image of the invisible God.

Grow in Community
We have recently started a closed Zion group on Facebook to create a place to discuss sermons, share prayer requests, and stay connected asynchronously when direct face-to-face connections are more challenging. If you want to join the group, you can request to join at this link: www.facebook.com/groups/ziongrandville/

Beginning on September 27, we will hold worship at 9 am indoors. This service will also be live-streamed. We also hope to begin holding Children’s Ministry for kids ages 3 through 5th grade during worship. We will not hold a large group gather for children and will instead have them go immediately to their classrooms. They will be in 3 classrooms and we will practice social distancing by requiring masks for children in K-5th and attempting to keep unrelated children 6 feet apart. We intend to follow the recommendations in MI Safe Start for Schools documentation.

Serve the World
City Chapel continues to gather each week virtually for worship. They also have several book studies occurring during the week. As you can imagine, this is a difficult time to be launching a church when so many social events have been discontinued. And yet, they continue to maintain connections with attenders and are looking forward to welcoming 8 babies (God willing) between June and the end of this year. Please continue to keep Ron and Anna Radcliffe in your prayers as they lead City Chapel.

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. We are especially grateful this week for all those who have adjusted their means of giving to give online, through the mail, and via text. Zion’s members continue to strongly support the ministries of Zion during this time of uncertainty.

Fiscal Year to Date Budget: $105,062.80
Fiscal Year to Date Contribution: $91,497.14
Giving Last Week: $6,424.00
Cash on Hand: $158,523.27

Our family has been camping at the Christian Reformed Conference Grounds the past couple of weeks. It has been a great time of campfires, swimming, and ice cream cones every night. Two unrelated thoughts have been running through my mind these last two weeks.

First, a 35 minute commute is really long when you are used to a 5 minute commute. May God bless and keep safe all of you with long commutes every day. You amaze me as I am a little tired from the extra driving and early mornings this week.

Second, the people at Christian camps are not our mission field. I know that seems rather obvious. And, I occasionally hear people be excited about a church friend joining a new church or about a church growing by drawing people from other churches. And, that kind of growth is not really growth. The Church of God does not grow when people move between local congregations. Honestly, from my experience the church they left often hurts much more from the loss than the new church is blessed by the gain.

It is so good to be able to worship and share life with other believers. It is not for no reason that the writer of Hebrews urges us to not give up the habit of meeting with one another to encourage each other. We need encouragement. We need community. We need the experience of corporate worship.

And, we must never forget the role of church is to worship God and equip us all for the works of ministry: caring for the poor, encouraging the discouraged, seeking justice for the oppressed, and proclaiming the reign of King Jesus. This work is hard. Tiring. Confusing at times. And so very important because this is the mission we have been given. Not to sing worship songs and listen to sermons, but to join God in the work of redeeming and restoring this world that has been marred by sin so that his will may be done on earth as it already is in heaven.

One way we do this is by inviting other people to join us in this mission. Who in your life could you invite to join in the mission of God? Who are the friends, relation, acquaintances, neighbors, and co-workers (your FRANC list) you could be intentional in looking for ways to invite them to join the mission of God? Make a list this week. Write down at least one name in each category and start thinking about how and when you could talk to them about the mission of Jesus?

Next week, I’ll share some ways you can be strategic in reaching these people with the good news of God’s kingdom come ruled by Jesus.

See you Sunday, wash your hands, and stay safe!

Greg

Connect to God
This Sunday we will gather for worship both in person and online. We will gather by the playground for an outdoor service at 9 am and indoors in the sanctuary at 11 am. If there is a likelihood of rain or if the grass will be wet from rain over night, we will move our 9 am service to the sanctuary. We will try to announce any change in venue by Saturday night on our facebook page.

If you are not able to join us in person or would simply prefer to not gather in a large crowd yet, you can still join us for online worship. We will be live streaming our 11 am service at zionreformed.online.church and Zion’s Facebook Page. We will also rebroadcast the service on WCET at noon on Friday and 4pm next Sunday.

This week, we welcome the Rev. Dr. Jill Versteeg, Chief Operating Officer of the RCA. Jill also provides leadership in the RCA to come alongside churches and assist them in living into the RCA Transformed and Transforming Vision including efforts to develop Next Generation ministry, disability advocacy, and cultural agility in churches to respond to a changing culture and world. Jill is a graduate of Northwestern College and a friend of mine from seminary. I am looking forward to the word God has given her for our congregation from Matthew 15:21-28.

Grow in Community
Will Kuiper will be celebrating his 88th birthday on August 5, He is also struggling with some social isolation as visitors are not allowed in nursing homes. You could be a huge blessing to Will by simply sending him a birthday card, celebrating his life and letting him know he is still known and cared for by Zion. His address is:
Will Kuiper
2589 44th St. SE RM 113
Grand Rapids, MI 49512

While we have not been able to meet together face-to-face, our Elders, Deacons and Pastor Rick have been doing a great job touching base with members over the age of 60 every couple of weeks. As our time apart has grown, our Consistory has recognized the need to expand our care to those under 60 as well. To that end, we are forming Covid-19 Connect Groups until we are able to meet together regularly as a congregation Each person under 60 who is not already in a small group or discipleship triad is being randomly assigned to one of these groups. The leaders will be calling to check-in on members every couple of weeks and, now that they are allowed, planning an opportunity each month to meet physically together. If you would like more information, please contact me at gbrowerzionreformed.org.

We also still have numerous Discipleship Triads meeting. If you would like to learn more about how you can connect with other people at Zion to encourage one another to follow Jesus well, send me an e-mail and I can help get you connected.

Serve the World
Sunrise Ministries has transitioned to a personal care pantry and will no longer be distributing food. If you would like to support their personal care pantry, donations can be made at Sunrise Ministries. We continue our Personal Care Pantry in partnership with United Church Outreach Ministries in Wyoming under the direction go Tom Boeve. If you would like to get involved in our care pantry, please contact Tom at 616-885-8362;

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. We are especially grateful this week for all those who have adjusted their means of giving to give online, through the mail, and via text. Zion’s members continue to strongly support the ministries of Zion during this time of uncertainty.

Fiscal Year to Date Budget: $84,050.24
Fiscal Year to Date Contribution: $74,540.14
Giving Last Week: $11,025.00
Cash on Hand: $150,640.75

Our family came back last weekend from a wonderful two week vacation in Colorado. We spent our mornings watching deer from our campsite, our days hiking to various lakes, waterfalls, and mountain tops, our evenings talking around the camp fire, and our nights with all 6 of us stuffed a little like sardines in our trailer. It was a great two weeks.
This was our 2nd trip with our kids to Rocky Mountain National Park and perhaps more times than we can count for Rachel and I as we spent many days and weekends in the park when we lived in Colorado. It was different this time, though, because of Covid-19. The visitor centers were all closed. There were no ranger talks. There were very long lines to get into the park at times due to the timed entry system used to reduce the number of visitors to the park. Signs reminded us to wear masks in the bathrooms and pit-toilets. (BTW – I always wanted to wear a mask in a pit-toilet, but it really doesn’t solve the smell issue.) The campground was not full as some reservations were cancelled by the National Park to reduce crowding in the campground. It was great, but different.

As we look ahead to gathering in worship this Sunday, I imagine it will bring with it a similar feeling. It will be great to see many of you and it will be different. We normally run some sort of kids ministry every week of the year, but we will not do so for at least the remainder of the summer so kids will be with us in church. We will have activities bags for kids to keep them occupied during church and will have some tables set up in the sanctuary for families to use if they would like. We will wear masks in doors and as I read the latest guidance from our Governor we should also encourage people to wear masks outside, especially if you might be within 6 feet of someone else. Some of us will not be gathering yet because of health concerns or pre-existing conditions and for those people we will still offer an online worship option at 11 am.

I ran across a prayer recently for times like these. It reads: If comparison is the thief of joy, then Lord, help me to not compare my life today to my life 6 months ago. Help me find the joy in THIS life, and in THIS day and to know that it is from you, and it is enough. Amen.

Amidst all the change and uncertainty, may we each find joy in this day and in this life God has given us. Looking forward to seeing you on Sunday!

Connect to God
This Sunday we will once gather for worship in person and online. We will gather by the playground for an outdoor service at 9 am and indoors in the sanctuary at 11 am. If there is a likelihood of rain or if the grass will be wet from rain over night, we will move our 9 am service to the sanctuary.We will try to announce any change in venue by Saturday night on our facebook page.

If you are not able to join us in person or would simply prefer to not gather in a large crowd yet, you can still join us for online worship. We will be live streaming our 11 am service at zionreformed.online.church and Zion’s Facebook Page. We will also rebroadcast the service on WCET at noon on Friday and 4pm next Sunday.

As we gather physically together on Sunday, we will also begin a new sermon series entitled 20 Minute Theology. In this series, we will look at some important questions such as who are you, what went wrong, how do we get out of this mess, who is God, what is the church, what happens when we die, and what does God want from us. Join us for this series as we go back to the basics of the faith and find both direction, understanding, and comfort even in tense times such as these.

Grow in Community
Matt and Katie Eling request prayer for their sister in law Kim. After a good report last week that scans showed no new tumor growth and some improvement, Kim is in the hospital under palliative care after a lung collapsed during surgery yesterday to insert a new drain. Please keep Kim and her family in your prayers.

While we have not been able to meet together face-to-face, our Elders, Deacons and Pastor Rick have been doing a great job touching base with members over the age of 60 every couple of weeks. As our time apart has grown, our Consistory has recognized the need to expand our care to those under 60 as well. To that end, we are forming Covid-19 Connect Groups until we are able to meet together regularly as a congregation Each person under 60 who is not already in a small group or discipleship triad is being randomly assigned to one of these groups. The leaders will be calling to check-in on members every couple of weeks and, now that they are allowed, planning an opportunity each month to meet physically together. If you would like more information, please contact me at gbrowerzionreformed.org.

We also still have numerous Discipleship Triads meeting. If you would like to learn more about how you can connect with other people at Zion to encourage one another to follow Jesus well, send me an e-mail and I can help get you connected.

Serve the World
We continue accepting donations of personal care items and food on Wednesdays from 1-3 pm at church. We are partnering with Sunrise Ministries in Jenison for a weekly distribution. We also continue our monthly partnership with UCOM through our Personal Care Pantry. For the next few weeks, all Personal Care Items will be shared with Lifeline Community Church for their next distribution in Wyoming this Saturday. Thank you for your support of these important ministries at this time.

If you and others that you know would be willing to serve, Sunrise Ministries (in coordination with Love Inc and local churches) is in need of volunteers this Wednesday and for the next couple of weeks! They are also in need of people to go shop for food. They have gift cards and a list that they would give you before you go out. If you are interested please contact Penny at penny@sunrisemin.org

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. We are especially grateful this week for all those who have adjusted their means of giving to give online, through the mail, and via text. Zion’s members continue to strongly support the ministries of Zion during this time of uncertainty.

Fiscal Year to Date Budget: $63,037.68
Fiscal Year to Date Contribution: $55,543.32
Giving Last Week: $8897.00
Cash on Hand: $160,719.56

This is what the Lord says:
“For three sins of Israel,
even for four, I will not relent.
They sell the innocent for silver,
and the needy for a pair of sandals.
They trample on the heads of the poor
as on the dust of the ground
and deny justice to the oppressed.
Father and son use the same girl
and so profane my holy name.
They lie down beside every altar
on garments taken in pledge.
In the house of their god
they drink wine taken as fines.
– Amos 2:6-8

Over 20 years ago now while a graduate student at Indiana, I was reading the book of John and was struck how in awe the writer seemed to be that Jesus loved him. It got me thinking about how I related to God’s love. Like many people who grew up in church, I grew up singing “Jesus Loves Me” and being told I was loved by God. So, it struck me as odd that John seemed so awed. This drove me to the Old Testament and the prophets to try to understand John’s frame of mind. I spent the next six months studying the minor prophets.

And then, I came across the book of Amos and it leveled me. The book begins with God’s judgment on all the neighbors of Israel before God pronounces his judgment on them in Amos 2:6-8. God judges Israel because they oppress the poor and the oppressed, they abuse their servants (the reference to a father and son and the girl) and they flaunt their abuse of the poor even in their worship (drinking wine and sleeping on garments taken in pledge for a loan). God is not angry because of idolatry or personal moral sins, but because as a society those in power have oppressed the poor. The whole nation is judged because of their oppression of the poor.

In the sermon this passed Sunday, I highlighted briefly the breadth and the depth of the gospel that Jesus is king over the whole world. This does not negate the truth that we are saved by faith in Jesus, but focuses our attention on God’s plan to redeem all of creation through the coming of the kingdom of his Son. As followers of Jesus, we should be living to help reveal the character of this kingdom or to live in such a way that people glimpse the peace and justice of this kingdom in us.

To me, this means as Christians we are a political, but not a partisan, people. We care about and should be involved in issues in the political world, but we do not put our hope or confidence in a political leader or party. We are not partisan. We will never find a party that fully supports the Biblical vision of a flourishing humanity. But, we need to be deeply engaged in seeking to help our world and nation reflect more and more the justice and peace of God revealed in Jesus and the teaching of the prophets.

There are lots of issues where our Christian ethics will come into play including abortion, tax rates and deficits, immigration policies and acts of war. But because the Black Lives Matter movement is so visible right now, I want to urge you to think carefully about how God would respond to our nation based on how it has treated African Americans throughout its history. Slavery. Jim Crow. The KKK. Mass incarceration. Redlining.

As I try to listen to people from the Black Lives Matter movement, I do not hear them saying Black Lives Matter more than other lives, but that their lives matter, too. And, that they do not experience American culture or the criminal justice system as valuing their lives. This is not primarily a question of separating good cops from bad cops, but of a system that imprisons and oppress people of color. It does not matter if this system does so by intentional design or unfortunate accident. This is what many people of color experience. The question for us as Christians is what are we going to do about it?

As a simple starting point, for me and maybe you, I need to learn more to understand something outside of my personal experience. I need to listen to those who did not grow up in a white 2-parent home in Zeeland like I did. Following are a couple of resources I have found educational and/or moving:
The movie Just Mercy on Amazon.
The documentary 13th on Netflix and Youtube.
And this 17 minute video from Bob the Tomato (its really Phil Vischer who is the voice of Bob the Tomato).

As I am writing this, I am hearing all the “but what about this or that” in my head. So, yes, I also care deeply abut Blue lives and I both want them safe and respected and if one of them is injured or killed I am happy the perpetrator is moat often found, charged, and convicted of their crime. I also care deeply about abortion and long for it to no longer happen in our society. And obviously, all lives matter because from a Christian view every person bears the image of God and is worthy of being loved and protected simply for that reason alone. (Be careful how long you think about this because it will raise issues like war, the death penalty, global poverty, the 1,000,000 Uighur people in camps in China, immigration and refugees, the place and value of women in many cultures of our world, and so much more.) But this is already too long of an introduction to our E-News.

Seriously, watch the Phil Vischer video. It is worth 17 minutes if your time.

Connect to God
This Sunday we will once again gather for worship online. You can join the service at:
zionreformed.online.church
Zion’s Facebook Page
WCET (at noon on Friday and 4pm on Sunday)
Physical Copy of the Sermon mailed to you (please request from Connie Stegeman at cstegeman@zionreforned.org)

We continue our sermon series on Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi. Written from prison, this letter is often referred to as Paul’s letter of joy. Looking back over the past 6 months, we have seen: the impeachment of the president, a global health crisis, an economic crisis, and the racial tensions rooted in oppression that began 400 years ago came to the surface in some significant ways. In addition to the national anxiety, personally we have all  limited travel, dealt with the anxiety of the unknown, worried about our finances, felt the isolation of physical distancing, and the relational stresses all of this has added to life. We come to this letter of joy carrying our own unique burdens, but in it we see the power of focusing on Jesus even in the midst of our struggles. This week, Pastor Rick focuses our attention in Chapter 2 and the example Christ has set for us.

You are invited to join us for a coffee hour after church via a zoom call. The link will be shared during the service in the chat box. Last week, we had about 8 families join us for a brief talk in response to the sermon and just to catch up. You can learn more about how to use Zoom at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9isp3qPeQ0E

Grow in Community
We extend our congratulations to Joe and Jill Sietsema and Austin and Ashley on the birth of Jason Daniel born Monday morning. Both mother and baby are doing well.

Join us at 9 am for Zion Kids Worship/Sunday School. We will be live streaming directly from the same website where you already watch our worship service. You can find the Kids Worship time at https://zionreformed.online.church.

Join us June 24 for a short time of worship (think hymn sing or maybe hymn/worship song sing) and a short devotional from Pastor Greg. We will be meeting on the lawn near the play ground at church at 7 pm. Bring your own chair and beverage for a chance to safely visit in a physically distant way with friends from church and enjoy a time of worship together, If it is raining on the 24th, we will meet on the 25th at 7 pm. In an effort to follow the governor’s guidelines, this event is limited to 100 people, so if you are planning to attend, please contact Connie Stegeman (cstegeman@zionreformed.org or 616-534-7533) so we can plan appropriately.

While we have not been able to meet together face-to-face, our Elders, Deacons and Pastor Rick have been doing a great job touching base with members over the age of 60 every couple of weeks. As our time apart has grown, our Consistory has recognized the need to expand our care to those under 60 as well. To that end, we are forming Covid-19 Connect Groups until we are able to meet together regularly as a congregation Each person under 60 who is not already in a small group or discipleship triad is being randomly assigned to one of these groups. The leaders will be calling to check-in on members every couple of weeks and, now that they are allowed, planning an opportunity each month to meet physically together. If you would like more information, please contact me at gbrowerzionreformed.org.

We also still have numerous Discipleship Triads meeting. If you would like to learn more about how you can connect with other people at Zion to encourage one another to follow Jesus well, send me an e-mail and I can help get you connected.

Serve the World
We continue accepting donations of personal care items and food on Wednesdays from 1-3 pm at church. We are partnering with Sunrise Ministries in Jenison for a weekly distribution. We also continue our monthly partnership with UCOM through our Personal Care Pantry. For the next few weeks, all Personal Care Items will be shared with Lifeline Community Church for their next distribution in Wyoming this Saturday. Thank you for your support of these important ministries at this time.

If you and others that you know would be willing to serve, Sunrise Ministries (in coordination with Love Inc and local churches) is in need of volunteers this Wednesday and for the next couple of weeks! They are also in need of people to go shop for food. They have gift cards and a list that they would give you before you go out. If you are interested please contact Penny at penny@sunrisemin.org

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
As we move closer to regathering for corporate worship, our Consistory is asking for your feedback regarding when and how to reopen. To that end, they have sent a survey via e-mail to each household in our congregation. For those households for which we do not have an e-mail address, we have mailed a physical copy to your home. Please respond to this survey as soon as possible as the Consistory will be meeting on June 23 to determine how soon we will be opening. If your family has not received the survey yet, please e-mail Pastor Greg immediately, and he will send one to you right away. Thank you for your thoughtful attention to this survey.

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. We are especially grateful this week for all those who have adjusted their means of giving to give online, through the mail, and via text. Zion’s members continue to strongly support the ministries of Zion during this time of uncertainty.

Fiscal Year to Date Budget: $21,012.56
Fiscal Year to Date Contribution: $19,264.00
Giving Last Week: $9,819.00
Cash on Hand: $157,890.59

I had several thoughts to share this week with you, but thought it wiser to let a different choice be heard. Following is a letter from Earl James, Coordinator for African American/Black Council and Advocacy of the RCA. The letter is long and it is worth your reading and carefully reflecting upon it as it comes from a fellow believer, leader in our denomination, and reflects an experience mot which most of us do not regularly have access.

Dear Members of the RCA’s African American/Black Council, the Council’s Constituents, and all our Allies,

This pastoral and advocacy letter differs from other ones that I have written or helped write. The central concerns are not church focused or in condemning racism per se. The central concerns here:

Reflect from my perspectives on how the recent murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery fit into an overall experience of being American

Highlight being an ally in this cause of racial equity and justice in our communities

Highlight being an ally in this cause of racial equity and justice in our communities Promote addressing “use-of-force” policies that govern police actions
Share some ways forward.

The recent murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, are awful and evil in their own rights. For many of us, they are also part of a soul-damaging heritage of being of this country.

In George Floyd’s murder, former police officer Derek Chauvin’s knee was on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes. It remained there for nearly three minutes after George was unresponsive.

Chauvin’s knee on the neck is merely the latest of an American heritage of noose around the neck. Regardless of knee or noose, the result is “I can’t breathe.” Both kill.

Take several moments. Sit or lie silently. Calm your body and mind. Then imagine for as long as you can a knee pressing hard on your throat. Can you imagine the pressure? Can you imagine struggling to breathe?

Keeping ourselves and our children breathing has been a bane of our existence. To stay watchful and prepare our children and grandchildren to be watchful:

• Requires an enormous strength of will and
• Expends a huge amount of physical, mental, emotional energy.

Our and their watchfulness, we fully hope, will help keep us alive. Our watchfulness is exhausting.

“Our” does not only mean “those of us now.” Our parents had to be watchful and taught us of the Boomer generation to be so. For many of our parents, there was a close relationship between fear and respect. And in their parents’ time, fear was a tool they used to keep their children safe. Yes, there was prayer. Yes, there were worship services and vigils. Yes, there were beliefs that Christ is the answer. Yes, there were efforts to promote racial reconciliation and harmony. Despite faith and action and hope and love, from nooses to knees, the anxiety continues.

Like many of us, I have for over 40 years frequently had “the talk” with my children and very young grandchildren. Yet, still, this. A day after Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd, two of my grandchildren woke up from frightening dreams. One dreamt that she and her friends were carted off into slavery. She and her closest friend were forced by White women to scrub floors. Another dreamt that his close buddy who is White warned him repeatedly to watch out for White police. We listened quietly to both of them tell about their dreams and how they felt about the murder. Afterward, we shook with rage and hurt that this evil even entered the lives of our little ones. This was not a history lesson. This wasn’t read from a book. This was real-time, in-the-moment, and life shaping for them.

What is the teachable moment here for them? I was so grateful their parents took them to our local protest rally. Yes, a small number of people ended up defacing and destroying property. Yes, the police dealt with them. But, a massive number of protesters were peaceful, active, and united. When faced with evil, my grandchildren took steps to confront it. They are sifting themselves and taking stands. Taking stands for themselves, for those they know and love, and for this community they are part of.

I must add, in my time, I have learned about and been part of events and movements led by people of the Builder and Boomer generations. This one in my community was led by people from Generations Y and Z (my grandchildren’s generation). It warms my soul to see them owning this challenge. It warms my head and heart to follow their leadership.

I want to share on economics. In the Civil Rights movement, pastor- and church-led groups conducted economic boycotts to overturn Jim Crow. What started with lunch counter sit-ins at businesses that refused to serve Blacks helped create much wider opportunities in American life for Blacks and other oppressed people. The Blackout Coalition, a national racial justice effort launched in response to George Floyd’s murder, has joined that economic strategy. On July 7, 2020, Black people and all other allies are asked, for that day, to not buy anything. As was the case historically, the Coalition hopes to raise awareness and promote justice through this economic protest. For more information and to join the Coalition, see its Facebook page: www.facebook.com/groups/blackoutdaymovement/.

To close this section, a couple of beautiful references.

A few days ago, I read a powerful piece by a Black person, Stratton C. Lee III. He sifted through his sense of self and place. His words are elegant and eloquent. I wholeheartedly recommend you read it, reflect on it, and take his lead and sift yourself: www.facebook.com/2326842/posts/10117315456787614/. May your heart race like mine as you read Stratton’s post.

I recently read this elegant and eloquent testimony on being an ally: www.facebook.com/10010659/posts/10112579068233321/. Its author is a young White police officer, Justin Pletcher. In his post, he sifted his own heart and mind. He wrote about what he does with other White people. He shared about some things he did with people of color. Justin described how he measures the usefulness of him being an ally—he listens to those he serves. I wholeheartedly encourage you to read Justin’s post.

Use of Force Law Enforcement Policies 

Police departments must hire, promote, and champion people of good will. But in this matter of killing, whether an officer is loving or racially reconciled is secondary. The primary issue is the murders, such as in George Floyd’s case, must stop. In their time, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and others spoke like that about lynching. Regardless of hearts and racial reconciliation, lynching had to stop.

We need to understand far better what “use-of-force” policies are and why police murders of unarmed people normally do not appear to violate established use-of-force police policies.

Typically, use-of-force is a law or policy that guides when police can use different amounts

of force to control situations. Use-of-force goals typically surround matters of arrest and protection of officers or others. In many jurisdictions, use-of-force is supposed to be a last resort tactic. Examples of elements of use-of-force policies can be found here: www.joincampaignzero.org/force.

We have a federal government and not a national one. Therefore, use-of-force laws and policies are determined at every governmental jurisdiction. A single or uniform law or policy is not possible. I strongly recommend that existing use-of-force policies in your area:

• Be examined
• Be measured against biblical and theological principles of love and justice
• Be challenged against actual incidents of police killings of unarmed people and Be changed in ways that radically reduce deaths by police of unarmed people.

Some Ways Forward and Some Next Steps 

• Continue embracing peaceful public demonstrations for racial equity and justice, and for elimination of police brutality. (I reached out to an organizer of the protest I was part of to learn more and serve.)
• Work to re-craft use-of-force policies in your location to ensure that deaths of unarmed persons by police are eliminated or carry swift and substantial penalties. (I am talking with some people where I live who might want to conduct this work.)
• Find and continually express great care to those among your families and friends, of any generation. In frequent and diverse ways, tell them they matter and are of great value. Tell them specific things about their character and actions that impress you and that you hold dear. Always let them know in various and diverse ways they are gifts from God to you and to life itself.
• Review, talk about, and incorporate into conversations, education, sermons, advocacy, and so on the two postings mentioned previously from Stratton C. Lee III and Justin Pletcher. Explore how they practically live out the Belhar Confession’s principles of justice, reconciliation, and unity: www.rca.org/belhar.
• Have inter-generational conversations and activities that can nurture inter- generational racial equity and justice understanding
• Host one or more virtual or in-person congregational, family, or town hall meetings on any part of this matter. (Others and I are planning two or three virtual engagements to occur in June and/or July.)
• Learn about and participate in The Blackout Coalition’s July 7, 2020, day of not spending money.
• Watch the movie “Just Mercy” and discuss it. It is an exceptional telling of a true story about the dangers of systemic racism in American life. During June 2020, it may be streamed at no cost. Here is how: www.businessinsider.com/how-to-watch- just-mercy-free-streaming-rental.

Yours in Christ, Earl James
Coordinator for African American/Black Council and Advocacy

Connect to God
This Sunday we will once again gather for worship online. You can join the service at:
zionreformed.online.church
Zion’s Facebook Page
WCET (at noon on Friday and 4pm on Sunday)
Physical Copy of the Sermon mailed to you (please request from Connie Stegeman at cstegeman@zionreforned.org)

We were going to start a new series on Philippians this week, but it has been postponed by one week. Instead, this Sunday we will be looking at Romans 14 to see how the counsel of scripture might help us to be a people of unity and reconciliation in a time of tribalism and division.

You are invited to join us for a coffee hour after church via a zoom call. The link will be shared during the service in the chat box. Last week, we had about 8 families join us for a brief talk in response to the sermon and just to catch up. You can learn more about how to use Zoom at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9isp3qPeQ0E

Grow in Community
Join us at 9 am for Zion Kids Worship/Sunday School. We will be live streaming directly from the same website where you already watch our worship service. You can find the Kids Worship time at https://zionreformed.online.church.

Join us June 24 for a short time of worship (think hymn sing) and a short devotional from Pastor Greg. We will be meeting on the lawn near the play ground at church at 7 pm. Bring your own chair and beverage for a chance to safely visit in a physically distant way with friends from church and enjoy a time of worship together, If it is raining on the 24th, we will meet on the 25th at 7 pm. In an effort to follow the governor’s guidelines, this event is limited to 100 people, so if you are planning to attend, please contact Connie Stegeman (cstegeman@zionreformed.org or 616-534-7533) so we can plan appropriately.

While we have not been able to meet together face-to-face, our Elders, Deacons and Pastor Rick have been doing a great job touching base with members over the age of 60 every couple of weeks. As our time apart has grown, our Consistory has recognized the need to expand our care to those under 60 as well. To that end, we are forming Covid-19 Connect Groups until we are able to meet together regularly as a congregation Each person under 60 who is not already in a small group or discipleship triad is being randomly assigned to one of these groups. The leaders will be calling to check-in on members every couple of weeks and, now that they are allowed, planning an opportunity each month to meet physically together. If you would like more information, pleas contact me at gbrowerzionreformed.org.

We also still have numerous Discipleship Triads meeting. If you would like to learn more about how you can connect with other people at Zion to encourage one another to follow Jesus well, send me an e-mail and I can help get you connected.

Serve the World
We continue accepting donations of personal care items and food on Wednesdays from 1-3 pm at church. We are partnering with Sunrise Ministries in Jenison for a weekly distribution. We also continue our monthly partnership with UCOM through our Personal Care Pantry. For the next few weeks, all Personal Care Items will be shared with Lifeline Community Church for their next distribution in Wyoming. Thank you for your support of these important ministries at this time.

If you and others that you know would be willing to serve, Sunrise Ministries (in coordination with Love Inc and local churches) is in need of volunteers this Wednesday and for the next couple of weeks! They are also in need of people to go shop for food. They have gift cards and a list that they would give you before you go out. If you are interested please contact Penny at penny@sunrisemin.org

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. We are especially grateful this week for all those who have adjusted their means of giving to give online, through the mail, and via text. Zion’s members continue to strongly support the ministries of Zion during this time of uncertainty.

Year to Date Budget: $587,866.46
Year to Date Contribution: $554,994.82
Giving Last Week: $5,983.00
Cash on Hand: $147,008.82