As I was a leaving the house one morning, one of our kids, with a little grin, said, “Dad, if the United States is a free country, why are there so many laws?” I quipped back, “If the US is a free country, why is everything so expensive?”

It was a silly conversation, but it got me thinking about freedom, especially our freedom in Christ. This freedom, too, is costly and comes with some rules. Laws and rules serve a vital function in society and in our personal lives. They set the boundaries for acceptable behavior and help us set reasonable expectations for the behavior of other people. God gives us basic rules in the 10 Commandments that set the boundaries for how Christians should live. Worship only God. Speak and live in such a way that we bring honor to God’s name. Don’t use our voices to slander or lie about others. Don’t take what doesn’t belong to us. And so on. But God also gives all sorts of other guidance that flesh out these laws or provide values to guide how we live within these boundaries.

For example, it is wrong to murder, but we are also called to love our enemies. Beyond simply not killing people. There is lots of room to figure out how to best love our enemies. We cannot steal, but we are also called to care for the poor. Beyond simply not taking what doesn’t belong to us, there is lots of room to figure out how to best care for and bless those with less than us. It is wrong to commit adultery, but we are also called to honor the image of God in other people. Beyond simply not objectifying people, what does it look like to treat those of the opposite gender with dignity because they reflect God as his image bearer.

It is fairy easy to live within the letter of the boundaries, but much hard to actively try to love our neighbors, welcome the foreigners among us, pray for those who persecute us, seek first God’s kingdom, and pick up our cross and follow Jesus.

Jesus has set us free, but it is a freedom from sin and a slavery to righteousness (Romans 6:18). And of course, this freedom from sin is costly. Just not to us. God made Christ who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God ( 2 Corinthians 5:21). I do not know how to fully explain how Jesus became sin, but I know what it costs. It costs the cross.

Our freedom in Christ is such an amazing costly gift, may we use this freedom to live for Christ and his glory.

– Greg

Connect to God
This week we will gather for worship at 9:30 am. This weeks service will be at zionreformed.online.church and streaming on our YouTube channel. We will also rebroadcast a version of the service on WCET at noon on Friday and 4pm next Sunday. The service will continue to be available on YouTube to watch at your convenience.

During the Easter season, we will be considering questions Christians often avoid that many young people as well as people wondering about Christianity frequently want to ask. Some of these topics may be uncomfortable for us as believers as young people often see through the masks and inconsistencies of our lives, but I hope in considering these questions we can humble acknowledge our own weaknesses and point each other to the glory and beauty four God. This week, we consider a less emotionally fraught question, but one that influences so much of how we live as believers: what do we mean when we say the Bible is the inspired word of God? To guide us in these refections, we will be considering 2 Timothy 3:10-17.

This Sunday we celebrate with Tom and Megan MacGraw the baptism of their daughter Ryleigh Mae.  As they celebrate her life, we give thanks to God for the gift of new life he has made available to all who believe. We thank God as well for the covenant he has established all the way back with Abraham to include children in his family. We honor this faithful God as we welcome Ryleigh Mae into the covenant community at Zion.

Grow in Community
Larry Westra has left the hospital and is continuing his recovery from back surgery at home.

Three weeks ago Don Osterink found out his prostate cancer more than likely has spread. He had a PET scan Tuesday, April 19 and will be meeting with doctors Monday, April 25th to determine the next course of action. Please pray for Don and Marcia and their family during this time of waiting and for positive results from the PET scan.

Congratulations to Kyle and Shanda VandePol on the birth of their son Pierce Calvin. Pierce was born today at 2:54 PM this afternoon.  He weighs 7 lbs 9 oz and is 21 inches long. Both mom and baby are doing well. Please join the VandePol’s in a prayer of praise and thanks to God for this precious gift.

Our nursery is filling up again! Praise God for the gift of these children. And, we need your help. Would you be willing to support young families so parents can attend the worship service, and provide great care for our young children? The time commitment is once every 4 weeks during the school year, and a couple of times over the summer. If you’re interested, please contact Rachel Brower at 616-669-3412.

Thanks to everyone who helped our youth group reach the $15,000 goal for the Alaska Mission Trip! Because of your generosity, we will be hosting a Youth-Led Worship Night this Sunday, April 24 at 5:30 pm. Mark your calendars and come support our youth while enjoying an extended time of worshipping our faithful God together!

Our youth are looking for Shareholders for our 2022 Alaska Mission Trip. Becoming a shareholder means that you will donate $40 or more to help offset the costs of the trip. As a shareholder, you will be matched up with one student and commit to praying for them before the trip, during the trip, and after the trip. There are all sorts of benefits for shareholders like: a meal with your student after the trip, an update from the student during the trip, a copy of their pre-trip devotionals, the knowledge you played a role in a student’s spiritual growth and so much more.

Serve the World
If you need help, either with food, personal care items, help grocery shopping, or with financial needs, please contact Jerrod Holzgen, our chair of deacons, and he can help connect you with the appropriate resources at Zion. His e-mail is Jholzgen@yahoo.com and his phone number is 616-520-1771.

Administration
Last Tuesday, the Consistory met for our regular monthly meeting, In addition to our regular business of reviewing progress toward the goals set for our staff, receiving updates on our church plant, and an update on the latest Classis meeting, we also approved a proposed budget for our next fiscal year and the slate of Elders and Deacons to be affirmed by our congregation at our congregational meeting following worship on May 1. Copies of the budget will be made available in the lobby for those who are interested in reviewing it prior to the congregational meeting.

As you may recall, after using a single slate of nominees last spring, the Consistory decided to do so again this year following one of the two methods for choosing Consistory members described in our denomination’s Book of Church Order. As prescribed in the Book of Church Order, the congregation will nominate people for the offices of Elder and Deacon. Using these nominations as a significant guide, the Consistory will choose the 2 Elders and 2 Deacons to stand on this single slate. The two Elders nominees this year are Tim Mekkes and Eric Zondervan. The two deacon nominees are Ashley Gross and Ashley VanderWall. These nominees will be affirmed at the Congregational meeting by vote of the congregation.

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 2021/22 Budget:  $515,672.42
Fiscal Year 2021/22 Contributions: $483,148.63
Giving Last Week: $7,008.13

4-17-22 Bulletin