March 13, 2024

The Pastor’s Pen

Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing. Joel 2:12-13

                As we enter the month of March, we continue our Lenten journey (a season of fasting and preparation) seeking to draw closer to God through self-examination, penance, and prayer. Lent lasts for forty days (starting Ash Wednesday till Holy Saturday, not counting the six Sundays), Lent commemorates the forty-days Jesus spent in the wilderness fasting and endured the temptations by the devil before starting his public ministry.

In “A Clearing Season: Reflections for Lent, by Sarah Parson. Sarah reminds us that in our wildernesses (those places of trials, tribulation, and testing), we should seek to “sit still, knowing the temptations and wild beast of this place,” and then ask ourselves, “how can we begin to create a small oasis of peace amid the chaos?” It is in the wildernesses of our lives where many of us seek God with greater openness. As she states, “Opening ourselves to God’s presence is beautiful, but it can also bring heartbreak because it often entails letting go of the old ways of doing things. This clearing often involves loss, even if it means leaving behind old tired defense mechanisms, and old patterns.” In the wilderness we go into places the have been overgrown and closed off, seeking to open them up, to voluntarily rend our own hearts to God.  

In Joel it says, “Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your clothing.” “Not just our clothing”, in other words, not just surface changes, but changes that are deeper, that go to the heart of who we should be in Christ. It means to clear bad habits, destructive patterns, and defenses. Yet, defenses serve an important purpose of protecting us, however overactive defenses can bring about an armor around our hearts (making our heart hardened) keeping others out, including God. So, we must be honest, naming our illusions (those stories we tell ourselves about who we are, why we do what we do, that masquerade as the truth). It is through being honest, and rending our hearts to God, offering our bad habits, destructive patterns, defense and even our feeling, no matter what they are that we are forgiven, helped, and ultimately healed. Yes, God can take our fears, pain, anger, and our needs, while ministering and providing to us in the wildernesses of our live!  It’s up to us! 

 Or quoting a song: “Change my heart oh God, make it ever true. Change my heart oh God, may I be like you.  As we continue our journey toward Easter, this is my hope for all of us this season!   

Pastor John

March Worship Greeters and Ushers: 

Richie and Gina Burn and Danny and Tonette Thomas.

We will practice this Sunday, March 17 at 5:00 pm for our Palm Sunday Symbols of Easter that will be held during worship on March 24. If you have a part in the service on the 24th, please plan to attend this practice.

The Worship Committee; Beth Craig, Judy Payne, Rhonda Waters, Carolyn Massey, Becky H. Steele, Michael Mills, and Dennis Hall, along with the Adult/Family Fellowship Committee; Doreen Catoe, Terry Robinson, Billy Sweatt, and Dianne Sweatt, are asked to meet this Sunday, March 17 at 6:00 pm in the Fellowship Hall. 

 After a recent audit of our church roll, we realized we may have not only lost touch with many of our members, but also, we may not have up-to-date contact information (phone, email) either. We are sending a letter and questionnaire to the address we have on file to all Zion members who currently reside on our church roll who have not been seen, heard from, or involved with the church in quite some time. As Methodists whose mission it is to make disciples for Christ as we grow in our faith, it requires a commitment by all members to be engaged in the ministry of the church - with their prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness. Our questionnaire will help us gather correct contact information and give members an opportunity to reaffirm their commitment to Zion or indicate they attend or have become a member of another congregation.

All men of all ages are invited to our UMM’s Dinner and Meeting on Wednesday, March 20 (please note date change!!) at 6:30 pm in the TFLC.  Join us for dinner, devotional/presentation and business meeting. Allen Blackmon will be our guest speaker. Menu will include spaghetti, salad, and garlic toast. 

We will present a special service, “Symbols of Easter,” on Palm Sunday, March 24th at 11:00 am. Join us as members of our congregation present some of the sacred symbols of Easter through the scriptures and in song. 

SAVE THE DATE!!!

CHINESE AUCTION SATURDAY, APRIL 27

Our Worship Committee and Family/Senior Adult Committee will be sponsoring a CHINESE AUCTION to support upcoming church events. More details to come!!!!

Congratulations to Cameron Middleton and Gabriela Silva Middleton who were united in holy matrimony on Saturday, March 9, 2024.

Our United Women in Faith will be serving a meal to the Winthrop Wesley students in Rock Hill on April 8th. Our appreciation to the women for providing this outreach.

Clergy Equity Training

to assist churches in establishing and working toward clergy retention and church sustainability

There will be Tri-District sessions however, Rock Hill’s District will meet with Columbia and Greenwood Districts on Saturday, April 13 at 10am-noon at Union UMC, 7582 Woodrow Street, Irmo, SC. Who should attend: Pastor, Lay Leader, SPRC Chair, Ad Board Chair, Finance Chair, Treasurer, and one influential Layperson in your church.

Special Gifts to Zion Church

In Honor of:

Darlene Hallman by Hazel and Terry Robinson

Pat Threatt, Betty Crook, and Billy and Dianne Sweatt by Dianne Martin

In Memory of:

Gene Hodge by Claudia Hartley

In loving memory of Mama on her birthday March 14th by Judy Payne

Special Gifts to Building Fund

In Honor of:

Cameron and Gaby Middleton by Libby, Alicia, and Jo Jo Morris

General Fund Expenditures February 2024:

Kristina Ray (youth—Seth’s Hope)  256.84

Rural Garbage 190.00

Wycliffe Bible Translators 333.34

Duke Energy 678.99

Wells Fargo (service charge) 3.00

Comporium 249.96

Three Boys Lawn Service 700.00

Mike Plyler (parsonage roofing repairs) 275.00

US Treasury (federal withholding) 470.94

My Church Website.net 299.00

Pastor John (travel) 42.21

LCNGA 1102.33

LCWSD 178.61

Staff Salaries 5306.22

Lifeway Christian Bookstore (literature) 189.66

Quill (office) 143.81

Wespath 100.00

M & B Tree Service (lift rental) 500.00

Custodial 712.00

Howard’s Plumbing (ann. backflow device insp) 125.00

SC Conf Direct Billing 2274.34

March 13:Dustin Sweatt, Chariti Pardue

March 14: Kyle Morris

March 15: Mr. and Mrs. Ken Preslar

March 17: Brooke Haigler

March 18: Gil Heath, Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Webster

March 19: Jessica McClain, Alyssa Waters, Blake Payne, Savannah Duell, Billy Bailey

The Record Speaks....

Present for 3/10 Sunday School: 48

Present for 3/10 Worship: 75

Needed each week for General Fund: $4,313

Received for 3/10 for General Fund: $2,761

Received for Building Fund: $20

There are several options available to give to the continuing ministry and outreach of Zion UMC. You may give through Paypal on the website www.zionumc.com, text your giving to 803-525-1834 and follow the secure link, or if you are not comfortable giving online, you may drop your offering in the mail to Zion UMC at 1665 Zion Road, Lancaster, SC 29720 or drop off in the secure drop box that is located beside the double doors where the buses are. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Missy at 803-804-2434 or leave a message at the church office, 803-285-3864 and your call will be returned. Thank you for your continued support of the Mission that is Zion!!

"...because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in you put your hand to."

Deuteronomy 15:10