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Pastor Breddin: Posted on Wednesday, September 12, 2018 1:21 PM
Motivation is a slippery concept. There was a
time when the motivation to come to church was based solely on the expectation
of one's parents, or the fear of hell, or the cute youth group member you wanted
to meet. These days our motivations to participate in the life of the church
are as varied as our personalities. For many of us, church is a lifeline; it is
a place to connect with a spiritual source of being, and a human source of
support. If it were not for this church family, there would likely be fewer meaningful
attachments and activities in your life.
We all live busy lives, there is no way around
that. It's not easy to make time in our week for church between work, and
family, and sports, and sleep. Yet, when we do find ways to make space, often
we find that we have not lost the time for something else, and instead gained
something more powerful and meaningful than a football game, a concert, a few
extra hours of sleep.
As we enter into the Fall season, there will
be opportunities to be part of this faith community and to reach out to others
in the communities in which we live and work. Maybe you haven't been motivated yet
to join us on a Wednesday evening for Caffeinated Conversations at Leonardo's Coffee
shop, but we'd love to see you! Maybe this is the year when you will feel the
pull to leave your pew and join the choir. Perhaps you will be motivated to
volunteer your gifts and play an instrument for our worship. Have you
volunteered to help with Vets in the Ville? Maybe you will be motivated to
serve on Church Council. Motivation isn't just about getting off your
butt and doing something; it's also about listening to the prodding of the Holy
Spirit. What is God asking of you? What is God prodding you to do? Maybe it's to
join something that is already in existence; maybe it's to bring something new
to life.
If you are seeking to discern what motivates
you to be part of this faith community, if you are struggling to see what God
is calling you to do, or you have been awoken in the night by that still, small,
insistent voice of God, I invite you to give me a call, I would love to explore
together where the Holy Spirit may be leading you.
With the Greatest of Hope!
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Rev. Erik E. Breddin: Posted on Wednesday, June 15, 2016 1:56 PM
Ah, summer those wonderful months when the
days are filled with sunshine, the nights with star-filled nights and our
bellies with way too much food from the grill.
I'm sure all of us are looking forward to
these next few months, for the somewhat more relaxed pace of life that comes
with the hotter days. We might even be looking forward to getting away for a
few days, or a few weeks. A vacation! Time to get away from work, time to spend
more time with friends and family, time to recharge your batteries so you are
better able to do the things required of you.
Did you know Jesus took a vacation (or at
least tried to)? In the sixth chapter of Mark, Jesus says to his disciples,
“Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” It didn't go too
well, they got in a boat to go across to the other side of the lake, and by the
time they got there a crowd had developed. Jesus got out of the boat and
ministered to the people. His vacation had been very short-lived. There was
simply too much to do.
The life of a community and a congregation
often seems to be unending. Even though we may individually be taking time off
here and there over the next few months, the life of the congregation continues
to happen. This summer, we have several different events that we will be participating
in.
First, the weekend of June 18-19 will be a
busy one. On that Saturday we will be participating in Steubenville's Community
Celebration with a booth downtown. During that afternoon John Diekmann will be
offering tours of the church. Then, the next day we have our Parents and Pals
dinner following worship. We will then be having our annual Hot dogs on the
Lawn, July 21. Then on August 13, we will once again be serving a meal and
providing a worship service at the Urban Mission. Lots of stuff going on, lots
of opportunities for you to get involved in the communal life at Zion.
Take some time this summer to relax, sit on
your porch and sip your sweet tea, but also remember that the work of the
church never ends. The calling we have as disciples of Jesus to share and live
out the good news doesn't take a vacation.
With the Greatest of Hope!
Erik |
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