by Pastor Stephen Blenkush
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In mid-January we received a letter
from the Marie Sandvik Center in Minneapolis:
Dear Friends, the Lord has been faithful to bring us through another year of ministry. We are humbled by the generosity and the out pouring of support that we have seen during another year of financial uncertainty. God’s love is seen clearly in all of the precious people who pray for us, support us and volunteer their time. Thank you for your continued support in 2012. And the letter is signed by the Director and Assistant Director at Marie Sandvik. For those of you unfamiliar with the Marie Sandvik Center, it is an inner city ministry that Zion has supported for decades. As a congregation we have contributed quilts, clothes, Christmas gifts and financial support over the years. On more than one occasion I have had the privilege of transporting some of those items down to the MSC and each time I am greeted by gracious and appreciative volunteers. My occasional trips down to MSC are always a joy. But the thing that caught my attention when I read this letter is that the same could be written by us here at Zion as we too have been blessed by God’s faithfulness to sustain our ministries here at Zion during these uncertain financial times. Your support, be it financial, prayer, and hands on, have allowed us to continue to provide a ministry of Word and Sacrament, the passing along of the faith to yet another generation, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with those who have are new to faith and the Body of Christ. At the heart of what we do here at Zion is centered on Worship, the gathering of God’s people to sing praises, seek forgiveness, hear the Gospel proclaimed and offer our thanks to God for all we have received. Worship is what we do first and foremost. Next comes passing along the faith through ministries such as Sunday School, Confirmation, and Adult Christian Education (Bible Studies). Your support of these two primary functions is crucial to what we do and who we are. Thank you! Your support has also allowed us to reach out beyond our walls and this community to the four corners of the world. Our quilts have even gone further than South Minneapolis; we have the privilege of supporting the ministry of Pastor John Lunn as he serves in India. (For those of you unfamiliar to Pastor Lunn, John is a son of Zion and one of Zion’s previous pastors, Pastor Frank Lunn and he is the brother to our own Jan Brown.) Through your benevolence we are able to start new mission sites and congregations both here in the US and abroad. The Good News of Jesus Christ is being shared and lives are being renewed and that is the way it is supposed to be. Thank you for your understanding of God’s grace and love and your generosity. As we move into 2012 I pray that we may remain faithful to God’s calling and challenge to us. I pray that we might continue to trust that God will remain faithful to us, his children and followers. And I pray that we might not succumb to the sense of fear that is constantly assaulting us, tempting us to hoard and look only to ourselves and to ignore our neighbors in need. When that happens my friends, we all lose and our mission and ministry is compromised and we all suffer, some more than others. So, “Thank You!” Thank you for your involvement in worship, in passing along the faith, for sharing not only your faith but also your resources so that others may know the love and grace of God. Living in God’s amazing grace and light, Rev. Stephen P. Blenkush |
