Zion's Messenger Volume 9  Issue 2 February 2004     From Pastor Dave: Spring Cleaning in February    Psalm 51:7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.  Isaiah 1:16"Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil."  Matthew 23:26"Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also."   February--Historically a Month of Cleansing.  February was the end of the year for the Romans. It was a month where there were some religious things to do, things like cleaning up your life, washing away the mistakes of the year, getting ready for the new year. Yom Kippur in the Jewish calendar has some of those same elements, the idea of getting rid of the sins of the past year and readying yourself for the new year. In a sense, the Season of Lent which will be upon us in February has some of those elements as well. Lent is a time of fasting and getting ready for God's goodness in the sacrifice of the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.   February--Like Every Month Where We Need Christ's Cleansing Power.  We understand that our spiritual DNA is tainted with sin. It is the result of mankind's fall into sin in the Garden of Eden. We are unable to undo the effects of sin in our lives. Psalm 51:7 clearly tells us from where cleansing from sin must come. It must come from the activity of our Creator God Himself. When we are cleansed from sin through the blood of His Son Jesus, we become clean. Jesus is the "propitiation" or "covering" of our sin. Our nature remains the same, but its problems have been covered over by Jesus Himself in His sacrifice on the cross 2000 years ago.   February--A Time to Get with God's Program.  How should we live the Christian life if Jesus has already done the work? It is the work of the Holy Spirit in life. We can purpose to be God's person for those who touch our lives. In Isaiah 1:16 God basically tells us to clean up our lives, to stop doing evil things.   February--A Time of Openness to the Holy Spirit.  The Lord Jesus in Matthew 23:26 explains how this should work. It is more than changing what we do in those things that are seen. God's desire for us is that we change our heart, that we be changed from the inside out. Only an openness to the Holy Spirit can accomplish this, because that "hyssop" of Psalm 51:7 works on the inside where we are unable to reach.   February--The Beginning of Lent on February 25.  As we move into the Season of Lent with Ash Wednesday, February 25, should we not be thinking about what God is doing in our lives? We began the church year with Advent at the end of November, looking forward to the coming of a Redeemer, the One who would "buy us back," the One who would pay the price of sin for us to restore us to fellowship with God. We found He had come with Christmas. Now with Epiphany and these recent Sundays, we have followed the Man Jesus, growing in wisdom and grace, discovering in His humanness who He was in God's eyes, the Incarnate Son of God, the Second Person of the Trinity. Now at the end of February we will follow Him through Lent, and discover again how God worked the miracle of redemption through the death of His Son.   February--A Time of Prayer Commitment.  Much of the world was completely unaware of what God was doing through His Son Jesus. Today, even with the Scriptures fully available to many in the world, much of it remains completely unaware that we have a loving God that seeks the redemption of the whole world through Jesus Christ. Let us commit ourselves to pray for the world this Lent, for a desire that the world might be cleaned up, for a world that would respond to the Savior. Please take a moment and choose a country to pray for this month and remember it each day that it would be open to the witness of the Holy Spirit and that people's blind eyes might see the Christ. If you choose to pray for Pakistan, remember to pray for our missionary family, the Silversteins.   February--A Time of Midweek Worship.  Our midweek Lenten services will begin with Ash Wednesday. Again each service will be preceded by a light soup and sandwich supper. Perhaps you will join us in following the Savior through the sorrows of Lent on Wednesday nights.      Church Council The church council of Zion Lutheran Church meets at 7:00 PM on the first Tuesday following the first Sunday of each month.    Council members for 2004: Vera Avera, Ernest Burnett, Charlie Canning, Linda Gibbs, Pete Midgarden, and Loreli Walker. Darlene Tasso, Treasurer .   As usual, all members of Zion are invited and encouraged to attend council meetings. COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES JANUARY 6, 2004   Pastor Johnson opened with devotional and prayer. Minutes were presented, corrected and accepted. Treasurer Report:  The budget committee presented the 2004 proposed budget.  This was presented by Darlene Tasso, Ernie Burnett and Mack Gibbs.  The budget was approved.  A motion carried to recommend to the congregation the return the $10,000 back to the General Fund from the Building Fund.  It was discussed to change the name of Building Fund to Debt Retirement/Building Fund. Pastor's Report:Reports are ready for the Annual Meeting. 1-  Men's Club will meet the 2nd Tuesday of the Month at 7:10 am.  Prayer Breakfast. 2- Advertising-Web Site is up and running. A good way for the Snow Birds to find us. 3- No new members in 2002 and 2003. 5.-Valentines Day Banquet on Saturday night the 14th.  6.-There will be a Door Offering during Lent Services.  Where should it go? We need input. 7- Fire Extinguisher is needed for the new kitchen.  We did get a first aid kit.  Old Business:  1-- We have received some Snow Bird Club Addresses as a result of the website. 2--  Annual Conference will be in June in Wisconsin.  We need some members to attend. 3--Home Missions--a Tennessee group has contacted us, they are building a church and we have asked for information as to what we may be able to do for them.   New Business: 1-  Election of Council Members:  Ralph Utter has served his maximum 6 years. Loreli Walker & Ernie Burnett were nominated for Council, Darlene Tasso for treasurer. . 2- The next Men's Club Meeting will be a breakfast. With no other business the meeting was adjourned.           ~submitted this day by Loreli Walker, Rec Sec 98TH ANNUAL CONGREGATIONAL MEETING MINUTES JANUARY 18, 2004     The meeting was opened with a devotional and prayer by Pastor Johnson---We pray for a vision in Silverhill and that we agree upon a goal.  The purpose of this meeting is to review last years budget, vote on the proposed budget for the coming year, and elect the new council members.   Ernie Burnett asked that anyone who has knowledge of old Church activities, to please contact the  Church so that the history may be completed.  Reports presented to the congregation:  1-Pastors Report ; 2-Building Committee; 3-Thrivent for Lutherans; 4-Building Furnishing Committee.     Treasurers/Budget Reports:  Darlene Tasso presented a detailed itemized  report of receipts and expenditures for the past year.  The report was accepted by a motion carried. The new budget for 2004 was presented by Darlene.  Council had recommended that the Building Fund be renamed  Building/Debt Retirement Fund.  The Council had also suggested that the $10,000 seed money taken from the General Fund to start the Building Fund be returned to the General Fund.  Motion carried.   Election of Council Members:  Ralph Utter had served for six years, and Ernie Burnett was recommended to replace him.  Loreli Walker was recommended to serve a full term.  The motion carried.   Election of Treasurer: The motion carried to elect Darlene Tasso to be the treasurer for 2004.   Pastor Johnson presented plaques of appreciation to Henri Burnett, Darlene Tasso and Shirley Stephens for their steadfast and faithful service to Zion Lutheran Church.  A special thank you was also given to Mack and Linda Gibbs for their donation of the piano for the Fellowship Hall.  The meeting was closed with the Lords Prayer.   Submitted by Loreli Walker, Recording Secretary   Events and Activities: Altar this month: Canning / Burnett Sun  Feb. 1 Reader: D. Pellman     Prayer: Canning     Communion Tues  Feb. 3 Council Meeting     7:00 PM Wed  Feb. 4 Bible Study      7:00 PM Sun  Feb. 8 Reader: B. Sheffield          Prayer: M. Gibbs Tue  Feb. 10  Men’s 710 Second Tuesdays 7:10 AM Wed  Feb. 11 Bible Study 7:00 PM Sat  Feb. 14 Valentine Celebration 5:30 Sun  Feb. 15 Reader: C. Johnson          Prayer: Midgarden      Communion Mon  Feb. 16 President’s Day Wed  Feb. 18 Bible Study 7:00 PM Sun  Feb. 22 Reader: Gibbs    Prayer: Canning Wed  Feb. 25  Ash Wednesday    Lite Supper  6:00 PM            Lenten Service  7:00 PM Sun  Feb. 29  Reader: M. Stephens  Prayer: Gibbs       Cake & Coffee after Service Luther’s Wisdom on Love: “Just as there is no fire without heat and smoke, so there is no faith without love.”      ~Martin Luther   VALENTINE CELEBRATION Join us for an evening of CELEBRATION on Saturday, February 14 at 5:30 P.M. We will have a short program after our meal. There will be music, games and prizes. MENU:BARBECUE SANDWICHES, SALADS, CHIPS, & DESSERTS We would appreciate a donation of $4.00 per person to help cover costs. RSVP slips and donations should be returned to Cindi Johnson by Sunday, February 8. Checks may be made out to Zion Lutheran Church, mark “for Valentine Celebration.” Feel free to invite a friend! We want young, old, single or married to join us for this evening of fun. If you need a ride contact Cindi Johnson (945-1076) or Martha Canning (988-1327). Let’s all make the effort to come out and support the FIRST of MANY planned activities and enjoy some good Christian fellowship.   Church Cleaning Schedule  Feb. 7 Engel     Feb. 14 Gibbs   Feb. 21 Walker   Feb. 28 Canning        February Birthdays        Feb. 8 Bob Fuchs        Feb.13 Pastor Dave Johnson        Feb.14 Inez Langenbach        Feb.14 Larry Poland        Feb.17 Jeremy Gibbs        Feb.21 Ralph Utter    February Anniversaries Feb. 7 Harold & Clareen Wells Feb. 26  Carl & Jackie Stumer   Mobile Harbor Cruise   On January 10, fifteen members of Zion's “Polar Bear Club” had a nice and informative Mobile harbor cruise on the Cotton Blossom.  The Cotton Blossom is a stern wheel riverboat.  According to one of the crew, it was built in 1928, is on the national register and is propelled by its stern wheel.  Officials of the Alabama State Docks gave a running account of what we were seeing as well as the operation of the docks.   After the cruise, we met at the Blue Gill Restaurant on the Causeway for a good lunch.   Men's 710 Second Tuesdays     Zion Lutheran Church of Silverhill inaugurated its new men's fellowship program aimed at building up men in Baldwin County. The program is entitled "Men's 710" and meets on Second Tuesdays at Zion Lutheran Church, 4th Av. at Seventh St., Silverhill, AL 36576. (251) 945-5209     Each second Tuesday of the month, Zion Lutheran Church hosts an hour Pancake Breakfast and a Speaker beginning at 7:10 a.m. The first breakfast and speaker event occurred on Tuesday, Jan. 13. The menu for this meeting was pancakes, Johnny Cakes, eggs, link sausage, juice, coffee and milk. After a short devotional by Pastor Dave, Corporal Carl Griffith from the Baldwin County Sheriff's office explored community concerns in a short talk and in fielded questions. Twelve men attended the first breakfast meeting ofZion's 710 Club.      Men's 710for February will occur on February 10. Our invited Speaker will be Mayor Allen Green of Silverhill who will discuss the plans for Silverhill in the near and midterm with focus on projects and events.     Men in Baldwin again are invited for a complimentary breakfast and short program to last about an hour. Further information for each month's meeting will be available at:www.LutheransInSilverhill.com  “Thank-You” List            Henrietta Burnett has the job of keeping up with all kinds of lists and schedules for the bulletins and calendar. She shared the following with the Congregation at the Jan. 18 Meeting:   We thank the ladies who prepare the altar for our worship and communion. These ladies pay attention to the altar colors, altar flowers, prepare the Holy Communion and clean up afterwards. They are: Eva Engel, Martha Canning, Henri Burnett, Ella Kubina, Vera Avera, Margaret and Shirley Stephens, Loreli Walker.   We thank our cleaning crews who provide us with a pleasant, clean environment in which to worship. They are: Ed and Eva Engel, Charlie and Martha Canning, Mack and Linda Gibbs, Ernie and Henri Burnett, Loreli Walker, Margaret and Shirley Stephens, Pete Midgarden, and Wayne and Betty Pitcher.  Thanks to Charlie, Pete, Ralph and Ernie for all of their work behind the scenes. They don’t run the church. The church runs them.   Our readers who read the scriptures on Sunday morning are: Cindi Johnson, Pete Midgarden, the Gibbs’, Margaret Stephens, Diane Pellman, and Bettina Langham.  The prayer of the day is thoughtfully prepared and presented by Charlie Canning, Mack Gibbs and Pete Midgarden.  We thank Mack and Linda Gibbs for the landscaping for our new building and for their continued help in the upkeep. Thanks also to Mack and Linda for their generous donation of the piano, in memory of Fred Langenbach and Jo Hermetz. And to Darlene Tasso for the donation of the buffet.  We thank Ralph Utter for the hot and tiresome mowing job to keep our grounds in tip top shape.  Thanks to Harold and Clareen Wells for getting our seasonal food baskets out to those who need them.   Thanks to anyone who may have been inadvertently omitted from this list.