February 2014
The Pastor’s Ponderings Pastor David’s cell phone—765-330-4170 and email address —fleeneda@gmail.com Mornings at Grandpa and Grandma's were always a treat when I was a kid. I'd usually get up by around 7 or 8, and Grandpa George would be puttering away in the kitchen making breakfast. He'd fry eggs, brown sausage or bacon, pour bowls of cereal, fill glasses with orange juice and milk, and set the kitchen table. There would be a stack of toast ten inches high on the table. We would sit and eat, and Grandpa would constantly encourage us to eat. I remember that if I wasn't particularly hungry, he would stop and say with a worried look, "What's wrong, David? You're not sick, are you?" Food was the way my grandparents showed love. I remember many special meals at Grandpa and Grandma's - Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter dinners with a full spread. Even the ordinary meals were special. Grandpa would buy a mess of Gulf Coast shrimp from the market, and would prepare them several
ways: fried, scampi, or on pasta. I can say that every meal I had with them, especially now that they are both gone, was special. With the family bonds in the church, I'm sure that many of you have had plenty of special meals with those you love. Nowadays, Grandma's Sunday brunch has been replaced by dinner at Richard's, or the Pickle, or La Palma. But are those meals any less special than Grandma's brunch, shared and eaten so many years ago? Any time family members and friends gather around a table to share a meal, something happens. Connection and emotional intimacy can happen around a meal. So can bruised feelings and harsh words. Meals with family and friends bring our true selves and the true nature of our relationships with one another to the surface - both our love and our pain. Jesus asks us to bring the same to his table each and every week. When we celebrate Holy Communion, we're sitting down to a meal with Jesus himself as the host. He welcomes us to eat and drink with
him - just as we are, with all of our love, all of our pain, all of our sin all that makes us human. Every meal with Jesus is a truly special occasion. How, then, is it possible to "wear out" this good gift of God by celebrating it too often? How is it possible to make Jesus' meal any less special by celebrating it every Sunday? God's gifts endure. Neither the passage of time nor the frequency of celebration has the capacity to diminish this amazing gift of God, which feeds, renews, strengthens, and forgives. While Zion has not traditionally celebrated Communion every Sunday, perhaps it is time to rethink what God offers us in this gift. Perhaps it is time to reconsider the frequency of our celebration. Jesus calls, each and every one of you, with all you qualities and sins, to feast.
Parish Register
Change of Address
Game Night
Fred Strine passed away on Monday, January 6th, at his residence. Pastor David Fleener conducted Fred’s funeral service at Zion on January 11th. Burial followed in Gardens of Memory, Muncie, with Military Rites by the Delaware County Veterans Organization. Our sympathy goes out to Fred’s family. “If we have died with Christ, we shall also live with him; if we are faithful to the end, we shall reign with him.”
Betty Bell has moved to Cincinnati to be closer to her son, Troy, and his family. She is living in an assisted living facility very close to their home. Betty would enjoy hearing from the members of Zion. Her new address is: 3801 E. Galbraith Rd., Apt. 138 Cincinnati, OH 45236
See you in church! Pr. David
Game night will be held on February 16th from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Ben Kizer will organize a Sherlock Holmes mystery for the evening. If you don’t enjoy solving these mysteries there will be other games to play. Everyone is welcome to come and enjoy an evening of games, mystery, snacks and fellowship.