The News of Zion

"For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you."

Isaiah 41:1-13

Musings ~ Being Silly

I am not by nature a silly person. Most people who know me, really know me, know that I fall somewhere between stoic and existentialist on the personality scale. I tend to be more or less serious about most everything; not necessarily maudlin or depressed, just serious. Silly isn’t really in my nature and when I try to act fun and jovial or excited or any of those sorts of things, I think I end up coming across as manic, more like someone who should switch to decaf.

I do, however, have a child who enjoys being silly. I think he just enjoys laughing and seeing other people laugh. It seems like an almost primal sort of thing for him, that he can laugh about nothing and everything. Most of the things he likes to watch are comedic and invariably, after he watches, he wants to share it with the rest of the family so we can laugh with him. Perhaps it is simply the phase of life he is in (my parents swear I was this way for several years but I either don’t remember or managed to block it out of my memory) or maybe something a little deeper.

One thing I notice about my son is his desire to feel and share joy. If there is any word to describe the heart of who he is, it is joy. He seems genuinely happy to simply be alive, around us, and experiencing the world. Sure, he has moments where he gets down about something that happened at school or worried about things that might happen in the future, but it doesn’t seem to stay with him for long. Living into joy, it seems to come easy for him.

Joy – and its related kin; peace, contentment, and the like – are often elusive emotions for the simple reason that they require us to let go of certain things, namely pride. Pride keeps us from experiencing joy because it calls us into our egos and holds us there if we let it. It is the voice that wants to balance the scales whenever people commit injustices on us like cutting into our lane on the freeway or making a snide comment under their breath. It is the part of us that wants retribution with gusto.

This mindset is the opposite of the joy mindset. The joy mindset calls us to let go of anything that keeps us from being at peace with ourselves, our neighbor, and our God. It calls us to recognize injustice for what it is but also to recognize the pain beneath the injustice; the miserable divorce that the bad driver is going through, the parent of the snide the commentator that is slipping away into Alzheimer’s, leaving them with no idea what to do. It is being able to see behind the actions of yourself and those around you to offer grace and forgiveness when anger and revenge would be easier.

The writer of John’s gospel said, “From his fullness we have received grace upon grace.” So let us give back what has been given to us.

Pastor Michael

High School and College Graduate Recognition:

We are planning on celebrating the achievements of our High School and College Graduates very soon!!! We were working on one plan but would like to wait and see the updated recommendations from the Bishop and Cabinet on resuming worship and/or gatherings! We should know next week what we will be able to do as a church family. We are so very proud of each of our high school and college graduates and hope to be able to have some type of celebration in their honor!!! If you have not turned in your graduates’ information to Keli Thomas or the church office, please do so as soon as possible!!

Our suspension of church Worship Services and gatherings has been extended:

After consultation with The Cabinet, and in compliance with the most recent information shared by public health officials, Bishop Holston recommends that we continue to suspend in person worship services, and all gatherings, meetings, and events through May 20 . Our church leaders have discussed this recommendation and are in agreement that we have to continue to suspend church activities and gatherings for now. We look forward to the day when we gather TOGETHER to worship and carry out the hands on mission and outreach of Zion Church.

Join us each morning at 7:00 AM for Prayer and meditation. Join us, also on Thursdays at 12:00 Noon for Bible Study. Pastor Michael is hosting these LIVE from our Facebook page. If you are unable to log in LIVE, these offerings remain available for viewing after on our website

and FB page.

While the church office remains closed, you are encouraged to reach out if you have a need or know of a need. You may call Pastor Michael at 1-859-475-8800, call the church office, 285-3864 and leave a message, call Missy at 804-2434 or email [email protected] or [email protected]; these emails are being monitored daily. The answering machine will also be checked daily. During these troubling and unprecedented times, we ask everyone to pray together for each other, our church family, our community, our country, and our world. May God be with us all.

Please remember these in prayer:

Nancy Ackerman

Angela Bailey

Francis Bell

Gene Blackmon

Marion Boswell

Carol Boyles

Randy Boyles

Caleb Catoe

Sue Catoe

Brandy Champion

Ann Chappell

Linda Coker

Sandra Cope

Bill Dingler

Sophia Dixon

Angie Dobson

Heather Elder

John Elder

Ashley Fort

Betsy Gardner

Mike Gay

Steve Ghent

Judy Goodnight

Travis Gordon

T.R. Grier

Ovedia Griffin

Catherine Hammond

JoAnn Hinson

Rev. Shelly Holder

Julia Horne

Kevan Horton

Eric Hough

Libby Hunter

Melinda Hunter

Rick Joyner

Dillon Knight

Henry Ray Knight

Mary Jane McAteer

Kevin McCorkle

Tammy McMillian

Debbie McWaters

Marie Moree

Rusty Mosier

Bell Perry

Betty Jo Phillips

Ann Powers

Vicky Pickett

Ann Reed

Kathleen Robinson

Mayme Jo Robinson

Nancy Rushing

Bonnie Sears

Eva Small

Greg Smith

JoAnne Smith

Mike Smith

Billy Sowell

Robbie Stepp

Jim Thomas

Laverne Thompson

Mike Vick

Pat Vick

Ellen Walters

Megan Wilson

David Woodruff

Kim Yost

Our President & Troops

Those affected by the COVID-19 virus

Online Worship this Sunday!!!

Worship will begin

at 11:00 AM.

If you are unable to join us live, the service will be available online on our FB page or on our website at www.zionumc.com

The Upper Room daily devotionals are available for pick up at the church. We will place some of these in the church vestibule and some in the plastic communication box outside of the life center doors where the buses are for those who do not have access to the church for you to pick up.

While our United Methodist Women will not be meeting for now, our thoughts and prayers remain with each one of you and with all in need during these trying times! If you know of a need that our women can help with, please contact an officer in the women’s group so that we can try and meet any needs! Executive officers are Sharon Haile, Darlene Hallman, Terry Robinson, Missy Snipes, Dianne Sweatt, and Mary Knight.

Thank you to Jimmy Neal, Sonny and Marion Curtis, Mike Rape, Mike Vick, and our wonderful Massey boys who mowed the church grounds and the parsonage yard this past week!! Thank you all!!!

May 12:Tobias Salisbury

May 13:Barbara Vick

May 14:Adrianna Ray, Jamie Hayes, Stanley Knight

May 16: Zach Taylor

May 17: Sharon Haile

May 18: Jeffrey Thomas, Linda Webster

We pause at the loss of a very active and encouraging man in one of our local United Methodist Churches of Lancaster and in our United Methodist Men's Ministry on the District and Conference level ; Dale Hampton Sherrin Sr., passed away peacefully on Thursday, May 7, 2020, at his home. Dale was a member of Hopewell United Methodist Church for more than 30 years, where he served in many capacities. Dale was lay leader, youth leader and a member of the United Methodist Men (UMM). He was a former president of the UMM of Hopewell, the Rock Hill District and the SC Conference. Dale also served as a certified lay speaker and a certified lay speaker instructor for the S.C. Conference of the United Methodist Church. Dale was our SC UMM Conference President from 2008 to 2012, and he was the Rock Hill President before 2008.

He was very encouraging and supportive to me and is one of the main reasons for my involvement in Men's Ministry beyond the local Church.

~ Marvin Horton

I met Dale in the 90s. We did a one day training called "Reaching Every Man" which was a mini version of "No Man Left Behind" by Patrick Morley, president of "Man in the Mirror". This is where we bonded and became life long Christian brothers and friends. I followed Dale as SC UMMEN President. He always had a smile and a line of "Christian bull" going. When I think of Dale, I smile and think about his joke of the difference between cowboy boots and truck driver boots. If you have never heard it, talk to me sometime. Dale, we love you. God bless and love to Sally & family. ~Grace, Herman Lightsey

The celebration of life service for Dale will be private due to current public health concerns. The family will hold a memorial service at a later date. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Sally Sherrin and their family.

Our United Methodist Men's third Sunday meeting and our weekly Saturday Bible Study meetings have been suspended until the stay at home order has been lifted and we are told that we can begin to gather again.

To all church members: please understand that we are unable to allow folks to meet inside the buildings at this time. If you had a reservation for personal use inside of one of the buildings over the next few weeks, we are unable to honor those reservations at this time and will announce when we will be again be able to honor reservations. As it is, gatherings inside our facilities is not possible.

The members of Zion ARE CONTINUING

to support the ministry and outreach

of the church!!!

The folks of Zion are FAITHFUL!!!! Thank you to each one of you who have adjusted to this change in our lives and have continued to support the ministry and outreach of Zion UMC and for your continued presence at online worship!!! Each ONE of you ARE the CHURCH! You can continue to give online through the website, www.zionumc.com by clicking on the donate tab. You do not need to have a PayPal account to use this option, simply click on the donate button and follow the prompts, you can text your giving to 803-525-1834 and follow the secure link, or you may give by mailing your tithes to the church at 1665 Zion Road, Lancaster, SC, 29720. Pastor Michael is also available on Sunday afternoons at the church from 2:00-3:00 PM to accept your donations and have a word of prayer with you! If you have misgivings about online donations or mailing your donations, a locking mailbox has been installed under the covered carport where the buses are. You may place your contributions in the box and it will be checked daily.

Together we can move forward.

Together we can continue and make a difference!

TOGETHER, WE ARE the CHURCH!!

Special Gifts to Zion Church

In Honor of:

Ellen and Clyde Walters, Pat Threatt, and ALL Mothers by Dianne Martin

In Memory of:

Margaret and Ronnie Threatt by Dianne Martin

Dale Sherrin by Hazel and Terry Robinson

BIRTHDAY CLUB

In Memory of:

Eddie Mitchell

by Libby, Jo Jo and Alicia Morris

Our seven confirmands, who have concluded their classes online with Pastor Michael, will join the church on our first Sunday worshiping together as a church family of Christ in His house! We look forward to that day and pray it will be soon!!

The Record Speaks.....

May 10, 2020

Present for online Worship: 27

Needed each week for the General Fund $4,360

Received for General Fund $5652

Received for Building Fund$7.30

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

Deuteronomy 15:10

285-3864 - www.zionumc.com