Keep Your Heart and Mind on God

From the Pastor

This Sunday we will be reflecting on the story of Jesus telling his disciples that he will be persecuted, suffer and die. This is a shocker to the disciples who cannot imagine this for the Messiah, for their beloved Master. I think we can understand that.

As I wrote my message for Sunday, I remembered the story of Corrie ten Boom who wrote 'The Hiding Place', which is the story of her family hiding Jews from the Nazi's during WW2. I was very inspired when reading the book in my younger days. In researching it, I learned that she, her sister Betsie, her Father, and other family members saved nearly 800 Jews before they were caught! Corrie and her family are examples of people who lived out the Love of God despite the risks. After being released from the concentration camp, Corrie continued to live the Love of God, even forgiving one of her former captors. Corrie tells many stories about living in faith in her books.

For today, I thought I would share some of her quotes with you -- these words of faith/trust come from a woman who suffered in Ravensbruck Concentration Camp, losing both her Father and sister. She did not let the circumstances of her life determine her mindset or her heartset. She continued to keep her mind and heart on God - and grew in God's grace through it all. I hope her words inspire you as you face your own challenges:

Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength.
Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.
The measure of a life, after all, is not its duration, but its donation.
Happiness isn’t something that depends on our surroundings... It’s something we make inside ourselves.
Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart.
Worry is a cycle of inefficient thoughts whirling around a center of fear.

Blessings,

Karla

Friendship Time 2nd Sunday of Month

following Worship

We are resuming a fellowship time with coffee, drinks and goodies on the 2nd Sundays of the month beginning in October. So, we hope you will stay for a bit after Worship on these days to enjoy time visiting with one another and welcoming any guests we might have! If you would like to volunteer to make the coffee and provide drinks and goodies on one of the Sundays, please sign up (sign up sheet is on bulletin board) or contact Sue Bovre.

Jeanette off to Pine Ridge!

Jeanette Bossingham and her son Kim are in our prayers as they travel to Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota to reconnect with their friends there, volunteer, and share the love of Zwingli through the many donations they received from our members. Jeanette expressed her heartful gratitude in Worship on Sunday. This is the 14th year Jeanette and Kim have made this trip! We wish you grace and blessings on your journey, Jeanette and Kim!

Neighbors In Need Offering

You are invited to contribute to this offering through September and early October. We will dedicate these offerings on Sunday Oct. 6.

Thank you for your contribution!

Flicker Wild Church

On Sunday evening September 22, you are invited to Flicker Wild Church! Flicker is hosted by the Rev. Dr. Julia Burkey & her spouse the Rev. Daniel Cooperrider, though their littles Reverie Faye & Kindred Praise are the true spiritual leaders.

Both Daniel & Julia are ordained UCC pastors who seek to awaken an ancient Earth honoring spirituality for planetary re-membering and healing through sacred gatherings, while dancing on the edges of the Jesus way.

Daniel is Author of 2023 Nautilus Gold Award winning book, "Speak with the Earth And It Will Teach You: A Field Guide to the Bible," and Julia serves as the Senior Pastor of Orchard Ridge United Church of Christ in Madison, Wisconsin.

Global Relations Minister for the Middle East and Europe to Speak

The Interfaith Peace Working Group of Wisconsin will host a live, hourlong Zoom session on the crisis in Gaza at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 26, featuring Peter Makari, global relations minister for the Middle East and Europe for the UCC and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Peter, who recently returned from Jerusalem, will provide an opportunity for us to hear firsthand about the latest developments in Gaza. A question-and-answer session and discussion will follow his presentation.

This event is designed to assist spiritual leaders and members of churches and other communities of faith and conscience to understand, from a faith perspective, what is taking place in Gaza and also offers an opportunity for people and communities of faith to consider what they can do to bring about a ceasefire and realize the widely shared hopes of people for peace, an end to violence, and reconciliation in Gaza and Palestine. The event is free. For more information and the ZOOM link go here.

Zwingli United Church of Christ

www.paoliucc.com

https://www.facebook.com/zwingliuccpaoli/

zwingliuccpaoli@gmail.com

PO Box 530, Belleville, WI 53508

"A small church with a big

and open heart!"

Pastor

Rev. Karla Schmidt

pastor.zwingliuccpaoli@gmail.com

608-572-4557

Kathie Wagner, Administrative Assistant

zwingliuccpaoli@gmail.com

Phone: 608-845-5641