January 31, 2021 - Fourth Sunday after Epiphany - Zion ...
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January 31, 2021 – Fourth Sunday after Epiphany
The 2021 Annual Meeting of the Congregation will take place on February 7th
at 11 a.m. via Zoom. The congregation will vote to approve the 2021 budget,
accept the 2020 Annual Report, and elect the incoming class of council
members.
For the first time, Zion’s youth are participating in the national Souper Bowl of Caring
event. Souper Bowl of Caring was launched in 1990 with a simple prayer said by
Reverend Brad Smith at Spring Valley Presbyterian Church in Columbia, South
Carolina: “Lord, even as we enjoy the Super Bowl football game, help us be mindful of
those who are without a bowl of soup to eat.” This simple prayer inspired a youth
group to raise awareness of hunger in America and to collect food donations for the hungry. In 2020 (the 30th
anniversary), Souper Bowl of Caring saw nationwide participation of 5,143 groups working together to collect
$10,631,850 in cash and food items that were donated to local food pantries, soup kitchens and food banks. This
year, Zion’s youth are hosting a food drive of non-perishable foods (any type of food and drinks that are canned,
boxed, packaged, bagged, etc. – no glass) which began on January 24th and will end on Sunday, Feb. 7th. All are
invited to help with this food collection. A bin has been placed in the entryway of the CEB labeled with the
Souper Bowl of Caring logo to hold the donations. All donations will be divided between the Flemington Food
Pantry and the Open Cupboard Food Pantry in Clinton.
Faith Kitchen Annual Coffee Drive – a
Zion tradition continues! Let’s support Please continue to support the
our friends at Faith Kitchen, who ministries of Zion with your
continue to serve meals to 70-100 people offerings and prayers.
each day, even during the pandemic. Financial contributions can be
Please drop off your cans of coffee at the mailed to the Parish Office at
CEB any time between now and the end P.O. Box 41, Oldwick, NJ 08858.
of February. Thank you for your support
of Faith Kitchen.
P.S. If you find a sale on coffee, please share
the information on the Zion Friends and
Family Who
Facebook page.love pancakes? Grab your spatula and favorite pancake recipe (or take
doesn't
advantage of a meal prepared by others) and join us for the Shrove Tuesday Virtual
Pancake Supper! As we enter the Season of Lent, please join us via Zoom on Shrove
Tuesday, February 16th, from 6:00 p.m. – 6:45 p.m. while we enjoy a short program and
feast on delicious food. Please sign up via the link emailed by the parish office. As
you may recall, donations were accepted at last year’s Shrove Tuesday Supper for Feed
My Starving Children. To continue the tradition, donations for this project will be accepted by sending a check
made out to Zion with FMSC on the memo line. However, a donation is not expected or required to attend the
program. Please contact Shellie Evers (shellie.eversafe@gmail.com) or Debra Kaufman
(dkaufman1977@yahoo.com) with any questions. We look forward to seeing you on February 16th!
In Deuteronomy God promises to raise up a prophet like Moses, who will speak for God; in Psalm 111 God shows the people the power
of God’s works. For the church these are ways of pointing to the unique authority people sensed in Jesus’ actions and words. We
encounter that authority in God’s word, around which we gather, the word that prevails over any lesser spirit that would claim power
over us, freeing us to follow Jesus.
PRAYER OF THE DAY
Compassionate God, you gather the whole universe into your radiant presence and continually reveal your Son as our
Savior. Bring wholeness to all that is broken and speak truth to us in our confusion, that all creation will see and know
your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.
Amen.
SCRIPTURE READINGS
First Reading: Deuteronomy 18:15-20
[Moses said:] 15The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you shall heed
such a prophet. 16This is what you requested of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said:
“If I hear the voice of the LORD my God any more, or ever again see this great fire, I will die.” 17Then the LORD replied to
me: “They are right in what they have said. 18I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their own people; I
will put my words in the mouth of the prophet, who shall speak to them everything that I command. 19Anyone who does
not heed the words that the prophet shall speak in my name, I myself will hold accountable. 20But any prophet who
speaks in the name of other gods, or who presumes to speak in my name a word that I have not commanded the prophet
to speak—that prophet shall die.”
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 8:1-13
1Now concerning food sacrificed to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” Knowledge puffs up, but love
builds up. 2Anyone who claims to know something does not yet have the necessary knowledge; 3but anyone who loves
God is known by him.
4Hence, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “no idol in the world really exists,” and that “there is no
God but one.” 5Indeed, even though there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as in fact there are many gods
and many lords—6yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord,
Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.
7It is not everyone, however, who has this knowledge. Since some have become so accustomed to idols until now, they
still think of the food they eat as food offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8“Food will not bring
us close to God.” We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. 9But take care that this liberty of yours
does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. 10For if others see you, who possess knowledge, eating in the
temple of an idol, might they not, since their conscience is weak, be encouraged to the point of eating food sacrificed to
idols? 11So by your knowledge those weak believers for whom Christ died are destroyed. 12But when you thus sin against
members of your family, and wound their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. 13Therefore, if food is a
cause of their falling, I will never eat meat, so that I may not cause one of them to fall.
Gospel: Mark 1:21-28
[Jesus and his disciples] went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught.22They
21
were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. 23Just then there was in
their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, 24and he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have
you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” 25But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and
come out of him!” 26And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. 27They were all
amazed, and they kept on asking one another, “What is this? A new teaching—with authority! He commands even the
unclean spirits, and they obey him.” 28At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.
PRAYER CONCERNS Members + Linda Herder, who is undergoing treatment for breast cancer. + Donna Hunter, who is undergoing treatment for breast cancer. + Eleanor Kover, who is recovering from breast cancer surgery. + Bonnie Summer, who is undergoing rehabilitation and recovering at home. + Ted Talis, who is recovering at home. + Paul Zerfas, who is undergoing his second stem cell transplant. Friends and Family + Joe Capobianco, cousin of Barbara Polhemus, who is recovering from open heart surgery. + Marianne Evanouskas, sister-in-law of Eleanor Kover, who is recovering from intestinal surgery. + Marianna Evanouskas, sister-in-law of Eleanor Kover, who is recovering from a mastectomy. + Chris Fetner, friend of Marjorie Mitchell (friend of Zion), who has cancer. + Bill Gibbs, relative of the Formalarie family, who has ALS. + Rita Gorky, mother of Paul Gorky, who is recovering from a stroke. + Judy Graham, friend of Marjorie Mitchell (friend of Zion), who has breast cancer. + Nancy Kastrup, friend of Kathy Rustwick, who is recovering from surgery. + Sally Kohl, mother of Stacey Rothermel, who is recovering from COVID-19. + Susan Miluk, sister of Jim Dierking, who is recovering from COVID-19 and will soon resume treatment for multiple myeloma. + Jim Price, friend of Jim & Linda Dierking, who is recovering from surgery for a malignant melanoma. + Martin Simon, friend of the Kunkel and Wintemute families, who is recovering from a stroke. + Deb Wojtysiak, friend of Cheryl Rodrick, who is battling stage 5 kidney disease. Those in the Armed Services Lindsay Carrick, Daemon Durham, Christopher Grinnell, Robert Heinke, Erik Lindquist, Hunter MacKenzie, David Maravel, Cody McAleer, Gilbert Mercedes, Patty Oelschlager, Kurt Rossi, Elizabeth Snyder, Daniel Wort, Joshua Wort Suggested prayer for those with health concerns: Almighty and merciful God, you are the only source of health and healing; you alone can bring calmness and peace. Grant to our sisters and brothers an awareness of your presence and a strong confidence in you. In their pain, weariness, and anxiety, surround them with your care, protect them by your loving might, and grant to them once again the gifts of health and strength and peace; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen. Suggested prayer for military members: Almighty God, we commend to your gracious care and keeping all the men and women of our armed forces, and all who serve this country at home and abroad. Defend them day by day with your heavenly grace; strengthen them in their trials and temptations; give them courage to face the perils that surround them; and grant them a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
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