Church Update:
** UPDATED SCHEDULE **
Sunday School will re-start Sunday, September 13th at 9:15 AM and Worship will follow at 10:30 AM
Welcome to Zion’s Evangelical Lutheran Church of Perry Township.
We hope that you find this site to be helpful in learning about our church, activities, and committees. Visitors and new members alike are always welcome at Zion’s Evangelical Lutheran Church.
Sunday Services – 10:30 am
Sunday School – 9:15 am
(No Summer Sunday School June – Aug)
Zion’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
Where there’s always something exciting happening.
Letter from Pastor Stephanie:
There are seasons in life when it feels as though the fuel gauge is constantly hovering near empty. Perhaps you know that feeling. The demands keep coming, the phone keeps ringing, and the to-do list keeps growing. We tell ourselves that if we can just get through one more week, one more appointment, one more challenge, things will settle down. Yet sometimes life has other plans.
Over the past months, I have found myself walking through one of those “running on empty” seasons. Ongoing health concerns for my husband, helping grandchildren prepare for a new school year, coordinating care for my mother’s terminal illness from hours away, traveling out of state to help move a family member to Pennsylvania, and even navigating an unexpected car collision have all competed for attention, time, and energy. There have been moments when I have wondered how much more could fit into a single season. Perhaps you have had seasons like that as well.
When we are exhausted, it is tempting to think that God’s presence is strongest when life is calm and everything is going according to plan. Yet Scripture tells a different story. Again and again, God meets people not in times of abundance and ease, but in wilderness places, on difficult journeys, and in moments when they have nothing left to give.
The psalmist writes, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1, NRSVUE). Notice that God is not merely a help after the trouble has passed. God is present in the middle of it. God helps us through difficult seasons in many ways. Sometimes through the practical care of family, friends, and church members. Sometimes through the encouragement of a phone call, a prayer, or a meal. Sometimes through the quiet reminder that we do not have to carry every burden alone. And often through the promise that Christ walks beside us even when we cannot see the end of the road ahead.
One of the lessons I continue to learn is that faith is not about having endless strength. Faith is trusting that God’s strength is enough when ours is not. When we are running on empty, God does not ask us to manufacture more energy, patience, or courage than we possess. Instead, God invites us to rest in the assurance that we are held by grace.
As September begins and routines return, many of us carry burdens that others cannot see. Some are facing health challenges. Some are caring for loved ones. Some are grieving losses or navigating uncertainty. Whatever fills your days, remember that you do not walk alone.
The God who has carried us through every season before remains faithful today. Even when our tanks feel empty, God’s love, mercy, and strength never run dry.
Peace and blessings.
Pastor Stephanie