Weekly Announcements

   This Week in Our Church:

FRIDAY

        10:00     Making Soup/ Kitchen reserved

SATURDAY

        8:00        Making Soup/ Kitchen reserved

        3:00        Pick for Soup/Wing Sale until 6:00 pm

SUNDAY, February 5, 2012

9:30        The Liturgy of Word & Sacrament

11:00     Senior Choir Rehearsal

11:00     Pick for Soup/Wing Sale until 2:00 pm

6:00        Scouts

                                                                         TUESDAY

6:00        Property Meeting

6:30        Scouts

7:30        Finance Meeting

THURSDAY

        6:00        Scouts

SATURDAY

        10:00     Prepare for Brunch/ Kitchen reserved            

NEXT SUNDAY, February 12, 2012, Annual Meeting

9:30        The Liturgy of Word & Sacrament / Downstairs

11:00     Brunch/ Annual Meeting/Downstairs

6:00        Scouts

Currently The SU310 Girl Scouts are collecting the following items to help others: Box Tops for Education, Campbell Soup Labels for Education, Eyeglasses (prescription or sunglasses), Ink Cartridges, Cell phones, Can tabs for Ronald McDonald House, Toothbrushes, Socks – NEW – kids and adults, Also –collecting, OLD SOCKS – to make toys for cats at animal shelter, Feel free to drop items off at the Girl Scout table downstairs!

ion Lutheran Church will be collecting gowns, shoes, and jewelry for the 2012 school prom. Zion's Church Social Hall will be the setting for the "Belle of the Ball." We feel at this time of financial difficulty every girl deserves to dress like a princess. There will be no charge. We are asking for donations of gowns, shoes, and jewelry. Collection date will be Saturday, March 3rd from 10:00 am until 12:00 noon. They will be collected at Zion Church using the door on Greenwood Street and Mauch Chunk Street. We will be distributing the gowns on Friday March 16th, from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM and Saturday, March 17th from 11:00 am until 4:00 PM. Thank you for your help and participation. If you have any questions please Contac Deb Davies at 668-4554 or Gwen Evans at 668-0666.

OUR CHURCH- Banners – Part 1

            Many of the banners hanging from above in our Gathering Room were made by Alma Jean Fisher. She has made others as well. Vicar John Haldeman, Jr., took the time to explain to me what each represents so I could pass along the information to you.

            As you stand in the Gathering Room and face the wooden cross, you can look up and to your left to see the banner with the green background which is used on the Sundays after Pentecost. The symbol in the center is a Greek monogram--the Greek Letters Chi “X” and Rho “P” which is Greek for “Christ.” In Hebrew, that means “anointed one.” Egyptian Pharaohs were anointed with crocodile oil; all Hebrew Messiahs were anointed with olive oil. (Jesus was not considered the only Messiah; the Jewish Kings were also considered Messiahs.) At Baptism, we are anointed with Oil of Chrism when we are blessed with the sign of the Cross with olive oil that has been blessed by the Bishop. The rite of Baptism signifies that we have been claimed by Jesus as one of His own forever. The vessel at the top of the banner contains Oil of Chrism. The Chi Rho is rooted in a plant with leaves, just like you see on the banner, and this signified that Jesus is rooted in the stem of Jesse, and we have become the branches.

The banner to the right of the green banner is a Marriage Banner. The Cross represents Christ with the backdrop of the white shield, the two candles stand for the couples who are having their marriage blessed by the church, and the two entwined gold circles indicate the bride and groom becoming one in Christ.

[Next week continues with information on the banners in the Gathering Room]