Introduction by Reverend Kevin Wenker

Reverend Kevin Wenker

Introductory Psalm: Psalm 48:1-3, 8, 12-14 (New International Version)

"People of God, walk around Zion and count the towers: take notice of the walls and examine the fortresses so that you may tell the next generation, 'This God is our God forever and ever; He will lead us for all time to come.!"

The Psalm reminds us of how wonderful and gracious God is toward us. He is our God through Jesus Christ and will remain our God forever, not because of what we have done or will do, but because of Christ - through His life, death, and resurrection. Can our response be any other but that of the Psalmist -- to tell the next generation of our Lord!

This year we celebrate 100 years of God's grace and presence in our midst. How far we have come in those years... how far we still have to go. Through our celebration this year we do indeed tell the next generation and all those around us of our Lord and Savior. Through our worship we tell the praise of God. Through our fellowship we tell of God's mercy in unifying and uniting us in Jesus Christ and thus to one another in love. Through our remembering God's grace we tell of His loving care. Through our response to His love we tell others of Him.

For 100 years the Saints of Zion have been telling each coming generation of the Lord and His grace. He established us in grace (grace means His undeserved love for the sake of Christ), we live in His grace, we are redeemed by His grace, we grow through His grace, we witness to His grace, and, as Lutherans walking together with the other congregations of our Missouri Synod, we share a heritage of grace both in doctrine and works of love to others.

We look to the past as the foundation for today and the strength for tomorrow. As God has kept us in the past, so He keeps us today, and thus He will keep us into the future until He calls us home to our heavenly Zion.

So come .... come and celebrate ... come and worship ... come and rejoice ... then go and tell.

Page 2 of the Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church Missouri Synod

1883 - 1983 Centennial Book

Return to Table of Contents

Transcribed by James W. Sternitzky PhD, 2004