Welcome to Zion Lutheran Church

Week of July 1-7, 2019: “Extended Road Trip” … Luke 9:51-62

During the summer months, many folks like to go on road trips. Sometimes we go to see family and friends, other times we do a “destination” trip. At times, we travel straight to where we are headed, other times we “meander” around and make many stops along the way.

From Luke 9:5-19:27, Jesus and His disciples take an extended road trip that will eventually take Him to Jerusalem where He will meet His suffering death, and resurrection. This “meandering” trip would first take Him to a village in Samaria where the local folks didn’t welcome Him. The brothers James and John wanted “fire from heaven”—most likely a lightning strike—to consume these “enemies” of our Lord (2 Kings 1:9-12). But Jesus rebuked the brothers for their request as He had come to die for the Samaritans and their sins as well as for those of the whole world (Ezekiel 33:11a, 1 Timothy 2:4, John 3:16).

In our life’s journey, we often meet up with people who aren’t welcoming towards us and might even reject us. At times, we might even feel like James and John, the “Sons of Thunder” (Mark 3:17), as we would wish that great harm would come down upon those who would stand against us. But we are to be reminded that Jesus came to die for them, too, just as He did for us.

As Jesus continued his trip, a man was willing to follow Jesus wherever He would go. But the Lord gave him this disclaimer, “Foxes have holes, birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” Our “road trip” with Jesus isn’t always going to bring us “luxury accommodations”. We must be willing to face many hardships along our journey of life (Acts 14:22). But such trying times serve to test our faith (James 1:2-4, 12) and discipline us as God’s beloved sons and daughters (Hebrews 12:5-11).

Two other men also came up to Jesus during the early part of this extended road trip. Both wanted to deal with family matters first before following Jesus. But the Lord spoke of how, in their cases, they had to leave family matters behind and follow Him at once. There will be times in our own journeys of faith where we will be called to do the same thing in placing Christ over family (Luke 14:26).

Our own “extended road trip” through life is one that will meander through many stops along the way and to many people and places that we will never forget. May we continue forward on this trip (Philippians 3:13-14) knowing that the Lord will never forget us (Isaiah 49:15-16) as He leads us towards the destination of heaven itself.

Your Pastor  Pastor Bill Mugnolo   Hi, I’m Pastor Bill Mugnolo and I have been serving at Zion Lutherran and at our sister congregation of St Johns in Elyria since September 2017. I was born in Baltimore, Maryland and I grew up on Long Island in New York State, in Northern New Jersey, and in Atlanta, Georgia. Since my graduation from Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, I have lived in and have had an ongoing family connection to the Rochester, New York area which I consider to be my adopted hometown. I was confirmed in the Lutheran Church as an adult in 1984. I went on to seminary at Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. I was ordained on August 16, 1990 on the thirty-first anniversary of my baptism. I have served congregations in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania (1990-1998), Newark, New York (1998-2016), and Columbia Station, Ohio (2016-2017). I was joined in marriage to Sabra LeClaire of Rochester, New York on October 1, 1993. We have two daughters—, Emilia and Rebecca. I enjoy power walking, cross-country skiing, dumbbell training, travelling, and a wide variety of music. It is my great honor and privilege to serve both the Lord and you as pastor at Zion.

Wednesday and Thursday

9 A.M to 12 

440-282-8418 

Email pastor.mugnolo@yahoo.com

440-282-8418 Pastor Bill