Welcome to Zion Lutheran Church

Week of December 16-22, 2019: “What Kind of Christ …”

Matthew 11:2-6.

What kind of Christ has come into the world? Some would like Him to be a prosperity Christ who grants us all manner of bodily health and material wealth. Others look to Him as a political Christ who brings about social justice through the arm of human government. Still others look to Him as the popular Christ who is a great teacher, a “class act”, a “cool dude.”

What kind of Christ has come into the world? This is what John the Baptist wanted to know as he languished in prison near the end of his life. As John prepared the way for the Lord, He spoke as Jesus as being a Lord of fire and judgment (Matthew 3:12). But Jesus was showing signs of great mercy and tender love. Was a second Messiah—a powerful Christ—still to come, as many Jews believed?

Jesus then sent word back to John, through John’s disciples, as to the type of Messiah He had come to be at His first coming into the world. Of all the signs and wonders He was performing they all served to point to how “the poor are having good news preached to them.” Here, those who were “poor is spirit”—that is, crushed by the weight of their sins—were bring brought good news of forgiveness and life (Matthew 5:3). This is what Jesus came to bring as the one who John proclaimed as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29)

Someday, at His Second Coming, Jesus will arrive as the powerful Christ who will judge both the living and the dead. But today, He comes as the personal Christ who reaches out to all who are brought to see that they are poor in spirit and in need of forgiveness and life. May we all see the Christ that John was assured of—the one who bids us, “Come to me all you who are wearied and burdened and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

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