Zion Lutheran Church

2714 James Street

Marinette, WI 54143

715-735-7898

zion@newbc.rr.com

www.zionlutheran-marinette.org

WE ARE Z I O N E W S

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Your Pastor is a Racist

Yes, your pastor, Rev. Dr. Keith A. Kolstad, is a racist. I write this in all seriousness. I’ve known that I’m a racist since I was in semi-nary. I clearly remember when the realization happened. I took a class in multicultural theol-ogy. I began the class certain that I wasn’t a racist because I had grown up in a home where overt racism wasn’t acceptable. I at-tended Christian worship and education since I was a young child. I loved all people. I could see past color. I had non-white acquaintances when I was in college. At the end of the class I

knew that even though I may not be overtly racist, I do har-bor racist habits, opinions, and yes, even fears that arise from the culture that I am thoroughly a part of. I’m sorry, but your pastor is a racist.

“But you’re a nice guy, Pastor. You went to Tanzania. You’ve had people of color living under your roof. We can’t imagine you being racist.” Thank you, however your con-cern is growing out of an assumption that all racists are bad people treating people of color poorly. That’s not how it is. Sure, there are plenty of racists that do horrific things because of their racism, but that is at one end of a scale. Most of us are not that overt, and we thank God for this, however, the bulk of us who are like me, full of racial hab-its, assumptions, and fears, end up doing more damage than those who blatantly spew their hate. We keep sys-tems in place that allow for the growth the hate-spewers need. This racism doesn’t make us bad people but ignoring our racism does allow terribly bad things to happen.

Please know that owning my identity as a racist is a very Lutheran thing to do. We are the ones who proclaim we are completely saint and sinner at the same time. We know that we are not getting less and less sinful just because we read our Bibles, pray a lot, attend worship regularly and give sacrificially. (see the Seven Marks of Discipleship) We know that we are saints not because we are such nice peo-ple but because Christ has made us so. Continued...

The Seven Marks of Discipleship

Pray

Worship

Study

Invite

Encourage

Give

Serve

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...continued

We are baptized into the holiness of Christ. His holy body becomes a part of our body in Holy Communion. Again, we know this saintliness we enjoy is not a product of our hard work, good choices and dedication. It is a gift given by Christ. And we know that this saintliness is not our entire identity. We are also sinners, people captivated by sin so that even our most righteous activities are stained by sin. We are sinners who are still loved by God. Therefore, iden-tifying my racism acknowledges an aspect of my full hu-manity, but does not negate all the other aspects. It is a part of who I am.

So, why am I writing and confessing this? For more than a month I have been pondering and praying over what my part has been in the murder of George Floyd and the count-less others who have preceded him and, sadly, have fol-lowed him. Through this prayer and pondering I have come to a few conclusions.

+ Even though I have been aware of my racism for over three decades I have done little to address it. Part of this comes from the fact that I have not lived in racially di-verse communities. This is not an excuse. It is just a con-tributing factor. My racism just hasn’t been a front-burner issue for me.

+ I cannot assume that others are aware of their rac-ism as I am. I needed that class in seminary to open my eyes. Most of us have not been so blessed.

+ Because I have done little to address my racism, I have usually kept silent when I’ve been exposed to blatantly racist talk, sometimes even contributing to it in order to be well thought of. I have been blissfully unaware of the privi-leges granted to be me because of my whiteness. I also did not have conversations about my racism with my children.

+ My silence has not helped destroy the culture of white supremacy that we live in, especially my silence as a leader in the church.

...continued

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...continued

+ This is a highly complex issue that will not be solved by my awareness, nor by the new things I am learning lately about myself and the racist culture that I am a part of. I cannot do all the right things to make this go away and thus feel better. This will always be a nagging reality of who I am.

+ And yet, what little I can do will make a differ-ence.

+ Finally, I must dedicate myself to learning and listening, (really listening; listening with an openness to being changed), as much as I possibly can. And, I will dedicate myself to being more vocal than I’ve been.

Yes, I’m sorry that it took George Floyd’s death on May 25 to finally wake me up. We never know what it will be that irreversibly grabs our attention to the things we’ve been doing that have caused harm to others. Sure, I wish now that I would have done more since my first awakening back in seminary. Ah, well, it didn’t happen, but I am given this opportunity today to repent. I’m trying to change direc-tions which is what repentance is all about. I want to do my part, with the little means and time that I have, to make a difference for future generations and I invite those of you who feel a similar call by the Holy Spirit to join with me.

Pastor Keith

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Congregation Council Highlights for June

The Congregation Council met on June 9, 2020 via Zoom. Pastor Keith continues to host opportunities for members to join in “Dwelling in the Word” Zoom meeting. Currently, there is one gathering on Thursday evenings. Pastor Keith is willing to make changes or add another day/time should the need arise. Please contact Pastor Keith if you are interested. Sunday worship con-tinues to be successful using Facebook Live. A lot of cleaning and organizing of files is taking place. Special thanks to Ann Buscher for organizing the school rooms and closets. Seeing as COVID-19 is continuing to offer a different approach to Zion’s worship and ministry, Pastor Keith is giving some thought to swapping office space with his and the financial office. Current-ly, the downspouts are on a holding pattern. Discussion on door repairs has begun and more will take place in the future. An es-timate has been received to fix the curtain rods in the family, finance and class rooms. A donor has stepped forward to cover the cost of the family and finance rooms. Another estimate will be presented at the next meeting. The Social Ministry Com-mittee continues to collect funds towards the purchase of fruit trees. The goal is to collect $3,000 by the end of June; Zion is well on the way of reaching that goal. The Worship and Music Committee has chosen June 14th to be Graduation Sunday and has made the suggestion of adding prerecorded Special Music to our current worship services. The Harvest of Hope Communi-ty Garden has reported that all of the beds are in use and that there is still lumber available to repair existing beds or to build new beds. One of the new tablet devices has been lent to a family and they are thrilled to be able to participate in the Facebook Live worship and have found it to be easy to use. Sew for Missions has re-quested to return back to their work while

Continued...

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Congregation Council Highlights for June ...continued

following COVID-19 safety procedures. This is dependent upon the recommendations of Zion’s Insurance carrier. Pastor Keith proposed a written plan to offer Holy Communion and weather permitting, revised outdoor worship opportunities. Due to so many changes brought on by COVID-19, that are being ad-dressed by Zion, the Congregation Council decided that it will probably on July 14, 2020.

An abundance of thanks!_______________________ Dear Zion Congregation, The DAR Boys & Girls Club thanks you for the donation of $441.71. As we open for the summer, these funds will help us with the short fall we are already experience during this crisis. We are so grateful for your support! Once again thank you for your generosity. Richard Crevier, CPO DAR Boys & Girls Club ____________________________________________________ Dear Zion Lutheran Church, Thank you so much for your generous donation of $126.92 to the NEWCAP Marinette Food Pantry. We are so grateful for your assistance in serving our community. We were able to purchase some items we had run out of such as: cereal, cheese, veggies and pasta. Stay safe, Patty B. NEWCAP Food Pantry, Marinette

Thank you!___________________________________ Thank you so very much for your continued giving and generosi-ty while worship within our building is cancelled. Every little bit helps. You are making a difference! Again, thank you!

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No Contact Distribution of Holy Communion________ Zion is offering Holy Communion to small groups. It will take place in our Social Hall in 15-minute time slots. Groups will en-ter through the west (main entrance) doors and will exit through the north (office hallway) door. There will be eight ta-bles (each table is for one household and holds 4 or less people from any one household) set up with the communion elements before the group arrives. Tables can be filled with individuals, couples, or family groups of up to 4. Social distancing and masks are required, (masks, of course, will be removed during the con-sumption of the elements.) The service will last about 5 minutes. There will be an on-line sign up for the times and ta-bles each time we hold communion. A link will be emailed out to those on our email list. Those unable to sign up on-line are welcome to call Zion’s office to reserve a spot. Needs for grape juice or gluten-free wafers need to be noted during the sign up. Communion will be offered on July 12th and 26th beginning at 10:45 a.m. Obviously, safety for all is our primary concern. Pa-tience and graciousness are welcome as we experiment with this new form of worship.

Outdoor Worship______________________________ Weather permitting on Sundays, July 5th and 19th at 9:30 a.m., Zion will offer an outdoor worship opportunity. The podium and piano will be in front of the “Zion Lutheran Church” sign attached to our building at the main entrance. This placement will offer plenty of space for worshippers to maintain safe dis-tances from one another. Hopefully this will also allow people to see Pastor if they prefer to worship in their vehicles. There will be a sound system set up so that everyone will be able to hear. The services will be broadcast on Facebook Live. There will be no Holy Communion. Bulletins will be printed and dis-tributed to the worshippers. Worshippers are strongly encour-aged to bring their own chairs, but chairs will be available for those unable to do so. If the outdoor service is going to be can-celled, we will announce this as soon as possible, posting it on our website, Facebook, email, Continued...

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Outdoor Worship______________________________ and on Zion’s answering machine announcement. A list of guidelines can be found in this issue of the July newsletter, “WE ARE ZIONEWS” on pages 27 & 28 to help ensure that this wor-ship opportunity is conducted in as safe a manner as possible.

Help us fund 25 mobile pantries in the U.P._________ Donate today. Every dollar matched up to $50, 000.

June 9, 2020

Dear Friends in Christ,

During the first seven weeks of the pandemic, March 16-May 3, no less than 537,663 lbs. of food was distributed to the UP through Feeding America-West Michigan’s food bank. This rep-resents a 48.2% increase from the same time in 2019. Mean-while, the food bank’s resources are diminished as retailer do-nations plummet due to high consumer demand at grocery stores.

We are truly in crisis mode here in the Upper Peninsula.

Thankfully, the Davenport Foundation, the Hoover Foundation/Episcopal Diocese of Northern Michigan, Reynolds Foundation and Superior Health Foundations have generously provided a $50,000 matching grant to help fund food distribution in the Upper Peninsula. Our goal is to raise $50,000 which then be-comes $100,000 which will be used to provide 25 mobile pan-tries delivered throughout the Upper Peninsula. While I know our communities in Northern Wisconsin are also being impact-ed, this grant is restricted to Upper Peninsula distributions.

The Northern Great Lakes Synod joins our Episcopal, Methodist, Roman Catholic, and Jewish friends, as well as the Unitarian Universalists of Houghton, to support those who have fallen through the cracks because of the COVID-19 crisis.

Your generous gift today will double the help given to the many food insecure neighbors during this current crisis. Will you help feed your neighbors? Continued...

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Help us fund 25 mobile pantries in the U.P._________ ...continued

You can give electronically here or send a check made payable to "Feeding America West Michigan" with “U.P. Mobiles” in the subject line. Please mail checks to the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Michigan, 131 East Ridge St., Marquette, MI 49855.

Thank you for your generosity as we all unite together in our campaign feed the hungry.

Yours in Christ, Katherine Finegan Bishop of the Northern Great Lakes Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

NEWS FROM YOUR FINANCIAL SECRETARY_________ First and foremost, thank you everyone for mailing in, switching to electronic giving, or using the cellphone application for sub-mitting your contributions. I'm so proud of our congregation for how it has handled this pandemic and the way you have contin-ued to support Zion's ministry.

If any of you would like to donate through our website and need help (some people have), please don't hesitate to call me at home 715-735-7180 or e-mail me at: zionfinsec@newbc.rr.com and leave a message. I am usually available at home anytime, e-mail I try and check daily. I am more than happy to answer any questions, or I can walk you through it over the phone. Again, thank you.

Until we can be together again, God Bless you and stay safe. Karen Houdek- Zion's Financial Secretary

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July Birthdays_________________________________ July 3: Diana Harper July 4: Madelyn Krah July 6: Sarah Jagielski July 7: Rita Kehoe, Marilyn Knopp, Dale Lueskow, Candace Minzlaff and Jonah Zuehls July 8: Roxanne Bowdin, Jacob Ehle July 9: Peter Jensen and Pastor Keith Kolstad July 10: Sharon Ehlers and Allie Greenlund July 11: Sarah Marzahl July 12: Michael Goes and Amanda Litts July 13: Rebecca Erickson and Brian Swenson July 16: Alexa Oleson July 17: Robert Baxter July 18: William Magnuson July 19: Traci Olson and Maureen Wolf July 21: Samantha Schroeder July 24: Ann Buscher July 25: Barbara Lebick July 26: Mason Krah, Kensley Renne and Leah Rose July 27: Pastor Rick DeBenedetto July 30: Duane Clarke, Michael Cook, Michael Minzlaff and Jacki Renne

Office Visits and COVID-19_______________________ Although we are monitoring the phone and email, Zion’s office is closed. For your health and safety, please follow the guide-lines that the CDC has implemented for us all. If you have not yet visited their site, we invite and encourage you to do so. The website is: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/ Should you need to speak with Pastor Keith, we ask that you please do so via phone or email. If you have a key to gain en-trance into Zion, we kindly ask that you show your compassion

for us by wearing a mask (either medical or homemade or a bandana face covering). Thank you for your under-standing and cooperation as we trod together in the fight against this virus.

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The Stewardship and Generosity Corner___________ Have you had “The Talk” with your kids? Or do you remember your parents having “The Talk” with you? If you are white, you are probably thinking about the birds & the bees. If you are black, it takes on a whole different and significant meaning. How to behave around police officers; how to act in public and not be seen as “less than” or criminal; how to not be viewed as a threat. This is the world we live in today. This is the world we have made for America’s black population.

These last several weeks I cannot turn on the news without be-ing totally disheartened by what I have been seeing and hear-ing. So much hate. So much intolerance. I lead a sheltered life. I felt the need to educate myself, so I decided to start asking questions of those I know, trust, and love – my family. I invite you to come with me on this journey to learn what I only re-cently uncovered within my own family, all of whom are middle-class Americans. The stories shared here are only a portion of those told to me.

My brother Tom, and Becca, his wife, live in Philadelphia. In 2002, they adopted in every sense except the paperwork, pa-rental responsibilities for Gwen, an African American 15-year-old living in inner city Philadelphia. Gwen was attending Wm Penn High School, an inner-city school. She felt very stymied and unsupported. She was provided no books in her classes and the teachers were often on their cell phones for most of the classes chatting with friends. Gwen wanted to go to college. She had lots of ambition and big dreams. It was through Phila-delphia Futures that the Tom, Becca, and Gwen connected. Phil-adelphia Futures is an organization dedicated to identifying in-ner-city kids with potential who want to attend college and link-ing them with sponsors and mentors like my brother and his wife.

Gwen received a fully paid scholarship to Gettysburg College because of her scholastic ability. One weekend prior to gradu-ating from high school she went to check out the college and a maintenance man said to her Continued...

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The Stewardship and Generosity Corner___________ ...continued

“Why are all you xxxxxxx showing up here?” That comment so unnerved her that she decided not to attend school there. In-stead she went to and graduated from Bloomsburg University, with honors!

In a latter conversation, Gwen went on to tell me that her daughter, Giselle, six years old and in first grade, encountered shocking racism in her school which is in quite an affluent neighborhood and school district.

Giselle asked her little school friend, “When we are older will we still be friends?” She replied, “No because you are black.” Giselle also had a boy tell her that she was too black to play with. The final incident happened at recess when a few of Giselle’s classmates were shouting the “N-word ” at her!! When her black teacher found out it brought her to tears. The teacher reached out to Gwen to let her know how sad she was and that in all the years she'd been teaching she had never dealt with racism as much as she did at that point in time.

Paul, Gwen’s African American boyfriend, is a US Postal Service mailman. He experiences racism on a regular basis, by the very people he is serving! He has had doors slammed in his face while trying to make USPS deliveries. He has also been stopped by the police for no apparent reason while driving. Parents of black children know to sit their beloved children down to have “The Talk” telling them how to behave when interacting with the police – to be calm, show their hands, avoid sudden move-ments, follow instructions, and always be respectful. Those par-ents know from years of living that if their child does not heed this advice, they could easily find themselves in a world of trou-ble over nothing.

My cousin Jean lives in Little Suamico with her husband, Tom. They adopted two Hispanic children from Guatemala, Adam and Abby. While in elementary school one little girl told Abby she could not play with her group of friends because her skin was too dark. Continued...

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The Stewardship and Generosity Corner___________ ...continued

In 2012, Abby was in middle school. She had invited four kids home to work on a school project. As they were walking up the driveway one young man said. "I don't know if your parents will like me." Abby said "Sure, they will like you.....Why?" He said, "Because I'm Hispanic." She smiled and said, "You do realize I'm Hispanic.....Right?" Jean said, “He saw his own skin color, but not hers, even though they were the same.”

Another cousin, Dave, and his wife, Margie are grandparents to their daughter Lindsay’s son, Jaxon, from Ethiopia. Lindsay lives on the west side of Green Bay in a diverse and friendly neighbor-hood. At two years of age, Jaxon was diagnosed with mild au-tism. He has undergone therapy and is doing very well, although socially he acts more like an eight-year-old than his current age of thirteen. He has a great vocabulary and is a very loving and loved child by the entire family. He is mainstreamed in school but has special education assistance.

Jaxon came home from school a few years ago and said he hated his dark skin and wanted to look like the others. They never found the source of that, but his mother reassured him, and he hasn’t mentioned it again.

In early June, Lindsay and Jaxon were riding past a police car and Jaxon dropped his head down. Lindsay asked why and he said he saw a cop and they don’t like black skin. Again, she had to reas-sure him that most police treat everyone fairly. She is very con-cerned about his future safety because of his autism, and that his intentions and reactions might easily be misinterpreted.

My beloved granddaughter, Shelby is gay. I found out for sure once she graduated from Marinette High. She has always been a tom-boy. She has always cared for the underdog. At the prom she walked a young lady down the promenade because she would have been alone otherwise. I loved her even more for that thoughtfulness. She now lives in Milwaukee where gays are more accepted and social outlets are available for her lifestyle. Continued...

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The Stewardship and Generosity Corner__________ ...continued

Last year, Shelby proposed marriage to Jessica, and she said “Yes” – they will be married next year. Like all young couples they have dreams: complete their education, find stable, well paid jobs in their field, make a home together filled with love and happiness, and eventually children.

Shelby wants what we all want: a life filled with joy, peace, and love, but being LGTBQ isn’t easy. Discrimination and injus-tice are alive and well here too. June 15th the US Supreme Court ruled that employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity is prohibited under federal civil rights law. In 2015, the high court ruled that the Constitution guarantees a right to same-sex marriage, making it legal across all 50 states for same-sex couples to finally get married. In 2016, the court ruled that married LGTBQ couples could adopt, but in 2019 steps were taken to undo that right. Obviously, Shelby and Jessica hope this will change.

You may say, “None of this is my problem.” I believe other-wise. Discrimination based on color, ethnicity, or sexual pref-erence is a problem for all of us because it is injustice.

We belong to a society that created this injustice, protected this injustice, and then passively turned a blind eye to this in-justice because it was not our problem.

You, like me, may ask what can we do about this injustice? We can find our voice. We can begin a conversation and speak our truth out of love, out of respect, and out of honesty. We can listen to those who live with this dilemma daily. We can seek out their truth, their problems, their fears. As Pastor Keith told me “Our actions need to be led by deep and compassionate listening, because in listening, we allow ourselves to be edu-cated and ultimately have our opinions changed.”

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The Stewardship and Generosity Corner__________ ...continued

Each of us is one tiny drop in a bucket, but together we can help to create a tsunami. As a society we can do better; we must do better. No law can survive and endure without the direct active support of its society. When an entire society begins to say, “No More”, then it’s only a matter of time before it becomes no more.

I am not a political person, nor are we a political congregation, but sometimes we must become involved. When our wellbeing is threatened, we act. We call or write our legislators to share our concerns and outrage. So, here we are, facing the lives, hearts, and souls of an entire race that lives in quiet terror daily. We don’t need to be political to have compassion, but we do need to act.

Pastor Keith added, “Doing something can also mean taking the time to learn and listen; to find out how each of us is a part of the problem, and not just with our silence, but also in ways that we are probably completely ignorant of. Sure, we may have black friends, or have grown up in an integrated neighborhood or school and believe in the deepest part of our being that all people are created equal. And yet we can also unintentionally continue to support the racist structures that surround us. That’s why it is necessary to continue to learn and listen.”

The looters and protesters are not the same, and we should not let the looters take one moment of attention away from the gravity of this situation. That black man on the ground is as cher-ished by God as any of us because he, like we, are made by God. Anyone created by God cannot, and should not, be defiled in that way.

George Floyd was hopeless and helpless and yet the policeman did not let up. Officer Chauvin continued to kneel on Mr. Floyd’s throat for 8 minutes and 45 seconds. People were pleading and yet no one rushed the cop because, just like me, they were more afraid of being pummeled by the other three policemen. ...continued

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The Stewardship and Generosity Corner__________ ...continued

It is time to feel the outrage. It is time to value all people, rich and poor, Native American, Asian, Black, Latino, White and LGBTs. We need to cherish each other and without judgment. I struggle with judgment so much. I have my entire life. I make judgments in a snap and often those judgments are in error. When that error becomes evident, I chastise myself and yet it continues. It is one of a great many of my sins.

I tell myself often that I am not a racist. I certainly want to think I’m not, but I also know if I’m alone around a group of black males I become anxious. Why? Is that racism?

I totally empathize with people of color when I think about what they have been put through. They didn’t ask to come to this country. They were tied up, chained, and put into the bottom of a ship and brought to a place they knew nothing of. They were sold like pieces of meat. They worked all day without pay and were tormented and whipped. Their family units were often bro-ken and sold. (Did you see Roots? The emotion that movie stirred within me!!)

After being freed some blacks began to establish communities of their own. One such place was the Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma, commonly referred to as America’s “Black Wall Street.” In 1921, many white residents felt intimidated by the prosperity, growth, and size of "Black Wall Street” so white men came in and burned their community to the ground and killed as many as 300 hundred of its law-abiding black citizens. And yet nothing was done about it. Today, we are told blacks and whites have equality as stated in our Constitution, but I seriously ques-tion that.

Ursula Burns is the former Chairwoman and CEO of Xerox Corpo-ration. In a recent talk she shared that she is well educated, went to great schools, is successful, participates in the community, and lives in a high end neighborhood, but when she’s out on the street none of that goes with her. All people see is that she’s black. ...continued

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The Stewardship and Generosity Corner__________ ...continued

Can we be a community who rushes in to help? Write to your congressman. Don’t be nasty. Write with wisdom, restraint, thoughtfulness, and urgency. Reach out. Take responsibility. Be part of the solution. Ask them to truly listen and learn from the people they hope to help - to truly seek out their truth, their problems, their fears. Without an understanding of that, how can they hope to help. If enough of us say we are not going to sup-port this anymore, we’re not going to turn a blind eye to this any-more, and when we see injustice we will react to it, we can and will make a difference. Our voice needs to be so overwhelming that our government must do something about it. It starts with one conversation. Be one drop in the bucket and help to create that much needed tsunami. Every member of our community is precious in God’s sight and should be in ours.

We need to make a greater personal commitment to social and racial justice. We need to remain dedicated to our Christian val-ues. We need to listen, learn, and act in love.

1 Corinthians 3:16-17:

Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God

will destroy that person. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.

In God’s peace and love,

Karen Sylvester

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Worship and Music_____________________________ Each month I have been selecting hymns for each Sunday. If you have a favorite you would like to hear/sing along to, please let me know. Our special music for July will be: July 5th First Outdoor Worship – featuring Patriotic Songs July 12th Johanna Zuhels – Harp July 19th Outdoor worship July 26th Karen Sylvester and Barb Grom singing “When There’s Love at Home” from last summer. Thank you for all the compliments on the music I have been play-ing each Sunday. It truly warms my heart! Ann Buscher

Worship together via Facebook Live! Sundays at 9:30 Zion will be holding worship via Facebook Live! On Sunday, just before 9:30 a.m., please go to Zion’s Facebook page: Zion Luther-an Church-ELCA-Marinette and look for the “Going Live” an-nouncement and follow the link. Worship will begin as usual; just in a different way. If you do not have a Facebook account, don’t fret as you can still view worship from Zion’s Website (ZionLutheran-marinette.org)! The video is posted each Monday following worship. Keep healthy and God’s blessings upon every-one.

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Fortune Lake Lutheran Camp News________________ We pray you are well. Thank you for your generous support of Fortune Lake! Together, as we learn how to mitigate our risk of exposure to COVID-19 and better care for those who have been exposed, a number of truths have become more evident, truths that we’ve known and lived for generations here at Fortune Lake:

• Jesus shows up in the care of the lost and least. Never have I seen such a widespread response as we all seek to protect those who are most vulnerable. This is love in action!

• We are a people designed to be in community. Social dis-tancing is difficult! We prefer to pass the peace-via Shake Another Hand here at camp-and be in proximity with our friends and neighbors.

• People are generous! All over the world, folks are giving of their time and resources to help those most affected by this pandemic.

We await the day when we can again gather at Fortune Lake to share stories of Jesus around the campfire, live in intentional community, and practice generosity together.

In the meantime, we are not sitting still! Fortune Lake has offered our lodges as a quarantine site should local healthcare workers need them. We are launching virtual program opportu-nities that will be free to the public and available to ALL! We're preparing for live campfires, fun Arts-n-Crafts projects, ways to explore God's creation in your own backyard, and even a live virtual talent show!

Programs kicked off on June 14th with the opening of our online Canteen (camp store). Then, each Monday, you'll have an op-portunity to experience the Bible in new ways through our Mon-day Morning Devotions! Each week, a new program will be avail-able to you, right in your own home! Through it all, you'll be re-minded of God's love for YOU and see familiar faces from many generations of camping at Fortune Lake. Continued...

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Fortune Lake Lutheran Camp News________________ ...continued

Feel free to invite your friends, family, and neighbors to partici-pate right along with you. We can't wait to see you online!

Fortune Lake will be holding its annual Fall Fest in a virtual platform this year, which means we can draw many more sup-porters from far and wide! The silent auction will begin on Sep-tember 23, and will culminate with the live auction on October 3. We are currently accepting donations of quilts and hand-crafted fine arts. Submission deadline is September 1! Due to the unique nature of an online event, we ask that all donated items have a value of at least $50. Each item must be accompa-nied by a completed Submission form which can be found on our website: http://fortunelake.org/make-an-impact/annual-fall-fest/.

Thank you!___________________________________ A special thanks to all the members of the congregation that have been called and said “Yes”! We have been busy cleaning, washing windows, scrubbing rugs, scanning historical docu-ments, and doing some projects that have been needed to be done in and outside of Zion for quite some time. These unusual times have given Zion this opportunity—and we have taken ad-vantage of it. Our building, grounds and garden look amazing & a few file cabinets are much lighter! “Bind us together Lord, Bind us together Lord with hearts that cannot be broken” Ann Buscher

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From Bishop Finegan____________________________

"They have treated the wound of my people carelessly, saying, 'Peace, peace,' when there is no peace." ~Jeremiah 8:11

Dear People of the Northern Great Lakes Synod,

It was one of the many times in 2019 that I was staying at a hotel for in-person meetings. I got

on the elevator and pushed the button for the lobby, and I saw a gentleman walking purposefully down the hall toward the eleva-tor I was in. He could see that I saw him coming, and as the doors to the elevator were closing, I fumbled to find the button that would hold the doors open. The doors were almost all the way closed, but I pushed the button in time to have them open again just as the man reached the elevator threshold. I watched as his brown face brightened into a wide friendly smile and I re-alized with aching clarity that he was pleasantly surprised… sur-prised that I had held the door for him, surprised that he had been extended this simple courtesy, perhaps even surprised, that a white woman, alone on an elevator, had not been afraid to hold the door for him.

How many times, I wondered, had this man had the doors closed to him that my holding them open had been a surprise? How many times had the color of his skin been perceived as threaten-ing? How many times had simple courtesy been denied him?

In these last days and weeks, the news has reported horrible sto-ries of not just courtesies denied to people of color, but lives tak-en away: a woman asleep in her own apartment is shot dead in her bed (Breonna Taylor), a young man out for a jog is gunned down (Ahmaud Arbery), and George Floyd is arrested, re-strained, and killed as he begs for his life and cries out for his mother. At no other time in my memory have white people been more vocal with the questions, “What is wrong with the world?!?! and What can I do?” Continued...

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From Bishop Finegan___________________________ ...continued

I had new awareness of the way our United States is experienced differently by people of color after yet another story of a young African American man who gets pulled over for some minor in-fraction only to end up dead. As the mother of three 20-something young men, I have the same hopes and fears for them that any other mother has for her children, except that I have not had the worry that my sons will get shot and killed during a traffic stop. It is a reality that parents of color have to “have the talk” with their children. They are instructed, not just to follow the law, not just to be respectful, but to actually be prepared to be the calm and non-anxious presence in the face of prejudice and fear that seems to be looking for an excuse to escalate the tension and might just get them killed. So, what is wrong with our world? And what can you and I and the church do?

We begin with a fearless inventory of our own thoughts, feelings, and discomfort with issues of race. We begin with a willingness to listen deeply and with compassion. We begin by putting the temptation to defensiveness aside and adopt an attitude of learning. The dangers of white supremacist ideology are re-al. Such attitudes continue to influence bank loans, education, public funding, housing, immigration policies and more. We need to be aware, and more than just aware, but actively call out what is destructive to ourselves and our neighbors.

Hear the word of the Lord through the prophet Jeremiah, we cannot treat this wound carelessly. We cannot pretend there is peace for all when there is only peace for some. This is not jus-tice. This is not obedience to Jesus’ commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves. People are in pain, and you and I and us together CAN do something about it.

While we collectively can make a difference, dismantling racism and the systems that perpetuate it begins as a personal and indi-vidual journey of discovery and repentance. Continued...

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From Bishop Finegan____________________________ ...continued

I know my own journey has gathered momentum in these past days. I suggest a first step is prayer, and a petition to the Holy Spirit of Christ to open eyes, ears, and hearts to God’s will for all of creation and for all the people for whom Jesus died. A next step: check out the resources on our website. Read the books, watch the videos, hear the stories. Listen well.

If you are not yet ready for that, simply begin in your own imagi-nation. You’ve seen the video, the images of Mr. George Floyd, laying on the pavement, his neck under the knee of the arresting officer. Now imagine your son, your husband, your father, your brother, your loved one in the place and posture of George Floyd in his final 8 minutes of life.

Maybe it’s not fair, or in poor taste, for me to ask you to do that. But I suspect that until this pain is everyone’s pain, until this fear is everyone’s fear, not much will change. And that dis-turbing, heartbreaking image of your loved one in that position of danger and vulnerability will become a catalyst for transfor-mation.

Do not treat this wound, the wound of racism and white supremist ideology, careless-ly. Now is the time for each of us to take another step to un-derstand more deeply the pain that others are feeling and ex-periencing. Do not be afraid. The Holy Spirit will guide your journey that begins and continues as you take the next step.

Yours in Christ, Bishop Katherine Finegan

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Join us in lifting up our brothers and sisters in Christ, in prayer as we remember their

baptismal anniversaries!

July 1: Paige Dugre, Richard Francour and Don Schutt July 3: Victoria Johnson and Shirley Lueskow July 4: Sandra Tessmer July 6: Jacob Buenning July 9: Nick Kehoe and Pat Rondeau July 10: Taylor Ehle, Sharon Ehlers and Wendy Ihler July 11: Owen Derby and Shirley Lebick July 14: Shirley Enderby, Peter Jensen and Matthew Swenson July 16: Tyler Lund July 18: Katelyn Sylvester July 19: Jakob Callaway-Ross and Hannah Oleson July 20: Charlotte Bauer July 21: Don Limberg and Harold Peterson July 23: Steve Bromund July 25: Diane Lynch and Richelle Vincent July 27: Jonah Zuehls July 30: Lanse Dill and Bill Tipple

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Connecting with Others________________________ Would you like to hear how it is going with other members of Zion? Would you like to see a face you haven’t seen in a while? Would you like to do this AND grow in faith? Join us with Dwelling in the Word, Thursdays at 7:00 pm. (If this day/time does not work for you, contact Pastor Keith and we will consider adding a day and time that works for you.)

This is a Zoom meeting. If you have not used Zoom before, contact Pastor Keith and he will walk you through it and have a “dry run” with you before the day of the meeting.

Besides checking in with each other, we will pray over and dis-cuss one of the texts for the upcoming Sunday.

If you do not have a computer, you can also connect through your phone. It is a long-distance number and is very easy to do. (Ask Pastor George!) A call to Pastor Keith will get you all squared away.

If you want to be a part of Dwelling in the Word, please con-tact Pastor Keith at least a half hour before the meeting, (text, email, phone call), so that you can be sent a link as well as the text.

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You Are the Seed_____________________________ ...that will Grow a New Sprout

Each year we help by raising money for the ELCA’s World Hun-ger Appeal. This year our progress was represented by the fruit on the tree in the front of the sanctuary. For every $10 raised we added one piece of fruit.

Zion’s goal was $3,000.00...and we exceeded that amount!

$3,147.28 has been donated!

Thanks to your generosity and support, we are able to provide funding for at least 15 orchards (20 trees per orchard)! This is incredible. Thank you does not begin to express the gratitude we have. Congratulations on a job well done and, thank you.

Zion’s Social Ministry Committee

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Rules for Outdoor Worship______________________ As we gather for outdoor in-person worship, there are a number of guidelines that we must adhere to in order to gather more safely. Presently, online worship is the only truly safe way to worship but being outside is a reasonably safe option for many. The guidance we have received from the ELCA, our Northern Great Lakes Synod, and the Wisconsin Council of Churches (links below) have aided in these rules and are meant to keep us ALL as safe as possible as we seek to worship physically together. Above all, love and care for our fellow children of God is what must guide us. Therefore, here are the rules that will guide our outdoor worship:

• If you do not feel comfortable joining in-person outdoor wor-ship, that is perfectly acceptable. These services will be live streamed via Facebook.

• If you wish to wear a mask outside, you are welcome to do so. However, masks outside are not required if social distancing is maintained.

• If you feel sick in ANY way, please stay home.

• A minimum of 6 feet will be kept between different family units/those living in the same household. (Attempt to not be “down-wind” of anyone.)

• If you are able, please bring your own chair to sit on. However, chairs will be provided for those that need them. Worshipping in your car is also an option.

• There will be NO – shaking hands, passing the Peace, passing of the offering plate, or fellowship time with food or coffee.

• No Holy Communion will take place. This will be offered on Sundays we are not worshipping outside.

• It would be best if restrooms were not used. Access to the in-side of the church building will be limited to the restrooms only.

• Bulletins will be provided. Please recycle them at home. Continued...

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Rules for Outdoor Worship______________________ ...continued

• Be aware of others around you. Give people plenty of room to exit at the end of the service. Please don’t congregate around vehicles.

• Be kind, be gracious, and be patient. This is an experiment that will probably need refining over time. Obviously, this will not be worship as we knew it before.

Links to guidance documents:

https://download.elca.org/ELCA Resource Repository/Returning_to_In-person_Worship.pdf?_ga=2.84805584.87245994.1591303554-2135929365.1590691746

https://www.facebook.com/notes/northern-great-lakes-synod/gather-us-ineventually/3233367493367100/

https://www.wichurches.org/2020/04/23/returning-to-church/

This is the sign that the podium and the piano will be placed

under for our Outdoor Worship opportunities. Weather permitting; July 5th and July 19th at 9:30 a.m.

BRING A CHAIR AND JOIN US!

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June 2, 2020

Dear Faith Leaders –

We write to you in acknowl-edgement of the pain, grief and anger of our Black siblings. We bear witness to the most recent incidents of violence perpetrat-ed against them and their communities. To those who would judge, we say: anger can be a righteous response to murders and targeted state-sponsored violence, which has been cascad-ing down for far too long. We cry out against the systems and structures which have perpetrated this violence for centuries.

We call on majority white faith communities to center the voic-es and experiences of Black and multicultural communities at this time. We ask majority white faith communities, and their leaders, to respond to the needs of communities of color, to serve as allies and supportive partners, and not place additional burdens upon Black leaders or communities, by asking them to interpret or exegete this moment for you.

We have heard offers of help and questions asking, “what shall we do?” We have heard loud and clear from our Black siblings that:

…this IS the time to speak up.

…we cannot end with one sermon, prayer, or phone call

…speaking up, by itself, is insufficient, without additional action.

If you are looking for something to do, please make it concrete, and action-oriented. We have reached out to leaders in the Afri-can-American Council of Churches and intend to let their priori-ties guide us.

In the meantime, be bold in leading your people. Speak and pray as one who longs for systems change. Raise funds for ministries grounded in the Black community, for those jailed in resistance movements, for human needs. Contact public officials Continued...

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...continued.

and demand systems change, an end to violent, militarized po-lice action. Use your privilege to put yourself between those who would do violence and those who need room to express their pain.

There may yet be an opportunity to show up in person; but we will wait for that call. There are those in our communities who would use this as an opportunity to sow mayhem and division. Some will tire of this message, and grow angry, and ask us to soften our words. We urge you to remain strong. Peace will not come without justice.

We lean on the teachings of our traditions that urge us to love our neighbor, to care for the vulnerable and those who have been mistreated, and to seek the well-being of the place you inhabit.

Rev. Kerri Parker Executive Director Wisconsin Council of Churches

Rabbi Bonnie Margulis Executive Director Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice

As we watch what is happening across our country, we have tak-en this opportunity to remember that this is not the first time we at the Wisconsin Council of Churches have engaged many of the issues that are being talked about in the news. We invite you to review two policy statements that we have passed as a body and use these are resources to ground yourselves and your ministry in this time. https://wichurches.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/StatementonInstitutionalRacismandRacialJustice.pdf https://wichurches.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/StatementonNonviolence.pdf

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Thank you____________________________________ To so many in the congregation who remembered our 65th wedding anniversary with cards and kind words, we say thank you. Though we could not gather together, it was a celebration we enjoyed and will long remember. The many lives we have touched have been a blessing to us. We thank God for family and friends who made this possible.

Pastor George and Ruth Olson

Fortune Lake Lutheran Camp Virtual Campfire!______ You're invited to a 90th Birthday Virtual Campfire!

What? An opportunity to gather to celebrate 90 years of For-tune Lake. There will be favorite camp songs, prayers, a skit, and lots of fun, all led by former camp staff!

Where? Via Facebook Live, simply log into Facebook and go to Fortune Lake's page to join in the party!

https://www.facebook.com/FortuneLakeLutheranCamp/

When? Wednesday, July 1 at 7 pm Central/8 pm Eastern. Can't join us at that time? The campfire video will remain active on our Facebook page.

Who? Campers, staff, friends of Fortune Lake - ALL people! Feel free to open a Facebook "Watch Party" to encourage others to join.

What to wear/bring? Party garb and/or Fortune Lake apparel is encouraged. Optional: bring a cupcake (with a candle with an adult's help). If you'd like to share a Fortune Lake memory with our gathered group, have a digital picture cued up. There will be an opportunity to give an offering to God's work through For-tune Lake: http://fortunelake.org/donate/

Song lyrics are available; if needed contact your church office to get a copy.

We hope to see you all at the [Virtual] Campfire!

Grace & Peace, Amanda Rasner