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He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother

By Vicar Lisa

All of our upcoming lectionary readings are connected by the theme of love for one another — those deemed outside the circle of the community (first reading), love of God expressed in love of neighbor (second reading), and Christ’s command to love one another (gospel).

The author of 1 John says that “[God’s] commandments are not burdensome” (5:3), but it doesn’t always feel that way, does it? It can feel burdensome—that is, until we think honestly about the person standing in front of us. 

The Hollies’ memorable song “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” hints at the love Christians are to have for others. The song’s title was inspired by an experience at the Boys Town orphanage. 

Father Flanagan, upon seeing an older boy carrying a younger boy with polio, inquired if carrying the boy was difficult. The older boy responded, “He ain’t heavy, Father, he’s my brother.” If you click the link above, you can learn more about the story and Boys Town and the work they do to serve young people and families at risk.

 

Serving This Sunday, Sixth Sunday of Easter, May 5

10 a.m. Worship with Communion

Sunday’s Flowers: Given by Joni Jones in celebration of her son Greg’s birthday.

  • Fellowship Time: Join us after worship next Sunday for our first Sunday Potluck and Bible study as we conclude the series How Lutherans Interpret the Bible. If you missed a session and want to review it, let Vicar Lisa know.
  • Feeding at the Park: Thank you to everyone who prepared food and helped serve meals at Cimino Park this Sunday, April 28 while Pastor Clay and Mary were in Texas for the birth of their grandson.
  • Bible Study: Our weekday study is held every Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. This Wednesday, Pastor Becky McNeil begins a Kerygma study on Spirituality and the Lord’s Prayer.
  • May Newsletter: The May edition of Zion’s Connections newsletter has been sent by email. Paper copies also are available in the back of the sanctuary and in the Fellowship Hall. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this month’s publication. The deadline for the June newsletter is May 23.
  • Flowers: There are plenty of days available to sponsor flowers. Select the date in the flower book at the back of the sanctuary, write your name and any commemoration you want included in the bulletin. A minimum donation of $35 is encouraged and donation envelopes are in the flower book, too.
  • Save the Dates
    • Our Spring cleanup day is scheduled Saturday, May 4. Julie will be coordinating outdoor activities beginning at 8:30 a.m.; Vicar Lisa will be coordinating indoor activities beginning at 9 a.m.
    • Bee Blessed as the Women of the ELCA will be hosting a retreat entitled Bee Blessed (a fresh look at the Beatitudes) at Grace Lutheran Church in Colorado Springs on June 22, 2024.

E-formation – The Sixth Sunday of Easter, May 5

This coming Sunday is the thirty-sixth day of Easter, so we are still singing some beloved Easter hymns as we continue reading from Acts, 1 John, and John’s gospel.

John 15:9-17

In the fourth gospel, the discourses of chapters 14–17 precede and are commentaries on the “sign” of Jesus’ being lifted on the cross. Thus, even in his death, as he lays down his life for others, Jesus abides in the Father’s love. This passage is the source of the Christian use of the word friend for Christ, a divine title that radically alters terminology usual in monotheism.

Acts 10:44-48

In Acts 10, Peter was inspired by a vision to evangelize the Roman centurion, Cornelius. Luke used this episode to describe further the mission to the Gentiles. By the late first century, more of the Christians were Gentiles than Jews. Here, receiving the Holy Spirit is tied to the experience of glossolalia, which preceded baptism in the name of Jesus. This event is a kind of Gentile Pentecost, paralleling the Jewish Pentecost of Acts 2, although in Acts 2 the “other tongues” are interpreted as being other languages, rather than the sounds produced in a state of religious ecstasy. Luke’s baptism in the name of Jesus contrasts with baptism in the triune name, as stipulated in Matthew 28.

1 John 5:1-6

Christ being called the Son of God is tied here to all believers being born as children of God. The passage echoes Judaism, in which the commandments are “not burdensome” but are gifts from God that assist personal and communal living. The passage includes another of the Johannine antitheses: faith versus the world. “Water and blood” may refer to Jesus’ baptism and death, as well as to baptism and eucharist.

Zion's Lutheran Church
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719-846-7785