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Out of This Furnace
by Pr. Lisa Rygiel

When I was in Pennsylvania this week, my sister-in-law Trish introduced me to a book that she was reading. The title of the book is Out of This Furnace by Thomas Bell. The book is a multi‑generational novel following the Kracha/Dobrejcak Slovak immigrant family from the 1880s to the 1930s, depicting their struggles in Pennsylvania steel mills, the harsh realities of labor, and the rise of union activism across three generations.

The novel ultimately portrays the evolution from individual struggle to collective action, showing how immigrant families helped shape the American labor movement.

It sounded interesting to me, especially since some of the places the stories were based on, I was actually visiting. I started reading it on the plane coming home and I could barely put it down.

One of the passages in the section about Mike Dobrejcak I found so beautiful that I earmarked so I could share it with you later. I hope that all of us feel so known and loved after our weekly encounter at church.

His Sundays off he went to church. Sometimes he stayed up when he got home from the mill and went to high mass, but he liked the evening service better. He was rested then and it was pleasant to stroll through the vacant streets, to stand before the church for a moment gossiping in the quiet evening air....

It was a cool, echoing church at night, with more empty pews than full ones, lamplight gleaming on varnished wood, giggles in the choir, the stained-glass windows, no longer translucent, shutting out darkness. At high mass God was the thundering, awe-inspiring Lord of the Universe investments of white and gold, but at evening service He was a friend whom one dropped in to visit, God still but God at ease, His shoes and trousers showing below His robes.

It was to this God that Mike prayed for Mary, for the children, for himself. About hell's fires and heaven's harps he had opinions of his own, but that God would look after a man who worked hard, took care of his family and always did his best—this could not be doubted.

So, Mike prayed, and God listened. To One more powerful than steel corporations and General Superintendents Mike spoke in prayer and was sure of a hearing, for in this place he was not a check number or a Hunky laborer, but a man. Into this place, as into the head blower's office, he entered removing his hat, but there the similarity ended. Here he was welcome, here he belonged. Here he spoke in his own tongue; and without fear, without awkwardness, he spoke of himself, his hopes, his troubles, his need of help.

And God heard him out. For God knew him by name, knew about Mary and the children, understood how it was with all of them and had a pretty good idea what kind of person, behind his laborer's clothes and poor English, Mike really was. God, in short, liked him. The world was always a less unfriendly place, and he nearly always walked a little straighter, heartened, protected, when he came out.

Reference: Bell, Thomas. Out of This Furnace (Regional) (pp. 170-172).
University of Pittsburgh Press. Kindle Edition.

Serving on the 21st Sunday After Pentecost, Oct. 18

Announcements

  • Fellowship: Join us after worship Sunday for coffee & conversation in the Fellowship Hall. All are welcome.
  • Church Telephone Outage: The Zion’s telephone system has been repaired. If you call the church and encounter an issue, please let us know so that we can address it immediately.
  • We’re Getting Ready for Thanksgiving: As part of Thanksgiving preparations, a core team is being set up to support Norine Hazen in this year’s community dinner, as we expect to provide almost 1,000 meals this year. The team’s first meeting will be at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 15, in the Fellowship Hall to coordinate tasks. Anyone who would like to help with this year’s meal planning is encouraged to attend. We will provide pizza for lunch.
  • Zion’s Book Club: Our Adult Study is at 10:30 a.m. each Tuesday in the Fellowship Hall. Our next study is at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 20 in the Fellowship Hall as we continue our discussion of the book, “What if Jesus was Serious about Prayer”.
  • Dinner & A Movie: Mark your calendar for a special event at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 28, when Zion’s will screen the movie The Shack. We will also have dinner and discussion. The Oct. 28 date allows people who wish to do so to read or listen to the book prior to the screening. If you need a copy of the book, let us know as many members have copies or downloads to share.
  • Reformation Sunday: Oct. 25 is Reformation Sunday. Plan to wear red as us acknowledge the Holy Spirit in our lives.
  • We’re Here for You: For pastoral care, Pr. Lisa has office hours from 9 – 10:30 a.m. on Tuesdays and by appointment. Call Zion’s at 719-846-7785 or send an email to zionsluth@gmail.com. While she is out of town, call any council member for assistance.

E-Formation

This Sunday all three readings allude to the relationship of believers to their civil government. Contemplating this complex word, we go for sustenance to the table.

Matthew 22:15-22
Jesus’ ambiguity in responding to the Pharisees’ question resembles the enigmatic parables for which Jesus is known. The “kingdom of heaven” about which Matthew has repeatedly written is not a phenomenon somehow equivalent to the kingdom of Rome. Rather, it is the life shared by those who accept the authority of God. The “head” that we carry is Christ, our “title” is Christian. The ambiguity of Jesus’ answer has allowed for great diversity within Christian communities concerning the appropriate attitude toward civil authority.

Isaiah 45:1-7
Even the enemy king who follows an alien religion can be seen by a believer as an instrument of God. The passage is chosen to complement the Matthew reading. Cyrus, like the Roman emperor, is an enemy king, who can be tolerated, even praised, by those faithful to the Lord. The Isaiah passage affirms that it is the Lord, the Creator of all, who can make use of even evil authorities. Also, this passage has afforded Christians biblical support for both sides of the debate as to whether an evil government is actually serving God.

1 Thessalonians 1:1-1
Today begins five Sundays of a semicontinuous reading of 1 Thessalonians. Especially if we know the political situation of Thessalonica, the reading from Paul is poignant on this Sunday. In a city famous for its loyalty to the Roman emperor, a young Christian community that is being persecuted is praised as a model of faithfulness to Christ Jesus. Jesus, not Emperor Claudius, is Lord.

Zion's Lutheran Church
zionsluth@gmail.com
719-846-7785