Zion Lutheran Church Harrisburg

Newsletters

Dear Members & Friends of Zion,
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. – Hebrews 4:16

All year round, Zion is blessed to be gathered in-person and online together before God’s throne of grace in prayer on Sunday mornings and on Wednesdays at noon. In the past, Zion held evening services during Lent and Holy Week.

In his Commentary on the Lutheran Book of Worship, Philip Pfatteicher writes:
"Vespers (evening prayer) is the key to understanding the entire office (services for daily prayer). For it is the beginning as well as the ending of the daily cycle. In such a pattern night serves as a preparation for the following day and every night becomes a vigil, awaiting the celebration of the resurrection with the rising of the sun and awaiting as well the dawn of the great and final day.”

This year, a home resource for evening prayer is provided at the end of this newsletter. A Gospel reading from a daily lectionary is also included. A recording of an evening prayer service will be available at Zion’s website; at the time for the Scripture reading, you will be invited to pause the recording to read the listed passage or one of your own choosing.

Whether with others or on our own, we are united with Christian sisters and brothers when we are pray. The invitation is to add evening prayer or prayer at another time of day; continuing in your own tradition, using or adapting the resource provided or another form of Christian prayer.

When citing Lenten disciplines (prayer, fasting, and almsgiving), prayer is often first on the list. Intentional times of holy conversation with God—listening for His guidance—help us to faithfully discern that from which we should abstain (fast) and ways in which we should give more intentionally of our time, talents, and treasure (almsgiving).

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer! That calls me from a world of care,
And bids me at my Father’s throne Make all my wants and wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief, My soul has often found relief,
And oft escaped the tempter’s snare, By thy return, sweet hour of prayer!
Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer! Thy wings shall my petition bear
To Him whose truth and faithfulness Engage the waiting soul to bless.
And since He bids me seek His face, Believe His Word and trust His grace,
I’ll cast on Him my every care, And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!
-Sweet Hour of Prayer verses 1 & 3; William W. Walford

The Lord bless and keep us on our Lenten journeys,
Pastor Karin Pejack

March - April 2025 Newsletter (PDF)

Previous Newsletters:
2025
December 2024-January 2025 Newsletter (PDF)

2024
September-November 2024 Newsletter (PDF)
July-August 2024 Newsletter (PDF)
May-June 2024 Newsletter (PDF)
February-April 2024 Newsletter (PDF)

2023
Winter 2023 Newsletter (PDF)
Fall 2023 Newsletter (PDF)
May-August 2023 Newsletter (PDF)
February-April 2023 Newsletter (PDF)

2022
November/December 2022/January 2023 Newsletter (PDF)
September/October 2022 Newsletter (PDF)
May/June/July 2022 Newsletter (PDF)
March/April 2022 Newsletter (PDF)
February 2022 Newsletter (PDF)

2021
December 2021/January 2022 Newsletter (PDF)
October/November 2021 Newsletter (PDF)
September/October 2021 Newsletter (PDF)
June/July/August 2021 Newsletter (PDF)
May 2021 Newsletter (PDF)
February/March 2021 Newsletter (PDF)
December 2020/January/February 2021 Newsletter (PDF)

2020