They Took Their Faith With Them

From the time capsule recovered from the Zion cornerstone:

“...Zion Congregation was founded in Lincoln, Nebraska, on January 17,1900. The Congregation had to enlarge the house of God after 7 years, that is in 1907, because the congregation grew through the grace of God. Hence it followed that they may build a new house for God and the cornerstone was placed on July 17,1927. Since the beginning the congregation has found peace in Jesus Christ their redeemer ... As fathers and brothers in Christ we wish for our descendents that they will follow Christ’s calling and the teachings of Jesus his blood cleanses us from all sins. Till we meet in the eternal Zion.

-Recorder, Johannes Doell”

It has impressed me that these German-speaking believers took their faith with them wherever they went.  When things were hard in Germany and there was opportunity in Russia, they moved, and they took their faith with them.  They built villages and churches.  Then when things changed in Russia, they saw opportunities in the United States, and they moved again, and they took their faith with them.  They built homes in the South Bottoms neighborhood of Lincoln and a church building that they soon outgrew.  So they found a new place and built a new building.  And as we read in the document they put in the cornerstone, they took their faith with them.

So when we think of the Zion Chuch building that stood at 9th and D, we should remember that it was really just one more building in a series that housed a church of faithful Christians.  They were used to moving as things changed.  We can learn from their example and view our planned move to South 27th as an incidental circumstance.  The building and the location is not the important thing.  The real question is, what faith will we take with us?

-Pastor Keith

Posted on September 17, 2007.