Martin Luther said, "Next to the Word of God, music deserves the highest praise. The gift of language combined with the gift of song was given to man that he should proclaim the Word of God through Music."
And even earlier, St. Augustine is said to have remarked, "He who sings prays twice."
At Zion, as at most Lutheran churches, music is an important part of our service. Through liturgy and hymns, both traditional and modern, we praise God and teach the faith. Our primary hymnal is The Lutheran Hymnal (TLH), and we supplement it with hymns and liturgies from the Lutheran Service Book (LSB). Since October of 2017, Dayle Boston has been our minister of music, playing the organ and directing our vocal choirs.
Choir
The Adult Choir sings from the middle of September through Pentecost. The Children's Choir sings for special services, such as Christmas Eve, Palm Sunday, and Easter.
Bell Choir
Zion's Bell Choir has been ringing God's praises since 1983, with Cindy Klingel accepting the job of director in 1984. The choir handles sixty-five choir chimes (tuning fork-style instruments with a mellow sound) and sixty-five handbells, which range in weight from eight to twenty-two pounds. Some choir members perform challenging techniques called "shelley" and "four-in-hand" in almost every piece they play and individually may cover up to twelve bells per piece. The Bell Choir performs one Sunday per month in October through December and February through May.
Pipe Organ
Zion's musical worship is supported by the majestic Kilgen pipe organ, which is a blending of the traditional pipe organ and state-of-the-art electronics. In 2016, a special service commemorated the 100th anniversary of this amazing instrument.