PASTOR’S MONTHLY ARTICLE
Pastor Bill Mugnolo Zion Lutheran Church
July 2026 Calendar Article: “How Many More Birthdays” 
Each year, July is the month when I celebrate my birthday. But the older that I get, the more I wonder, “How many more birthdays might I still have?” This July, our nation also celebrates a milestone birthday of 250 years. Still, even amidst this celebration, many are asking, “How many more birthdays might the United States of America still have?”
I still remember, back when I was in my teens, our nation’s 200th birthday celebration. Even as we were coming out of the aftermath of the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal, America was united in a highly festive mood. But now, fifty years later, things don’t quite seem to be the same way. There is sharp division within our country of the type that we haven’t seen since the late 1960’s.
Yes, there are many today who look at our country, which has given great opportunity to so many, as being inherently unjust, founded upon slavery, and continually “oppressing” certain groups—even if many among these so-called oppressed have brought so much misfortune upon themselves by their own lack of personal responsibility. There are even those, these days, who would go so far as to say that the whole American system, which has stood for a quarter-millennium, should be torn down and be remade according to the teachings of Karl Marx.
With all our present turmoil, how many more birthdays might our nation still have as the “one nation, under God” that we have come to know? But are we really still that nation under God? Some have said that our national motto ought to be “in gods we trust”. Sadly, the adherence to Judeo-Christian principles, once at the core of our nation’s history, has diminished in recent times. Such godly precepts within ancient Israel had also eroded by the end of King Solomon’s reign. As a result, God allowed the nation to be divided, never, as a kingdom, to be reunified. Might our own nation be headed towards a similar fate?
While I hope and pray that this is not the case, we can always place our trust in the one Kingdom of God “that cannot be shaken” (Hebrews 12:28). Built upon the Rock who is Christ, this Kingdom will endure forever—it will have endless birthdays! May God Bless America, as we are so fond of saying. But, even more so, may He bless His Kingdom here on earth and in the world to come.
Your Brother in Christ
Pastor Bill
June 2026 Calendar Article: “Long Days, Short Days”
Over the years, there has been much that I’ve come to like about the month of June. It’s a month of celebrations such as Flag Day, Juneteenth, and Father’s Day. It is a month where many a man and a woman will join their lives together in marriage.
But what I especially like about June is how long the days are. Around here, early June marks the beginning of a number of straight weeks where the sun doesn’t set until after 9:00pm. During that same time, sunrise takes place before 6:00am. I wish it could stay this way all year round—especially so that I could cross-county ski in the winter well into the evening.
At the same time, however, the days are growing shorter. Here, I’m not just talking as to what happens after the summer solstice on or around June 21st. I’m speaking of how the days of this present world are getting fewer and fewer until the promised day of Jesus’ return (Romans 13:11, 1 Corinthians 7:29). We don’t know just when this will take place—just as Jesus, while yet on earth, did not choose to know such an exact date (Matthew 24:36). We do know, however, that the final day will come suddenly upon the world like a thief in the night (Matthew 24:42-44, 2 Peter 3:10).
With such an hour or date unknown to us, are you prepared to meet the Living God? The Apostle Peter tells us, mindful of how this present world will come to an end, “What sort of people ought you be in lives of holiness and godliness … “(2 Peter 3:11). He then reminds us, “But according to promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13). Yes, in Christ, as we remain faithful to Him (Colossians 1:23), we are heirs to the hope of this promise of eternal life—the “longest day” of all!
