Pastor George Zornow, Retired

Education
Bachelor of Arts, cum laude,
Ball State University.
Double major in Religious
Studies and Philosophy.
Masters of Divinity, Lutheran
School of Theology at
Chicago.

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Congregations Served

St. John’s Lutheran Church; Nappanee, Indiana; LCA, 3+ years. 

St. Mark's Lutheran Church; Whitestown, Indiana; ELCA, 3+ years. 

Swedona Lutheran Church; Swedona, Illinois; ELCA, 7+

First Lutheran Church; Leipsic, Ohio; ELCA to NALC, 18+ years.

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Present Position:

Full-time Pastor, Redeemer Lutheran Church; Owosso, MI; NALC.

Part-time Pastor Developer, Faith Landing Lutheran Church; Davidson, MI; NALC.

Unique Experiences

In my younger years: flipped burgers & cleaned up grease; Sears’ hardware & paint departments; 

     and trailer factory work.

Volunteer Prayer Service Leader at Oaklawn Mental Health Center in Elkhart, IN.  

     Providing quarterly prayer experiences based on the psalms of lament and complaint for 4 

     years.

Developer of Recovering Aspects of Spirituality and Prayer.  Providing retreat experiences on 

     such themes as: “Crying Out to God: Prayer in the Midst of Suffering;” “Everything I Ever 

     Needed to Know About Finding God I Learned from Playing Hide & Seek;” “The Breath of 

     Life: Biblical Meditations for People with Breathing Disorders;” and more.

Flood Recovery Committee; Community Food Pantry organization; Walls of Warmth 

     (homelessness) Executive Committee; two different School District Mission and Goals 

     committees.

Interests/Hobbies

On-going research and reflection on the Psalms of Lament and Complaint.  On-going research and reflection on the religious poetry of George Herbert.  Going for walks; wolves, archery, Robin Hood, Pre-Raphaelite Art, Art Nouveau. 

Spiritual Journey & Vocation

Sense of a call from God began during my years in Confirmation Classes.  This sense of call was confirmed by college friends who were not active in church life.  Throughout this time, my home congregation was experiencing a bad pastor. So my call to be a minister of Word and Sacrament includes the on-going learning and striving to be a good spiritual shepherd to people around me; and being a good husband, father, and person.  Oh thanks for many needed and blessed moments in biblical fellowship and prayer to help guide and strengthen me on the way.

Life Challenges

Grew up very shy; knew more dogs in the neighborhood than I did kids.  Now I preach and teach… and listen. Was just an average and insignificant student in school; then an honor student in college, excited then and now to learn more and more.  We raised a daughter who is by-polar; manic-depressive. I have been through three hernia surgeries (same spot), over-come prostate cancer, and deal with a slight case of asthma.  Experienced a one-time bought with migraine headache—10 days straight; so painful that I didn’t care if I died (glad I didn’t). It took many months to overcome the follow-up migraines.  I thank God they have never returned. Due to an employer’s false communication about tax preparations, we have been through a time of financial struggle; allowed people to help us out—we now help out others as we can.  Moral temptations; the same as everyone else. In the face of tempting pleasures and compulsions, I seek to keep true to a simple life; remembering God’s call to “eat, drink, and be merry”—finding joy in the wisdom of moderation, enjoying the blessings we have, and loving and enjoying the people around us.  Humor is a wonderful blessing.

Faith Insights

Life can be difficult, unfair, and for some, evil.  Yet, we strive to see the God-given goodness in God’s Creation, and we fight for what is good.  We fight together! We seek to believe that God is working for what is good in the midst of all things.  We bind ourselves to Christ Jesus who called out from the Cross: “My God, my God! Why have you forsaken me?”  And we follow that same Lord who then also said: “Into your hands, I commit my spirit.” We come to know the God who, with grace abounding, lifts us up to an eternal hope, in which sin and suffering will not have the last word.  We continue to follow the calling of our God, to love our neighbors as we love our selves. And we witness how God gives us the Spirit of Grace to be so graceful. Thanks be to God for the good and holy experiences in life.

Disclaimer

I am not a perfect pastor, nor do I strive for what is unobtainable.  I do strive to be a good pastor. I say 

the same for myself as a husband, father, friend, and the like.  I do not expect others around me to be perfect. I do hope for us to strive together to be good; and when we fail, to be graceful with one another, holding each other accountable for growing in faith and love.

May God strengthen us in body and spirit, 

and give us comfort in heart and mind. Amen.