Announcements

St. John’s Lutheran Church

109 Maple St. Burt, Iowa|Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

Pastor: Rev. Thomas Cowell                             Secretary: Rosann Shipler

Pastor’s Cell: 319-464-5548                                 Church Office: 515-924-3344  stjohnsburt.org

Pastor’s Email: pastor@stjohnsburt.org          Church Email: churchoffice@stjohnsburt.org               

THE SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT

March 8, 2020

 

O God, You see that of ourselves we have no strength. By Your mighty power defend us from all adversities that may happen to the body and from all evil thoughts that may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

 

THIS WEEK AT ST. JOHN’S Today, March 8    8:00  a.m.      Sunday School/Adult Class      9:00  a.m.      Divine Service (Lent 2) (C)                               Monday, March 9    7 & 9:00 a.m.  Women’s Bible Study, Trinity Tuesday, March 10    No Morning Lenten Prayer  Wednesday, March 11    6:00 p.m.       Lenten Service    6:30 p.m.       Religion School Sunday, March 15    8:00 a.m.        Sunday School/Adult Class    9:00 a.m.        Divine Service (Lent 3)  (C)

THIS WEEK IN THE CHURCH YEAR        No feast days or commemorations this week.

 

ST. JOHN’S NEWS

 

Organist Today:  Marcia Hanna                              Ushers for March:      Clark Christensen, Roger Evans & Jerry Koestler

Acolyte:                Breckin & Tysen                           Elder for March:          Jeff Schutjer

Greeters:             Cheryl Batt & Barb Harms           Greeters Next Week:  Jerry & Betty Koestler

 

Adult Bible Study - Our Sunday Morning Bible study is spending several weeks exploring the concept of evangelism in the Bible, as well as discussing practical strategies for sharing the Gospel in our own context.  We’ll be using a book titled: Be at Leisure: A Lutheran Approach to Outreach by Pastor Andrew Richard of St. Silas Lutheran Church in North Liberty, IA.

 

Lenten Services will be held Wednesdays March 11,18, 25, April 1, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. 

 

Tuesday Morning Lenten Prayer - There is no Tuesday morning prayer service this week because Pastor Cowell will be at the monthly circuit winkel. 

 

Lenten Resources Available - On the back table are several resources to help you grow in your Christian faith this Lenten season.  Feel free to take and share as many as you’d like.

 

Lent Midweek Offering - Any undesignated offerings given during our Lenten midweek services will go toward Lutherans in Africa and their most recent building project.  There is a letter on the back table that describes their current construction needs. 

 

Holy Week Choir - We are assembling a choir to sing on Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. We will practice after church on March 22 and April 5 and before service on Holy Thursday.  You can sign up on the back table.  

 

The Giving Pew - This is a reminder that the season of Lent would be a great time to take a quilt or stuffed bear from the TLC Quilter’s giving pew by the east doors at St. John’s and deliver them to a friend in need of comfort or support. 

 

Weekly Divine Service - Beginning this Lent we will begin offering the Lord’s Supper every Sunday at St. John’s.  If you are interested in continuing to explore the blessings of weekly Communion you can attend our Lenten midweek services where we will be meditating on the good of Jesus’ body and blood for our lives.  You can also read this month’s Parish Messenger in your box or pick up documents from last year’s study on the blessings of weekly Communion at the side table in back of church.  As always, if you are not yet comfortable receiving the Lord’s Supper every Sunday, know that you are free in Christ to remain in the pew during distribution.  Feel free to talk to Pastor Cowell if you’d like any more resources on this topic or have any questions regarding this practice. 

SYNOD, DISTRICT, & PARTNERSHIP NEWS

 

The TLC Quilters will again have a silent auction during Lent to benefit Camp Okoboji.  The quilts will be displayed in the office lobby at Trinity.  You may stop by to view and bid on them anytime during the day.

 

Thrivent Choice Dollars for 2019 will be expiring on March 31! If you are a Thrivent member, you may be eligible to direct Thrivent Choice Dollars to St. John’s. Go to www.thrivent.com/thriventchoice or call 800-847-4836 before March 31 and say “Thrivent Choice.”  Reminder: $250 Community Impact Gift Cards are also available (2 per member per year). 

 

 COMMUNITY NEWS

 

Churches of Burt Volunteer Facebook Group - The Churches of Burt organization has created a Facebook group with the purpose of connecting people who need help with people who are willing to help.  It is our hope that this group will facilitate Christian mercy in our community.  You can search “Churches of Burt Volunteers/Help Wanted” to join the group.  Or, if you would like to offer a volunteer service or are in need of help but don’t have a Facebook account, contact Pastor Cowell and he will post your request for you. 

 

French Toast Breakfast will be held on Saturday, March 28 at 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Burt Community Center. Bake Sale by the Burt Pool fundraising committee.

 

East Fork Walleye Fish Fry on Saturday, March 28 at the Burt Complex.  Serving begins at 5:00 p.m.

 

Celebration of Hope Concert - The Burt Presbyterian Church invites you to “A Worshipful Celebration of Hope” concert on Sunday, March 22 at 6:30 p.m. Great concert for the whole family featuring Christian recording artist Mark Smeby.   (Poster along ramp bulletin board)

 

Morningside Choir will be performing at the First Lutheran Church in Algona on Wednesday, March 25, 2020.  No charge for admission but a Free Will offering will be accepted.

The Good Samaritan Home Chili Luncheon scheduled for March 15 has been cancelled.

 

 

LECTIONARY SUMMARY (Second Sunday in Lent)

 

Genesis 12:1–9; Romans 4:1–8, 13–17; John 3:1–17

 

The Word of the Gospel Opens the Eyes of Faith and Fixes Them on Christ Jesus 

The Lord called Abram (Abraham) to leave his home and go to a land that God would show him.  He also promised to make of Abram “a great nation,” to bless him and make his name great, as a blessing to “all the families of the earth” (Gen. 12:2–3). “Abram went, as the Lord had told him” (Gen. 12:4), and in Canaan “he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord” (Gen. 12:8).  He “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness” (Rom. 4:3). Here the grace of God is manifested, that He “justifies the ungodly” (Rom. 4:5), not by works of the Law, but through faith in His promises. He removes all our sins and lawless deeds through Jesus Christ, the Offspring of Abraham in whom all the Lord’s promises are realized. This forgiveness of sins is the Word of the Gospel, the voice of the Holy Spirit, which “gives life to the dead” (Rom. 4:17). It opens the eyes of faith to behold Christ Jesus, the Son of Man lifted up on the Cross, “that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life” (John 3:14–15).

FROM THE BOOK OF CONCORD

 

Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, Article V: The Law and the Gospel, paragraphs 23-24

From the beginning [Law and Gospel] have always been taught alongside each other in God's Church, with a proper distinction. The descendants of the respected patriarchs, and the patriarchs themselves, called to mind constantly how in the beginning a person had been created righteous by God. Through the fraud of the Serpent, Adam transgressed God's command, became a sinner, and corrupted and cast himself with all his descendants into death and condemnation. They encouraged and comforted themselves again by the preaching about the woman's seed, who would bruise the Serpent's head (Gen. 3:15); Abraham's seed, in whom "all the nations of the earth [will] be blessed" (Gen. 22:18); David's Son, who should "bring back the preserved of Israel" and be "a light for the nations" (Isaiah 49:6), and who "was wounded for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities … and with His stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5).

 

These two doctrines, we confess, should always be diligently taught in God's Church forever. They must be taught with the proper distinction: (a) through the preaching of the Law and its threats in the ministry of the New Testament the hearts of impenitent people may be terrified, and (b) they may be brought to a knowledge of their sins and to repentance. This must not be done in such a way that they lose heart and despair in this process.