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
FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
MAY 10, 2020
O God, You make the minds of Your faithful to be of one will. Grant that we may love what You have commanded and desire what You promise, that among the many changes of this world our hearts may be fixed where true joys are found; 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, May 10 9:00 a.m. Divine Service (Easter 5) (C) Sunday, May 17 9:00 a.m. Divine Service (Easter 6) (C) | THIS WEEK IN THE CHURCH YEAR May 11 Commemoration of Cyril and Methodius, Missionaries to the Slavs |
ST. JOHN’S NEWS
Organist Today: Marcia Hanna Elder for May: Tony Hatten
Parish Messenger Articles for the June/July/Aug. edition is due to Linda Kerkove by May 17.
Carefully consider your return to church - We rejoice that those who are able can attend the Divine Service at St. John’s once again. However, we urge you to take personal responsibility for determining whether or not you should be coming to church Sunday morning. If your age or health puts you at advanced danger of illness, please stay home at this time. Likewise if you have been traveling or are not feeling well, please stay home. This is the best way you can love your neighbor at this time. You should feel no judgement from God or your congregation for taking these precautions. We at St. John’s are happy to support you as you make the best decision for your own unique personal situation.
Pastoral care available - Pastor Cowell continues to be available for pastoral care. He is happy to hear your confession and absolve your sins or to give you Holy Communion individually at any time. If you are not comfortable visiting or being visited, he is happy to talk with you on the phone. His cell phone is 319-464-5548.
Resources for your faith at home - St. John’s will continue to offer a variety of resources to feed your faith during our time away until you feel comfortable returning to church. Here is a list of some of them:
- You’ll find in the back of church devotions, prayer services, Bible studies, and Lutheran magazines. Feel free to stop in at church any time and grab some. Don’t forget about our church library as well!
- We will continue to post a Matins service and sermon at stjohnsburt.org. Click the microphone on the homepage to access it.
- Click on the Trinity YouTube icon on the homepage of stjohnsburt.org to see live-streamed and recorded video services from Trinity, Algona, daily video devotions from the partnership pastors, evening prayer Mondays at 7:00 p.m., “Ask the Pastors” Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m., and morning prayer Thursdays at 9:00 a.m.
- Click on the “St. John’s Kids” YouTube icon on the homepage of stjohnsburt.org to access the new St. John’s YouTube channel. Currently there is a series of kids videos on various topics of the faith. But, here's a secret: these videos are good for adults as well!
- Follow @stjohnsburt on Facebook to receive daily online resources spanning many areas of your Christian faith.
Stay connected during our time away - During this time please be sure that the church has your current phone, cell phone, and email. Also be sure that your Flocknote communication preferences are up to date. You can call Pastor Cowell at 319-464-5548 if you need help with this.
Offerings and alms during our time away – Thank you to everyone who has been mailing in your offerings to our Lord during our time away! With the uncertain economic future of many of our members, now is the time to consider St. John’s your special mission project. If it is within your financial means, consider giving above your regular tithe to the work of the ministry at St. John’s until life begins to return to normal. Also, if you or your family has encountered any financial hardship during this time, don’t hesitate to contact Pastor Cowell to see if our congregation can help in any way.
St. John’s T-Shirts! - St. John’s decided to take advantage of a great deal on bulk-order T-shirts from Threads in Algona. Below is a design. They are dark blue and are available in all standard sizes (and fit according to standard sizes). Call or text Hannah Cowell at 712-294-4962 by June 15th to order. All sizes are $6. You can pay Hannah either when you order or when you receive the shirt near the end of June.
SYNOD, DISTRICT, & PARTNERSHIP NEWS
Trinity, Algona Schedule - All congregational activities at Trinity, Algona have been suspended until further notice. You can receive updates and resources from Trinity at: trinityalgona.org/corona.
Building Healthy Families While Staying Home: Children can be confused when they hear reports coming in on the news and as they hear adults talking about the effect that the pandemic is having on them. They see the empty store shelves and realize that school is closed because something serious is happening, but they might not understand it which can cause them to feel unsettled. This is a time to remind them, as the Psalm 46 says in verse 2 & 7, “Therefore we will not fear… the Lord of hosts is with us.” It is reassuring for a family to come together with faith and confidence in God. www.LutheranFamilyService.org
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.
LECTIONARY SUMMARY (Fifth Sunday of Easter)
First Reading: Acts 6:1–9; 7:2a, 51–60
The disciples choose seven men to oversee the charitable distributions of the Church. Stephen is stoned for preaching the truth of Christ to a group of Jews.
Epistle: 1 Peter 2:2–10
We are like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Gospel: John 14:1–14
Jesus tells His disciples that He will go to prepare a place for them in His Father’s house, and: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
LCMS MEMORY VERSE CHALLENGE
Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. - Psalm 73:25–26
LESSONS ON THE LITURGY
The House of God
God dwells anywhere that His Word is spoken. We especially recognize the presence of God in the church building. This is the place where we specifically go to receive God’s Word and Sacrament for us. For this reason church buildings are sometimes called “the house of God.” Likewise, because the Word and Spirit of God dwell within us Christians Scripture also refers to Christians as a spiritual household, and a temple of the Holy Spirit. Our great respect and reverence for the church building as well as our own bodies confesses that we believe these are dwelling places of God.
FROM THE BOOK OF CONCORD
Augsburg Confession, Apology, Article V: Love and Fulfilling the Law, paragraphs 209-212
All confidence is empty, except confidence in mercy. Mercy delivers us; our own merits, our own efforts, do not. So Daniel also prays:
We do not present our pleas before You because of our righteousness, but because of Your great mercy. O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for Your own sake, O my God, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name. (Daniel 9:18-19)
Daniel teaches us in praying to seize mercy, that is, to trust in God's mercy and not to trust in our own merits before God. We wonder if the ungodly ever ask anything of God. If they declare that they are worthy because they have love and good works and ask for grace as a debt, they pray precisely like the Pharisee who says, "I am not like other men." He who prays for grace in this way does not rely upon God's mercy and treats Christ with disrespect. After all, He is our High Priest, who intercedes for us. So prayer relies upon God's mercy, when we believe that we are heard for Christ's sake. He is our High Priest, as He says, "Whatever you ask in My name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it" (John 14:13-14). Without this High Priest we cannot approach the Father.
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