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 THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

June 21, 2020

 

O God, because Your abiding presence always goes with us, keep us aware of Your daily mercies that we may live secure and content in Your eternal love; 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, June 21    9:00 a.m.    Divine Service (Pentecost 3) (C)                                Sunday, June 28    9:00 a.m.    Divine Service (Pentecost 4) (C)

THIS WEEK IN THE CHURCH YEAR   June 24     Feast of The Nativity of St. John the Baptist      June 25     Commemoration of The Presentation of the         Augsburg Confession     June 26     Commemoration of Jeremiah     June 27     Commemoration of Cyril of Alexandria,        Pastor and Confessor

 

ST. JOHN’S NEWS

 

Organist Today:        Marcia Hanna    Elder for June:  Jerry Koestler

 

Get Well Cards - Joel Smith is continuing his recovery at home now in Swea City.  He loves hearing from everyone so feel free to send a card and let him know he is in your prayers. Joel’s address is 305 1st St. PO Box 86, Swea City, Iowa 50590 

 

Portals of Prayer Booklets for July-September are in your pew today. Please feel free to take one home with you.  

 

Masks - Adult masks and children masks are on the table in the back of the church.  If you need an extra mask to keep in your car when you travel to various places or go into stores or doctor offices, please feel free to take one.  

 

New Weekly Announcements Email - St. John’s has started emailing our weekly announcements through Flocknote.  If you would like to receive these weekly announcements in a computer or smartphone-friendly format, contact the church office and we can add you to the list.  You can also contact the church office to update any of your Flocknote preferences. 

 

Pastoral care available - As you decide for yourself when you feel safe returning to the regular Sunday morning service, know that 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.  

 

St. John’s Kids - St. John’s Kids is a collection of short videos on the liturgy, Small Catechism, and other topics of the Christian faith.  These videos can benefit “kids” of all ages! View them by clicking on the “St. John’s Kids YouTube Channel” icon on the homepage of stjohnsburt.org.  

 

Pastor’s Corner - There is a new tab at stjohnsburt.org called the “Pastor’s Corner.”  Here you’ll find a collection of resources we’ve been using to learn at St. John’s during the past three years.  Check back often as new content is added to this page each week.  If you have any recommendations for content for either the Youtube channel or Pastor’s Corner, feel free to let Pastor Cowell know! 

 

Offerings and alms during our time away – We thank God for blessing us with the tools and resources to continue the distribution of His grace at St. John’s, and we thank God for blessing us with faithful Christians to fund our ministry and operational expenses.  Keep up the good work! Also note that 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 Vacation Bible School - This year St. John’s is hosting a "family VBS."  This means that we are encouraging all our members and friends of all ages to join the kids as we learn what it means to be a Christian family as well as a Christian church family.  The VBS will be on four Wednesday evenings from 5:30-7:30, with supper being at 5:30.  Our big uncertainty right now is when we will be able to have our first VBS Wednesday!  We will let you know as soon as we have the dates set.  If you would like to volunteer at the VBS in any capacity, please let Pastor or a member of the Board of Education know and we’ll find you a spot to serve. 

 

SYNOD, DISTRICT, & PARTNERSHIP NEWS

 

Trinity, Algona Schedule - As Trinity, Algona opens their worship in their church building today, note that they will continue their livestreamed service and other online resources in the coming months. You can find all these resources from Trinity at: trinityalgona.org/corona.  

 

Camp Okoboji has cancelled summer programs, but is still renting out the Family Ministry Cabins. See campokoboji.org for more information. 

Building Healthy Families: Many of us grew up learning to be tough and to never ask for help. But in recent years, we have found that if we ask for help, we can get it from our friends, our family, our pastor and other helpers. Don’t try to be the Lone Ranger. God has placed numerous people in our lives to help us. Remember Paul’s admonition in the last chapter of Galatians: “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2 When you allow others to care for you, you allow them to grow in their relationship to Christ.  Lutheran Family Service - www.LutheranFamilyService.org

LECTIONARY SUMMARY (Proper 7)

Old Testament: Jeremiah 20:7-13

Jeremiah reflects both the hardships and persecutions that his prophesying bring as well as the strength and righteousness of the LORD.  

 

Epistle: Romans 6:12-23

St. Paul describes our new life in Christ as being set free from sin and becoming slaves of righteousness.

 

Gospel: Matthew 10:16-33

Jesus warns His disciples of the persecution they will face for preaching salvation in Him to the Jews.  He also assures them that they will never be outside of God’s care and approval.

 

LCMS MEMORY VERSE CHALLENGE

“But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.” - Isaiah 53:5

 

LESSONS ON THE LITURGY 

The Presentation of the Augsburg Confession

This Thursday, June 25th we celebrate the presentation of the Augsburg Confession to Emperor Charles V in 1530.  One interesting historical note about the day is that the Emperor decided to move the assembly from the much larger hall where the other business of the diet (meeting) had taken place into the palace chapel for the reading of the document by the Lutherans.  This was so that far less people could be present to hear the Lutheran’s confession of faith as it was read.  Nevertheless, it is said that Christian Beyer, who read the Augsburg Confession to Emperor Charles, spoke in such a loud and distinct voice that even the crowd listening through the open windows could hear every word.  May God grant us Lutherans boldness to proclaim the truth of His Word regardless of the barriers in our way. 

 

FROM THE BOOK OF CONCORD

Large Catechism, Ten Commandments, paragraphs 10, 12-15

1. "You shall have no other gods."

To "have a god" is to have something in which the heart entirely trusts. [...] Here belong such people as sorcerers, whose idolatry is most great. They make a deal with the devil, in order that he may give them plenty of money or help them in love affairs, preserve their cattle, restore to them lost possessions, and so forth. For all such people place their heart and trust elsewhere than in the true God. They look to Him for nothing good, nor do they seek good from Him.

So you can easily understand what and how much this commandment requires. A person's entire heart and all his confidence must be placed in God alone and in no one else. For to "have" God is not to take hold of Him with our hands or to put Him in a bag . Instead, to "have" Him means that the heart takes hold of Him and clings to Him. To cling to Him with the heart is nothing else than to trust in Him entirely. For this reason God wishes to turn us away from everything else that exists outside of Him and to draw us to Himself [John 6:44]. For He is the only eternal good [Matthew 19:17]. It is as though He would say, "Whatever you have previously sought from the saints, or for whatever things you have trusted in money or anything else, expect it all from Me. Think of Me as the one who will help you and pour out upon you richly all good things."