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 SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

July 12, 2020

 

Blessed Lord, since You have caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning, grant that we may so hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life; 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, July12    9:00 a.m.    Divine Service (Pentecost 6) (C)    10:00 a.m.    Quarterly Council Meeting   Sunday, July 19    9:00 a.m.    Divine Service (Pentecost 7) (C)  10:00 a.m.    Quarterly Voter’s Meeting

THIS WEEK IN THE CHURCH YEAR  July 16     Commemoration of Ruth

ST. JOHN’S NEWS

 

Organist Today: Marcia Hanna 

Elder for July:  Jeff Schutjer

 

Quarterly Council Meeting will be held today following the service in the church basement. This will be a short meeting just to catch up on business of the church. Our quarterly Voter’s Meeting will be held next Sunday following the service.

 

Portals of Prayer Booklets for July-September are in a basket in the back of the church instead of each mailbox.  Feel free to pick one up or deliver one to a friend!

 

Holy Communion available - If you are not comfortable coming to the Sunday service but would still like to receive Holy Communion, you are welcome to participate in a Divine Service in the sanctuary at St. John’s during the week by appointment.  Bread and wine will be laid out before your arrival and Pastor can maintain plenty of distance during the service.  If you are not able to come to the sanctuary, we can arrange a safe way for you to receive the Lord’s Supper at home.  Feel free to call Pastor Cowell on his cell phone at 319-464-5548 to set up a time to meet.  

 

St. John’s Live-streamed Service - Beginning this week, St. John’s will be live-streaming our Sunday Divine Service on our YouTube channel: “St. John’s Burt.” These services will be archived for you to view on YouTube later as well. 

 

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. 

 

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.  

 

VBS Trinity - VBS is going Virtual this Year!  Don’t worry, it will still be awesome! using a combination of live and pre-recorded videos, a packet of lessons and crafts and your own imagination, we’ll help you have VBS at home. “Rainforest Explorer” is the time and packet pickup will be Sunday, July 19. VBS will be July 19, 22, 26, 29. Registration has passed, but there are still a few openings-contact the church office (295-3518) or email at office@trinityalgona.org if interested.

 

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

 

Building Healthy Families - We all know someone who has been so hopeless that they chose suicide to end the pain. Not always, but often there are signs of worsening depression before an attempted suicide. Few things are more agonizing than to realize, too late, that you saw the signs but did nothing about them. When we see a change in ourselves, or those with whom we come into contact, it is time to act. We’re all in this together. So, if you see something, make sure you say something. Lutheran Family Service’ Christian counselors are available to help those suffering from emotional pain and can meet by telehealth over smartphone or computer. If you or someone you know needs help, call us at 515-251-4900. 

Lutheran Family Service - www.LutheranFamilyService.org

LECTIONARY SUMMARY (Proper 10)

Old Testament: Isaiah 55:10-13 

The Word of God shall not return to Him empty, but it shall accomplish His good purpose.

 

Epistle: Romans 8:12-17

St. Paul continues to exhort us to not live by the sinful flesh, but to live by the Spirit received in our Baptism into Christ.

 

Gospel: Matthew 13:1-23

Jesus teaches us about the different responses of the hearers of His Word by way of the Parable of the Sower, the Seed, and the soils. 

 

LCMS MEMORY VERSE CHALLENGE

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. - Romans 6:3-4

LESSONS ON THE LITURGY 

Catechesis

The term catechism comes from the Greek word katecho, which literally means to “sound back and forth.” (The word echo also comes from this Greek word.)  Thus the “catechetical” method of teaching is rooted in classical Greek and Roman educational methods and was used throughout the Middle Ages down to Luther’s time: The teacher asks a question; the student responds with a fixed and set answer, and so it goes, echoing back and forth.  Repetition and recitation of the material is used to instill in the student the words, phrases, and concepts being taught.  An explanation is also added, according to the student’s level of understanding.  In this way, the Christian Church taught, or catechized, the faith.  The students learning the faith are known as catechumens, and they receive careful and thorough catechesis (instruction) in the Christian faith. - Concordia, The Lutheran Confessions: A Reader’s Edition of the Book of Concord (2006), p. 309. 

 

FROM THE BOOK OF CONCORD

Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, Article XI: Election, paragraphs 71, 73-74

According to Christ's teaching [all people] should abstain from their sins, repent, believe His promise, and entirely trust in Him. Since we cannot do this by ourselves, by our own powers, the Holy Spirit desires to work these things-repentance and faith-in us through the Word and Sacraments. [...]

The Holy Spirit dwells in the elect, who have become believers, as in His temple [1 Corinthians 6:19]. He is not idle in them, but moves God's children to obey God's commands. Therefore, believers, too, should not be idle, much less resist the work of God's Spirit. They should practice all Christian virtues, in all godliness, modesty, temperance, patience, and brotherly love; and they should give all diligence to make their calling and election sure [2 Peter 1:10]. They should do this so that the more they find the Spirit's power and strength within them, they may doubt their election less. For the Spirit bears witness to the elect that they are God's children (Romans 8:16).