Announcement

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 EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

October 4, 2020

 

Gracious God, You gave Your Son into the hands of sinful men who killed Him. Forgive us when we reject Your unfailing love, and grant us the fullness of Your salvation; 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, October 4, 2020   8:00 a.m.    Sunday School/Adult Class   9:00 a.m.    Divine Service (Pentecost 18) (C)    Wednesday, October 7, 2020   3:00 p.m.    “Social Distant” Divine Service (C)   6:00 p.m.    Christian Catechesis   Sunday, October 11, 2020    8:00 a.m.    Sunday School/Adult Class    9:00 a.m.    Divine Service (Pentecost 19) (C)    10:00 a.m.   Quarterly Council Meeting

THIS WEEK IN THE CHURCH YEAR   October 7, 2020     Commemoration of Henry Melchior           Muhlenberg, Pastor     October 9, 2020     Commemoration of Abraham, Patriarch

ST. JOHN’S NEWS

 

Organist Today:        Kitty Bierstedt   

Elder for October:  Jerry Koestler

 

Mite Box - In honor of LWML Sunday today, the LWML “mite box” will be on the back table for the next couple Sundays.  Here is an explanation of the mite box from lwml.org/mites: 

Based on the Biblical account of the widow's mite (Luke 21:1–4), the Mite Box is intended for regular contributions of "mites" — offerings above and beyond the support given to congregations and the LCMS. Mite Box contributions amount to millions of dollars that fund district and national mission grants and implement the LWML program.

You can view all the mission grants that the LWML supports at lwml.org/mission-grants. 

 

Quarterly Council Meeting will be held Sunday, October 11 following the Service.  The Voter’s Meeting will be Sunday, October 18 immediately following the service.

 

October-December Portal of Prayers are now available in the basket along the east wall.  Be sure to pick one up.

 

The Bouquet of Flowers on the piano this morning are given in celebration of the 65th Wedding Anniversary of Melvin and Donna Haase on October 6.

 

A Card Shower is being held for Melvin and Donna Haase for their 65th Wedding Anniversary by their family.  Cards can reach them at 701 1st Street, P.O Box 331, Burt, Iowa 50522

 

Thank You! - Vern and Joan Koestler, Red and Doris Madsen, Lynda and Marvin Heidecker, Joan and Rolland Peymann and Beverly Skadburg send their thanks for the congregation’s gift of cookies and cards. You can read their thank-you cards on the bulletin board along the ramp.  

 

Dear Members of St. John, Thank you so much for your kind thoughts and prayers on the passing of our wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother Esther Christensen.  Words cannot express the feeling of comfort we received from our church family.  Thanks also for the floral and monetary memorials.  Memorial funds have been donated to St. John's in Esther's memory.  A special thanks to Pastor Cowell for his help with the funeral service and for the visits, care, and comfort provided at Titonka Care Center and to our family.  God's blessings to you all.   Wendell Christensen and family

 

New “Socially Distant” Divine Service Available - Beginning October 7th, St. John’s is offering a spoken Divine Service every Wednesday at 3:00 p.m.  This Service is intended to serve those who are not yet comfortable coming to the more heavily attended Sunday Divine Service.  We encourage you to wear a mask in and out of this service if you’d like.  Bulletins will be spaced every four pews and you will receive the Lord’s Supper right at your pew.  We hope that this regularly scheduled weekday Divine Service will help more of our members receive the gifts of God more regularly and without burden to their health or conscience.  If you need to receive the Lord’s Supper at home or on a different day, Pastor Cowell is always happy to schedule a visit.  You can call Pastor Cowell on his cell phone at 319-464-5548.

New Booklets in Back of Church - Be sure to pick up our newest editions of the “Simple Explanation” series booklets in the back of church.  Here are the titles we have available in back: A Simple Explanation of . . . Christianity; Lutheranism; Heaven and Hell; The Church Service; The Church Year; Holy Communion; and Fellowship in the Lord’s Supper.

 

TLC Quilts Available - The TLC Quilters quilts are back on the “giving pew”!  These quilts are always available for you to deliver to a friend who is sick, lonely, in financial need, celebrating a milestone in life, or simply needs to know you and the Church care. 

 

Adult Bible Study on the Book of Matthew - Adult Bible Class is studying a verse-by-verse study of the Gospel of Matthew.  You are welcome to join us at any time! 

 

Midweek Christian Instruction for All Ages - All members of the congregation are invited to join us Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m. for our Midweek Christian Catechesis.  Your presence will be an encouragement to our children as you share your wisdom and experience with them as fellow Christians.  A class schedule along with an explanation of all of the changes to our midweek program has been published in the September Parish Messenger so that you can take note of any lessons you would be especially interested in attending. 

 

St. John’s Live-streamed Service - St. John’s is now 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. 

 

SYNOD, DISTRICT, & PARTNERSHIP NEWS

 

Trinity, Algona Schedule - Here is the weekly line-up of online resources from Trinity, Algona, which you can access at trinityalgona.org/corona or the Trinity YouTube and Facebook pages either live or any time after as a recording:

 

Sun. 8:00am/9:15am: Worship/Bible Study

Every Weekday: Psalm Devotion (recorded)

 

Mon. 8:00pm: Evening Prayer

Wed. 10:00am: “Ask the Pastors”

Thurs. 9:00am: Morning Prayer

 

Camp Okoboji Volunteer Day is being held on Saturday, October 10 from 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Meals and Lodging provided. Come for an hour or come for the day! Call: 712-337-3325.

 

COMMUNITY NEWS

 

Fall Decorating - The Burt Women’s Club is sponsoring the decorating of the flower pots on main street. They are asking for help with this project.  If you would like to decorate a flower pot for fall, contact Burt City Hall.

Burt Lion’s Club Omelet Breakfast will be held Sunday, October 25th from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Activity Complex.

 

 

LECTIONARY SUMMARY (Proper 22)

Old Testament: Isaiah 5:1–7

The Lord describes the rebellious people of Israel as a vineyard which yielded wild grapes. 

 

Epistle: Philippians 3:4b–14

St. Paul explains that obedience to the law means nothing without faith in Jesus, which is the only true source of righteousness before God. 

 

Gospel: Matthew 21:33–46

Jesus tells the parable of the wicked tenants of the vineyard in order to show the Pharisees their rebellion against God, His prophets, and His own Son. 

 

FROM THE CHURCH FATHERS

“Finally, therefore, he sent his only son to them, saying, ‘surely they will respect my son.’” The “only son” of the householder is the Lord, the Son of God, who came by the will of the Father to his vineyard, which is the Jewish people. “But when the tenants,” who are the teachers of the law, “saw his son, they said to themselves, ‘this is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours,’ and they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.” They also crucified our Lord outside the city, while they shouted, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” - Epiphanius the Latin, Interpretation of the Gospels, 31, qtd. in ACCS: Matthew 14-28, 141.

 

LESSONS ON THE LITURGY 

Michael and All Angels

Last Tuesday the Church celebrated the Feast of St. Michael and All Angels.  The Treasury of Daily Prayer says this of Michael the archangel: 

The name of the archangel St. Michael means “Who is like God?” Michael is mentioned in the Book of Daniel (12:1), as well as in Jude (v. 9) and Revelation (12:7). Daniel portrays Michael as the angelic helper of Israel who leads the battle against the forces of evil.  In Revelation, Michael and his angels fight against and defeat Satan and the evil angels, driving them from heaven. Their victory is made possible by Christ’s own victory over Satan in His death and resurrection [...]. 

 

FROM THE BOOK OF CONCORD

Formula of Concord, Epitome, Article XI: God's Eternal Election, paragraphs 12-13

"Many are called, but few are chosen" [Mt. 22:14]. This does not mean that God is unwilling to save everybody. But the reason some are not saved is as follows: They do not listen to God's Word at all, but willfully despise it, plug their ears, and harden their hearts. In this way they block the ordinary way [Lu. 16:29-31] for the Holy Spirit so He cannot perform His work in them. Or, when they have heard God's Word, they make light of it again and ignore it. But their wickedness is responsible for this, not God or His election (2 Peter 2:1-3; Luke 11:49-52; Hebrews 12:25-26).

     A Christian should concern himself with the article about God's eternal election only as far as it has been revealed in God's Word. His Word presents Christ to us as the Book of Life, which He opens and reveals to us by the preaching of the Holy Gospel, as it is written in Romans 8:30, "Those whom He predestined He also called." The Father has determined [Eph. 1:11-12] that He would save no one except those who know His Son Christ and truly believe in Him. Other thoughts are to be banished for they do not come from God, but from the evil foe. Out of pure grace, without any merit of our own, we have been elected in Christ to eternal life. No one can pluck us out of His hand [Jn. 10:29]. He has promised this election with words, has certified it with an oath and sealed it with the holy Sacraments.