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 NINETEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

October 11, 2020

 

Almighty God, You invite us to trust in You for our salvation. Deal with us not in the severity of Your judgment but by the greatness of Your mercy; 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 11, 2020   8:00 a.m.    Sunday School/Adult Class   9:00 a.m.    Divine Service (Pentecost 19) (C)  10:00 a.m.    Council Meeting   Wednesday, October 14, 2020   3:00 p.m.    Spoken Divine Service (C)   6:00 p.m.    Christian Catechesis   Sunday, October 18, 2020    8:00 a.m.    Sunday School/Adult Class    9:00 a.m.    Divine Service (Pentecost 20) (C)    10:00 a.m.   Voter’s Meeting

THIS WEEK IN THE CHURCH YEAR      October 11     Commemoration of Philip, Deacon     October 17     Commemoration of Ignatius of Antioch,          Pastor and Martyr

ST. JOHN’S NEWS

 

Organist Today: Marcia Hanna 

Elder for October: Jerry Koestler

Acolytes: Caelum Blocker and Zac Steven

 

Mite Box - In honor of LWML Sunday last week, the LWML “mite box” is on the back table again this week.  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 following the service today.  The voter’s meeting will be Sunday, October 18 immediately following the service.

 

Parish Messenger Articles for the November/December edition is due to Linda Kerkove by Sunday, October 25.

 

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.

 

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.  Next Wednesday’s lesson will be an explanation of our Divine Service liturgy from our hymnal. 

 

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. 

 

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.

 

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

 

COMMUNITY NEWS

 

Trunk or Treat - The Churches of Burt are hosting Trunk or Treat again this year! The event is on October 31 from 5-6:30 p.m. at the Burt Presbyterian Church parking lot. If anyone would like to host a trunk, you can contact Hannah Cowell at 712-294-4962!  

 

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 is Sunday, October 25 from 8:00-12:30 p.m. at the Burt Community Center.  There will be both a carry-out option as well as socially distant seating available. The cost for the meal is a free-will donation. 

Breakfast - The Burt City will be hosting a Sausage and Gravy Meal on Saturday, October 31 from 8:00 to 11:00 a.m. at the Burt Activity Complex. This will be a free will donation with a drive up only pick-up. 

 

 

 

 

LECTIONARY SUMMARY (Proper 23)

Old Testament: Isaiah 25:6-9

Isaiah prophesies of the mountain of the Lord on which He will swallow up death forever and host a great feast for all people.  

 

Epistle: Philippians 4:4-13

St. Paul encourages and teaches us what it means to rejoice in the Lord always. 

 

Gospel: Matthew 22:1-14

Jesus tells a parable about the guests at a wedding feast in order to teach about the members of the kingdom of God.  

 

FROM THE CHURCH FATHERS

All the faithful know the story of the marriage of the king’s son, and his feast. They know that the Lord’s table is open to all who are willing correctly to receive it. But it is important that each one examines how he approaches, even when he is not forbidden to approach. - Augustine, Sermon 90.1, qtd. in ACCS, Matthew 14-28, 145.

 

LESSONS ON THE LITURGY 

The Cassock and Surplice

The black gown that Pastor wears is called a cassock.  The white garment on top of it is a surplice.  There is a long and complicated history as to how pastors came to wear the cassock and surplice, but over time these vestments came to teach two simple lessons.  Notice how the white vestment covers the black, just as the righteousness of Christ covers our sin in Baptism.  Notice also that when Pastor is wearing his vestments you can only see his head and his hands.  In this way you are drawn to focus on his head (particularly his mouth) which proclaims God’s Word to you and his hands which deliver God’s Sacraments and blessing to you. 

 

FROM THE BOOK OF CONCORD

Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article IX: Baptism, paragraphs 51-53

We confess that "Baptism is necessary for salvation," that "children are to be baptized," and that the "Baptism of children is not in vain, but is necessary and effective for salvation". It is very certain that the promise of salvation also applies to little children. It does not, however, apply to those who are outside of Christ's Church, where there is neither Word nor Sacraments. Christ's kingdom exists only with the Word and Sacraments. Therefore, it is necessary to baptize little children, that the promise of salvation may be applied to them, according to Christ's command to baptize all nations (Matthew 28:19). Just as in this passage salvation is offered to all, so Baptism is offered to all, to men, women, children, infants. Therefore, infants are to be baptized, because salvation is offered with Baptism. Second, it is clear that God approves of the Baptism of little children. God's approval of the Baptism of little children is shown by this: He gives the Holy Spirit to those baptized [Acts 2:38-39 Peter said, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself."]. If this Baptism would be empty, the Holy Spirit would be given to no one. No one would be saved.