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 FIRST SUNDAY IN ADVENT
November 29, 2020
Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come, that by Your protection we may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins and saved by Your mighty deliverance; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
THIS WEEK AT ST. JOHN’S Today, November 29, 2020 8:00 a.m. Sunday School/Adult Class 9:00 a.m. Divine Service - (Advent 1) (C) Wednesday, December 2, 2020 6:00 p.m. Advent Service 6:30 p.m. Christian Catechesis Sunday, December 6, 2020 8:00 a.m. Sunday School/Adult Class) 9:00 a.m. Divine Service (Advent 2) (C) | THIS WEEK IN THE CHURCH YEAR November 29, 2020 Commemoration of Noah November 30, 2020 Feast of St. Andrew, Apostle December 4, 2020 Commemoration of John of Damascus, Theologian and Hymnwriter |
ST. JOHN’S NEWS
Organist Today: Marcia Hanna
Elder for November: Jeff Schutjer
Cash Donations are being taken today and next Sunday to send a care package to Aly Bierstedt and Austin Witham who have been deployed overseas with the Army National Guard. Any money that we have left over from purchasing the care package items will be used to send an Easter box in the Spring. Contact Rosann Shipler and Brenda Schutjer if you have any questions.
Poinsettias - If you would like to purchase a poinsettia for the church to use during the Advent and Christmas season, there is a sign-up sheet on the table at the back of the church. Please pay Cheryl Batt by Sunday, December 6.
Advent Family Activity Kits - By the mailboxes in the back of church are Advent family activity kits that go along with our “Jesse’s Tree” Advent theme. Included in these boxes is an Advent calendar tree, a children’s book, and an adult devotion book. These kits are free for anyone who can use them! These would be great activities for grandparents to do with their grandkids, or even to drop off to a neighbor or friend with kids. If you would like to give a freewill donation for the kits, feel free to designate a gift to the St. John’s Sunday School on your offering envelope.
Adopt-a-Family/Winding Roads Collections - The Christmas shopping list for our Adopt-a- Family and Winding Roads foster care transitional home are now on the back table, along with boxes to leave your gifts.
Christmas Decorating - In order to avoid gathering as a large crowd, this year’s Christmas decorating will be spread out over several days. On the back table you will be able to sign up for a day and time you or a small group of people would like to come in and complete one of the decorating tasks listed. All of the decorations will be laid out upstairs. In this way many hands can still make light work!
Voter’s Meeting will be held following the service on Sunday, December 13. This meeting is to vote on the budget and slate of new officers.
Pastoral Care On Demand - Pastor Cowell would love to serve you Communion at church or at home, pray, read Scripture, offer Christian counsel, and/or just visit any time that works for you! Call or text him any time at 319-464-5548.
Midweek Advent Services - Our midweek Advent services of prayer and meditation on the Word are Wednesday, Dec. 2, 9, and 16 at 6:00 p.m. These services will be live-streamed as well. There will also be an online-only service broadcast Dec. 23 at 6:00 p.m.
District Convention Lay Delegate - If you are interested in serving as the lay delegate representing St. John’s at the Iowa District West Convention on June 27-29, 2021, please contact the church office or Pastor Cowell. We will need to select a lay delegate by the end of January.
Christmas Greeting Cards - Have been recently restocked in the back of church. You can pay Mary Schmidt or Mary Gifford for the cards, or leave your money with the church office.
Church Library - As snow days and winter break quickly come, don’t forget to stock up on a variety of fiction and non-fiction books from our church library! Of special interest is our large selection of children’s books both in the library and in the basement book rack.
Wednesday Catechesis - All are welcome to join us for Wednesday Catechesis following our Advent midweek services. This week’s topic is the three Advents of Jesus.
Shopping through Amazon Smile - Sign up at Amazon Smile to have 0.5% of your eligible purchases donated to St. John’s! Click this link to sign up: smile.amazon.com/ch/42-0950037, click on the Amazon Smile button on the stjohnsburt.org homepage, or pick up an instructions packet on the back table to get signed up.
St. John’s Live-streamed Service - The easiest way to access our service livestreams and recordings is to click on the links posted on the homepage of stjohnsburt.org.
TLC Quilts Available - Don’t forget that quilts made by the Trinity Lutheran Church Quilters are always available on the “giving pew” by the east door!
SYNOD, DISTRICT, & PARTNERSHIP NEWS
Trinity, Algona Schedule - Trinity, Algona continues to stream their worship services, daily devotions, and other videos online. You can access these resources at trinityalgona.org/corona or the Trinity YouTube and Facebook pages either live or any time after as a recording.
Sunday Preview Lectionary Videos - The Partnership Pastors have begun a new video series taking a look at the Scripture readings and themes of the upcoming Sunday. These videos will be published on Trinity’s YouTube channel every Thursday.
Camp Okoboji Giving Tuesday Event - Thrivent is donating $1 to every $2 donated to Camp Okoboji online during their Giving Tuesday event on Tuesday, December 1. Pick up a flier on the back table with more information on how to donate!
COMMUNITY NEWS
Burt Lions Club Santa Day has been cancelled due to Covid.
Online Bible Trivia - You are invited to participate in an online Bible trivia event hosted by the Thrivent office of Blue Earth, MN Tuesday, December 1 at 6:30 p.m. Find the event on our St. John’s Burt Facebook page for more information and to register your team or self!
LECTIONARY SUMMARY (Advent 1)
Old Testament: Isaiah 64:1-9
Isaiah prays that God would “rend the heavens and come down,” and that He would relent from His anger over the sins of the people and look with favor upon them once again.
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 1:3-9
St. Paul ensures us that we are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as we wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain us to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Gospel: Mark 11:1-10
A week before His death on the cross, Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey as the crowd spreads their cloaks and branches on the road before Him.
FROM THE CHURCH FATHERS
This mystery [of God made flesh] then, which was manifested in the flesh and appeared in the world, and was preached to the Gentiles, many of the saints of old longed to see in the flesh, as they foresaw it in the spirit. For “Verily,” says the Lord, “I say unto you that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see the things which you see, and have not seen them; and to hear the things which you hear and have not heard them.” Matthew 13:17 And so the prophet Isaiah says: “O that You, Lord, would rend the heavens and come down,” Isaiah 64:1 and David too: “O Lord, bow the heavens and come down.” Moses also says: “Show me Yourself that I may see You plainly.” Exodus 33:13 - John Cassian (d. 435 AD), On the Incarnation, Book 5.13, qtd from: newadvent.org/fathers/35095.htm
LESSONS ON THE LITURGY
Advent
Advent is a Latin word that means coming. During Advent we prepare to celebrate the past coming of our Lord into human flesh, the present coming of our Lord at the Lord’s Supper, and the future coming of our Lord on the Last Day. Thus the season of Advent is not only a time of preparation for Christmas, but it is a time to prepare our hearts for all the ways in which Christ has come, comes, and will come to be our Savior.
FROM THE BOOK OF CONCORD
Solid Declaration of the Formula of Concord, Article III: The Person of Christ, para. 85, 87
Dr. Luther wrote shortly before his death, "[...] From the moment when deity and humanity were united in one Person, the Man, Mary's Son, is and is called almighty, eternal God, who has eternal dominion, who has created all things and preserves them 'through the communication of attributes' […], because He is one Person with the Godhead and is also very God. Christ refers to this in Mt. 11:27: 'All things have been delivered to Me by My Father,' and in Mt. 28:18: 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.' To which 'Me'? 'To Me, Jesus of Nazareth, Mary's incarnate Son. I had this from My Father from eternity, before I became man, but when I became man, it was imparted to Me in time according to My human nature, and I kept it concealed until My resurrection and ascent into heaven, when it was to be manifested and glorified.'" [LW 15:293-94] Christ promised that He, the man who has spoken with them, who has experienced all tribulations in His received human nature, and who can therefore have sympathy with us. He will be with us in all our troubles according to the nature by which He is our brother and we are flesh of His flesh.
