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 TWENTY-FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
November 15, 2020
Almighty and ever-living God, You have given exceedingly great and precious promises to those who trust in You. Dispel from us the works of darkness and grant us to live in the light of Your Son, Jesus Christ, that our faith may never be found wanting; through the same Jesus Christ, 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, November 15, 2020 8:00 a.m. Sunday School/Adult Class 9:00 a.m. Divine Service - (Pentecost 24) (C) Wednesday, November 18, 2020 3:00 p.m. Spoken Divine Service (C) 6:00 p.m. Christian Catechesis Sunday, November 22, 2020 8:00 a.m. Sunday School/Adult Class 9:00 a.m. Divine Service (Last Sunday) (C) | THIS WEEK IN THE CHURCH YEAR November 19 Commemoration of Elizabeth of Hungary |
ST. JOHN’S NEWS
Organist Today: Marcia Hanna
Elder for November: Jeff Schutjer
Food Pantry Monetary Donations - We are taking a special monetary offering today for the Kossuth County Food Pantry. You may place your donation in the designated plate in the back.
Cards and Well Wishes can be sent to Beverly Skadburg in celebration of her 90th Birthday on Thursday, November 26. She would love to hear from you all! Send cards to 202 N Minnesota St. Algona, Iowa 50511.
Thanksgiving Eve Divine Service at St. John’s will be Wednesday, November 25 at 6:00 p.m.
There will also be a Thanksgiving Day service at Trinity, Algona Thursday, November 26 at 9:00 a.m. Please call the Trinity office at 515-295-3518 if you plan to attend this service.
Special Council Meeting will be held next Sunday, November 22 following the service. This meeting is to review the 2021 budget and slate of new officers.
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!
Adopt-a-Family/Winding Roads Collections - In the coming weeks look for a Christmas shopping list for both a family from the adopt-a-family program as well as Winding Roads foster care transitional home on the back table.
Lutherans Engage the World Online - The Lutherans Engage the World magazine has moved to a completely digital format. You can view the current issue at: engage.lcms.org. Of special interest in this issue is an article on the involvement of LCMS Christians with the derecho clean-up in eastern Iowa. If you would like a print copy of this article or the entire magazine we would be happy to print a copy for you.
New “Socially Distant” Divine Service Available - Our midweek spoken Divine Service continues every Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. at St. John’s. Feel free to attend any Wednesday, there will be plenty of room for you to sit at a distance from others. 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 we will be talking about what it looks like to give thanks as a Christian.
Shopping through Amazon Smile - Did you know that Amazon will donate a portion of all of your online purchases to St. John’s if you shop through Amazon Smile? All you have to do is choose St. John’s as your charitable organization by clicking this link: smile.amazon.com/ch/42-0950037 or by clicking on the Amazon Smile button on the stjohnsburt.org homepage. Then, every time you shop on Amazon do not go to amazon.com; instead go to smile.amazon.com to do your online shopping. Everything at smile.amazon.com is exactly the same, except that you will now be donating 0.5% of eligible purchases to St. John’s! You can also pick up a paper copy of step by step instructions with pictures on the back table at church to help you through the sign-up process.
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 - 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 |
Trinity, Algona App - Trinity, Algona has published a convenient free app for your smartphone or tablet. This app allows you to watch any video devotions, Bible studies, or services at Trinity and read Pastor’s Pen articles right from within the app! Many of these resources are Partnership productions! Download the app by searching “Trinity Lutheran Church, Algona” at any app store, or by scrolling down to the “Get our New Church App” section on the homepage of trinityalgona.org.
COMMUNITY NEWS
Lions Club Santa Day will be held on Saturday, December 5 from 1-3 p.m. at the Burt Community Center. come see Santa and ride the fire truck. Cookies and Cocoa/Coffee will be served. Social distancing procedures will be observed.
LECTIONARY SUMMARY (Proper 28)
Old Testament: Zephaniah 1:7-16
The Day of the Lord is coming quickly, and He will make a full and sudden end of all the inhabitants of the earth.
Epistle: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Keep awake and sober as we wait for our Lord’s return.
Gospel: Matthew 25:14-30
Jesus tells the Parable of the Talents, teaching us to make use of the gifts of faith God has given.
FROM THE CHURCH FATHERS
On 1 Thessalonians 5: “‘But let us watch,’ he says, ‘and be sober.’ For it is possible to sleep while awake, by doing nothing good. Wherefore he has added, ‘and be sober.’ [...] The drunkenness he here speaks of is not that from wine only, but that also which comes of all vices. For riches and the desire of wealth is a drunkenness of the soul, and so carnal lust; and every sin you can name is a drunkenness of the soul.” - St. Chrysostom, Homilies on First Thessalonians, Homily 9, retrieved from: newadvent.org/fathers/230409.htm
LESSONS ON THE LITURGY
Christ’s Return for Judgment
Here’s what Article XVII of our Augsburg Confession says about the Last Day:
Our churches teach that at the end of the world Christ will appear for judgment and will raise all the dead. He will give the godly and elect eternal life and everlasting joys, but He will condemn ungodly people and the devils to be tormented without end. Our churches condemn the Anabaptists, who think that there will be an end to the punishments of condemned men and devils. Our churches also condemn those who are spreading certain Jewish opinions, that before the resurrection of the dead the godly shall take possession of the kingdom of the world, the ungodly being everywhere suppressed.
These words, while harsh, are words of supreme comfort for the godly and elect who have been chosen by God in Baptism and look to Christ alone as their righteousness before our heavenly Father.
FROM THE BOOK OF CONCORD
Ap. of the Augsburg Confession, Article V: Love and Fulfilling the Law, para. 262-3, 265-6
[The adversaries] do not teach the righteousness of faith because they understand faith as merely a knowledge of the history or of dogmas. They do not understand faith to be a virtue, which takes hold of the promise of grace and of righteousness, and which enlivens hearts in the terrors of sin and of death. Paul says, "With the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved" (Ro. 10:10). Paul says that confession saves in order to show what sort of faith receives eternal life, namely, that which is firm and active. That faith, however, that does not present itself in confession is not firm. So we conclude that we are justified before God, are reconciled to God and reborn through faith. In repentance this faith lays hold of the promise of grace and truly enlivens the terrified mind. It is convinced that for Christ's sake God is reconciled and favorable toward us. "Through" this faith, 1 Peter 1:5 says, "[We] are being guarded. for a salvation ready to be revealed." The knowledge of this faith is necessary to Christians, brings the most abundant comfort in all troubles, and shows us Christ's office. Those who deny that people are justified through faith and that Christ is Mediator and the Atoning Sacrifice, deny the promise of grace and the Gospel.
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