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 SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT
December 6, 2020
Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to make ready the way of Your only-begotten Son, that by His coming we may be enabled to serve You with pure minds; 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, December 6, 2020 8:00 a.m. Sunday School/Adult Class 9:00 a.m. Divine Service - (Advent 2) (C) Wednesday, December 9, 2020 6:00 p.m. Advent Service 6:30 p.m. Christian Catechesis Sunday, December 13, 2020 8:00 a.m. Sunday School/Adult Class) 9:00 a.m. Divine Service (Advent 3) (C) 10:00 a.m. Voter’s Meeting | THIS WEEK IN THE CHURCH YEAR December 6, 2020 Commemoration of Nicholas of Myra, Pastor December 7, 2020 Commemoration of Ambrose of Milan, Pastor and Hymnwriter |
ST. JOHN’S NEWS
Organist Today: Kitty Bierstedt
Elder for November: Boyd Shipler
Acolytes: Kenna Hatten and Taylor Parsons
Cash Donations are being taken today 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 today.
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. Cash donations can be given to Deb Steven, Doris Blocker, or left in the church office. Please have your gifts in By Sunday, December 13th.
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. 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.
Thank You - “We really appreciate your donations to the Food Pantry, especially during this difficult time for many of the residents of Kossuth County. May you be blessed for your generosity!” - Kossuth County Food Pantry (St. John’s donated $580)
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 prophecies of Jesus’ birth.
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.
LECTIONARY SUMMARY (Advent 2)
Old Testament: Isaiah 40:1-11
The Lord announces an end to Israel’s warfare and the coming of His peace with the words: “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.”
Epistle: 2 Peter 3:8-14
St. Peter describes the coming day of the Lord, and how we ought to wait for that day.
Gospel: Mark 1:1-8
John the Baptist announces the coming of the Lord in Jesus Christ.
FROM THE CHURCH FATHERS
“The beginning [of Mark’s Gospel] can be viewed either as the entire Old Testament, with John the Baptist being its summarizing type, or (because he stands at the juncture of the new with the old) the final stages of the old covenant. This runs counter to those who would assign the two covenants [the Old and New Testament] to two different Gods.” - Origen, Commentary on John 1.14, quoted in Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: Mark, 2.
LESSONS ON THE LITURGY
Evergreen Decorations
During the Advent and Christmas season churches and homes are often filled with evergreen garlands, trees, and wreaths. Evergreen wreaths have long been a symbol of peace, joy, and victory. Evergreens, obviously, stay green even throughout the winter. In this way they symbolize the unchanging nature of God and the everlasting life that is ours through Jesus Christ.
FROM THE BOOK OF CONCORD
Solid Declaration of the Formula of Concord, Article V: Law and Gospel, paragraphs 3-5
The term Gospel is used in two ways in the Holy Scriptures and also by ancient and modern Church teachers. Sometimes it is used to mean the entire doctrine of Christ, our Lord, which He proclaimed in His ministry on earth and commanded to be proclaimed in the New Testament. Therefore, this includes the explanation of the Law and the proclamation of the favor and grace of God His heavenly Father. For it is written, "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" (Mark 1:1). And shortly afterward the chief points are stated: Repentance and forgiveness of sins. So when Christ after His resurrection commanded the apostles to "proclaim the gospel to the whole creation" (Mark 16:15), He compressed the sum of this doctrine into a few words. He also said, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all nations" (Luke 24:46-47). Paul, too, calls his entire doctrine the Gospel (Acts 20:21). He summarizes this doctrine under two points: Repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. In this sense the general definition of the word Gospel, when used in a wide sense and without the proper distinction between the Law and the Gospel, is correctly said to be a preaching of repentance and the forgiveness of sins.
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