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 LENT

Sunday, February 21, 2021

 

O Lord God, You led Your ancient people through the wilderness and brought them to the promised land. Guide the people of Your Church that following our Savior we may walk through the wilderness of this world toward the glory of the world to come; 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, February 21, 2021     8:00 a.m. Sunday School/Adult Class     9:00 a.m.      Divine Service - (Lent 1)     10:00 a.m.      Education Meeting   Tuesday, February 23, 2021   10:00 a.m.      Morning Prayer     6:00 p.m.      Evening Prayer     7:00 p.m.      Elder’s Meeting   Wednesday, February 24, 2021     6:00 p.m.     Lenten Service                              6:30 p.m.     Christian Catechesis

Sunday, February 28, 2021        8:00 a.m.     Sunday School/Adult Class          9:00 a.m.     Divine Service - (Lent 2)     THIS WEEK IN THE CHURCH YEAR       February 23, 2021       Commemoration of Polycarp of Smyrna, Pastor          and Martyr       February 24, 2021       Feast of St. Matthias, Apostle

 

ST. JOHN’S NEWS

 

Organist Today: Marcia Hanna

Elder for February: Jerry Koestler

 

Tuesday Prayer Services - This week there will be a Tuesday morning prayer service at 10:00 a.m. and an Evening Prayer Service at 6:00 p.m.

 

Lenten Services will be held this week Wednesday, February 24  at 6:00 p.m.

 

Parish Messenger - The March/April edition of the Parish Messenger is due to Linda Kerkove today. If you need more time to get an article in, please contact Linda Kerkove - dlkerkove@netamumail.com

 

Lent Schedule Available - Feel free to pick up a worship schedule for the Lenten season on the back table.  Also feel free to deliver one to a friend! 

 

Stained Glass Window Project - Information on our new stained glass window project at St. John’s is on the back table. We are still in need of $2,100 of donations. You can view an enlarged image of the windows on the ramp bulletin board or on the door going to the balcony. 

 

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. 

 

St. John’s Ladies Aid Dissolved - As of January 27, 2021 the St. John’s Ladies Aid has made the decision to dissolve. The Ladies Aid received their LWML charter on May 12, 1947, but the St. John’s Ladies Aid has been in existence since October 13, 1921. We thank God for blessing our Ladies Aid for the past 100 years, and we look forward to exploring new opportunities to serve the Lord with gladness in the future. 

 

Flocknote - Did you know that in addition to receiving cancellation announcements on Flocknote, you can also receive a daily prayer and Scripture verse via text message or email? See the Flocknote information sheet in the back for a description of all of your messaging options, and let Pastor Cowell know if you’d like to make any changes to which messages you receive. 

 

Evangelism and Charity Information Booklets can be picked up from the back table. These are  a summary of mission and charity support of our congregation for the 2021 year.

 

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!

 

2020 Thrivent Choice Dollars must be directed by March 31. Consider joining others who have directed their Choice Dollars towards St. John’s ministry.

 

SYNOD, DISTRICT & PARTNERSHIP NEWS

 

Ask the Pastors is Back! - The partnership pastors are resuming our Ask the Pastors livestream every Wednesday from 10:00-10:30 a.m. on the Trinity, Algona YouTube or Facebook page.  If you have any questions of any topic you would like the pastors to discuss feel free to speak to any of the three pastors or send an email to: askthepastors@trinityalgona.org. 

 

Trinity, Algona Schedule - Trinity, Algona continues to stream their worship services 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.

 

Building Healthy Families - How was your day? After arriving home from work or school, we may ask – or hear – that all too familiar question. There’s nothing wrong with the question, but could you dig a little deeper and connect more with your spouse, children, grandchildren, neighbor, or friend? Try one of these: How did you see God at work today? or What’s something on your mind that I can pray about today? Then see where God takes that conversation! Lutheran Family Service - www.LutheranFamilyService.org

 

LECTIONARY SUMMARY (Lent 1)

Old Testament: Genesis 22:1-18

Abraham obeys God and takes his son Isaac up Mount Moriah to sacrifice him to the Lord, until the Angel of the Lord intervenes and blesses Abraham for his faithfulness. 

 

Epistle: James 1:12-18

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial.

 

Gospel: Mark 1:9-15

Satan tempts Jesus in the wilderness. After, Jesus begins preaching the gospel of God in Galilee. 

 

FROM THE CHURCH FATHERS

“In this desolate place, the Spirit extended the devil an occasion to test [Jesus], not only by hunger, but also by loneliness, for it is there most especially that the devil assails us, when he sees us left alone and by ourselves. In this same way did he also confront Eve in the beginning, having caught her alone and apart from her husband.” - Chrysostom, The Gospel of St. Matthew, Homily 13.1, qtd. from ACCS: Mark, 17. 

 

LESSONS ON THE LITURGY 

Lent

The word Lent comes from the Old English word lencten (lengthen). This was the word used for the season that we call spring, when the hours of daylight begin to lengthen.  For Christians the season of Lent and the season of spring correspond well.  Just as spring is a season of new life, during Lent we prepare to receive the new, eternal life that Christ gave to the world at His resurrection.  Lent is also a time for us to experience a season of growth and renewal of our life in Christ through our intensified practice of repentance, prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. 

 

FROM THE BOOK OF CONCORD

Large Catechism, The Lord’s Prayer, paragraphs 104-106

The devil agitates matters that concern the conscience and spiritual affairs. He leads us to despise and disregard both God's Word and works. He tears us away from faith, hope, and love [1 Cor. 13:13], and he brings us into misbelief, false security, and stubbornness. Or, on the other hand, he leads us to despair, denial of God, blasphemy, and innumerable other things. These are snares and nets [2 Tim. 2:26], indeed, real fiery darts that are shot like poison into the heart, not by flesh and blood, but by the devil [Eph. 6:12,16].

     Great, indeed, are these dangers and temptations, which every Christian must bear. We bear them even though each one were alone by himself. So every hour that we are in this vile life, we are attacked on all sides [2 Cor. 4:8], chased and hunted down. We are moved to cry out and to pray that God would not allow us to become weary and faint [Isa. 40:31; Heb. 12:3] and to fall again into sin, shame, and unbelief. For otherwise it is impossible to overcome the least temptation.

     This is what "lead us not into temptation" means. It refers to times when God gives us power and strength to resist the temptation [1 Cor. 10:13]. However, the temptation is not taken away. While we live in the flesh and have the devil around us, no one can escape his temptation and lures. It can only mean that we must endure trials-indeed, be engulfed in them [2 Tim. 2:3]. But we say this prayer so that we may not fall and be drowned in them.