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 DAY OF PENTECOST
May 23, 2021
O God, on this day You once taught the hearts of Your faithful people by sending them the light of Your Holy Spirit. Grant us in our day by the same Spirit to have a right understanding in all things and evermore to rejoice in His holy consolation; 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, May 23, 2021 8:00 a.m. Sunday School (final class) 8:00 a.m. Adult Class 9:00 a.m. Divine Service Tuesday, May 25, 2021 10:00 a.m. Morning Prayer 6:00 p.m. Evening Prayer Thursday, May 27, 2021 3:00 p.m. Pastor at Titonka Care Center Service | Sunday, May 30, 2021 8:00 a.m. Adult Class 9:00 a.m. Divine Service THIS WEEK IN THE CHURCH YEAR May 24, 2021 Commemoration of Esther May 25, 2021 Commemoration of The Venerable Bede |
ST. JOHN’S NEWS
Organist Today: Marcia Hanna
Elder for May: Tony Hatten
St. John’s Congregation, We would like to express our deepest appreciation for your friendliness and kind words as we worshipped with you. Your willingness to allow us to be a part of St. John’s the last 6-7 months really helped us as we struggled with all the limitations due to Covid. As visitors, you made us feel right at home. We pray God continues to bless your congregation! Thank You ! Paul, Chandra and Josie McMahon
St. John’s VBS is scheduled for June 9, 16, 23, and 30 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. You can read more about this year’s VBS in your Parish Messenger. There are also VBS fliers on the back table. Feel free to take one for your own information or to hang up at an area business. Registration forms are on the table or you may email the church office for one to fill out.
VBS Volunteers - If you would like to volunteer to help at VBS any of the four Wednesdays, or to make cookies/bars for any of the meals, please sign up on the sheets on the back table.
Vacation Prayer Cards - On the back table are prayer cards designed for you to put in your car or camper for when you travel. On the card is a prayer for before you travel along with other prayers and Psalms you can pray on the go. There is also information on how to find an LCMS congregation to worship with when you’re away from home on a Sunday. Feel free to take a card, laminated daily prayer folder, and Small Catechism for each of your vehicles!
Skills and Interests Form - We’d love to have your completed Skills and Interests in the church office by Sunday, May 23rd. This will help us plan worship, volunteer, and social events into the summer months.
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.
Stained Glass Window Project - We’ve met our financial goal for our new windows and are on track to possibly have them installed soon! There’s more information on the windows on the back table. Thanks for your generous contributions to this project.
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.
SYNOD, DISTRICT & PARTNERSHIP NEWS
A Memorial Service for Evelyn Friedrich (wife of Pastor Henry Friedrich) will be held Wednesday, May 26 at 11am at Trinity Lutheran Church in Algona. Visitation will be from 9:30-10:30am at the church. Lunch and fellowship will follow the service in the Trinity Life Center. Evelyn passed away in November and the service was postponed due to COVID. Livestream will be available on Trinity's You-Tube channel (youtube.com/trinityalgona).
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.
St. Lukes (Fairville) 125th Celebration - You are invited to join us as we celebrate one year later our 125th Anniversary! On Sunday, June 13, we will have a meal for everyone from noon-1:30 p.m., followed by our anniversary service at 2:00 p.m. After the service, we will have fellowship with cake and ice cream with our time capsule on display. Everyone is invited to join us at one or all events!
Camp News:
· Quilt Auction at Camp Okoboji has been set for Saturday, June 19. The project and description sheet must be in by May 21. If you would like to donate a quilt for the auction you may pick up an information sheet in the church office.
· Be a Volunteer Counselor! We are seeking high school youth and college-aged young adults to serve as counselors during Cub Weeks, Junior High Week, and Youth Wee. Apply at campokoboji.org
· Omelet Brunches are back at Camp Okoboji! Join us the first Sunday every month for some good food and company.
· Sunday Worship Services at camp are held every Sunday from Memorial Day to Labor day at 9:45 a.m.
· Annual Meeting of Camp Okoboji was held on April 10th. We had 50 delegates in attendance and 99 total attendees. Elected to serve on the Board of Directors were Pastor Robert Zellmer, Rhonda Mohr, and Dayna “Joy” Brown. The meeting focused on how Camp Okoboji was blessed, in spite of the disruptions created by COVID-19. Camp had a solid year financially and continued to make needed facilities upgrades and improvements. Your Board of Directors has made the commitment to complete a new Long Range Plan to present at next year’s Annual Meeting.
Did You Know: The average teen spends about nine hours a day online. That’s not okay. Setting limits, being familiar with apps, and maintaining open communication are essential when raising teens. Participation in summer activities such as sports are great alternatives to screen time. Learn more through blog posts from our counselors on LFS’ website. Lutheran Family Service - www.LutheranFamilyService.org
COMMUNITY NEWS
Burt Memorial Day Services will be held on Monday, May 31st at the Burt Activity Complex at 10:00 a.m. We will then march to the Burt Township Cemetery for Military Honors. A light lunch will be served at the Complex following the Military Honors from 11 a.m.-1p.m.
LECTIONARY SUMMARY (Day of Pentecost)
Old Testament: Ezekiel 37:1-14
The Lord has Ezekiel prophecy over a valley of dry bones and the bones are raised up into an exceedingly great army.
Epistle: Acts 2:1-21
The Holy Spirit rests as tongues of fire on the Apostles, and Peter preaches Christ so that all people can understand him.
Gospel: John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15
Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit to guide the disciples in the truth of God.
FROM THE CHURCH FATHERS
[On Acts 2:13: “But others mocking said, ‘They are filled with new wine.’”] “For in truth the wine was new, the grace of the New Testament. But this new wine was from a spiritual vine, which already had often borne fruit in the prophets and sprouted forth in the New Testament. For just as in the order of nature the vine, remaining ever the same, brings forth new fruit according to the seasons, so too the same Spirit, remaining what he is, having wrought in the prophets, now manifested something new and marvelous. His grace had indeed been granted to the fathers in times past, but now it came in superabundance; in their case they received a share of the Holy Spirit, now they were baptized in all fullness.” - Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lecture 17.18, qtd. in ACCS: Acts, p. 26.
LESSONS ON THE LITURGY
Pentecost
Before Pentecost became a New Testament holiday, it was first an Old Testament holiday. Fifty days after the Passover Sabbath, the people of Israel celebrated the Feast of Weeks, or Pentecost (Greek for fiftieth). On this holiday the Old Testament saints would celebrate and give thanks to God for the barley harvest roughly 50 days previous and the wheat harvest that was just beginning (See Lev. 23:15-21). Today on this Feast of Pentecost we celebrate and give thanks to God not for the gathering of grain into barns, but for the gathering of souls into the Church through the preaching of Christ’s death and resurrection by the Spirit-filled Apostles.
FROM THE BOOK OF CONCORD
Solid Declaration of the Formula of Concord, Article II: Free Will, paragraphs 20-22, 24-26
Dr. Luther says about Psalm 90: "In worldly and outward affairs, which apply to the livelihood and maintenance of the body, a person is intelligent, and quite active. But in spiritual and divine things, which apply to the salvation of the soul, a person neither sees nor perceives God's terrible and fierce wrath resulting from sin and death. He continues in his security. No warnings, no threats, no chiding, are of any help. Indeed, all teaching and preaching is lost on him until he is enlightened, converted, and regenerated by the Holy Spirit. Out of pure mercy, He has willed that poor fallen human nature might be a participant in conversion, God's grace and eternal life. This comes only from pure grace, through the effective working of the Holy Spirit."
Before a person is enlightened, converted, regenerated, renewed, and drawn by the Holy Spirit, he can hear the Gospel, meditate on it and discuss it. Nevertheless, he regards it as foolishness and cannot believe it. For he is hostile to God's will, unless the Holy Spirit is effective on him and kindles and works in him faith and obedience.
The Holy Scriptures credit conversion solely to the Holy Spirit's divine work. Only the Holy Spirit causes a person to be born anew. He opens the mind and heart to understand the Scriptures. No one can say "Jesus is Lord" except in the Holy Spirit" (1 Cor. 12:3).
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