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 SIXTH  SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

July 4, 2021

 

O God, Your almighty power is made known chiefly in showing mercy. Grant us the fullness of Your grace that we may be called to repentance and made partakers of Your heavenly treasures; through Your Son, 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, July 4, 2021   8:00 a.m.      Adult Class    9:00 a.m.      Divine Service    Tuesday, July 6, 2021  10:00 a.m.    Morning Prayer     Wednesday, July 7, 2021    9:00 a.m.     Kids Day at Camp Okoboji

Sunday, July 11, 2021     8:00 a.m.       Adult Class      9:00 a.m.       Divine Service    10:00 a.m.       Council Meeting     THIS WEEK IN THE CHURCH YEAR     July 6, 2021     Commemoration of Isaiah

 

ST. JOHN’S NEWS

 

Organist Today: Marcia Hanna  

Elder for July:  Jeff Schutjer 

Greeter:  Barb Harms

 

Portals of Prayer - The July-September Portals of Prayer are available in the back of church. 

 

Quarterly Council Meeting will be held Sunday, July 11 following the service. The Voter’s Meeting will be Sunday, July 18.

 

Thank You! - Thank you to the parents, children, volunteers, and our Board of Education: Karla Schutter, Brenda Schutjer, Stefanie Hatten, Shirlee Alt, and Barb Thilges for making our Family of God VBS a success. 

 

VBS Offering - This year during our Family of God VBS, kids and volunteers gave an offering to Lutheran Family Service.  We set a goal to raise $300 and ended up collecting $439.75!  Thank you to all who gave to this worthy organization.  You can learn more about the good work that LFS does at lutheranfamilyservice.org or by picking up a pamphlet from the rack in back of church. 

 

Sign-Making Day at St. John’s - If you are interested in making a Joshua 24:15 sign for your house like the VBS families did, please sign up on the back table.  We need at least five participants to be able to host this project at St. John’s.  When we have at least five participants we will pick a date that works for everyone to make the signs.  There is an example of the sign in the back of church for you to see. 

 

Greeter and Usher Sign-up - We're excited to reintroduce greeters to our Sunday mornings at St. John's!  Your family or you and a friend are welcome to sign up for a Sunday to greet on the back table.  Of course, hand shaking will be optional.  Also, we'd love to have at least one usher per month to help Jeff with duties as needed.  You can sign up for this on the back table as well. 

 

Sunday School/Service Time Change Discussion - Members of the Board of Education, Sunday school parents, and other members have been discussing over the past couple years the potential benefits of moving our Sunday school and adult Bible study to 8:30 a.m. and our service to 9:30 a.m.  The benefits that have been discussed for moving our Sunday schedule back 30 minutes include: 

• a little more time to get young children ready for Sunday school
• more time to evaluate road conditions in the winter
• more sunlight for driving to church in the winter
• more possibilities for after-church fundraising/mission lunches (with church ending a 

   little closer to lunch time).  

Because we would love for the entire congregation to be involved in this discussion, please think about what Sunday schedule you prefer so that you can be prepared to share your thoughts at the July 18th voter's meeting.  If possible, we would love to make a "yes" or "no" decision on this change before Sunday school begins in the fall.   

 

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!

 

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 waiting for them to be installed soon! 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

 

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.

 

Traveling to Camp Okoboji - Please be aware that construction is blocking the normal access from Highway 86 to the camp entrance.  If you would like detailed directions for how to get to the camp entrance, contact the church office. 

 

Did You Know: Unlike some countries where you must worship behind locked doors, we are fortunate to live in a country where we can openly express our religious beliefs. During your Independence Day celebrations this week, remember to pray for our Iowa senators and representatives that they may have the wisdom and boldness to protect life and our religious freedoms. Happy Independence Day! Lutheran Family Service - LutheranFamilyService.org

 

COMMUNITY NEWS

 

Churches of Burt Coffee - Join the Churches of Burt for coffee, rolls, and social time Saturday, July 10, from 8:00-10:30 at the Complex! If you’d like to volunteer or donate rolls for this event, please sign up on the back table. 

Burt Summer Celebration will be held on Saturday, July 10th.  The parade starts at 1:00 p.m. with fun events at the Burt Activity Complex from 2-6 p.m. The Street Dance-Farm Rock will begin at 9:00 p.m. and the evening will conclude with Fireworks by the Burt Fire Department on the athletic field.  Food and Beverages available all day.  **Meyer Bicycle Shop will be holding a Grand Opening at 10 a.m. with free Dilly Bars for first 90 kids under 16. (More information is posted on flyer along ramp)

 

LECTIONARY SUMMARY (Proper 9)

Old Testament: Ezekiel 2:1-5

The Lord sends Ezekiel to prophesy to the rebellious people of Israel. 

 

Epistle: 2 Corinthians 12:1-10

Paul says: “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

 

Gospel: Mark 6:1-13

Jesus is rejected in His hometown, and He sends out the Twelve two by two to preach repentance and cast out demons.  

 

FROM THE CHURCH FATHERS

“In some cases [Jesus] so richly poured forth the mighty work of healing that the evangelist was led to exclaim: ‘He healed all their sick.’ But among others the unfathomable depth of Christ’s goodness was so thwarted that it was said: ‘And Jesus could do there no mighty works because of their unbelief.’ So the bounty of God is actually curtailed temporarily according to the receptivity of our faith. So it is said to one: ‘According to your faith may it be to you,’ and to another: ‘Go your way, and as you have believed so let it be to you,’ and to another ‘Let it be to you according as you will,’ and again to another: ‘Your faith has made you whole.’” - John Cassian, Third Conference of Abbot Chaermeon, 15. Qtd. in ACCS: Mark, 80.

 

LESSONS ON THE LITURGY 

I-H-S

The letters “I-H-S” are often found on liturgical artwork in sanctuaries.  The symbol is present in the middle of our altar cross at St. John’s.  These are the first two letters and the last letter of “Jesus” as it is rendered in the Greek language, which was a common way of abbreviating a name in the old days.  Therefore the letters “IHS” in a sanctuary is an indication that this a place where the name of Jesus is proclaimed and placed on us in Word and Sacrament. 

 

FROM THE BOOK OF CONCORD

Solid Declaration of the Formula of Concord, Article VIII: The Person of Christ, para. 24-25

On account of this personal union and communion of the natures, Mary, the most blessed Virgin, did not bear a mere man. But, as the angel testifies, she bore a man who is truly the Son of the most high God [Lu. 1:35]. He showed His divine majesty even in His mother's womb, because He was born of a virgin, without violating her virginity. Therefore, she is truly the mother of God and yet has remained a virgin.

     He did all His miracles by the power of this personal union. He showed His divine majesty, according to His pleasure, when and as He willed. He did this not just after His resurrection and ascension, but also in His state of humiliation.

     For example: (a) At the wedding at Cana of Galilee [Jn. 2:1-11] (b) When He was twelve years old, among the learned [Lu. 2:42-50] (c) In the garden, when with a word He cast His enemies to the ground [Jn. 18:6] (d) In death, when He died not simply as any other man, but in and with His death conquered sin, death, devil, hell, and eternal damnation [Col. 2:13-15].

     The human nature alone would not have been able to do these miracles if it had not been personally united and had communion with the divine nature.