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 EIGHTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

July 18, 2021

 

Heavenly Father, though we do not deserve Your goodness, still You provide for all our needs of body and soul. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may acknowledge Your gifts, give thanks for all Your benefits, and serve You in willing obedience; 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, July 18, 2021   8:00 a.m.      Adult Class    9:00 a.m.      Divine Service   10:00 a.m.     Voter’s Meeting   Tuesday, July 20, 2021  10:00 a.m.    Morning Prayer    Sunday, July 25, 2021   8:00 a.m.       Adult Class    9:00 a.m.       Divine Service

THIS WEEK IN THE CHURCH YEAR     July 20, 2021     Commemoration of Elijah     July 21, 2021     Commemoration of Ezekiel     July 22, 2021     Feast of St. Mary Magdalene      July 25, 2021     Feast of St. James the Elder, Apostle

 

ST. JOHN’S NEWS

 

Organist Today: Kitty Bierstedt  

Elder for July: Jeff Schutjer  

Greeters: Bud and Mary Lou Marlow

 

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

 

The Voter’s Meeting will be held immediately following the service today.

 

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 the church for you to see. 

 

St. John’s T-Shirt Sales - If you missed your opportunity to purchase a St. John’s T-shirt a year ago (or you would like a second one!), we will have more T-shirts available within the next couple weeks. If you’d like to purchase one, give your shirt size and $6.00 per shirt to the church office and we will get your shirt to you as soon as they arrive. 

 

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.   

 

St. John’s Prayer Chain - You are always welcome to submit a prayer to our St. John’s Flocknote Prayer Chain.  Simply share your prayer with Pastor Cowell or the church office and we will send it to our Flocknote Prayer Chain group. If you would like to receive Prayer Chain text messages or emails, or any other St. John’s communications via Flocknote, please contact Pastor Cowell or the church office. 

 

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. 

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. 

 

Update on Stained Glass Window Project - The company who is installing the new windows have taken measurements and will be installing the windows soon!

 

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 Resources - You can find a variety of digital media for your faith, including service livestreams, at trinityalgona.org or by searching Trinity, Algona on YouTube and Facebook. 

 

Kossuth County Fair Volunteers Needed - The Partnership congregations will be helping serve the free BBQ at the fair the evening of Wednesday, August 4. Please let Pastor Cowell or the church office know if you are able to help at this event.  We’d love to know if you can help by July 25 so we can make sure we have enough volunteers. 

 

Traveling to Camp Okoboji - For those coming to Camp Okoboji, a gravel access road has been put into place.  The normal turn off Highway 86 will take you to Camp’s entry via the access road.  There is no longer a need to go around the Wahpeton Loop.  However, the access road only comes to Camp’s entry.  If you want to go beyond Camp’s entry, you would still need to go around the Wahpeton Loop.

 

Did You Know? What is the only type of fruit that wears all 200+ of its seeds on the outside? Where do you wear your fruit? On the outside for everyone to see?  Hope so! “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23 (and the answer is…STRAWBERRY!) Lutheran Family Service - www.LutheranFamilyService.org

 

COMMUNITY NEWS

 

Pro-Life Rally - Kossuth County Right to Life will host a pro-life rall today, Sunday, July 18, at 1:30 p.m. at the Columbia Events Center, 1501 E Walnut St., Algona. All are invited for prayer, music, fellowship and refreshments.  You can learn more about this event from the letter posted along the ramp. 

 

LECTIONARY SUMMARY (Proper 11)

Old Testament: Jeremiah 23:1-6

The Lord promises to send faithful shepherds to replace the wicked shepherds of Israel. 

 

Epistle: Ephesians 2:11-22

The Gentiles were once alienated from God’s people Israel, but now all are fellow citizens and members of the household of God in Jesus Christ. 

 

Gospel: Mark 6:30-44

Jesus feeds five thousand men and their families with five loaves of bread and two fish. 

 

FROM THE CHURCH FATHERS

“Even though the place is desolate, yet the one who feeds the world is present. And even though the hour is late, yet the one who is not subject to the hour is conversing with you.” - Chrysostom, The Gospel of St. Matthew, 58, qtd. in ACCS: Mark, 90. 

 

LESSONS ON THE LITURGY 

The New Sabbath Rest

In the Old Testament Saturday was the day of rest and worship.  On Saturday, or the “Sabbath Day”, people would rest with God and celebrate the goodness of His creation just as He rested after the six days of creation.  In the New Testament Sunday has become the day of rest and worship.  This is because Jesus completed the Sabbath rest for all mankind as He rested dead in the tomb after His crucifixion.  We now rest with Jesus on Sunday as we celebrate His resurrection at the Lord’s Supper. Coming to the Lord’s Supper is the best way to rest with God from His labors of creating, especially of the new creation of His Son’s crucified and resurrected body and blood.  

 

FROM THE BOOK OF CONCORD

Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article XII: Repentance, paragraphs 42-45

Faith is conceived and strengthened through Absolution, through the hearing of the Gospel, through the use of the Sacraments, so that it may not give in to the terrors of sin and death. This method of repentance is plain and clear. It increases the worth of the Power of the Keys and of the Sacraments. It illumines Christ's benefit and teaches us to make use of Christ as Mediator and the Atoning Sacrifice.

     Christ says, "Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Mt. 11:28). Here there are two parts. The "labor" and the burden signify the contrition, anxiety, and terrors of sin and death. To "come to" Christ is to believe that sins are forgiven for Christ's sake. When we believe, our hearts are brought to life by the Holy Spirit through Christ's Word. Here, therefore, are these two chief parts: contrition and faith. In Mark 1:15, Christ says, "Repent and believe in the gospel." In the first clause He convicts of sins, and in the second He comforts us and shows the forgiveness of sins. Believing the Gospel is in the proper sense is believing that the forgiveness of sins has been granted for Christ's sake. This is revealed in the Gospel. Here the two parts are joined: contrition when sins are rebuked; and faith when it is said, "Believe in the gospel." For this satisfies us, that contrition and faith are named as the chief parts.