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 FESTIVAL OF THE REFORMATION
October 31, 2021
Almighty and gracious Lord, pour out Your Holy Spirit on Your faithful people. Keep us steadfast in Your grace and truth, protect and deliver us in times of temptation, defend us against all enemies, and grant to Your Church Your saving peace; 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, October 31, 2021 8:30 a.m. SS School/Adult Class 9:30 a.m. Divine Service Tuesday, November 2, 2021 10:00 a.m. Morning Prayer Wednesday, November 3, 2021 6:00 p.m. Christian Catechesis 7:00 p.m. Budget Meeting | Sunday, November 7, 2021 8:30 a.m. SS School/Adult Class 9:30 a.m. Divine Service THIS WEEK IN THE CHURCH YEAR October 31, 2021 Festival of the Reformation November 1, 2021 Feast of All Saints |
ST. JOHN’S NEWS
Organist Today: Marcia Hanna
Elder for October: Jerry Koestler
Acolytes: Kenna Hatten
Taylor Parsons
Call Declined - Last week I (Pastor Cowell) announced that I have declined the call to serve as associate pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Davenport. It is my joy to continue to serve you and the saints at Trinity, Algona as your pastor. Please keep Trinity, Davenport in your prayers as their search for a pastor continues.
Church Year Resource - Would you like to know more about the special people and events we commemorate throughout the Church Year? You can read a short introduction into each commemoration and feast day as they come up in the calendar year at communication.cph.org/
Christmas and Greeting Card Resources - If you ever need a greeting, sympathy, or Christmas card, the card rack in the back of the sanctuary is always a great place to look! Two other great places to find beautiful and distinctly Christian greeting cards are Ad Crucem and Emmanuel Press. These two Lutheran companies also sell a variety of other high-quality and theologically faithful Christian gifts. The following two links will take you specifically to the greeting card section of each website:
- Ad Crucem: adcrucem.com/collections/greeting-cards-1
- Emmanuel Press: emmanuelpress.us/christmas-cards/
Flocknote Prayer Chain Coordinator Wanted - St. John’s is looking for a volunteer to be our Flocknote Prayer Chain coordinator. This volunteer would be responsible for scheduling (in advance) our daily prayer text messages, including creating prayers submitted by members and prayers in light of various contemporary events. While the volunteer should be comfortable operating the basic functions of a computer, the Flocknote program is very easy to work with and Pastor Cowell will give you a step-by-step training for how to schedule the prayers. You can expect the time commitment for this position to be around 1-2 hours a month. Please speak with Pastor Cowell if you are interested in helping in this way.
St. John’s T-Shirts are available in the church office for $6.00.
Greeter and Usher Sign-up - There are still plenty of open spots for greeters and ushers! The sign-up sheet is on the back table.
Hymn of the Month devotions for October are available on the lectern in the back of church. You can also view a digital version of the Hymn of the Month devotion at:
trinityalgona.org/blog/2021/09/29/rise-my-soul-to-watch-and-pray.
Pastoral Care On Demand - Need prayer, Scripture, Communion, Absolution, or a listening ear? Feel free to call or text Pastor Cowell anytime for a visit at 319-464-5548.
SYNOD, DISTRICT & PARTNERSHIP NEWS
TLC Quilts Available - As the weather turns cold, don’t forget about the TLC Quilter’s “giving pew” by the east doors of St. John’s. You are welcome to take and give these quilts, bears, etc. to anyone who might need them. You could give them to someone in financial hardship, someone in need of sympathy or friendship, or simply someone who needs to know that the Church loves them and God loves them!
Trinity Weekday Bible Class - All are welcome to attend a weekly Bible study on Wednesdays at 9:30 in the Trinity Life Center conference room. They are currently studying 1 Corinthians.
Trinity, Algona Resources - Visit trinitalgona.org or search “Trinity, Algona” on YouTube and Facebook to view Trinity’s several digital resources for your faith.
Building Healthy Families - Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit…therefore honor God with your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) Guess what? This instruction isn’t just for young people! How are we - young and old people alike – doing at taking care of our physical bodies where God’s Spirit dwells? No matter your age, do something this week that will make your body stronger and healthier. Choose a healthy snack, drink less, or go for a walk and invite a friend or neighbor to join you. Shared activity makes it more fun and creates an open door for conversation about wellness, including spiritual wellness. This week, honor God with your body…no matter how many years it’s been around! Lutheran Family Service - www.LutheranFamilyService.org.
COMMUNITY NEWS
Lakota Ambulance Annual Fundraiser Meal of turkey, gravy over mashed potatoes, roll and applesauce will be held on Sunday, November 7 from 10 a.m -1 p.m. at Lakota Fire Station. Dine in or take out will be provided.
LECTIONARY SUMMARY (Reformation Day)
Old Testament: Revelation 14:6-7
John sees an angel fly directly overhead, proclaiming: “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come.”
Epistle: Romans 3:19-28
All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
Gospel: John 8:31-36
Jesus says to the Jews who had believed in Him: “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
FROM THE CHURCH FATHERS
“All men have sinned and come short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His blood [Romans 3:23-24]. But all those who do not think themselves to belong to the all who have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, have of course no need to become Christians, because they that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick [Matthew 9:12]; whence it is, that He came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance [Matthew 9:13].” - Augustine, On Nature and Grace, 1, retrieved from: newadvent.org/fathers/1503.htm
LESSONS ON THE LITURGY
VDMA
VDMA is an acronym for the Latin phrase: Verbum Domini Manet in Aeternum (the Word of the Lord remains forever). This phrase comes from both Isaiah 40:8 and 1 Peter 1:24-25 in Holy Scripture. During the Lutheran Reformation, VDMA became somewhat of a logo for the Lutherans. Around 1522, Frederick the Wise of Saxony had the letters sewn on the sleeve of all the servants of his court. VDMA later appeared on much of the military equipment of the Schmalkaldic League, which was a group of Lutheran princes who joined together to defend their lands from the Roman Catholic Emperor on the occasion that he would try to abolish Lutheranism by violent force. Today Lutherans continue to bear the letters VDMA as we confess that while earthly kingdoms, governments, and cultures will rise and fall, the Word of the Lord remains forever.
FROM THE BOOK OF CONCORD
Smalcald Articles, Article I: The Chief Article, paragraphs 1-5
The first and chief article is this:
Jesus Christ, our God and Lord, died for our sins and was raised again for our justification (Romans 4:24-25).
He alone is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29), and God has laid upon Him the iniquities of us all (Isaiah 53:6).
All have sinned and are justified freely, without their own works or merits, by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, in His blood (Romans 3:23-25).
This is necessary to believe. This cannot be otherwise acquired or grasped by any work, law, or merit. It is clear and certain that this faith alone justifies us. As St. Paul says: For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. (Romans 3:28) That He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. [Romans 3:26]
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