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 TWENTY-FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

November 14, 2021

 

O Lord, by Your bountiful goodness release us from the bonds of our sins, which by reason of our weakness we have brought upon ourselves, that we may stand firm until the day of our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

 

THIS WEEK AT ST. JOHN’S   Today, November 14, 2021    8:30 a.m.   SS School/Adult Class                       9:30 a.m.   Divine Service      Tuesday, November 16, 2021   10:00 a.m.  Morning Prayer     Wednesday, November 17, 2021    6:30 p.m.   Christian Catechesis                        (at Trinity, Algona)

Sunday, November 21, 2021      8:30 a.m.    SS School/Adult Class       9:30 a.m.    Divine Service     10:30 a.m.   Council Meeting                 THIS WEEK IN THE CHURCH YEAR    November 14     Commemoration of Justinian, Christian Ruler         and Confessor of Christ     November 19     Commemoration of Elizabeth of Hungary

 

ST. JOHN’S NEWS

 

Organist Today: Marcia Hanna         

Elder for November: Jeff Schutjer

Greeters Today: Darrel and Mary Schmidt

 

Thanksgiving Service will be held here at St. John’s on Wednesday, November 24 at 6:00 p.m. Trinity will have a Thanksgiving Service on Thursday, November 25 at 9:00 a.m.

 

Council Meeting - We will have a brief council meeting after church on November 21st to approve our budget proposal and slate of officers in preparation for our Voters meeting. 

 

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/ 

 

David’s Harp Center for Musical Development - For several years we have been supporting the ministry of St. Paul’s Music Conservatory in Council Bluffs, IA. Due to the great success of this program, SPMC has grown into the service organization known as David’s Harp.  The mission of David’s Harp is to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ by printing musical resources and establishing centers for musical development not just in Council Bluffs, but all throughout the churches, schools and missions of the LCMS. Visit davidsharpmusic.org to learn more. 

 

Flocknote Prayer Chain Coordinator Wanted - Want to help send out prayer requests to our congregation on Flocknote? Talk to Pastor Cowell; it’s a lot easier than you might think! 

 

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 November 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/2021/11/03/lift-high-the-cross. 

 

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. 

 

Schlund Farewell Reception - You are invited to bid farewell to Pastor Schlund and his family at an open house reception in the Trinity Life Center Sunday, November 21st from 1:00-3:00. This will also be Pastor Schlund’s final Sunday at Trinity. 

 

Building Healthy Families - “Children are a gift from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.” Psalm 127:3   For over 118 years, LFS has connected children to parents through adoption, and now serves families in a multitude of other ways.  In thanksgiving to God for an important person He has put in your life, celebrate the blessing of family with us this Thanksgiving by making a gift in their honor or memory. Your gift will honor them, and help us serve a child, teen, or family in need this year. It’s easy and you can do it right now with your smart phone! Text GIVE to (515) 212-7585 to receive a link to complete your donation. We thank God for your partnership and generosity! Lutheran Family Service - www.LutheranFamilyService.org.

 

COMMUNITY NEWS

 

Kossuth County Food Pantry - We’ll be collecting monetary donations in the back of church this Sunday and next Sunday for the Kossuth County Food Pantry. 

Soup Fundraiser to be held at Fenton Legion on Sunday, November 21 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.  Take out available - call 515-341-2881. Menu: Chili, Chicken Noodle, and Potato Soups, cinnamon rolls and drinks.

 

LECTIONARY SUMMARY (Proper 28)

Old Testament: Daniel 12:1-3

Daniel prophecies of Michael arriving on the Day of Judgement. 

 

Epistle: Hebrews 10:11-25

Since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith.

 

Gospel: Mark 13:1-13

Jesus warns the disciples of their coming persecution. 

 

FROM THE CHURCH FATHERS

“The temple was not overthrown all at once, but gradually as time went by. Similarly, every one who welcomes the Word of God into himself is something like a temple. If, after committing sin he does not completely fall away from the Word ofGod, but still partially preserves in himself traces of faith and accountability to God’s commands, he is a temple partly destroyed, partly standing. But he who after sinning has no care for himself but is always prone to depart from faith and from life according to the gospel, till he completely dparts from the living God, he is a temple in which no stone of doctrine is left upon any stone and not thrown down.” - Origen, Commentary on Matthew, 29, qtd. in ACCS: Mark, 181.

 

LESSONS ON THE LITURGY 

Cemeteries 

“Cemetery” is a Greek word which means “sleeping place.”  The fact that we call our burial grounds “cemeteries” is a uniquely Christian custom that confesses the resurrection of the body.  The following excerpts from a sermon preached by St. John Chrysostom on Good Friday in the midst of a cemetery make this point well:

Since today Jesus descended to the dead, for this reason we gather here [at the cemetery]. For this reason also is this place called a "cemetery," in order that you might know that those who have completed their life and are lying here have not died but are sleeping and resting. For, before the coming of Christ, death was called "death".  “On the day you eat from the tree," it says, "you shall die by death." And again: "the soul which sins indeed shall die.” [...] But since Christ came and died for the life of the world, death is no longer called "death” but “sleep" and “rest”. [...] Therefore, whenever you bring a dead person here, do not be smitten. For you bring him not to death but to sleep. This name suffices you for the consolation of misfortune. Learn where you are going. To the cemetery. And learn when you are going. After the death of Christ when the bonds of death have been cut. 

 

FROM THE BOOK OF CONCORD

Epitome of the Formula of Concord, Article I: Original Sin, paragraphs 6, 8-10

Christ redeemed human nature as His work, sanctifies it, raises it from the dead, and gloriously adorns it as His work. But original sin He has not created, received, redeemed, or sanctified. He will not raise it, adorn it, or save it in the elect. In the resurrection original sin will be entirely destroyed [1 Cor. 15:51-57].

     On the other hand, we believe, teach, and confess that original sin is not a minor corruption. It is so deep a corruption of human nature that nothing healthy or uncorrupt remains in man's body or soul, in his inward or outward powers [Romans 3:10-12]. [...]

  We affirm that no one but God alone can separate human nature and this corruption of human nature from each other. This will fully come to pass through death, in the resurrection. At that time our nature, which we now bear, will rise and live eternally without original sin and be separated and divided from it.