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 SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT
December 5, 2021
Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to make ready the way of Your only-begotten Son, that by His coming we may be enabled to serve You with pure minds; through the same 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, December 5, 2021 8:15/8:30 a.m. Adult Class/SS School 9:30 a.m. Divine Service 10:30 a.m. Voter’s Meeting Tuesday, December 7, 2021 10:00 a.m. Morning Prayer Wednesday, December 8 2021 6:00 p.m. Advent Midweek Service 6:30 p.m. Christian Catechesis | Sunday, December 12, 2021 8:15/8:30 a.m. Adult Class/SS School 9:30 a.m. Divine Service THIS WEEK IN THE CHURCH YEAR December 6, 2021 Commemoration of Nicholas of Myra, Pastor December 7, 2021 Commemoration of Ambrose of Milan, Pastor and Hymnwriter |
ST. JOHN’S NEWS
Organist Today: Marcia Hanna
Elder: Boyd Shipler
Usher: Gordon Oleson
Acolytes: Breckin Borchardt
Brayton Borchardt
Greeters: Roger and Marilyn Evans
Sunday Bible Study - Join us Sunday mornings at 8:15 in the church basement for adult Bible Study. We're studying a series on the End Times.
Voter’s Meeting - We will have a voter’s meeting today after church to approve the budget proposal and slate of officers.
Christmas Eve Choir - All adults interested in singing one hymn (“Of The Father’s Love Begotten”) together in the balcony during the Christmas Eve children’s program, please tell me. One practice, possibly Sunday, Dec. 19th, after church should be enough for you talented singers! - Kitty Bierstedt
Poinsettias - There is a sign-up sheet in the back of church to purchase poinsettias for the Advent and Christmas season. The poinsettias will decorate the sanctuary until the Christmas Day Divine Service, after which you can take yours to enjoy at home. Please pay Cheryl Batt by Sunday, December 5th. Thank you!
Adopt-a-Family - Information on our Christmas adopt-a-family for St. John’s is on the back table. All items are due December 12 for delivery. Checks/cash or gift cards can be left in the church office. Contact Doris Blocker or Deb Steven for more information.
Advent/Christmas Schedule - Please take an Advent/Christmas postcard on the back table and deliver one to a friend. Feel free to take extra cards and deliver them to members and friends!
Christmas Cards are available in the back of the church for you to purchase. There are boxes of cards or individual cards available. Put your money in one of the designated envelopes and give it to the church office.
Flower Position Open- I have decided to “retire” from the altar guild position of taking care of the altar flowers, poinsettias, palms and Easter Lilies at the end of 2021. This position includes ordering and picking up altar flowers as needed and placing them and taking them off the altar after service. Please, contact Janice Reimers if you are interested and she will give you a more detailed description of the job. - Cheryl Batt
Information for the Annual Report
· If you are responsible for a year end report for the Annual Report, now is the time to start working on those articles. You may email them to churchoffice@stjohnsburt.org or return them to the church office.
· Addresses - Any change of address that you or your children have, we will need those updates to put in the year end report. You may email those at churchoffice@stjohnsburt.org or bring them to the office.
Free Resources - There are a variety of free resources available for you to take home on the table behind the pews in back. Anything remaining on this table after Dec. 12th will be recycled.
Christmas and Greeting Card Resources - Ad Crucem and Emmanuel Press are two companies that produce beautiful and faithful Christian gifts, including Christmas cards! 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 - 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!
Greeter and Usher Sign-up - A new Usher list and Greeter list is now available on the back table for the 2022 year. Feel free to fill in one more spots! At the beginning of the new year we will be contacting people to fill the empty spots.
Vacancy Updates - There is a handout on the back table sharing some updates about our Partnership vacancy.
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.
Hymn of the Month devotions for December are available on east wall in the back of church.
Thank You very much for the $423.00 given to the food pantry. We really appreciate your donation, especially during this difficult time for many of the residents of Kossuth County.
SYNOD, DISTRICT & PARTNERSHIP NEWS
TLC Quilts Available - Don’t forget about the TLC Quilter’s “giving pew” by the east doors of St. John’s. Feel free to take and give away as many quilts and bears as you’d like!
Pastors' Advent Open House - Pastors Lund and Cowell and their families invite you to a Partnership Pastors' Advent Open House on Sunday, December 12th from 2:00-5:00 p.m. in the Trinity Life Center. This afternoon will be an opportunity to enjoy snacks, socialize, relax, and reflect on the joy of the Advent and Christmas season with your pastors and your church family.
LECTIONARY SUMMARY (Advent 2)
Old Testament: Malachi 3:1-7b
“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me,” says the Lord.
Epistle: Philippians 1:2-11
“He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
Gospel: Luke 3:1-20
John the Baptist proclaims a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
FROM THE CHURCH FATHERS
“John [the Baptist], being chosen for the apostleship, was also the last of the holy prophets. For this reason, as the Lord has not come yet, he says, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord.’ What is the meaning of ‘Prepare the way of the Lord’? It means, Make ready for the reception of whatever Christ may wish to do.” - Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on Luke, Homily 6, qtd. in ACCS: Luke, p. 60.
LESSONS ON THE LITURGY
The Good News
In our text today Luke says that John the Baptist preached “good news” to the people (Lu. 3:18). Our English word gospel comes from the old English word godspel which means good news. This is a translation of the Greek word euangelion and the equivalent Latin word evangelium which both also mean good news. While in the ancient world this word could refer to any good news, the word gospel, or evangelism, today is synonymous with THE good news that Jesus was born, died, and rose from the dead for our salvation, and that Jesus will come again to bring us to everlasting life with Him. This is the good news John the Baptist preached to the people!
FROM THE BOOK OF CONCORD
Smalcald Articles, Article III: Repentance, paragraphs 30-34
But here comes the fiery angel of St. John [Revelation 10], the true preacher of repentance. With one bolt of lightning, he hurls together both . He says: "Repent!" [Matthew 3:2].
Now one group imagines, "Why, we have repented!" The other says, "We need no repentance." John says, "Repent, both of you. You false penitents and false saints, both of you need the forgiveness of sins. Neither of you know what sin really is. Much less your duty to repent of it and shun it. For no one of you is good. You are full of unbelief, stupidity, and ignorance of God and God's will. But He is present here, of whose 'fullness we have all received, grace upon grace' " [John 1:16]. Without Him, no one can be righteous before God. Therefore, if you want to repent, repent rightly. Your works of penance will accomplish nothing. As for you hypocrites, who do not need repentance, you serpents' brood, who has assured you that you will escape the wrath to come and other judgments?"
In the same way Paul preaches, "None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one" (Romans 3:10-12). And God now "commands all people everywhere to repent" (Acts 17:30). "All people," He says. No one is an exception.
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