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 FIRST SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS

December 26, 2021

 

O God, our Maker and Redeemer, You wonderfully created us and in the incarnation of Your Son yet more wondrously restored our human nature. Grant that we may ever be alive in Him who made Himself to be like us; through 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 26, 2021    9:30 a.m.       Divine Service         Tuesday, December 28, 2021     NO Morning Prayer    Sunday, January 2, 2022      9:30 a.m.      Divine Service

THIS WEEK IN THE CHURCH YEAR       December 26     Feast of St. Stephen, Martyr      December 27     Feast of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist      December 28     Feast of The Holy Innocents, Martyrs      December 29     Commemoration of David      January 1     Feast of the Circumcision and Name of Jesus

 

ST. JOHN’S NEWS

 

Organist Today: Marcia Hanna

Elder:  Boyd Shipler   

Asst. Usher:  Gordon Oleson           

 

Sunday Bible Study - There will be NO adult Bible study or Sunday School Sundays, December 26 or January 2.

 

Tuesday Morning Prayer - There will be NO Tuesday morning prayer for the remainder of December.  Our next Tuesday morning prayer will be January 4th at 10:00 a.m.

 

First Quarter Council Meeting will be held on January 9, 2022 following the service. The Voter’s Meeting will be January 16, 2022 following the service.

      (Note - Installation of Officers will be held on Sunday, January 9)

 

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.

 

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 or 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.

 

Portals of Prayer Devotionals for January-March are now in the basket in the back along the east wall.  

 

Wednesday Catechesis will resume class on January 5, 2022 at 6:00 p.m.

 

A New Birthday Card sign-up sheet is now available on the back table.  If you would be willing to take a month or two to fill out birthday cards, please sign up.  Any questions contact office.

 

Thank You to all who so generously gave to our Adopted Family.  The presents and gift cards were delivered on Wednesday of last week.  We appreciate all for being so giving to those who are in need. Special thanks to Deb, Mary and Doris!

 

Shopping through Amazon Smile- Sign up at Amazon Smile to have 0.5% of your eligible purchases donated to St. John’s! Click this link to sign up: smile.amazon.com/ch/42-0950037, click on the Amazon Smile button on the stjohnsburt.org homepage.  

 

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!  

 

New Year’s Eve Service - Join our friends at Trinity, Algona Friday, December 31 at 6:00 pm for their New Year’s Eve Divine Service. 

 

Disaster Relief Opportunities - If you would like to donate toward those recovering from the recent tornadoes in the midwest and south, you can make a check payable to “IDW - Tornado Relief” and send it to Iowa District West, 409 Kenyon Road Suite B, Fort Dodge, IA 50501. Or, you can donate online at idwlcms.org and click “Donate.”

 

Building Healthy Families - The beginning of a New Year can bring feelings of anticipation, excitement, and hope as we start with a clean slate, our resolutions to keep. Still looking for ideas that will bring new life to your New Year? How about one of these: Read from Scripture 15 minutes every day; go to church every Sunday without fail; set aside 20 minutes at the end of the day to pray; join a Bible Study group; start tithing; memorize Scripture (one verse per week). 6 weeks of doing something repeatedly makes it a habit. Happy & Blessed New Year to You!  Lutheran Family Service - www.LutheranFamilyService.org.

 

LECTIONARY SUMMARY (Christmas 1)

Old Testament: Exodus 13:1-3a, 11-15

The Lord commands the sacrifice of every firstborn male animal and the redemption of every firstborn son. 

 

Epistle: Colossians 3:12-17

Do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

 

Gospel: Luke 2:22-40

Jesus is presented in the temple and Simeon and Anna praise God for Jesus the Messiah.

 

FROM THE CHURCH FATHERS

“The just Simeon saw [Jesus] with his heart, because he recognized the infant. He saw him with his eyes, because he took the infant in his arms. [...]  You see, he was being kept until he should see with his eyes what he already perceived with faith. He took the baby body, he cradled the body in his arms. On seeing the body, that is, on perceiving the Lord in the flesh, he said, ‘My eyes have seen your salvation.’ How do you know this is now the way in which all flesh is going to see the salvation of God?” - Augustine, Sermon 277.17, qtd. in ACCS: Luke, 48.

 

LESSONS ON THE LITURGY 

Poinsettias 

Poinsettias came to be associated with Christmas in Mexico. There they are called the “flower of the blessed night (Christmas Eve).” Their star-like shape reminds us of the star of Bethlehem.  Their red color reminds us of the blood Christ would shed for the sins of the world. White poinsettias remind us of the purity of the baby Jesus who, being true God and true Man, was born without sin. 

 

FROM THE BOOK OF CONCORD

Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article XXIV, The Mass, paragraphs 71-74

The use of the Sacrament, in which faith enlivens terrified hearts, is a service of the New Testament. That is because the New Testament requires spiritual inclinations, making dead and alive. Christ instituted the Sacrament for this use, since He commanded the disciples to do this in remembrance of Him. Remembering Christ is not the use-less celebration of a show. It is not something set up for the sake of example. Rather, it is remembering Christ's benefits and receiving them through faith, to be enlivened by them. So Psalm 111:4-5 says, "He has caused His wondrous works to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and merciful. He provides food for those who fear Him." The Sacrament illustrates that God's will and mercy should be discerned in the ceremony. Faith that grasps mercy enlivens. This is the chief use of the Sacrament. It is clear who are fit for the Sacrament (terrified consciences) and how they use it.

     The sacrifice also is added. For there are several reasons with one purpose. After a conscience encouraged through faith has determined from what terrors it is freed, it fervently gives thanks for Christ's benefit and passion. It also uses the ceremony itself to God's praise, to show its gratitude by this obedience. It declares that it holds God's gifts in high esteem. So the ceremony becomes a sacrifice of praise.