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 AFTER THE EPIPHANY

January 16, 2022

 

Almighty and everlasting God, who governs all things in heaven and on earth, mercifully hear the prayers of Your people and grant us Your peace through all our days; 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, January 16, 2022   8:15/8:30 a.m.  Adult/Sunday School   9:30 a.m.           Divine Service     10:30 a.m.          Voter’s Meeting   Tuesday, January 18, 2022   10:00 a.m.            Morning Prayer     Wednesday, January 19, 2022     6:00 p.m.             Christian Catechesis

Sunday, January 23, 2022      8:15/8:30 a.m.  Adult/Sunday School      9:30 a.m.            Divine Service        THIS WEEK IN THE CHURCH YEAR        January 18, 2022     Feast of the Confession of St. Peter      January 20, 2022     Commemoration of Sarah

 

ST. JOHN’S NEWS

 

Organist Today: Marcia Hanna 

Elder:  Tony Hatten 

Asst. Usher:  John Schutter 

Greeters:  Barb Schroeder  

 

Sunday Bible Study - Join us Sunday mornings at 8:15 a.m. in the church basement for adult Bible Study. We are studying  a new series on Christian ethics.

 

Tuesday Morning Prayer will be held this week, January 18, 2022 at 10:00 a.m.  

 

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

 

Flower Position Open - If you have an interest in helping order and care for the altar flowers, Christmas poinsettias, palm branches, and Easter lilies, please speak with Janice Reimers who can give you a more detailed description of the job.  We would love to have a volunteer for this position as soon as possible! 

 

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. Our deadline for those articles is January 16th.

·         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.

 

Lutheran Witness Renewal - The yearly subscription to the Lutheran Witness will come due on March 1, 2022.  To be able to continue to receive  without interruption your copy, you may pay in the church office during the next several weeks.  The cost this year is $22.70.  If you do not receive the Witness and would like to or wish to cancel you may also do that in the office.

 

Hymn of the Month devotions for January are available on the lectern in the back of church.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

New Library Books - Check out the church library as over a dozen new books enter circulation throughout the next few weeks.  Pastor Cowell would be happy to share his recommendations with you!

 

Thank You!  “Praise God from whom all blessings flow …,”  God has blessed Camp Okoboji through the 2021 Day of Legacy and Giving Tuesday Campaign and match! With deep appreciation, we say Thank You for your commitment, participation and help in exceeding our goals and creating a huge success!  A total of $45,602.42 was raised! 

                                 Trusting in Jesus Our Savior, Kirk Wanke, Camp Okoboji, Executive Director

 

Thank You! On behalf of the David’s Harp Board of Directors and staff I want to thank you sincerely for your generous gift at Christmastime. Your support is greatly appreciated and extremely helpful!  We are currently in the middle of working on our first liturgy volume that will include settings for Divine Service III and Matins. This volume will be just like our “Hymns of the Season” volumes in the sense of faded musical settings. We know of the great need for simplified liturgies all over the world, in both national and international missions. We pray this volume will be a blessing to the church. Your donation is going to help bring this volume to the church at Easter of this year. God be praised! The Lord bless and keep you all!

                                          Sincerely, Rev. Nathan Sherrill, Director, David’s Harp

 

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!  

 

Winter at Camp Okoboji - More information call Camp: 712-337-3325

·         January 28-30:  Family Ice Fishing Retreat

For families of all sizes and ages who love to fish or want to learn!!   Expect good food, good fellowship, and good fishing for this weekend retreat.  Pastor Ben Dose of Zion - Arcadia & Pastor Jim Stogdill of Messiah - Johnston will be our Camp and Bible Study leaders.

·          January 29:  Winter Games Family Funfest

Join us from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. for some Family Winter Fun during the University Of Okoboji Winter Games.  Events to include our renowned Ping Pong Tournament, Sledding, Inflatables, Yard Games, Face Painting, Hot Chocolate and S’mores, and Sleigh Rides (weather permitting).  A meal will be available.             

 

LECTIONARY SUMMARY (Epiphany 2)

Old Testament: Isaiah 62:1-5

The Lord promises that Israel will once again become a delight to Him. 

 

Epistle: 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

“There are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone.”

 

Gospel: John 2:1-11

Jesus turns water into wine at the wedding at Cana. 

 

FROM THE CHURCH FATHERS

“This transformation of the water from its own substance into another testified to the powerful presence of the Creator. Only he who had made it out of nothing could change water into something whole sue was quite different. Dearly beloved, have no doubt that he who changed water into wine is the same as he who from the beginning has thickened it into snow and hardened it into ice. It is he who changed it into blood for the Egyptians and bade it flow from the dry rock for the thirsty Hebrews.” - Maximus of Turin, Sermon 23, qtd. in ACCS: John 1-10, 96.

 

LESSONS ON THE LITURGY 

Red or White Wine at Communion?

Our Lord didn’t specify that we use a certain type of wine  for the Lord’s Supper: only that we use wine just as He did.  Whether we use red or white wine, merlot or zinfandel, is up to our own discretion.  Lutherans do, however, have an interesting history concerning our choice of wine.  During the Reformation other Protestant churches required the use of red wine during the Lord’s Supper.  Since they believed the wine only represented Jesus’ blood as a metaphor then the wine should only be red because it more closely represents blood (they still used wine because unfermented grape juice didn’t exist until the 1900’s).  In reply many Lutherans resolved to use only white wine for the Lord’s Supper to confess that Christ can make His blood present in the wine of His Supper no matter the color of the wine!

 

FROM THE BOOK OF CONCORD

Solid Declaration of the Formula of Concord, Article VIII: The Person of Christ, para. 25-26

[Jesus] did all His miracles by the power of this personal union. He showed His divine majesty, according to His pleasure, when and as He willed. He did this not just after His resurrection and ascension, but also in His state of humiliation. For example:

(a) At the wedding at Cana of Galilee

 

(b) When He was twelve years old, among the learned

 

(c) In the garden, when with a word He cast His enemies to the ground

 

(d) In death, when He died not simply as any other man, but in and with His death conquered sin, death, devil, hell, and eternal damnation

 

The human nature alone would not have been able to do these miracles if it had not been personally united and had communion with the divine nature.