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 THIRD SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY

January 23, 2022

Almighty and everlasting God, mercifully look upon our infirmities and stretch forth the hand of Your majesty to heal and defend us; 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 23, 2022   8:15/8:30 a.m.  Adult/Sunday School   9:30 a.m.           Divine Service      Tuesday, January 25, 2022   10:00 a.m.            Morning Prayer     Wednesday, January 26, 2022     6:00 p.m.             Christian Catechesis

Sunday, January 30, 2022      8:15/8:30 a.m.  Adult/Sunday School      9:30 a.m.            Divine Service     THIS WEEK IN THE CHURCH YEAR        January 24, 2022 - Feast of St. Timothy, Pastor and                                       Confessor       January 25, 2022 - Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul      January 26, 2022 - Feast of St. Titus, Pastor and                                       Confessor      January 27, 2022 - Commemoration of John                                       Chrysostom, Preacher

ST. JOHN’S NEWS

 

Organist Today: Marcia Hanna 

Elder:  Tony Hatten  

Asst. Usher:  John Schutter   

Acolytes: Taylor Parsons & Kenna Hatten

Greeters: Ervin and Pat Eimers

 

Memorial Dedication - We will be blessing the wooden crosses and church decorations during the service this morning.  This memorial was given in memory of Pam Madsen by Don and her family.  

 

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.

 

Life Sunday - Today St. John’s as well as many congregations of the LCMS observe Life Sunday.  This is a day in which we celebrate God's gift of life and pray for His protection and blessing upon all the living from conception to natural death.  Feel free to take a Lutherans For Life booklet or any of the other life resources on the table in back or visit the following websites to learn more about work being done within the LCMS to celebrate, protect, and care for all people no matter how young or old.

- lutheransforlife.org

- lutheranfamilyservice.org

- lcms.org/how-we-serve/mercy/life-ministry

 

Tuesday Morning Prayer will be held this week, January 25, 2022 at 10:00 a.m.  

 

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! 

 

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 along the east wall.

 

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 lis still available on the back table for the 2022 year.  Please, fill this out as after today I will be calling you to fill it in!  

 

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!  We are amazed at the outpouring of support for people in need, demonstrated by the response to our invitation to say “Yes” to men, women, and children who need our help as we close out the year and look toward 2022. Your love and care for people-and your generosity-shine through your gift of $800.00 will be able to help people because of you. Thank you, and may he bless you richly today and in the New Year ahead!  

                    Rev. Max Phillips, Executive Director of Lutheran Family Service

 

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 3)

Old Testament: Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6,8-10

 

Epistle: 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a

We are all members of the one body in Christ. 

 

Gospel: Luke 4:16-30

Jesus reads from Isaiah in the synagogue in Nazareth and is rejected in His hometown.

 

FROM THE CHURCH FATHERS

“[Jesus] began to preach the gospel to the poor, putting in the forefront of his blessings: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’ Yes, he proclaimed forgiveness to those who were hampered by evil spirits and bound for a long time like slaves by demons. He invited all to be free and to escape from the bonds of sin, when he said, ‘Come to me, all you that labor, and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you.’” - Eusebius, Proof of the Gospel 3.1.88C-89A, qtd. in ACCS: Luke, 80.

 

LESSONS ON THE LITURGY 

Chanting

Chanting in church is strange, and it’s supposed to be!  Chanting the liturgy lets us know that something is happening at church that doesn’t happen anywhere else on earth.  These are the words of faith, the words of the Holy Spirit. The liturgy, especially the Psalms, have been chanted from the moment they were written. When St. Gregory the Great (c. 600 A.D.) finally began to write down these ancient psalm tones, he used the tones that had been passed down to him from the Jewish synagogue. So when we use Gregorian chants in our liturgy we are likely singing the Psalms in a similar way to how King David, and how Christ himself, sang them. 

 

FROM THE BOOK OF CONCORD

Large Catechism, The Ten Commandments, paragraphs 85-87

Keeping of the Sabbath is not restricted to a certain time, as with the Jewish people. It does not have to be just on this or that day. For in itself no one day is better than another. Instead, this should be done daily. However, since the masses of people cannot attend every day, there must be at least one day in the week set apart. From ancient times Sunday ‹the Lord's Day› has been appointed for this purpose. So we also should continue to do the same, in order that everything may be done in an orderly way.

   This is the simple meaning of the commandment: People must have holidays. Such observances should be devoted to hearing God's Word so that the special function of this day of rest should be the ministry of the Word for the young and the mass of poor people [Ne. 8:2-3, 8]. Yet the resting should not be strictly understood to forbid any work that comes up, which cannot be avoided.

   When someone asks, "What is meant by the commandment: You shall sanctify the holy day?" Answer like this, "To sanctify the holy day is the same as to keep it holy." "But what is meant by keeping it holy?" "Nothing else than to be occupied with holy words, works, and life." For the day needs no sanctification of itself. It has been created holy in itself. But God desires the day to be holy to you. It becomes holy or unholy because of you, whether you are occupied with things that are holy or unholy.