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 SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY

February 20, 2022

 

O God, the strength of all who put their trust in You, mercifully grant that by Your power we may be defended against all adversity; 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, February 20, 2022   8:15/8:30 a.m.  Adult/Sunday School   9:30 a.m.           Divine Service     Tuesday, February 22, 2022   10:00 a.m.  Morning Prayer     Wednesday, February 23, 2022   6:00 p.m.  Christian Catechesis

Sunday, February 27, 2022   8:15/8:30 a.m.   Adult/School School   9:30 a.m.             Divine Service     THIS WEEK IN THE CHURCH YEAR        February 23, 2022     Commemoration of Polycarp of Smyrna, Pastor         and Martyr       February 24, 2022     Feast of St. Matthias, Apostle

ST. JOHN’S NEWS

 

Organist Today:  Marcia Hanna  

Elder:  Jerry Koestler     

Asst. Usher:  John Schutter   

Greeters:  Jerry and Betty Koestler 

Acolytes:  Breckin and Brayton Borchardt

 

Pastor Lund’s Last Sunday - Today is Pastor Lund’s final Sunday preaching at St. John’s. Next Sunday will be his final time leading adult Bible study. Be sure to wish him God’s blessing on his new service and thank him for faithfully proclaiming the gospel to us!

 

Shrove Tuesday Meal - Join us at Trinity on Tuesday, March 1st for our annual Partnership Shrove Tuesday celebration!  We'll begin in the sanctuary at 6:00 p.m. for a brief time of confession and prayer, and then proceed to the Life Center at 6:15 p.m. for a pancake meal.  Come and feast before the Lenten fast begins!

 

Ash Wednesday Service at St. John’s will be on Wednesday, March 2, at 6:00 p.m.  

 

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 Tuesday, February 22 at 10:00 a.m.

 

Parish Messenger Articles for the March/April edition are due to Linda Kerkove today.

 

Lenten Daily Devotions - Be sure to pick up a Lenten devotional booklet from the back table.  This year's devotion is entitled “Witnesses to Christ.”

 

2021 Annual Report is now available in the back of the church along the east wall. Please, take one per family.

 

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! 

 

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! 

 

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!

 

2021 Thrivent Choice Dollars must be directed by March 31. Consider joining others who have directed their Dollars toward St. John’s ministry.

 

SYNOD, DISTRICT & PARTNERSHIP NEWS

 

Lund Reception - Pastor Lund’s last day at Trinity is Sunday, March 6th.  Following the 9:00 a.m. service at Trinity on March 6th at 10:15 a.m. there will be a farewell reception for the Lund family in the Trinity Life Center. 

 

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!                                                                            

 

Building Healthy Families -  Tomorrow is President’s Day, an opportunity for us to reflect on our nation’s past and current leaders. Remember to pray for our President, Joe Biden. “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” I Timothy 2:1-2 Lutheran Family Service - www.LutheranFamilyService.org.

 

COMMUNITY NEWS

Community Coffee is being held each Tuesday from 2-4 p.m. at the Burt Complex. Everyone is welcome.

 

 

LECTIONARY SUMMARY (Epiphany 7)

Old Testament: Genesis 45:3-15

Joseph reveals himself to his brothers and explains God’s plan to save them from the famine. 

 

Epistle: 1 Corinthians 15:21-26, 30-42

“So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable.” 

 

Gospel: Luke 6:27-38

Jesus preaches that we ought to love our enemies, and to judge not and we will not be judged.

 

FROM THE CHURCH FATHERS

[On Luke 6:27-28: “But I say to you that hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.”]

“What Christ said in word, he proved also by example. Indeed, when he was on the cross, he said in reference to his persecutors who were slandering him, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing,’ so that he might pray for his slanderers, although he could have forgiven them himself.” - Ambrose, The Prayer of Job and David 2.2.6, qtd. in ACCS: Luke, 108

 

LESSONS ON THE LITURGY 

Fat Tuesday 

Contrary to popular belief Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras, did not originate as a day of wild debauchery before the drudgery of Lent began!  The Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, sometimes also called Shrove Tuesday or Carnival, was a day for Christians to clear out all the distractions from their houses so that they could focus solely on the merits of Christ’s passion for the forty days of Lent.  This meant first and foremost clearing the sins out of their hearts by receiving private confession and absolution from their pastor, setting them on the right track of repentance and faith for the season of Lent.  The second task was to clear all of the fat or other foods out of the house that one would be giving up for the Lenten fast.  Not wanting to simply throw these ingredients out, the tradition of feasting on pancakes and other fattening foods came about, hence “Fat” Tuesday.  As Fat Tuesday approaches, consider how the practice of private confession and absolution and the practice of fasting might be profitable to your faith during this Lenten season.   

FROM THE BOOK OF CONCORD

Large Catechism, Lord’s Prayer: Fifth Petition, paragraphs 93-96

It is therefore the intent of this petition that God would not regard our sins and hold up to us what we daily deserve, but would deal graciously with us, and forgive, as He has promised, and thus grant us a joyful and confident conscience to stand before Him in prayer. For where the heart is not in right relation towards God, nor can take such confidence, it will nevermore venture to pray. But such a confident and joyful heart can spring from nothing else than the [certain] knowledge of the forgiveness of sin.

     But there is here attached a necessary, yet consolatory addition: As we forgive. He has promised that we shall be sure that everything is forgiven and pardoned, yet in the manner that we also forgive our neighbor. For just as we daily sin much against God, and yet He forgives everything through grace, so we, too, must ever forgive our neighbor who does us injury, violence, and wrong, shows malice toward us, etc. If, therefore, you do not forgive, then do not think that God forgives you; but if you forgive, you have this consolation and assurance, that you are forgiven in heaven, not on account of your forgiving, for God forgives freely and without condition, out of pure grace, because He has so promised, as the Gospel teaches, but in order that He may set this up for our confirmation and assurance for a sign alongside of the promise which accords with this prayer, Luke 6:37: Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven.