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 OF EASTER

April 24, 2022

 

Almighty God, grant that we who have celebrated the Lord’s resurrection may by Your grace confess in our life and conversation that Jesus is Lord and God; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

 

THIS WEEK AT ST. JOHN’S   Today, April 24, 2022   8:30am       SSchool/Adult Class   9:30 am      Divine  Service    10:30am     Voter’s Meeting   Tuesday, April 26, 2022   10:00 a.m.   Morning Prayer    Wednesday, April 27, 2022    6:30pm   Christian Catechesis -Trinity   Thursday, April 28, 2022    3:00pm       Titonka Care Center

Sunday, May 1, 2022     8:30am        SSchool/Adult Class     9:30am        Divine Service     3:00pm        Partnership Voters Meeting                                 at Trinity                                   THIS WEEK IN THE CHURCH YEAR     April 24, 2022     Commemoration of Johann Walter, Kantor     April 25, 2022     Feast of St. Mark, Evangelist

 

ST. JOHN’S NEWS

 

Organist Today:  Marcia Hanna

Elder:  Boyd Shipler 

Asst. Usher:  Lynn Bierstedt   

Greeters:  Al and Peggy Schadendorf

 

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

 

Easter Flowers - If you have furnished flowers and wish to have them, feel free to take them home with you. 

 

Sunday School will have their final class Sunday, May 8th and the Adult Bible Study on the 15th before they break for summer.  We will have more information coming soon about an additional opportunity for Bible study and prayer during the summer weeks.  

 

Congregational Partnership Meeting - You are invited to attend a special joint voters meeting of St. John’s and Trinity in the Trinity Life Center in Algona on May 1 at 3:00 p.m.  The purpose of this voters meeting is to vote to adopt an updated Partnership Agreement. A draft of this Agreement is available on the back table for you to take and review.  President Steve Turner will join us for this meeting to provide guidance on this process as well.

 

A Volunteer is Needed to take over replenishing  and purchasing cards for the card rack in the back of the church.  If you are interested, contact the church office.  We want to thank Mary Schmidt for her many years of purchasing and displaying the cards for all to use.

 

Parish Messenger Articles for the May/June edition are due to Linda Kerkove today.

 

Pastor’s Chair - A heartfelt thank you to Vern, Joan, Jerry and Betty Koestler for stripping, repairing and staining the Pastor's altar chair in the front. A big thank also to Lucille Bonde for upholstering and furnishing the fabric for the seat cushion and back. 

 

Lenten Charity Project - We have exceeded our goal to provide the book Treasury of C.F.W. Walther, Volume II: Festival Sermons and Prayers from the Lent through Easter Seasons, to each new pastor of both seminaries.  Thanks so much for donating a total of  $1740.00. 

 

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.

Thank you for the Easter basket and breads. Thank you for remembering me. A Blessed Easter to all. Christ is Risen. Hallelujah!  Love Joy Peace in Christ.      Henry W Friedrich.

SYNOD, DISTRICT & PARTNERSHIP NEWS

 

Trinity Bible Study - Join Pastor Cowell Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m. for Bible study at Trinity’s Life Center conference room.

 

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!    

 

Camp News:

·         Summer Staff Needed! We are still recruiting Summer Staff at Camp Okoboji. If you know a High School Senior or College student who is looking for summer employment, we are looking for Summer Staff at Camp. You may call Camp for more information - 712-337-3325. 

·         Volunteer Work Weekend at Camp May 6-8 -  The summer season is ahead and it’s time to get ready! Consider coming to Camp to give of your time and talents to maintain and sustain camp. come for the day or come for an hour-any and all help will be appreciated

 

Prayers are needed for Pastor Andrew Johnson whose cancer has relapsed and will be receiving chemo treatments at Mayo.  He will be undergoing a tandem autologous stem cell transplant requiring him to be in Rochester for 10 weeks.            

 

Building Healthy Families - Husbands, listen up! Did you know that 90% of effective communication is listening, not talking? When your wife is talking to you, stop what you are doing, turn toward her, and look at her face. Communicate the message that you are interested in and care about what she is saying. This is respectful, courteous, and is one way to build a great relationship! Wives, want to build up your marriage? Stop and think about your husband’s gifts. (No, not the ones he gave you for your birthday!) What are his talents? What are his spiritual gifts? What does he love to do? What are his aspirations and accomplishments? Recognize them, name them, and communicate your respect for them…to him and to others. It will help build a great relationship! Lutheran Family Service - www.LutheranFamilyService.org.

 

LECTIONARY SUMMARY (Easter 2)

Old Testament: Acts 5:12-32

The Apostles preach Christ, are imprisoned, are set free by an angel, and continue preaching Christ.

 

Epistle: Revelation 1:4-18

John explains how he saw a vision while he was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day.

 

Gospel: John 20:19-31

Jesus appears to the disciples and then to Thomas a week later, and Jesus gives them the authority to forgive sins. 

 

FROM THE CHURCH FATHERS

“It was not an accident that that particular disciple was not present. The divine mercy ordained that a doubting disciple should, by feeling in his Master the wounds of the flesh, heal in us the wounds of unbelief. The unbelief of Thomas is more profitable to our faith than the belief of the other disciples. For the touch by which he is brought to believe confirms our minds in belief, beyond all question.” - Gregory the Great, Forty Gospel Homilies 26, qtd. in ACCS: John 11-21, 367.

 

LESSONS ON THE LITURGY 

The Lord’s Day

Almost immediately the New Testament Church began to adopt new language to describe their new patterns for worship and life together.  One new phrase was to refer to Sunday as the “Lord’s Day.” Because Jesus rose from the dead on Sunday, Christians began to gather for worship on Sundays instead of the Sabbath day (Saturday). Therefore Sunday, the day of resurrection and the day the Church gathered to receive Christ’s Word and Sacrament, simply became the Lord’s Day. 

 

FROM THE BOOK OF CONCORD

Large Catechism, Part II: The Creed, Article III, paragraphs 51-54 

I believe that there is upon earth a little holy group and congregation of pure saints, under one head, even Christ. This group is called together by the Holy Spirit in one faith, one mind, and understanding, with many different gifts, yet agreeing in love, without sects or schisms. I am also a part of this same group, a sharer and joint owner of all the goods it possesses. I am brought to it and incorporated into it by the Holy Spirit through having heard and continuing to hear God's Word, which is the beginning of entering it. In the past, before we had attained to this, we were altogether of the devil, knowing nothing about God and about Christ. So, until the Last Day, the Holy Spirit abides with the holy congregation or Christendom. Through this congregation He brings us to Christ and He teaches and preaches to us the Word. By the Word He works and promotes sanctification, causing this congregation daily to grow and to become strong in the faith and its fruit, which He produces.

    We further believe that in this Christian Church we have forgiveness of sin, which is wrought through the holy Sacraments and Absolution and through all kinds of comforting promises from the entire Gospel… God's grace is secured through Christ, and sanctification is wrought by the Holy Spirit through God's Word. Yet because of our flesh we are never without sin.