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 TENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

August 14, 2022

 

Merciful Lord, cleanse and defend Your Church by the sacrifice of Christ. United with Him in Holy Baptism, give us grace to receive with thanksgiving the fruits of His redeeming work and daily follow in His way; through the same 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,  August 14, 2022     9:30 am    Divine Service         Tuesday, August 16, 2022     10:00 am    Morning Prayer              Sunday, August 21, 2022     9:30 am     Divine Service

THIS WEEK IN THE CHURCH YEAR     August 15 -  Feast of St. Mary, Mother of our Lord      August 16 -  Commemoration of Isaac     August 17 -  Commemoration of Johann Gerhard,                             Theologian     August 19 -  Commemoration of Bernard of                   Clairvaux, Hymnwriter and Theologian      August 20 -  Commemoration of Samuel

 

 

ST. JOHN’S NEWS

 

Organist Today:  Marcia Hanna  

Elder:  Boyd Shipler

Greeters Today:  Boyd and Rosann Shipler 

Greeters Next Week:  Barb Schroeder

 

Pastoral Call Update - On July 17th our Partnership joint Voters meeting voted to call Pastor Cowell as our Partnership senior pastor, which he has accepted.  His installation date into this new position is set for August 28th at 9:30 a.m. at St. John’s. You can pick up a copy of Pastor Cowell’s letter of acceptance on the back table.  

 

Rally Sunday will be August 28 at Smith Lake.  We’ll have social time at 11:00, worship at 11:30, and lunch and games at noon. We’ll also present 3rd grade Bibles and Catechisms and bless our kids’ school backpacks.

* Sunday School begins Sept 11; Midweek begins Sept 7. 

 

Thank You - Dear Friends of St. John’s, Thank you for the gift of sermons from C.F.W Walter. It is with great joy that I look forward to serving the Branson community that I have been called to. May our Lord Jesus bless the ministry work you are doing in your community.  

• Pastor Joey Bluege, Faith Lutheran Church, Branson, Mo

 

Parish Messenger for the September/October edition is due August 28  to Linda Kerkove.

 

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 Sunday School teacher is needed beginning this fall for the 3-5th grade class.  If you are interested in serving on a regular or occasional basis, please talk with Karla Schutter. 

SYNOD, DISTRICT & PARTNERSHIP NEWS

 

Trinity Bible Study - You are invited to Bible study every Wednesday morning at 9:30 a.m. in the 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!  

 

TLC Quilters need flat sheets. Thanks sew much for helping us help others in need!

 

Young Adult Bible Study - You are invited to attend a young adult (post-high school) Bible study opportunity hosted in our circuit.  The Bible study is every 2nd and 4th Sunday at 6:30 p.m. in the old parsonage next to Zion Lutheran Church in LuVerne.  Contact Pastor Steve Struecker at 515-320-2014 with questions. 

   

Building Healthy Families -A research project conducted with college age students in the Midwest found that most of them reported having an important relationship with grandparents or significant elders that influenced their values, goals, and life choices and gave them a sense of self, roots, and tradition. Grandparents and older members of our church family, do you know how important you are? Make sure the young adults in your family and congregation who are going off to college or returning to high school this month continue to hear from you! Now, more than ever, they need your love and support – even if they’re not asking for it! Lutheran Family Service - www.LutheranFamilyService.org.

 

LECTIONARY SUMMARY (Proper 15)

Old Testament: Jeremiah 23:16-29

“Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes.”

 

Epistle: Hebrews 11:17-40; 12:1-3

Look to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.

 

Gospel: Luke 12:49-56

Jesus came to cast fire and bring division on the earth.

 

FROM THE CHURCH FATHERS

 

“It is necessary that we should esteem the human less than the divine. If honor is to be paid to parents, how much more to your parents’ Creator, to whom you owe gratitude for your parents! If they by no means recognize their Father, how do you recognize them? He does not say children should reject a father but God is to be set before all. Then you have in another book, 'He that loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me.’ You are not forbidden to love your parents, but you are forbidden to prefer them to God. Natural children are true blessings from the Lord, and no one must love the blessing that he has received more than God by whom the blessing, once received, is preserved.” - Ambrose, Exposition of the Gospel of Luke 7.134-36, qtd. in ACCS: Luke, p. 218-219

 

LESSONS ON THE LITURGY 

 

Kneeling at Communion 

In the old days people would kneel when a king entered his throne room.  We do the same when Christ our King comes to us at the Lord’s Supper.  Pastor kneels to one knee (genuflects) as the Body and Blood of Jesus enter the room in the Words of Institution (the congregation can also bow at this time).  Then as we receive the Body and Blood of Jesus we show our greatest reverence to our king and kneel with both knees.

 

FROM THE BOOK OF CONCORD

 

Augsburg Confession, Article XXVIII: Church Authority, paragraphs 16-23

Paul says, "Our citizenship is in heaven" And, "The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds"

     Our teachers distinguish between the duties of these two authorities [state and church]. They command that both be honored and acknowledged as God's gifts and blessings.

     If bishops have any authority of the State, this is not because they are bishops. In other words, it is not by the Gospel's commission. It is an authority they have received from kings for the purpose of administering the civil affairs. This is another office, not the ministry of the Gospel.

      The bishops' civil authority must be distinguished from the Church's jurisdiction. The only authority that belongs to the bishops is what they have according to the Gospel. For they have been given the ministry of the Word and Sacraments. They have no other authority according to the Gospel than the authority to forgive sins, to judge doctrine, to reject doctrines contrary to the Gospel, and to exclude from the communion of the Church wicked people, whose wickedness is known. They cannot exclude people with human force, but simply by the Word. But when they teach or establish anything against the Gospel, then the congregations are forbidden by God's command to obey them. Beware of false prophets. (Matt. 7:15) 

 

 

 

 

 

St. John’s Lutheran Church – Burt, IA.

Phone: 515-924-3344

Email:  churchoffice@stjohnsburt.org