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 TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST

November 13, 2022

 

O Lord, almighty and ever-living God, You have given exceedingly great and precious promises to those who trust in You. Rule and govern our hearts and minds by Your Holy Spirit that we may live and abide forever in 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,  November 13, 2022   8:30 am    Sunday School/Adult Class   9:30 am    Divine Service (All Saints)     Tuesday, November 15, 2022     10:00 am   Morning Prayer                           Wednesday, November 16, 2022      6:00 pm   Wednesday Catechesis

Sunday, November 20, 2022     8:30 am Sunday School/Adult Class      9:30 am  Divine Service     10:30 am Council Meeting 2023 Budget & Officers    THIS WEEK IN THE CHURCH YEAR         November 11 - Commemoration of Martin              of Tours, Pastor    November 14 -  Commemoration of Justinian,               Christian Ruler and Confessor of Christ       November 19 -  Commemoration of Elizabeth                of Hungary

 

ST. JOHN’S NEWS

 

Organist Today:  Marcia Hanna 

Elder:  Jeff Schutjer 

Greeters Today:  Lucas & Jessie Parsons

Greeters Next Sunday:  Al & Peggy Schadendorf

                          

Call Update - On Sunday, October 30th our Partnership congregations voted unanimously to call Pastor Jonathan Meyer of Holy Cross Lutheran Church, O’Fallon, Missouri to be our Partnership associate pastor.  Please pray for Pastor Meyer as he spends the next several weeks deliberating where God would have him serve. 

 

A Special Council Meeting will be held next Sunday, November 20th following the service.  This meeting is to look at and vote on approving the 2023 Budget and Slate of 2023 officers. 

 

The Nominating Committee is looking for members to fill some of the areas on the Church council.  If you would be willing to help, please contact Lynn Bierstedt.

 

“Share the Blessing” letter and giving envelope is on the small table in the back.  This is a special offering to the church during the harvest time, previously known as “Corn, Bean, Cash.” 

 

Thanksgiving Service will be held here at St. John’s on Wednesday, November 23 at 6 p.m.  Trinity will hold a service for Thanksgiving Day at 9:00 am. 

·         An Advent and Christmas Partnership schedule for the upcoming services is included in your bulletin today. Our three Advent midweek services will be hosted by Trinity this year.

 

Adult Bible Study - During Bible study, we are asking volunteers to share one or several devotions from their favorite devotional resources.  Pastor Cowell will have several devotion books available as well if you would like to read from them.  Sign up for a Sunday in the back of church, and contact Pastor Cowell with questions. 

 

Parish Messenger for November/December is on the back table.

 

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.

 

St. John’s Help Wanted List - Check the back table the next few weeks to see a number of one-time, short-term, and recurring tasks related to human care, evangelism, and mercy that Pastor Cowell needs your help with.  These are all tasks which would benefit our congregation and our community, and which our members are well equipped to lead on behalf of St. John’s. Take a look and see if you would be able to help out with any of these special projects, and talk to Pastor Cowell if you have any suggestions of your own!

 

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. 

 

Greeter and Usher sign-up lists are now available in the back for the 2023 year.  Please, feel free to fill your name in more than once.

 

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!  

 

Young Adult Bible Study - A young adult (post-high school) Bible study meets 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 - How good are you at casting? Been awhile and you’re you out of practice? Practice this week with a reading of Psalm 55 and this prayer as your guide: Lord, I cast my burdens on You. Here are some of them ________________________. Thank You for carrying them. Now sustain me and help me carry the burdens of others as I serve You this week. Give me the opportunity to point them to You, the ultimate burden bearer - not only of our problems but of our sin upon the cross. Help me rejoice in the hope that is in You I will not be moved. Amen. “Cast your burden on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved.” Psalm 55:22 Lutheran Family Service - www.LutheranFamilyService.org.

 

 COMMUNITY NEWS

 

A Special Offering - We will be collecting a special monetary donation in the back of the church this Sunday and next Sunday for the Kossuth County Food Pantry. 

 

Omelet Breakfast - The Burt Lions Club is hosting their annual Omelet Breakfast today from 9:00 a.m - 1:00 p.m. at the Activity Complex. The Burt Women's Club will be hosting a bake sale. 

 

Soup Fundraiser for the Fenton Volunteer EMS today (November 13) from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Serving: soups, dinner rolls and cinnamon rolls.

 

Santa Day in Burt will be held on Saturday, December 3 from 1-3 pm at the Activity Complex. Come visit Santa and enjoy cookies and hot chocolate.  Fire Truck Rides will also be taking place.  

Vendor Show - Burt Summer Celebration is hosting a Vendor Show in the Burt new gym on Santa Day - Saturday December 3 and will be serving walking tacos.

 

 

LECTIONARY SUMMARY (Proper 28)

Old Testament: Malachi 4:1-6

Behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. 

 

Epistle: 2 Thessalonians 3:1-13

If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. 

 

Gospel: Luke 21:5-36

Jesus instructs the people how to anticipate the Last Day. 

 

FROM THE CHURCH FATHERS

 

“We should have no doubt that our mortal flesh also will rise again at the end of the world. [...] This is the Christian faith. This is the Catholic faith. This is the apostolic faith. Believe Christ when he says, ‘Not a hair of your head shall perish.’ Putting aside all unbelief, consider how valuable you are. How can our Redeemer despise any person when he cannot despise a hair of that person’s head? How are we going to doubt that he intends to give eternal life to our soul and body? He took on a soul and body in which to die for us, which he laid down for us when he died and which he took up again that we might not fear death.” - Augustine, Sermon 214.11-2, qtd. in ACCS: Luke, p. 321

LESSONS ON THE LITURGY 

Church Ceilings 

We all know that church ceilings often look like upside-down boats.  But have you also noticed how church ceilings (like St. John’s) often have “ribs” that, when standing in the back of the church, give the sense of a picture frame within a picture frame within a picture frame.  At the altar the rib typically narrows and is distinguished from the others (in our case by being white instead of brown).  This is meant to create the effect of walking into an entirely different realm, or dimension, as one approaches the altar.  That is exactly what happens as we come up for Communion.  We place one foot on earth and one foot into heaven and receive the mystery of the truly divine and truly human Christ. - Year C, Proper 28

 

FROM THE BOOK OF CONCORD

Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article V: Love and Fulfilling the Law, para. 242-245

Paul says, "There is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me" (2 Ti. 4:8). The justified are due the crown because of the promise. Saints should know this promise, and labor not for their own profit, but for God's glory. Saints should know God's will: He desires to aid, to deliver, and to protect them. Although the perfect hear the mention of penalties and rewards in one way, the weak hear it in another way. The weak labor for their own advantage. Yet the preaching of rewards and punishments is necessary. God's wrath is set forth in the preaching of punishments. This applies to repentance. Grace is set forth in the preaching of rewards. Scripture offers grace together with other rewards. We find this in Is. 58:8-14. We also affirm that although justification and eternal life go along with faith, nevertheless, good works merit other bodily and spiritual rewards and degrees of reward. According to 1 Co. 3:8, "Each will receive his wages according to his labor." The righteousness of the Gospel, which has to do with the promise of grace, freely receives justification and new life. But the fulfilling of the Law, which follows faith, has to do with the Law. In it a reward is offered and is due according to our works. Those who earn this are justified before they do the Law.

 

 

 

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

Phone: 515-924-3344

Email:  churchoffice@stjohnsburt.org