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 FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY

February 5, 2023

 

O Lord, keep Your family the Church continually in the true faith that, relying on the hope of Your heavenly grace, we may ever be defended by Your mighty power; 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 5, 2023   8:30 am   Sunday School/Adult Class     9:30 am   Divine Service     Tuesday, February 7, 2023    10:00 am  Morning Prayer     Wednesday, February 8, 2023     6:00 pm   Midweek Catechesis

Sunday, February 12, 2023      8:30 am    Sunday School/Adult Class        9:30 am    Divine Service          THIS WEEK IN THE CHURCH YEAR            February 5, 2023     Commemoration of Jacob (Israel), Patriarch     February 10, 2023     Commemoration of Silas, Fellow Worker       with Paul

 

ST. JOHN’S NEWS

 

Organist Today:  Kitty Bierstedt

Elder: Jerry Koestler 

Assistant Usher: Boyd Shipler

Greeters Today:  Jerry and Betty Koestler

Greeters next Week: Mary Gifford

Acolyte:  Brayton Borchardt

 

Pastoral Vacancy - Our Partnership has submitted our application to receive a seminary graduate to be our associate pastor.  Our call committee will have the opportunity to interview a few seminary students this week.  We will know if our request will be fulfilled by late April. 

 

Adult Bible Class is beginning a new study on Dr. Jeffrey Pulse’s book “The Children (Not the Adults!) of God”.  Please join us anytime!

 

Easter Service Survey - We are in the process of setting our Lenten schedule and would like your input as to when we should have our Easter Day service.  Our two options are: 

•  Service at 6:30 a.m. with breakfast to follow.

                 OR

•  Service at 9:30 a.m. with breakfast either before or after the service.

Please share your thoughts with an elder or Pastor Cowell by today (Feb. 5) so we can make our decision.

 

Lenten Midweek Meal - The St. John’s council has decided to host Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday services at St. John’s (at 5:30 p.m.) and to join our friends at Trinity for the Wednesday midweek Lenten services (at 6:00 p.m.). A meal is provided in the Life Center before these services.  This meal is cooked and served by different service groups with the freewill donation going to their cause.  Our congregation has volunteered to serve the meal on Wednesday, March 29th.  Our freewill donation will go toward the seminaries in some way.  Hannah Cowell has volunteered to coordinate this meal. If you would be willing to help by working or furnishing food, please call or text Hannah at 712-294-4962.

 

Lutheran Witness Renewal for the new subscription year that provides the current list of subscribers are due.  The cost for this year is $26.00 for the year. If you do not get the Witness and wish to or wish to cancel, please contact the church office.  Please pay in the church office.

 

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.

 

Birthday Cards!  We need more volunteers to sign-up to send out birthday cards to members monthly.  This is a very simple task.  Sign-up sheet on back table.  Contact the church office if you have any questions.

 

Parish Messenger articles are due to Linda Kerkove February 19 for the March/April edition.

SYNOD, DISTRICT & PARTNERSHIP NEWS

 

Trinity Bible Study meets Wednesday mornings at 9:30 am 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!  

 

Old Denim Jeans? The TLC Quilters are in need of old denim jeans (any color & any condition) to make into quilts. Bring them to the church office or stop by the basement on Tuesdays or Thursdays to see them in action!

 

Little Lambs Christian Daycare in Swea City is looking for a full-time person for our baby room; preferably an adult. Must have experience with babies and be reliable. Must be able to get on the floor to interact with them and must be able to work 3-4 days a week. If interested, please stop in to the Daycare for an application in Swea City. Being a nonprofit, Christian daycare, the pay is $7.25 an hour with no benefits.      

 

Bible Donations are Needed for a Midweek Service Wednesday evangelism project. All gently-used Bibles that are still in readable condition will be passed on through this project; and any severely worn or damaged Bibles will be properly and respectfully disposed of. Bibles can be brought to the church and placed in the designated box in the back of the sanctuary.

 

Building Healthy Families: A survey of LCMS youth attending the National Youth Gathering last July identified five issues they’re most concerned about: LGBTQ, mental health, abortion, reaching unbelievers/defending the faith and personal faith. DCE Julianna Shults, program manager for LCMS Youth Ministry, said the survey also shows that they “want to take on difficult topics, and congregations should not shy away from addressing them. Our teens are hyperconnected to the world and all its issues. As they become more aware of the brokenness in our world, the church is uniquely equipped to provide them with support and hope.” Your Lutheran Family Service counselors are here to help with these topics, as we thank God for faithful youth and the adults in their congregational families who love and support them in these difficult days! Lutheran Family Service - www.LutheranFamilyService.org.

 

 

For Your Reflection:

 

THE FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY

---

 

LECTIONARY SUMMARY

The Righteousness of Christ

Jesus warns that “unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:20), but He also calls His imperfect people “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world” (Matt. 5:13, 14). That’s because the Lord Jesus came not to abolish the Law or the prophets, “but to fulfill them” (Matt. 5:17) in perfect faith and love. Since He does and teaches all of God’s commandments, He is “called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:19). God manifests His “demonstration of the Spirit and of power” in “Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2–4), and through the preaching of the Gospel He gives His “secret and hidden wisdom” (1 Cor. 2:7). Christ gives this perfect righteousness to His people, and it leads them to true fasting, which is “to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free” (Is. 58:6) and “to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house” (Is. 58:7).

 

DOCTRINE OF THE DAY

Justification and Sanctification 

In today’s Gospel lesson Jesus uses the image of light to teach about both justification: being declared righteous by faith in Jesus’ work on the cross alone, and sanctification: living a righteous life of regeneration in the Holy Spirit. Of justification Jesus says: “You are the light of the world [...because Jesus has given you the light of His life on the cross by faith].”  Of sanctification Jesus says: “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”  Therefore, we have both been made children of God by faith in Christ, and have been called to live as children of God in obedience and thanksgiving to our Father and for the good of the world.  Justification and sanctification are both necessary components of our life in Christ.  However, it is important to distinguish that justification always precedes sanctification.  Good works always follow faith, and never vice versa.  First we are saved by Christ alone, next we live our new life of righteousness in His name.  

 

LESSON ON THE LITURGY

Candlemas

We celebrate the Feast of the Purification of Mary and the Presentation of Our Lord every year on February 02 (last Thursday this year).  The account of Mary and Jesus going to the temple to be purified is found at Luke 2:22-38.  This feast is often called “Candlemas” because tradition has arose to bless candles on this day in lieu of Simeon’s song of praise in which he identifies Jesus as “a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of your people Israel (Lu. 2:32).”

 

CHAT WITH THE CHURCH FATHERS

“Salt is useful for so many purposes in human life! What need is there to speak about this? Now is the proper time to say why Jesus’ disciples are compared with salt. Salt preserves meats from decaying into stench and worms. It makes them edible for a longer period. They would not last through time and be found useful without salt. So also Christ’s disciples, standing in the way of the stench that comes from the sins of idolatry and fornication, support and hold together this whole earthly realm.” - Origen, Fragment 91, qtd. in ACCS: Matthew 1-13, p. 92. 

 

 

 

 

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

Phone: 515-924-3344

Email:  churchoffice@stjohnsburt.org