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 SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY
February 12, 2023
O Lord, graciously hear the prayers of Your people that we who justly suffer the consequence of our sin may be mercifully delivered by Your goodness to the glory of Your name; 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 12, 2023 8:30 am Sunday School/Adult Class 9:30 am Divine Service Tuesday, February 14, 2023 No Morning Prayer 8:30 am Pastor at Winkel in Whittemore Wednesday, February 15, 2023 6:00 pm Midweek Catechesis Sunday, February 19, 2023 8:30 am Sunday School/Adult Class 9:30 am Divine Service | THIS WEEK IN THE CHURCH YEAR February 13 - Commemoration of Aquila, Priscilla, Apollos February 14 - Commemoration of Valentine, Martyr February 15 - Commemoration of Philemon and Onesimus February 16 - Commemoration of Philip Melanchthon, Confessor February 18 - Commemoration of Martin Luther, Doctor and Reformer |
ST. JOHN’S NEWS
Organist Today: Marcia Hanna
Elder: Jerry Koestler
Assistant Usher: Boyd Shipler
Greeters Today: Mary Gifford
Pastoral Vacancy - Our Partnership has submitted our application to receive a seminary graduate to be our associate pastor. Our call committee has interviewed a few seminary students, and we will know if our request will be fulfilled by late April.
2022 Annual Report is now available on the table along the east wall. Please, take one copy per family!
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!
New Member Class - Our Partnership is offering a new member class for anyone interested in either becoming a member of St. John’s or Trinity, or wants to brush up on the basics of their faith! Class will be Sunday evenings from Feb. 26 - April 2, 6:00-8:00 p.m. with the first three classes hosted at Trinity, and the final three at St. John’s.
Lenten Midweek Meal - St. John’s has volunteered to serve the midweek Lenten meal at Trinity 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.
Large Print Service Book - We now have available a couple copies of Lutheran Service Book in large print for use during the services. They are available on the back table.
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.
I will be sending this subscription this week.
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.
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.
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.
Building Healthy Families - Valentine’s Day is upon us! Husbands, your wife doesn’t need an expensive new piece of jewelry, but a letter expressing your love for her in your own words and handwriting would be cherished forever. Fathers, don’t forget your daughters! How about writing a letter expressing your love and your pride in her and the young woman she is becoming? It takes just a few minutes of your time but could make a forever difference. “Beloved, let us love one another!” (1 John 4:7) Lutheran Family Service - www.LutheranFamilyService.org.
COMMUNITY NEWS
Bingo Night will be held at the Burt Complex on Friday, February 17 with the doors opening at 5:30 p.m. All proceeds go to the Burt Fire Department.
For Your Reflection:
THE SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY
LECTIONARY SUMMARY
Christ Sets Life Before Us so that We Can Walk in His Ways
The God who reveals Himself in His incarnate Son promises life and blessing to all who obey His commandments “by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules” (Deut. 30:16). However, we are “people of the flesh” and “infants in Christ” (1 Cor. 3:1), among whom “there is jealousy and strife” (1 Cor. 3:3). Jesus must instruct us against the human ways of anger, adultery, divorce and false witness (Matt. 5:21–37), because all who live in these ways “shall surely perish” (Deut. 30:18). On the cross, He died to forgive our sins and free us from the ways of curse and death. Since Jesus Christ is our “life and length of days” (Deut. 30:20), we can be reconciled to our brother, live in chastity and marital faithfulness, and speak with honesty. He who serves from His cross also offers His gift of reconciliation at His altar, and we can be at peace with our brothers and sisters in Christ who are “God’s field, God’s building” (1 Cor. 3:9).
DOCTRINE OF THE DAY
Swearing Oaths
In the following quotation from the Large Catechism, Dr. Luther puts Jesus’ words against swearing oaths into their proper context:
Now you have the sum of the entire [second] commandment explained. With this understanding, the question that has troubled many teachers has been easily solved: “Why is swearing prohibited in the Gospel, and yet Christ, St. Paul, and other saints often swore?” (Matthew 5:33-37; 26:29; Acts 21:20-26). The explanation is briefly this: We are not to swear in support of evil, that is, to support falsehood, or to swear when there is no need or use. But we should swear for the support of good and the advantage of our neighbor. For such swearing is truly a good work, by which God is praised, truth and right are established, falsehood is refuted, peace is made among men, obedience is rendered, and quarrels are settled. For in this way God Himself intervenes and separates right and wrong, good and evil. If one party swears falsely, he lives under this judgment: he shall not escape punishment. Even if this judgment is delayed a long time, he shall not succeed. So everything he may gain from his falsehood will slip out of his hands, and he will never enjoy it (LC I, 65-67).
CHAT WITH THE CHURCH FATHERS
You shall not murder. [...]
This commandment is easy enough, because we hear it each year in the Gospel of Matthew 5:20-26, where Christ Himself explains and sums it up. He says that we must not kill, neither with hand, heart, mouth, signs, gestures, help, nor counsel. Therefore, this commandment forbids everyone to be angry, except those who are in the place of God, that is, parents and the government. For it is proper for God and for everyone who is in a divine estate to be angry, to rebuke, and to punish because of those very persons who transgress this and the other commandments [Romans 13:4]. - Large Catechism, The Ten Commandments: Fifth Commandment, paragraphs 179-183.
St. John’s Lutheran Church – Burt, IA.
Phone: 515-924-3344
Email: churchoffice@stjohnsburt.org
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