St. John's Group Email Monday, August 22, 2011

DEVOTION:   
For Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon Thee. Psalm 86:5

Last week United Press International carried the sad story of Sarfaraz Shah.

Let me try to summarize that story. It begins this way: Unarmed Sarfaraz Shah was only 17-years-old when he was shot in a Karachi, Pakistan, park.

It seems some paramilitary soldiers had caught Shah trying to steal from some folks and they threatened the wayward lad. Apparently, they told him they would save him the time and inconvenience of a court trial by executing him on the spot.

Cameras from a local TV station show that Shah took those threats seriously. The tape shows the boy begging for mercy, begging for his life.

He was still begging for mercy when they shot him.

After that, Shah stopped begging to be spared and began begging to be taken to a hospital. It was at the hospital that 17-year-old Sarfaraz Shah bled to death.

Although this case is extreme, it does show that the mighty of this world -- those who are drunk with power -- really don't have much appreciation for the concept of mercy. They look upon mercy as being synonymous with weakness.

That's the kind of attitude which should make us even more appreciative of our Lord and His attitude toward sinful humankind.

Because of our sins, God could have summarily ended our relationship, could have snuffed out our lives. That He chose not to do so is amazing. That He decided to send His Son into the world to take our place under the Law, to bear our punishment, to die our death is beyond comprehension.

This is why we who have been called to faith by the Holy Spirit ought to join with the Psalmist and say, "For Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon Thee."

We have a God who is plenteous in mercy. It's something to remember and hold on to when we read our newspaper or watch the news.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, for treating me in a way far better than I deserve, I give thanks to You. For sending Your Son to pay my debts, I shall be eternally grateful. May I hold on to these wonderful truths when I am confronted by the sad and sorry stories of man's inhumanity. This I pray in my Savior's Name. Amen.


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YESTERDAY'S QUIZ:  According to Ezekiel, what happened in the seventh year in the fifth month on the tenth day?  The lders of Israel met with him to find out what was going to happen to them.  (Doug Herzog got it mostly right, and no one else answered it, so he retains his crown.)
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TODAY'S QUIZ: What country was Nebuchadnezzar the king of?
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CHURCH CALENDAR
Mon- nothing
Tues- Quilters 9-2; Bible study  11:30-12:15
Wed- nothing
Thurs- nothing
Fri- Assemble newsletter 9am; Men's fellowship and BBQ 6pm at pavillion
Sat- Ladies retreat 9am-9pm; worship 5pm
Sun- Bible study 8am; worship 9am; Bible study 10:30; Youth Group meet at 10:15 at church to clean up highway; fellowship meeting at Schirrs 7pm
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NEWS: 
MEN'S FRIDAY NIGHT BBQ    THIS FRIDAY!!!!!!
This is a time for men to come to the pavilion at church, bring your favorite food to grill along with a side to share and your favorite beverage.  We will just hang out, maybe have a short devotion, get to know each other, and relax. 
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LADIES RETREAT 9am-9pm  SATURDAY, AUGUST 27 at the SCHIRRS
I don't know too much about this day, because I'm not a woman.  What I do know is that the sign up sheet is on the table in the narthex and the ladies always have a wonderful time of fellowship, Bible study, and relaxation!
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MEN'S RETREAT IS ONLY A WEEK AND A MONTH AWAY!
It is one of the highlights of my year.  Great golf, even better food, and excellent friends all gathered together in the fellowship of God and His Word.  Call 359-1061 or email me to ask all the questions you want. 
 
If you don't want to stay for the whole weekend, just come up for the day on Saturday.  If want to stay for the whole weekend but don't want to sleep in the bunkhouses there are many other options including camping in tents on the grounds, going to a campground nearby that has hookups, or staying in the hotels in Perry or Monroe City only a few miles away
 

The ninth annual T-3 Men's Retreat is set for Friday-Sunday, September 23-25, 2011.  This promises to be another great experience for the men of St John's and other Lutheran congregations in the St. Charles area.  In fact, men from all over the metro area have joined this special time in the past.  Men 18 years of age or older are eligible and they need not be Lutheran to attend.  The retreat will be held at Mark Twain State Park at the Si Coburn Group Camp.  This is a beautiful setting  for a weekend of adventure and growth.  The theme of this year's retreat is "Respectable Sins" and the study times during the retreat will be spent exploring the areas of our lives where we have come to accept less than God might want from us. 

The retreat will feature great food and a lot of activities  A scramble golf tournament, fishing tournament, trap and skeet shooting competition, and euchre tournament all take place on Saturday morning.   If none of these interest you, you may choose to spend time reading, hiking , biking, site seeing, or napping.  Prizes are awarded to tournament winners at dinner on Saturday evening. Campfires on Friday and Saturday nights provide the opportunity to get to know others better under the stars.   Music is a big part of the camp experience and you will enjoy hearing and singing familiar songs with the 100+ men who typically attend.  The culminating worship service on Sunday morning is a special time of praising God for all His gifts to us and a great way to prepare us to return to our homes and lives.

The cost of the retreat is only $42 and this includes meals and a commemorative tee-shirt.  Attendees have the option of staying in group cabins or tent camping on the grounds at no additional charge.  You can even arrange to stay in a local motel near the camp at reduced rates if you like.

A brochure with all information and a registration form will be available soon in the narthex.  You can also register online at www.t3mensretreat.org using PayPal.  It is really easy and you can see pictures of the camp and facilities there, too.

This is the year for you to go to the T-3 (trap-tackle-tees) Retreat.  Sign up, meet new friends, bring old friends, and join in the fun of growing your faith.  For more information, contact  Don Hugo at Zion –636 441-7425 ext 246 or home 636 441-9954.

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I STILL NEED PEOPLE TO SIGN UP TO RUN THE PROJECTOR.  IT ONLY REQUIRES THAT YOU CAN PRESS A BUTTON AND PAY ATTENTION DURING THE WORSHIP SERVICE. 
August

20-  Mauch

21- Panhorst

 

27- Perricone

28- Sweet

September

3- mckenzie

4- Panhorst

 

10- Perricone

11- Schaumberg

 

17- Perricone

18- Heitgerd

 

24-  Mauch

25- mckenzie

October

1- mckenzie

2- Panhorst

 

8-

9- Winn

 

15-

16- Heitgerd

 

22- mckenzie

23- Schaumberg

 

29- mckenzie

30-

 

November

5- mckenzie

6-PEPER

 

12-

13-PEPER

 

19-

20-PEPER

 

23- (Thanksgiving Eve) mckenzie

24- (Thanksgiving Day)

 

26-

27-

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HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH GROUP THINGS COMING UP!
1. Sunday, August 28 HIGHWAY CLEAN UP right after church.  After we are done cleaning up we are planning on going to the park for a picnic!  Please come and bring a dish to share. 
 
2. Sept 30 and October 1- Firstfruits weekend at the ROCK.  Pastor Randy Wilken invites groups to come down to St. Louis on the first weekend of each month to serve, worship, and fellowship with other Christians from around the area.  We are signed up to go down there Friday, Sept 30 and Sat, Oct 1!  It is an unforgetable and wonderful experience.  Make plans ot attend!
 
3. Last Sunday of each month- HANGING OUT WITH PASTOR- We will meet at different time and at different locations throughout the year to have some fun and to get into God's Word.  In August we will meet to clean up the highway and have a picnic after worship.  Most of the time we will meet on Sunday evenings. 
 
Invite your friends to all of these things.  It is a great way for them to see that Christianity is pretty cool and can be a lot of fun! 
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PRAYERS: (If I have missed anyone please let me know.)
For LIL WINTER who is home and recovering but will need more tests and will need to get a pacemaker sometime soon.

For PAUL TOEDEBUSCH who is awaiting test results on a biopsy.
 
For MOLLY HENDERSHOT as she continues her treatments and is doing well. 
 
For PEGGY GILKEY who is recovering from knee replacement surgery.
 
For JONAS BORCHERT, grandson of Don Nolte, who continues to be up and down because of chemotherapy treatments.   
 
For EVELYN SHERMAN who is home and recovering well from a broken hip.
  
For RUTH CANTRELL who is at home and STILL recovering very slowly.  
     
OUR CHURCH as we continue the CARE PROCESS.  
 


 

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