Daily Email: Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Note: The readings I am using for the daily devotions are for the 19th Sunday after Pentecost.  The readings we will use in worship this Sunday will be for LWML Sunday.

DEVOTION:  Genesis 2:18-25 (ESV)

¹⁸ Then the Lord God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him." ¹⁹ Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. ²⁰ The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. ²¹ So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. ²² And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. ²³ Then the man said,

"This at last is bone of my bones
    and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Woman,
    because she was taken out of Man."

²⁴ Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. ²⁵ And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

Why did God give you your spouse?  Why did God give us marriage at all?  Wouldn't life be easier if there were no such things as spouses, marriage, and commitment? 

First of all God said that it was not "good" for man to be alone.  He didn't say that about anything else.  He knew that his creation was incomplete without a companion.  He knew that humans wouldn't know his love completely unless they had someone to love. 

He also knew that humans would sin against each other just like Adam and Eve sinned against him so he gave them to each other so that they could know both sides of forgiveness.  He knew that, if they only received forgiveness, they would not fully grasp what it is like to give forgiveness.  

Thirdly, he knew that they wouldn't fully understand the commitment  he had to them unless they committed to each other.   He is committed to us through eternity an he wanted us to know what that means. 

Lastly, he wanted them to know what it feels like to give love to  someone else.  If we only receive love, we don't fully grasp the intensity and completeness of both sides of it.  It is the same reason he allows parents to have children instead of just creating each person directly out of the ground out of seeds or something.  

He has given you relationships so that you can both receive and give his love in a real earthly, physical, and emotional way.  What a great giver God is!  What a great gift our relationships are.  Live in your relationships the way God intended them to be.  Love, give, and forgive so that you and your spouse, child, brother, sister, mom, dad, grandpa, grandma, coworkers, and friends may all know the love of Christ more fully today.  

Prayer:  Lord God, thank you for our relationships!  Help us to treat them as you intended.  Amen. 

__________________________________________________________________________________________
YESTERDAY'S QUIZ:   In what year of the reign of King Darius did Zechariah prophesy?  The fourth

_______________________________________________________________________________________

TODAY'S QUIZ: What is a maskil?

________________________________________________________________________________

CALENDAR:

Tues- Quilting 9-2; Bible Study 11:30-12:15

Wed- Choir 7pm

Thurs- Alzheimer's Support group 1pm; Karate 5-7:45

Sat-  Worship 5
Sun- SCRIP ORDERS DUE; Worship 8:30 and 11; Sunday school 9:45
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
WORSHIP WORKERS:  
Acolyte-  8:30- Jacob Cluver; 11- Alaina Heitgerd
Ushers-  Don Hance, Rich Boeger, Don Tate, Doug Walters
Altar- Set up- Ruth Walters; Clean up- Terry McKenzie
Communion Assistants- Sat- Randy Sweet; 8:30- Rich Talbert; 11- Charlie Figura
Greeters- 8:30- Doug and Ruth Walters; 11- Steve and Sandy Robine
Lay readers- Sat- Judy Koprowski 8:30- Betty Schirr 11- Kailyn Blechle
Sat. Pianist- Tim Sherman
Organist-  Rachel Fisher
Projectionists: Sat. Pam Bueltmann, 8:30- Dawn Sherman, 11- Hannah Johnson
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
NEWS!!!!  PLEASE READ IT ALL!!!!

HOSPICE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!!

Help needed includes the following:

caregiver relief

companionship

writing letters

reading to patients

clerical/office work

assisting with errands and/or meal preparation

Mercy Hospice at 636-239-8862 or stephaniemarquart@mercy.net

SSM Health at Home at 573-582-8850  or chris_cobb@ssmhc.com

Training is available with Mercy the first four Thursdays in October.  

______________________________________________________________________________________

LUTHERAN HOUR MINISTRIES PRAYER BREAKFAST OCTOBER 14 AT ORLANDO EVENTS AND CONFERENCE CENTER IN MARYLAND HEIGHTS.  

Rev. Greg Seltz, Lutheran Hour Speaker, will speak on prayer.  Everyone attending will receive a free signed copy of "The Lord's Prayer a book by Seltz.  Go to lutheranprayerbreakfast.eventbrite.com for tickets and info. 

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

QUILT TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE!!  

The drawing was not held at eh carnival to give people more time to purchase more tickets.  You may purchase tickets from any quilter or from the church office throughout the week.  Tickets are $1 each or 6 for $5.  

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

LADIES AID IS SELLING CHRISTMAS CARDS FOR $5 a BOX!!  

Once they're gone, that's it.  There won't be another order when they run out!  Get them today!  They're in the basement and you can give money to whoever is in the office. 

___________________________________________________________________________________________

SCRIP ORDERS DUE THIS SUNDAY!!!!! 

A NEW AND EASY FUNDRAISING OPPORTUNITY!!! 

 

The order forms are on the table in the narthex!  Just about every store that you can think of is on the list!  Use the cards just like you would use a debit/credit card and help St. John's make  A LOT of money!

Place your order, along with your check, made payable to St. Johns, in the "Bob the Builder" box. 

  
 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

OPERATION BACKPACK FOR OCTOBER IS CANNED VEGETABLES!! !

Many children in our community are very poor.  They are able to get some of their meals at school during the week, but often go hungry on weekends.  Operation backpack is a way that our community has decided to help these kids. 
 
Every month throughout the school year, each church participating will take one food item and collect just that food item.  At the end of the month the food will be delivered to school.  The school officials along with volunteers will distribute the food to kids backpacks to take home.   

Throughout the month of October we will be collecting canned veggies. All size cans and even individual portions will be accepted.  The fruit will be delivered to the schools November 1.   We will have a box in the narthex for deposits.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
UNMARKED BLUE ENVELOPE CONTRIBUTIONS ARE GOING TO THE BUILDING EXPANSION PROGRAM
If you'd like it to go to the DCE fund you need to mark it for that!  Please make sure you mark the ENVELOPE clearly for the DCE PROGRAM!
________________________________________________________________________________________
DO YOU HAVE A KROGER CARD?  ENROLL IT IN THE COMMUNITY REWARDS PROGRAM!!!
Register it online www.krogercommunityrewards.com and have it swiped each time you shop to earn money for Little Lambs. 
 
__________________________________________________________________________________________

GENERAL PRAYERS:

For DON PANHORST who found out that he has cancer last week and is starting chemo this (MONDAY) morning. 

 

For JAMIE, a FRIEND OF CHRISTY WINN, whose daughter, KAYLA, died suddenly last night.

 

For BROOKS EBERT, infant son of Derek and Andrea, who finally, after a month, was able to eat his first bottle on his own on Thursday.   He may get to go home soon.

 

For PHYLLIS HOELSCHER who is recovering from knee replacement surgery at home.

 

For DENISE SCHLESSELMANN as she is back in the Czech Republic to continue her mission work.

 

For DAVE AND CAROL KOHRS, who are BOTH on hospice care.

 

For WILMA WEIGLE as she continues to deal with the after effects of a severe stroke almost two years ago.