Daily Email: Wednesday, October 7, 2015

 

DEVOTION:

 

Psalm 90:12-17 (ESV)

¹² So teach us to number our days
    that we may get a heart of wisdom.
¹³ Return, O Lord! How long?
    Have pity on your servants!
¹⁴ Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
    that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
¹⁵ Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
    and for as many years as we have seen evil.
¹⁶ Let your work be shown to your servants,
    and your glorious power to their children.
¹⁷ Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
    and establish the work of our hands upon us;
    yes, establish the work of our hands!

 

 

 

 

Amos 5:6-7 and 10-15 (ESV)

⁶ Seek the Lord and live,
    lest he break out like fire in the house of Joseph,
    and it devour, with none to quench it for Bethel,
⁷ O you who turn justice to wormwood
    and cast down righteousness to the earth!

¹⁰ They hate him who reproves in the gate,
    and they abhor him who speaks the truth.
¹¹ Therefore because you trample on the poor
    and you exact taxes of grain from him,
you have built houses of hewn stone,
    but you shall not dwell in them;
you have planted pleasant vineyards,
    but you shall not drink their wine.
¹² For I know how many are your transgressions
    and how great are your sins—
you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe,
    and turn aside the needy in the gate.
¹³ Therefore he who is prudent will keep silent in such a time,
    for it is an evil time.

¹⁴ Seek good, and not evil,
    that you may live;
and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you,
    as you have said.
¹⁵ Hate evil, and love good,
    and establish justice in the gate;
it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts,
    will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

 

 

Most of you reading this today have played hide and seek. You know that there is usually one who is seeking while the rest go and hide.  When you are the seeker you look for the best hiding places.  You don't really look out in the open,  A person who is hiding and doesn't want to be found does stand out in the middle of a room or a field and yell, "Here I am." unless, of course, he wants to be caught and found. 

 

In the Old Testament passage above and in the Gospel reading for this past Sunday we are told to "Seek the Lord" and "Seek His Kingdom and His righteousness".   

 

The good news is that Jesus isn't hiding.  He isn't playing a game of hide and seek with you.  He is standing out in the wide open spaces.  He is right where he may be found.  You don't have to look far.  Just look in his Word and you will find him.  Just look in his church and you will easily see him in the faces of his children, in His Word as it goes in to your ears, and in His body and blood as you eat and drink off it.  He actually comes to you!  All you have to do is OPEN YOUR EARS AND EYES!!

 

Unfortunately, the world, and even us at times, have closed ears, eyes, and hearts.  We would rather be our own gods and find something to do or make our own rules.  When we do this we just get more lost, more depressed, more confused, and more discouraged.

 

God wants you to take a look at your life and see whether you've been seeking him or something else.  Have you been looking for God's goodness and grace or the world's false hopes and stuff?  Have you been seeking the Lord or seeking something else that you think is just hidden. 

 

There is no "hidden" truth apart from Jesus.  Quit looking for it.  Trust in the Lord with all your heart!  Keep seeking Him in His Word and Sacraments.  Keep seeking him in the fellowship of the saints!  Keep seeking Him where He wants you to find Him. 

 

Prayer: Lord, help us to repent from seeking things that have nothing to do for you and instead seek You!  Amen.

 

 

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YESTERDAY'S QUIZ:     What is a "song of ascent"?  Any one of 15 psalms from 120-134 were sung by the Hebrew pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem or maybe while ascending Mount Zion or the steps to the Temple.   These psalms (120-134) begin with the words "A song of ascents".  (Thanks Dianne!)  Dianne will be away from her computer for a while recovering from hip surgery so I will need others to answer this daily quiz.)

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TODAY'S QUIZ: What news made Ezra tear his clothes and lament over Israel?

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CALENDAR:

Wed- choir 7pm

Thurs- SPECIAL FALL BLESSING SERVICE AT WHS  7pm; karate 6:15-7:45

Sat-  Worship 5
Sun- Worship 8:30 and 11; Sunday school 9:45; ELDERS MEETING noon
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WORSHIP WORKERS:  
Acolyte-  8:30- Zack Hoelscher; 11- Sarah Cluver
Ushers-  Alan Hofeldt, Tim Linke, Rich Talbert, Don Turnure
Altar- Set up- Linda Callies; Clean up- Joanne Hachtel
Communion Assistants- Sat- Steve Robine; 8:30- Don Turnure; 11- Dave Winter
Greeters- 8:30- ???????  Anyone want to take this?  Erv Yoder is out of town.); 11- Joan Sexton
Lay readers- Sat- Steve Robine 8:30- Allan Dreyer 11- Christine Winn
Sat. Pianist- Tim Sherman
Organist-  Rachel Fisher
Projectionists: Sat. Perricones, 8:30- Hailey Blechle or Terry McKenzie, 11- Jacob Winn
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NEWS!!!!  PLEASE READ IT ALL!!!!

 

SCHOOL BLESSING SERVICE at WARRENTON HIGH SCHOOL COMMONS on THURSDAY at 7pm!! 

 

FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) is hosting it

 

Pastor Klaustermeier and Pastor Steve Kohler will be preaching.  Nick and Amy Tallo will be leading the music!

 

We want all our church's youth to be there! 

 

You don't have to be an athlete! 

 

You don't even have to be a student! 

 

We just want you to be there to help us bless our schools!!!

 

The school needs our prayers!!!

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MEN'S BREAKFAST WILL BE THE 17TH AND NOT THIS COMING SATURDAY AS IT IS IN THE NEWSLETTER!!

Sorry for the confusion!  Please make correction to your calendars and come next Saturday, October 17 for pancakes, sausage, bacon, and scrambled eggs!!

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QUILT TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE!!  

The drawing was not held at the 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.  

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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. 

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PLEASE ORDER SCRIP !!!!! 

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. 

  
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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.

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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!
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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. 
 
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GENERAL PRAYERS:

For DIANNE HANCE who fell on Saturday and broke her hip.  She had a partial replacement yesterday (Tuesday) and is recovering.

 

For MARIANNE LINKE who is recovering from heart valve replacement surgery and is doing well.

 

For JOHN NORDWALD, Brett's dad, as he is having bypass surgery this morning. 

 

For SCOTT CLARK who is recovering from a severe infection and was in the hospital for a week and a half.  He finally got to go home yesterday.

 

For DON PANHORST who is recovering from his first two chemo treatments last week. 

 

For BROOKS EBERT, infant son of Derek and Andrea, who should be going home TODAY after a month and a half in the hospital.

 

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.