Good Newsletter-October

 

October 2020

 

Take Out the Trash!

 

This year in our monthly articles we are considering favorite verses from the Bible.

This month’s favorite Bible verse is:  1 Peter 5:7

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

 

If you were asked to write down your top-ten favorite places, it’s hard to imagine a landfill making anybody’s list. There’s nothing pretty about a landfill. There’s nothing attractive or inviting about a place where trash is piled high and deep. It’s no fun to be at a landfill; all you can do is watch the pile get bigger. And you certainly wouldn’t want to take home any souvenirs!

 

But in 1 Peter 5:7, God is inviting us (if it can be said this way) to treat him like a landfill. “Pile it up!” he says. “Keep it coming! I can take it! Cover me with it!”

 

What kind of trash is God asking us to cover him with? Anxiety. Worry about the future. Stress of the present. Burdens from the past. All the things that pile up and make life feel like an endless slog through a murky, mucky swamp. All the things that press hard and cause pain, on the inside and the outside.

 

God says, “Throw it all on me!” He wants to take away all those burdens. He wants to remove the guilt from the sins of the past. He wants to hold us up under the stress of the present. He wants to assure us about the future.

 

But, as ugly as it sounds, he does this by taking our burdens onto himself. In fact, he already has taken our burdens when Jesus Christ bore the sins of the whole world. He carried all of them when he died on the cross. He didn’t drop anybody’s burden of sin. He didn’t leave anybody out so that now they’re stuck carrying their own.

 

Do you know people who help others so much that they hardly have any time left for themselves? You can marvel at how much they give of themselves, how many burdens they carry for other people. But if you would ever ask them how they can possibly do so much to help others, the answer might come back so plainly, “I just love them.”

 

God’s attitude toward you is so full of love—so overflowing with love—that no matter how many of your burdens you pile on him, his love will still spill out for you through Jesus. So take out the trash! Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

 

 

 

Upcoming Events at St. John:

Worship Services: Sunday 11:00 AM.

Adult Bible Study 10:00 AM.

 

Visit our website at stjohnev.net

For more information or to unsubscribe go to newsletter@stjohnev.net or call us at 651-771-6406

 

Special Voter's Meeting - Vacancy Pastor

Vacancy pastors are given a Divine Call for a one-year term, unlike permanent calls.  Pastor Berg's call as St John vacancy pastor expires on Nov 30.  It is still the responsibility of our Circuit Pastor and MN District President to provide a Call list to St John for a Vacancy Pastor.  Unlike permanent calls, they ask pastors in our area if they are willing to accept this Vacancy Call before it is issued to them.  Pastor Schleusener from Mt Olive has agreed to fill this position at St John effective Dec 1.  To make it official, St John will hold a Special Voter's meeting on Nov 1 in the church sanctuary after our worship service.   

Letter from Bob & Julie Averbeck

 

Dear members of St John,

After having given much thought and consideration to our church membership, we have decided because of mobility issues to ask that as of October 31 our membership be transferred to New Life Lutheran Church, 180 County Road F, W Shoreview, MN.

We would like to thank the members of St John for all their support during the years we were active in St. John Lutheran Church and School.  We are thankful for all the friends who have shown their care and concern.

I will especially miss playing organ for services and directing St. John choir.  I have appreciated the faithfulness of choir members and will miss working with each and every one who gave of their time and talents to sing God's praises in our various services.  The music ministry here at St. John has always been important to me, and I consider it a blessing to have been able, through organ selections and choir numbers, to praise God through music.

I will still have the opportunity to play for services at New Life.  The advantage there is that there is no balcony with 21 stairs.  Everything is on one level - the organ being located in the back of the church.

These are difficult times for St. John as you struggle to reach a decision about the future of the congregation.  May the Lord guide you as you come to a conclusion which will be to His glory.

I will play organ at St. John for the last time on Sunday, Oct. !8th.  After that, if the need arises, I may still be able to help out now and then at St. John.

Sincerely,

Julie and Bob Averbeck

We appreciate the dedicated service that Bob and Julie have given to St John over the years as teachers, principal, music director, organist, and choir director.  We would like to honor them for their service, but since Covid, we can not have cake and coffee fellowship with them.  You can call or email them to show your appreciation.  We are planning to give them a monetary gift from St. John and you can give to that as well.   Pastor Berg is in the process of locating a music director to coordinate the hymn selections each week.  If you know anyone who could help fill that need contact Pastor Berg.

Family Communion on October 29

 Pastor Berg will be distributing Holy Communion at St. John on Thursday, October 29 from 3:00 PM-6:00 PM.  One family (or individual) at a time will come into church to receive communion.  Each family will have ten minutes.   Please enter through the main church doors and exit through the link door.

You can register for a time  here.    It's really easy to use and saves me time.  If you have a problem with that you can call me on my cell phone to schedule a time.  651-448-0770

SCLA - Stories Under the Big Top!

SCLA drama students are presenting an outdoor theatre this year on Saturday, October 31, and Sunday, November 1 at 2:00 p.m. More than a theatre performance, there will be games and activities for all the kiddos that come. Kids are encouraged to wear their costumes from Halloween (if that was something they took part in). Tickets are moving fast so reserve your free spot soon.