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11/22/2023 December 2023St. Paul’s Evangelical-Lutheran Church
109 S. Elm, Kewanee, Illinois 61443 Newsletter Volume 35 December 2023 No. 12 Pastor’s Retirement Set for June 9th As I indicated when I addressed the people at our special meeting a few weeks ago, I have settled on a date for my retirement. The date for my last Sunday and a retirement reception is set for June 9th, 2024. This is the Sunday after Trinity. The Board of Elders has been appointed by the Church Council to serve as the search committee. Anyone wishing to provide input as we look toward securing our next pastor is encouraged to speak to one of them (Tom Wells, Larry Campbell, Steve Harris, Steve Kraklow, Jeff Wagenknecht) or Pastor. Although retirement isn’t something I had planned on when I was younger, the encroachment of age and its limitations have become clear to me, and I determined it is best for me to retire before it would be forced upon me by circumstances beyond my control. One advantage of this is that the congregation has time to prepare for a new pastor, and I am going to be able to help that transition happen. But I am determined that when a new pastor comes, I will want to step out of his way. When a pastor has a long tenure—mine set a record for St. Paul’s, and will be just shy of 29 years—it’s all the more difficult for the next man to step in. Every pastor has different strengths and weaknesses, and members must expect that and be ready to welcome the new man with open arms, whoever he is. The District is willing to help us determine the best path forward, and a meeting with the district president and the elders has already been set. We have begun to prepare a list of items we will be seeking in a pastor; the list is nearby and is not a final draft. District advice will be helfpful especially in view of the fact that we are small, and would have difficulty supporting a full-time pastoral replacement. My own situation was enabled, you may recall, but the fact that I was also moonlighting as an online professor; something like that might be possible again. It might be possible to call a graduating seminarian, which would be less expensive than someone from the field. Another option would be to become a dual parish. We are told that the congregation in Brimfield, just a half hour away, is vacant now, and does not have sufficient resources to have a pastor on their own either. We have in the past looked toward the church in Walnut, which is also small, and remarkably similar to ours in many ways, although they have a pastor. Regarding my own plans, I have no immediate plans to move away, though that day will likely appear on the horizon, probably within a few years at most. I may be available during the vacancy in some capacity, and I’ll do what I can during that transitional period. The days of my tenure here are drawing so a close, and this is indeed a sad reality in many ways. I know it will be difficult for all of us, though time marches on and changes like this always come. This congregation has been a wonderful piece of heaven to me, and in many ways is a immensely honored to be the spiritual father by the grace of God. And I am certain that he who has been gracious to us thus far will continue to be for us the Giver of all good things. As we all continue our pilgrimage through life in this vale of tears, I will offer the same confidence toward you that St. Paul expressed to the Philippians, that he who has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. + Pastor Eckardt Our Commitment to Doctrine and Practice at St. Paul’s (may still be revised) As we seek to call a pastor to serve us with Word and Sacrament, we want any candidates for this holy Office to be aware of our commitment to the following doctrine and practice: 1. We are committed without any reservation to the Divine inspiration, inerrancy, and infallibility of Holy Scripture and to the doctrine and practice of the Lutheran Church as confessed in the confessional writings of the Lutheran Church as contained in the Book of Concord. 2. We are also committed without reservation to the practice of closed communion as expressed in our public statement: “Holy Communion is a confession of the faith which is confessed at this altar. Therefore, any who are not yet instructed, in doubt, or who hold a confession differing from that of this congregation and The Lutheran Church ‑ Missouri Synod, and yet desire to receive the sacrament, are asked first to speak with the pastor . . . This is in accord with Article XXIV of the Apology of the Augsburg Confession: ‘We do not abolish the Mass, but religiously maintain and defend it. For among us masses are celebrated every Lord’s Day and on the other festivals, in which the Sacrament is offered to those who wish to use it, after they have been examined and absolved.’” 3. We are committed to using only orthodox Lutheran worship and hymnody in the Divine Service. We use the Lutheran Hymnal, though we are not opposed to the use of LSB, but we would be committed exclusively to Setting Three (the common service) for the Divine Service. 4. We believe that the proper elements to use in the Lord’s Supper are unleavened bread and wine (grape juice or non-alcoholic wine should not be used) since these are the elements our Lord used when He instituted this blessed Sacrament on the night He was betrayed. 5. We use the Chalice to distribute our Lord’s blood in the Sacrament and do not offer individual cups. 6. We reserve elements (reliquae) from Mass for the pastor’s use in carrying to the sick. For this reason we routinely employ a tabernacle to reserve the elements. We also use the eternal light (the sanctuary lamp) according to its traditional purpose, namely to designate when reserved elements are present. In rare instances where there is not reservation, such as when the pastor is away, the sanctuary lamp is unlit. 7. We follow the liturgical tradition of routinely using a subdeacon at Mass. His duties are limited. A subdeacon is a man who is consecrated, vested, and carefully trained by the pastor for the reading of the Old Testament and Epistle. He does not read the Gospel, which is appropriate only for an ordained deacon or the pastor. The subdeacon also assists with the distribution, though his assistance is limited to carrying items to the pastor, assisting at the altar, and filling the chalice as needed. The pastor distributes both kinds himself. We follow these practices in accordance with the words of St. Paul to Timothy regarding the Office of the Ministry, “Give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine” (I Tim. 4:13), and following the Augsburg Confession’s words, “no one should publicly teach in the Church, or administer the Sacraments, without a rightly ordered call” (AC XIV). 8. We celebrate the Lord’s Supper every Lord’s Day, also normally on Wednesdays, and on special Feast Days. 9. We appreciate the fact that faithful pastors will differ in details of how they conduct the Divine Service, and we understand that a new pastor must be expected to differ from his predecessor in legitimate ways, as declared in AC VII: “And to the true unity of the Church it is enough to agree concerning the doctrine of the Gospel and the administration of the Sacraments. Nor is it necessary that human traditions, that is, rites or ceremonies, instituted by men, should be everywhere alike.” We offer here the details of the liturgical practice to which we have grown accustomed primarily as a way of being helpful to a new pastor. These details may be viewed at the Gottesdienst website, employed there in a training video: The Form of the Divine Service: Small Congregational Settings, see https://www.gottesdienst.org/videos 10. We believe that Bible classes should ordinarily be taught by those serving in the Public Ministry (AC XIV). 11. A pastor with some musical aptitude would be beneficial to us, since we are accustomed to a sung liturgy (including the pastor chanting) on Sundays and Feast Days, and we have a small liturgical choir that has been led by the pastor for some time that leads singing the Propers. 12. We desire a pastor who will aggressively reach out into our community, though without compromising our Lutheran doctrine and practice, willing to bring the Gospel to people in our community so that they might seek instruction in Lutheran doctrine towards membership in our congregation. 13. We believe that the Church’s mission, or purpose, is the preaching of repentance and the forgiveness of sins in the name of Jesus to all nations (St. Luke 24:27). 14. Our congregation’s purpose is first of all to receive the mercy of God through the Gospel, and, in receiving this mercy to live by it as we conduct ourselves toward one another and our neighbors (1 John 4:9-10). We wish to offer to a dying world the truth of Christ as the Scriptures reveal Him. 15. We believe that the Office of the Public Ministry is a gift from Christ, and we thank Him for having sent us faithful ministers to preach the law and the Gospel and administer His Sacraments. We pray for Him to send us another, and look forward to receiving his ministry among us with gladness of heart. Additional information about our congregation and community: 16. Our community is a relatively small town. Though there are many churches, there are also many unchurched people. Many are aimless. There is also evidence of poverty in some parts of town. 17. Our congregation’s history can be learned from consulting the booklet A Sesquicentennial Commemorative History 1862-2012: St. Paul’s Evangelical-Lutheran Church, Kewanee, Illinois. 18. We do not offer weddings or funerals to non-members, although exceptions to this rule are the prerogative of the pastor as he may find them open to membership. 19. We offer first communion before confirmation to any children who satisfy the pastor that they know at least the principle texts of the chief parts of the catechism and demonstrate a desire to receive the Sacrament. We have no minimal age requirements for first communion, though we maintain the customary confirmation age as coinciding with the end of junior high school. 20. We have women’s suffrage and women members of our church council, but not as Chairman or Vice-chairman. Only men may serve as elders or subdeacons. 21. Our congregation’s weaknesses: We will need a pastor! (our current pastor is to retire) We are small, and have gradually lost members as the community itself has shrunk in population and decreased in commerce. We have been frustrated meanwhile by a relative lack of success in gaining many new members. We do not currently have a Sunday School for children; we are open to fresh ideas toward pursuing this goal. 22. Our congregation’s strengths: We believe that our church is especially gifted in its offering of the full counsel of God with no gimmicks. We like to think of St. Paul’s as a place “where you know you’ve been to church!” This congregation has a long history of members willing to attend Sunday Bible Class and thereby continue to be catechized. Over the past three decades we have seen well over half of those in attendance at Divine Service on Sundays remaining for the class which follows. This congregation sees itself as a family, and has a fervent love for one another and is thankful that for many years we have not had to suffer the kinds of painful divisions as sometimes afflict congregations. Our leaders earnestly desire that all people learn of Jesus, and as we interact with the community we are pleased when we can invite them to visit us. 23. We believe in the power of the Word of God to create and sustain faith, and while we seek to do His will, we do not believe that any successes of the Church are ever creditable to our works. Rather, we pray that He would shower His mercy on us to grant us His grace in all our needs, so that we may continue to be a light and beacon of His Gospel in this place in the time to come, granting us wisdom and confidence to meet the challenges ahead. First draft November 15, 2023 Revised November 22, 2023 Choir Rehearsals Again Choir rehearsals are scheduled in preparation for Christmas, and as we did last year, we will be scheduling these rehearsals at 5:30 pm on Wednesdays, except on December 13th, when we intend to go caroling (see below). Choir members, please put these Wednesdays in December on your calendar: November 29th, December 6th, and we will possibly schedule a third rehearsal. Caroling and Party Dec. 13th We plan to go caroling on Wednesday, December 13th. Meet at the church at 5 p.m. We will visit some shut-ins, and end up at the church for Mass at 7. Afterwards all are invited to the Eckardts’ annual Christmas Party at their home. Shut ins Emmy Wear is at Williamsfield Retirement Center, 112 IL-180, Williamsfield, IL 61489; and Jewneel Walker is at Kewanee Care, 144 South Junior Ave, Kewanee, IL 61443. Pat Lagerhausen is at Royal Oaks, 605 E Church St, Kewanee IL 61443. Jim Watson is at home, 911 Zang Ave., Kewanee, IL 61443. Cookie Walk Sunday Dec. 10th Bring a batch of cookies to Bible Class on the 12th of December, and prepare to exchange for others. Cookie walk after church! Bible class follows. The Bell Tolls On the last Sunday of the year, we customarily toll the bell at prayers for each member of our parish who has died during the year. This year there was one death at St. Paul’s. At the prayer of the church, the bell tolls once for each of our dear members who fell asleep in Jesus, so it will toll once this year.
December Anniversaries none December Birthday 12/11 Kris Harden Special Masses Wednesdays Our 7 p.m. Wednesday masses during Advent will each observe a special day in the church’s year. Wednesday masses during Advent:
On December 13th we will also have caroling and a party, as explained in a nearby article. Another special mass will occur on Wednesday December 27th, which is St. John’s Day. Our midweek mass will observe that feast. Also, just prior to Advent, on November 29th we will observe St. Andrew’s Day (the actual day is November 30th). Decorating During Advent As is our custom, we decorate little by little during Advent, until finally all is complete for Christmas. This year we plan to put up the Advent wreath and the Christmas tree on Saturday, December 2nd (extra volunteers are sought for this). On Saturday, December 9th we will put up any remaining decorations needed, except that the array of poinsettias will not be set out until Christmas Eve. Advent III (Sunday, December 10th) is also called “Gaudete” or Joy Sunday, set in the midst of Advent. Roses are customarily set in place if available, and the rose (pink) candle on the wreath is lit. If you can, please put Saturday December 2nd on your calendar to help with the tree. It’s an opportunity for gathering with your fellow members for a little project. In Our Prayers Our current list of prayer intentions at mass includes the names on the lists here following. Anyone wishing to update the list by addition or subtraction, please inform the pastor. in our parish: Sharon Hartz, Bea Harris, Don and Sue Murphy, John Sovanski, Sandra VerPlaetse, John Ricknell, Linda Rowe, Jewneel Walker, Emmy Wear, Jim Watson, Bill Thompson, and Father Eckardt and beyond our parish: Jude Clapper, Anna, Katie, and Jodi Rutowicz, Julie Ross, Elizabeth Godke, Oneida Hendrickson, Janice Hart, Tim Newman, Theresa Moore, Kathy Boeger, Allison Leezer, Shannon Watson, Karen Parker, Richard Heiden, Jeanna Moore, Deloris Bitting, Jane Mueller, Denise VerPlaetse [Sandra’s daughter-in-law], Becca Adler, Glenda Miller, Wayne Becker, Sue Berg [wife of Pastor Peter Berg], Ray Moreland, Sandy Epperly [niece of the Murphys, having surgery],Pastor Justin Kane in the military: John Eckardt, Richard Heiden, Eli Wetzel, Traven Wetzel, Eric Verplaetse, Jake Mahaffey, James and Ann Lee Armstrong, Marcus Prentice in trouble: any unborn children in danger of abortion; Debra Reeves’s children Rae Beth and Drew Wayne, that they may be reunited; those suffering from unrest, persecution, and imprisonment in Israel, Nigeria, Ukraine, Pakistan, Belarus, China, North Korea, and elsewhere. Church Council As usual, the Church Council will meet the third Wednesday in the month, which is December 20th, 5:30. New Year’s Mass New Year’s Eve 7 pm on December 31st. We observe the Circumcision and Name of Jesus (January 1st). Altar Guild Notes Advent begins the first Sunday in December. The four Advent Sundays’ color is violet. If roses are obtained, they may be placed for the Third Sunday in Advent, December 17th. For midweek masses, the color changes each week: November 29th is red for St. Andrew (who was martyred); December 6th is white for St. Nicholas (who was not martyred); December 13th is red for St. Lucia (who was martyred); and December 20st is also red, for St. Thomas (who was martyred). Christmas Eve is on a Sunday. The morning mass is Advent IV, still violet, and then the first Christ Mass is at 7 p.m., and the color is changed to white. There is no Midnight Mass. On Christmas Day there is a 10 am mass also with white. St. John’s Day will be celebrated on the Wednesday after Christmas, December 27th. Color remains white. For New Year’s Eve (at 7:00 p.m.) the color is white. The color remains white in January. Poinsettias There will be a signup sheet in the narthex for poinsettias for Christmas. Help adorn our chancel with poinsettias by purchasing one for $18.00. You may then bring it home after Christmas Day (or anytime until Epiphany. St. Paul’s Ev. Lutheran Church 109 S. Elm Street Kewanee, IL 61443 10/26/2023 November 2023St. Paul’s Evangelical-Lutheran Church
109 S. Elm, Kewanee, Illinois 61443 Newsletter Volume 35 November 2023 No. 11 The End of All Things Adapted from an article written in 2007. There is a tendency among all of us, I think, to forget that Christ has made a definite promise to return in glory. If we don’t forget it, at least we put it off, thinking that it won’t happen anytime near our lifetimes. But this was not the thinking of the apostles, and if one takes seriously the words of our Lord pertaining to these things, then we’d have to conclude that it ought not to be in our thinking either. Jesus said, “Watch and pray,” and “the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.,” and gave other such warnings. For this reason the time of the church year which comes upon us during November and Advent is a helpful time. The emphasis in the readings is on the end of days, the end of all things. One can see in the thematic unity between the last three Sundays of the church year and the time of Advent that there was a time when it was all part of Advent, a seven-Sunday season, just about like Lent. The last few Sundays of the church year are sometimes referred to as All Saints’ tide, the time following All Saints Day; but really it’s hard to distinguish this from Advent, except that the paraments color is still green. It is in fact entirely possible that the end of all things could come during this generation. The signs are all fulfilled (actually they have been fulfilled since the first coming of Christ, which is why the apostles were so expectant); and in fact there are indications that the return of Christ is imminent. We don’t know when He will come, of course. It could be in hundreds of years, to be sure. But it also might be in twenty years, or ten years, or next year, or tomorrow. It really could be. As an interesting aside, a little-known writing of Martin Luther indicates that although he did not put much emphasis on guessing when Christ would return in glory, and recommended that in preparation one might well plant a tree (that is, be watchful but be responsible in this life as well, for he may not come as soon as you hope), nevertheless he did make a guess which he based on considerations of the breakdown of Biblical eras and the significant events of Scripture. His guess? Two thousand years after the Council of Jerusalem, which would be A.D. 2040. That would be just seventeen years from now! But it is most important to know not so much when He will return as that He will return, and judge the living and the dead, as we confess in our Creeds. Our preparation for this is therefore not in the ascertainment of possible dates, but in our most holy faith. Indeed Christ comes every Sunday, in the Blessed Sacrament. This, received in faith, is our best and noblest preparation against that day. + Pastor Eckardt On Immorality: The Way of the Lord and the Way of the WorldIn catechism class the other day we were considering the Sixth Commandment: You shall not commit adultery. It occurred to me afterwards that the things pertaining to that commandment are worth repeating. It’s worth constantly remembering that the Lord’s ways are not our ways, as He has said.: “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord” (Isaiah 55:8).That fact is nowhere more evident than when considering entertainment, particularly TV shows and movies. We are bombarded more than at any time in history with a way of life that is entirely contrary to what Scripture lays out as proper and good. Consider the matter of the sexual revolution which blew up to giant proportions in the 1960s, and in whose context we now still find ourselves. It is a common manner of life that men and women live together without marrying first. A generation ago there was still a sense of shame when people did this, generally in secret, because everyone understood the immorality of sharing a bed with someone not your spouse. That is no longer the case. In fact it is often assumed in our day that the idea of marrying first before living together is not a good idea! It’s said that you should find out if it’ll work before you get married. Such thinking is not only wrong, it is also misinformed, because statistics have been clear on this for a long time: marriages which occur after people live together without marriage are more likely to fail. What’s necessary as part of the Church’s outreach to this fallen world, therefore, is a call to repentance, just as was evident even in the preaching of John the Baptist and of Jesus Himself. The first matter when it comes to repentance is always a recognition that you have sinned. This is true of everyone, and is why we open every Sunday with confession and absolution. In the case of sexual immorality in particular one cannot be a follower of Jesus, a Christian, without first repenting and turning from a life of immorality, as Jesus Himself said, “You cannot serve God and mammon.” St. Paul makes it abundantly clear that Christian people must have a clear understanding of this: “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. . . . The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? . . . Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin] a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (I Corinthians 6:9-20). Sexual immorality is in fact a form of idolatry, even the most commonly evident form of it. Even when the Israelites made a golden calf in the wilderness, there was sexual immorality involved. As soon as Aaron made the calf for them, we are told, “they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play” (Exodus 32:6. The “play” to which they rose up was specifically sexual immorality, according to the term). Repentance must necessarily include a renunciation of one’s idols, whatever they are. And since only the one true God can give true peace and life, he who turns from serving idols to the true God finds in Him a new life of promise of everlasting life and abiding joy. No idol can provide this. Christ our Savior has purchased us with His own Blood, which is an undeniable demonstration of His eternal love. Such poor substitutes for the true God and Lord Jesus are all idols, whose allurements of happiness are fleeting and false. + Pastor Eckardt Special Voters’ Meeting SetYour Church Council has set a time for a special voters’ meeting on Sunday, November 5th during the Bible Class hour after mass. The single item on the agenda is a discussion of the matter of Pastor’s retirement in 2024. KFUO Radio Is Worth a ListenThe Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod has its own radio station, which is KFUO in St. Louis. It can be accessed anywhere in the world if you have a computer, at www.KFUO.org. One of its programs is called “Thy Strong Word,” which is hosted by Pastor Phil Booe of Minnesota. He has a different guest with him for each program, as together they study chapters of the Bible. Pastor Eckardt has been on the program several times, including most recently in late October. These programs can be accessed in their archive at any time. At the top, find, “Study,” and scroll down to “Thy Strong Word.” There you can find specific programs. This most recent time I was a guest was on Mark 2:13--3:6: Jesus calls Levi and has Dinner with Sinners. Have a listen, any time! Our Ushers:Jim Hornback, Steve Kraklow, Tom Wells November Anniversary 11/5 Steve and Berniece Harris November Birthdays 11/11 Tara Wagenknecht 11/19 Steve Kraklow 11/20 Jewneel Walker 11/30 Charlene Sovanski Elders and Vespers Elders meet on Tuesday, November 7th, the first Tuesday of the month, following Vespers at 6:45 pm. Church Council The monthly meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, November 15th, at 5:30 pm. Altar Guild Notes
Women’s Lunch Group Meets Every First Wednesday This month the group meets November 1st at Downtown Bakery in Kewanee, 206 N. Tremont. The first meeting was a great success. Several of our women met at Co Co’s in Kewanee for conversation and time together. To discuss further or share more ideas, talk to Carol Eckardt or call her at 309-852-2460. Mark your calendar! Pastor Eckardt’s Health - update Since I received a cortisone injection early in October I am pleased to say that my sciatica seems to have subsided. Thanks be to God! Although I am still dealing with spinal issues associated with aging, they are under control for now. And as for my Parkinson’s Disease, it seems to be still in the early stages, as it has been for about four years, another reason to be thankful. Your prayers have produced some welcome fruit! It’s a Matter of What You Believe Burnell Eckardt Gottesblog, 25 October 2023 People notice how pastors conduct the ceremonies of the Divine Service, though they generally aren’t likely to put what they notice into words. One pastor tends to be folksy in his conduct, another formal. One service is conducted with great solemnity, another with more of a sense of familiarity and of a personal touch. I think it’s all a matter of what you believe. Put bluntly, if you really believe that the Incarnate One is present in your ceremony, you will act accordingly. Suddenly it’s no longer just a matter of talking about Jesus but of actually being in His presence, as though He were standing right next to you. And even, to venture deeper into this idea, it’s a matter of understanding just who He is who is, as it were, standing right next to you. He is loving, but He who is loving is the Almighty. He is kind, yet His kindness is not merely that of a close friend, but an expression of His eternal attribute of mercy. He is God. That’s not just a catechism answer; it’s a reality. And since, as God, He is indeed present in a very personal way at the altar—in the Holy Sacrament in particular—His presence ought never be denigrated in the slightest way when aspects of His humanity are emphasized. If we expend all our efforts in attempting to portray Him as being very personal, we will necessarily run the risk of losing sight of the fact that He is also eternal. He is a consuming fire. He is the one who appeared to Moses in the burning bush. And even now, that He has become Incarnate, He sits at the right hand of the Father in glory. This is impossible fully to grasp, as the Apostle indicates: O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! (Romans 11:33). I fear that when pastors expend all their liturgical energy trying to make people feel comfortable in the presence of a personally friendly Jesus, they end up planting in the minds and hearts of their people a sense that He is actually less than their Creator, the One in whom they live and move and have their being. And they do their people a great disservice thereby. Examples of this abound, and nowhere more clearly than in this extreme case, though even the less extreme cases are problematic. But maybe it’s because pastors who behave this way haven’t quite come to terms with the reality themselves. I for one have a very hard time believing that a liturgist whose first desire is to impress friendliness and ease upon the people, to make them laugh, feel comfortable, invited, and welcome, believes that he is actually standing next to the eternal God in the flesh. Get on your knees, man! Don’t you know who is present here? In the end, it’s all a matter of what you really believe. Are you or are you not standing on holy ground, in the presence of the Incarnate God? Thanksgiving Mass As usual we will observe Thanksgiving on the Wednesday Evening before the day, which will be November 22nd, at 7 pm. This is an important occasion for giving thanks to the Lord for all His benefits. Shut ins Emmy Wear at Williamsfield Home in Williamsfield; Jewneel Walker at Kewanee Care, Pathina Lagerhausen (new Kewanee resident) at Royal Oaks in Kewanee, Jim Watson, occasionally, at home. Bea Hassis, occasionally, at home. In Our Prayers Our current list of prayer intentions at mass includes the names on the lists here following. To update the list please inform the pastor in our parish: Sharon Hartz, Bea Harris, Don and Sue Murphy, John Sovanski, Sandra VerPlaetse, John Ricknell, Linda Rowe, Jewneel Walker, Emmy Wear, Jim Watson, Bill Thompson, and Father Eckardt and beyond our parish: Jude Clapper, Anna, Katie, and Jodi Rutowicz, Julie Ross, Elizabeth Godke, Oneida Hendrickson, Janice Hart, Tim Newman, Theresa Moore, Kathy Boeger, Allison Leezer, Shannon Watson, Karen Parker, Richard Heiden, Jeanna Moore, Deloris Bitting, Jane Mueller, Denise VerPlaetse [Sandra’s daughter-in-law], Becca Adler, Glenda Miller, Wayne Becker, Sue Berg [wife of Pastor Peter Berg], Ray Moreland, Sandy Epperly [niece of the Murphys, having surgery],Pastor Justin Kane in the military: John Eckardt, Richard Heiden, Eli Wetzel, Traven Wetzel, Eric Verplaetse, Jake Mahaffey, James and Ann Lee Armstrong, Marcus Prentice in trouble: any unborn children in danger of abortion; Debra Reeves’s children Rae Beth and Drew Wayne, that they may be reunited; those suffering from unrest, persecution, and imprisonment in Israel, Nigeria, Ukraine, Pakistan, Belarus, China, North Korea, and elsewhere. Persecution Details (from Voice of the Martyrs Canada www.vomcanada.com) NIGERIA 12 October 2023 Dozens of Christians Kidnapped, Others Killed Violence against Christians continues unabated in many areas of Nigeria, as recently published reports indicate that militants are increasingly invading villages to kill, injure and kidnap dozens of believers – destroying their homes and church buildings in the process. While the kidnappings are frequently financially motivated, Christians are often the primary targets of radical Islamists' attacks. PAKISTAN 5 October 2023 Christian Boy Beaten for Alleged Blasphemy A young Christian boy was recently badly beaten by his Muslim schoolteacher after he allegedly committed a blasphemous act in class. The incident, which took place in the Pakistani city of Khanewal, has raised concerns about the lack of religious tolerance and justice in the community. On September 7th, the student was sitting in class with a workbook in front of him. Unable to properly read it, he fiddled with the book and ended up making some rips and tears of its pages. When the teacher saw what he had done, the boy was severely beaten and accused of blasphemy because the book included verses from the Quran. The child was so badly injured during the beating that he ended up in hospital fighting for his life. At last report, the boy was recuperating at home with his family. No further reports on his present condition, and the safety of this Christian family, have been provided. Regrettably, such incidents frequently result in social stigma, as well as physical dangers from potential mob violence. In addition, there have been no reports of any police action being taken against the abusive teacher. St. Paul’s Ev. Lutheran Church 109 S. Elm Street Kewanee, IL 61443 10/26/2023 October 26th, 2023St. Paul’s Evangelical-Lutheran Church
109 S. Elm, Kewanee, Illinois 61443 Newsletter Volume 35 October 2023 No. 10 The Great King Josiah From Gottesblog, September 15, 2023 I continue to find extraordinary things to ponder when I read the Bible. Just the other day I reread the account of the good king Josiah and his sweeping reforms (2 Kings 21 – 23). What a spectacular reformation that was! No doubt because his reign began when he was only eight years old, it was begun at an age of the innocence of his childhood, that is, of unfamiliarity with the wickedness of his father Amon. Amon’s wickedness, by contrast, was a continuation of the wickedness of his father Manasseh, whose reputation in Holy Writ is that in his abominations he has done “wickedly above all that the Amorites did, with were before him,” and that he “made Judah also to sin with his idols,” Including the shedding of innocent blood, most especially the blood of his own children in sacrifice to his idols. Like father, like son: Amon was just as bad. But not Josiah; he was profoundly different. He had not been with his father long enough to learn from him the perverse ways of wickedness. Here we note in passing the profound responsibility fathers have in setting an example for their children. Josiah was determined to do what was right. In his eighteenth year he began to enact some transformational changes. Whether that was when he was 18 years old or when he was king for 18 years is unclear; since his reign in total was 31 years, I’m guessing these reforms began earlier rather than later. His biblical legacy is that there was no king before or after him that turned to the Lord like he did, with all his heart, soul, and might (2 Kings 23:25). So he ordered the high priest and company to begin needed repairs and cleansing of the temple, and these repairs were to be thorough. And it happened that in the process of cleaning things out, Hilkiah the high priest found the book of the law in the house of the Lord, and brought it to the king. And Josiah was overwhelmed at this discovery and rent his clothes, and became convinced that the wickedness of the people the wrath of God had been kindled against them, “because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book” (2 Kings 22:13). And he sent the high priest to inquire about this among the people, who did so, until he found Huldah the prophetess who came with the Lord’s reply. Perhaps an indication of how badly the people had turned is in this rare instance a prophetess, a female, being used to give the Lord’s reply. And the reply from the Lord was one of mercy toward Josiah “because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD . . . and hast rent thy clothes” (2 Kings 22:19). And so it was that Josiah in this humility ordered the utter destruction of all idolatrous altars, and high places, and groves, and the killing of the priests of Baal. He even exhumed the bodies of idolatrous priests and burned them to ashes (We note in passing how burial is clearly respect for the dead and cremation is not!). And then followed a great Passover, that was greater than any Passover prior in all the history of Israel (2 Kings 23:22). All these great reforms happened due to the humble, honest, faithful determination of one young King Josiah, a great example for faith to follow. And in this too, he took no credit for any of it, but instead owned the wickedness reputation he had inherited by rending his clothes. And why not be humble? For even our Lord Jesus followed this pattern of humility, for He was after all the Son of Josiah, and in a more profound way owned the wicked reputation of all mankind that He inherited, and also more profoundly than in the case of Josiah had His garments torn from Him, and was crucified. We may also compare the fact that Josiah’s faithfulness was recognizable early in his life, as was Jesus’ faithfulness: recall how the doctors of the law were so impressed with him in the temple at age twelve. And as Josiah barely knew his father, Jesus who is greater, knew no earthly father at all, being virgin-born. And as faith in Israel was rare in Josiah’s day, so also in Jesus’ day: He once declared that He had not seen faith like that of the centurion in all Israel (Matthew 8:10). And as the writer declares that Josiah’s heart was toward the Lord, so Jesus, who is greater, hears a declaration from heaven that God is well pleased with Him. And He also, in a greater way than Josiah, had a great Passover, namely the greatest of all, by the institution of the Blessed Sacrament. And in a greater way than the people benefitted from Josiah’s great reforms, the Church of all history benefits eternally from the great deeds of our Lord Jesus Christ and His resurrection from the dead. So in many ways Josiah, whose reign was late in the history of the kings of Israel, was a final and clear harbinger of the coming of the King of kings and His eternal kingdom. For a greater than Josiah is here. + Pastor Eckardt Our Ushers:Jim Hornback, Steve Kraklow, Tom Wells October Anniversary 10/4 Linda and Larry Rowe October Birthdays 10/1 Sue Murphy 10/2 Diana Shreck 10/24 Eric Meaker 10/28 Carmen Sovanski 10/29 Svetlana Meaker 10/30 Sharon Hartz Altar Guild Notes
Shut ins Emmy Wear at Williamsfield Home in Williamsfield; Jewneel Walker at Kewanee Care, Pathina Lagerhausen (new Kewanee resident) at Royal Oaks in Kewanee, Jim Watson, occasionally, at home. Elders and Vespers Elders meet on Tuesday, October 11th (moved to the second Tuesday this month, following Vespers at 6:45 pm. Church Council The monthly meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, October 18th at 5:30 pm. Our Lectionary Most of those at worship won’t even notice, but we have made a slight alteration in the lectionary beginning this year. (The Lectionary is the appointed readings for the year). We will no longer be observing the ‘Michaelmas skip’ which, beginning on September 29th (Michaelmas) skips a number of Sundays depending on how long the Trinity season is in any given year. The reason for this was published in the Christmas 2022 issue of Gottesdienst: The article explaining it follows here: A Change in the Calendar Burnell F Eckardt Since the year 2008, Gottesdienst has been providing annually a sanctoral calendar for Sundays throughout the year for our readers. Every Christmas issue since then, a calendar has been made available for the following year. As those who have used the calendar are aware, we have observed what’s called the “Michaelmas skip” when coming to the Sundays after Michaelmas, September 29th. But recently new evidence has come to light that has led to a change for 2023. Exhaustive research has been done by Fr. Stefan Gramenz and Fr. Evan Scamman, representatives from the Lutheran Missal editorial board, leading toward the production of a new Lutheran Missal, and the results of this research were presented at the St. Michael Conference at Zion in Detroit this year. We learned from them that there was a much greater consensus among dioceses of Western Christendom than previously thought regarding the lectionary for the church year. These men, with whom I spoke the next day, also indicated to me that they found no authority for the Michaelmas skip anywhere among the historic sources, a consensus of which instead simply count the Sundays after Trinity in order until the last, when finally a skip to Trinity 27 is made. In addition, the editors of Gottesdienst share a desire that it’s helpful to move toward uniformity in such matters, and inasmuch as a great number of our churches have never included the skip, we thought it would be prudent for us at this time to discontinue it as well. The calendar provided in this issue does not make the Michaelmas skip, though readers who wish to continue using it will find an asterisk where it would take place; of course they will need to find their own information for some of the Sundays. In addition, we are recommending that the Festival of the Reformation be observed on its day, October 31st, though the option of observing it on the last Sunday of October, an American custom, is also indicated with an asterisk. [note: at St. Paul’s we will continue to follow the option of observing Reformation Day on the last Sunday of October] In Our Prayers Our current list of prayer intentions at mass includes the names on the lists here following. To update the list please inform the pastor in our parish: Sharon Hartz, Bea Harris, Don and Sue Murphy, John Sovanski, Sandra VerPlaetse, John Ricknell, Linda Rowe, Jewneel Walker, Emmy Wear, Jim Watson, Bill Thompson and Father Eckardt and beyond our parish: Jude Clapper, Anna, Katie, and Jodi Rutowicz, Julie Ross, Elizabeth Godke, Oneida Hendrickson, Janice Hart, Tim Newman, Theresa Moore, Kathy Boeger, Allison Leezer, Shannon Watson, Karen Parker, Richard Heiden, Jeanna Moore, Deloris Bitting, Jane Mueller, Denise VerPlaetse [Sandra’s daughter-in-law], David Ricknell, Sarah Massey [Larry Campbell’s daughter], Becca Adler, Glenda Miller, Wayne Becker, Sue Berg [wife of Pastor Peter Berg], Pastor Justin Kane in the military: John Eckardt, Richard Heiden, Eli Wetzel, Traven Wetzel, Eric Verplaetse, Jake Mahaffey, James and Ann Lee Armstrong, Marcus Prentice in trouble any unborn children in danger of abortion Debra Reeves’s children Rae Beth and Drew Wayne, flood victims in Libya, those suffering from unrest, persecution, and imprisonment in Pakistan, Libya, China, North Korea, and elsewhere. Pastor Eckardt’s Health - update I’ve been dealing with a pinched sciatic nerve for the past several weeks. I also have spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spinal column that leads to this kind of thing. Not too long ago I was under the impression that this was all a rapid increase in Parkinson’s, but that turned out, thankfully, not to be the case. What I must deal with instead is this sciatica, caused by an extruded disk, which is essentially a slipped disc that can’t go back where it should be. Often this sort of thing requires surgery. But in the middle of September I met with a surgeon who advised me that the kind of surgery that would correct this impingement is a great risk for Parkinson’s patients. He spoke to me about two patients he had, who were in the early stage of Parkinson’s (as I am) but who came out of the surgery suddenly finding themselves in a greatly advanced condition. It has become clear to me that this is not a risk I am prepared to take, and the surgeon himself advised against the surgery. Instead, I have been directed to a pain specialist who is prepared to give me a cortisone injection to help with the symptoms of the impingement. It is possible that over time the disk extrusion I have will be absorbed into my body as I heal. There is also the further hope that by taking care not to lift heavy things and get some core strengthening exercises I’ll be in much better condition. If that happens, it will be a very good thing indeed that I didn’t have the surgery! Won’t have needed it, perhaps! In the meantime, as I await the injection (scheduled for the first week in October), I have already noticed some great improvements in my mobility. I am very thankful for that, and also convinced that your prayers played a big role in it. Thank you all for your prayers and concern. God is good! A Women’s Lunch Group Is in the Works Carol Eckardt would like to see if something regular can be arranged, whether monthly or bimonthly, at a time and place most convenient for everyone. The tentative place for the first gathering is Co Co’s in Kewanee, at 12 noon on Wednesday, October 4th. To discuss further or share ideas, talk to Carol or call her at 309-852-2460. St. Paul’s Ev. Lutheran Church 109 S. Elm Street Kewanee, IL 61443 8/30/2023 September 2023Family Prayers
We of course understand that weekly worship is critical for Christian people, and we assemble every Sunday for just that reason, Sunday being the best day on which to do it because that is the day on which Jesus rose from the dead. And some of us take advantage also of Wednesday evening masses here at St. Paul’s, a second opportunity in the week to hear the word and receive the Blessed Sacrament. But Christian habits pertaining to the necessity that the Word of God should always be on our hearts, in our minds, and on our lips need to take it further than that, as also every Christian should know. It is critical to send time every day paying heed to the Word of God, as the Psalmist also says, “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice” (Psalm 55:117), and again, “Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever” (Psalm 145:2). There is also an entire Psalm—the 119th—that dedicates eight lines to each of the 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet, and drives home how high and noble and worthy of continual meditation is the Word of God. There the Psalmist waxes eloquent about the value of the Word, repeating the point in a myriad of ways: “I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways. I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word. . . . Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counselors. . . . I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved. . . . My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved; and I will meditate in thy statutes. . . . How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! . . . I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold. . . .” The Psalmist goes on and on about the inestimable value and riches of the Word of God. That is why, in practical terms, Christian people need to form some good habits that have them returning daily to the Word of God and prayer. Sundays only are not nearly enough. So, as I have put forth on other occasions some simple orders of family prayer to use at home, the most traditional being a simplified order of Matins or Vespers that is found in the hymnal. One person alone may follow the order, or a family together. Or, here’s another idea: this is a basic outline that plays off the Morning and Evening Prayer section we find in the catechism. There we simply have this: Morning Prayer In the morning, when you get up, make the sign of the holy cross and say: In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Then, kneeling or standing, repeat the [Apostles’] Creed and the Lord’s Prayer. If you choose, you may also say this little prayer . . . And then follows what is commonly known as “Luther’s Morning Prayer.” Evening Prayer is identical, except that the little prayer at the end is “Luther’s Evening Prayer.” In addition, once a day, either of these simple forms can be expanded. At our home, Carol and I sit down every morning and expand the Morning Prayer, by inserting after the opening invocation the words of a Psalm, a section of Scripture, and one of the meditations in my book Every Day Will I Bless Thee, which provides an appointed psalm and reading (copies are available for purchase at church). Or you could simply add to your prayers a chapter of the Bible every day, following the chapters in order. You may also add a hymn. Choose, for a suggestion, the Hymn of the Day from Sunday and sing that, right out of your home hymnal. It’s important to choose your order and follow it every day, because that way you get in the habit; we are all creatures of habit. So let’s cultivate the best of habits in our daily prayers. For, as the Psalmist says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” + Pastor Eckardt All Scheduling Tentative, Pending Pastor’s Test Results and Scheduling Due to the pending results of Pastor’s MRI procedure, we will await confirmation of all scheduled events in September. As most of you know, the initial diagnosis is of a pinched sciatic nerve, the result of which is impaired ability to walk. At this point we are unsure of whether there will be a need for surgery, and if so, what the scheduling will look like. Our hope and expectation, and prayer, is that the condition can be corrected, but we do not know whether, if there is surgery, there may be a weeks-long recovery process. Special Voters Assembly The Council has scheduled a Special Voters’ Meetijng for Sunday, September 10th, as the first portion of Bible Class hour, to decide on the matter of the church’s sign. Our Ushers: Jim Hornback, Tom Wells, Steve Kraklow. September Anniversaries 9/18/1976 Tom and Sue Ann Wells 9/19/1993 Jeff and Tara Wagenknecht Wednesday Evening Masses We observe Holy Cross Day (September 145h) on Wednesday, September 13th; and St. Matthew’s Day (September 21st) on Wednesday, September 20th. Wednesday masses are scheduled every Wednesday at 7 pm. Sources of Western Culture By Stefan Gramenz, at Gottesblog (www.gottesdienst.org) August 11, 2023 I think it’s a fairly common occurrence for anyone who has spent a great deal of time and energy in a particular field — any field, really — to wonder, after a while, if he has really just been wasting his time. When you focus intently on something so seemingly minute for so long, it can be quite difficult to see how it fits into the broader world and the wider scope of reality. After spending years sifting through sometimes nearly indecipherable documents with frustrating lacunae and unspoken underlying assumptions, and subsequently comparing lectionary and textual traditions across countries and centuries, the whole endeavor of liturgical scholarship can seem a bit feeble in the face of the daunting challenges in front of us, both within the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and in the Church and world at large. But then you stumble across something like this: “The history of medieval liturgy must be treated as one of the main sources of western culture." This judgment, by eminent contemporary liturgists, must be endorsed by all who deal with the medieval world. Christian civilization and devotion were based on and inspired by the liturgy: the development of chivalry and ethics to some extent stems from the 12th-century growth of Marian worship. 'The clergy ... absorbed all the functions of a literary class’ since the arts of drawing, writing, and painting were confined almost exclusively to liturgical books prepared by clerics, and since medieval writers examined the principles of thought, language, speech, and grammar through the exegesis of liturgical texts. The influence of the Franciscans on poetry, at least in England, has been widely explored; largely unknown is the influence of truly liturgical poetry in such genres as the prosa and rhymed office. Education began with the Psalter, and readings and chants were carried into daily life to inspire love songs and epics: computation, formula, and calculation derive from work with problems of the calendar. From the need to explain and summarize the increasing complexity of the services, the principles of organization, abstraction, and generalization were worked out. Whether cloistered or not, man ordered his day by the services and the church bell signalling them, and his year by the succession of church feasts, and he examined all his actions and related them to his religion.” (Medieval Manuscripts for Mass and Office: A Guide to their Organization and Terminology by Andrew Hughes, par. 10) The western world, as we know it, finds much of its origin in not only a generic Christian faith, together with a conscience informed by that faith, but also in the lived reality of that faith, ordered and structured and governed as it was by the liturgical life of the Church. And while this could lead simply to a nostalgia for “a loveliness irreparably lost,” it is also, I think, a reminder of what could be. I don’t expect that the 21st century western world will suddenly turn on its heels and once again order its life around the ebb and flow of the Church’s life, but I do think that Christian life and culture, lived in their fullness, can have an extraordinary influence on the course of the world once again, even as we have seen in the past. The end of all liturgy is to do just this — to bring people to Christ, to open up for the people of God His saving works, and then to order their lives according to this faith, whether in the daily rhythms of the Divine Office, the weekly ritual of the Sunday mass, or the times and tides of the Church’s year. To put it quite simply, the telos of the liturgy is making Christians and preserving them in the faith. That is why, of course, we have such battles over the liturgy and various forms and manners of worship — because we all know implicitly that Prosper of Aquitaine’s maxim is true, and that the real concern is never really what kind of songs we are going to sing, but what kind of Christians we are going to form and what kind of lives those Christians will lead. The foundational question is finally not about what we are going to pray, but about who we are going to be. That, as Hughes makes rather clear, is the outcome of all the church’s worship, whether we realize it or not. Pastor and Carol to Family Reunion September 6-9 An Eckardt family reunion in Wisconsin is planned, meaning that Pastor and Carol will be away from Wednesday September 6th to Saturday September 9th. there are no activities Wednesday, and no Bible Class on Saturday. September Elders, Vespers First Tuesday Vespers and Elders is scheduled for September 5th, with Vespers at 6:45 (for anyone who wants to attend) and the meeting following. Shut ins Emmy Wear at Williamsfield Home in Williamsfield; Jewneel Walker, at Kewanee Care; Bea Harris and Jim Watson, from time to time, at home. St Michael Conference The annual St. Michael Conference is scheduled in Detroit on Monday, September 25th. Rev. Dr. Karl Fabrizius is to be the keynote speaker, speaking on “Water Flowing from the Temple: Bringing Life to Every Creature” Fr. Fabrizius will explore and expound on the importance of Ezekiel's river from the temple in connection with your preaching. The preacher should not be content with the stagnant pools at the edge of the river of life, but swim in the rushing currents that bring life to the nations. As usual, our pastor is scheduled for a workshop as well, leaving Sunday afternoon the 24th and returning on Tuesday. Catechism is canceled on Tuesday, the 26th. Altar Guild Sundays in September are all GREEN. Wednesdays September 7th, GREEN September 13th, RED (for Holy Cross Day) September 20th, RED (for St. Matthew’s Day) September Birthdays 9/1 John Ricknell 9/10 Jan Schoen 9/19 Jaclyn Kraklow 9/19 Jamie Kraklow 9/20 Derrick Baker September Council Meeting The September Council meeting is set for the third Wednesday (as usual), which is September 20th, at 5:30 p.m. In Our Prayers Our list of prayer intentions at mass includes the names on the lists below. To update the lists please inform pastor.in our parish: Sharon Hartz, Bea Harris, Don and Sue Murphy, John Sovanski, Sandra VerPlaetse, John Ricknell, Linda Rowe, Jewneel Walker, Emmy Wear, Jim Watson, Bill Thompson and Father Eckardt and beyond our parish: Jude Clapper, Anna, Katie, and Jodi Rutowicz, Julie Ross, Elizabeth Godke, Oneida Hendrickson, Janice Hart, Tim Newman, Theresa Moore, Kathy Boeger, Allison Leezer, Shannon Watson, Karen Parker, Richard Heiden, Brock Tumbleson, Jeanna Moore, Deloris Bitting, Jane Mueller, Jessica Wetzel [Kris Harden’s Daughter], Megan Rowe [Linda’s daughter-in-law], Pastor Justin Kane in the military: John Eckardt, Richard Heiden, Eli Wetzel, Traven Wetzel, Eric Verplaetse, Jake Mahaffey, James and Ann Lee Armstrong, Marcus Prentice in trouble: unborn children in danger of abortion; Debra Reeves’s children Rae Beth and Drew Wayne, that they may be reunited; those suffering from unrest, persecution, and imprisonment in Pakistan, Belarus, China, North Korea, and elsewhere. Persecution Details (from www.persecution.net) PAKISTAN: Mass Violence After Blasphemy Accusations 24 August 2023 On August 16th, thousands of people stormed a Christian colony in Jaranwala, a town located in the Faisalabad district of Punjab. Angered by allegations of blasphemy, and spurred on by urgent announcements that had been broadcasted over mosque loudspeakers, the incited mob either damaged or utterly destroyed up to 26 church buildings and as many as 400 homes. Thankfully, there were no reports of casualties following this recent attack. Please take the time to view the informative video alert that VOMC released the next day, which includes footage of the actual attacks. This incident was sparked after two Christian brothers, named Rocky Saleem Masih and Raja Amir Saleem Masih, had been burning waste paper. Accusations that they were desecrating pages of the Quran ensued. Three local men also produced a letter that allegedly contained blasphemous comments about Muhammad. The brothers have been detained and charged under Pakistan's blasphemy laws. Members of the military and police force were called in to stop the rampage, and their emergency intervention eventually settled the protestors. While the violence had abated in the days that followed, underlying tensions remain. The government has publicly condemned the attacks, and more than 100 warrants of arrest have been issued against the rioters. Governing leaders have promised to help the victims rebuild, but the survivors are sceptical. BELARUS: More Harassment and Sentences for New Life Church 24 August 2023 For several years, the New Life Church in Minsk has faced opposition from the government, including the complete destruction of their place of worship on June 20th. (For more details, click here.) That act of destruction, however, did not stop ongoing harassment from government officials. Each summer, the church organizes camps for children. Unfortunately, on July 10th, a bus carrying 50 children overturned on a poorly maintained road. Thankfully, there were no serious injuries nor any complaints. Even the state-controlled media published a report blaming the poor road conditions for the accident. However, the next day, the district tax office demanded financial reports from the church, along with any records between the church and the bus company. It is believed that the accident is now being used as an excuse to further harass the church. On July 25th, the church's website was blocked by the government without warning. It was discovered that the prosecutor has banned the website for six months, alleging that the church was publishing "extremist" information, along with inciting threats to national security. A hearing regarding this case was scheduled for August 25th. The government's opposition continued on August 14th when Pastor Vyacheslav Goncharenko's house was searched by officers from the Organized Crime and Corruption Department. The pastor, along with his son-in-law, Ilya Budai, who serves as the church's youth pastor, were arrested. The next day, Pastor Ilya was sentenced to five days' detention for allegedly waving his arms and swearing at the police – an accusation strongly denied by a witness. The sentencing for Pastor Vyacheslav's detention was ten days. The authorities gave no explanation for the senior pastor's arrest, but it is believed that his detention may have been extended in order to keep him from attending the August 25th hearing in regards to the alleged publishing of "extremist materials." CHINA: Infirmed Pastor Handcuffed in Hospital 24 August 2023 Pastor Ru Zongren, who suffers from kidney failure, was in the hospital for kidney dialysis on July 30th when police handcuffed him to his bed. He was detained in the hospital for five hours before finally being released. Originally from a rural area of Anhui Province, Pastor Ru came to faith in Christ at an early age through the Christian witness of his parents. He eventually went on to study theology, graduating from seminary in 2007, prior to returning to his hometown where he has compassionately served the community since. Through his faithful ministry over the years, the Chengxi Christian Church has grown to establish a membership presently consisting of about 400 believers. In May 2015, when local urban management officials entered the community, they destroyed the church's building. As Pastor Ru attempted to stop them, he was strangled and badly beaten. His injuries resulted in the permanent kidney damage he is dealing with today. The reasons behind his recent detention in the hospital are unclear. Over the years, Pastor Ru has frequently encountered harassment from government officials, including added surveillance during times that were considered by authorities as "sensitive." St. Paul’s Ev. Lutheran Church 109 S. Elm Street Kewanee, IL 61443 6/19/2023 July - August 2023St. Paul’s Evangelical-Lutheran Church
109 S. Elm, Kewanee, Illinois 61443 Newsletter Volume 35 July, August 2023 No. 7-8 The Great Commission and the Ordination of Women This is a blog post I published at Gottesdienst.org in May – Pastor Evidently the Southern Baptists are still trying valiantly to hold the line against the ordination of women. The latest has been the expulsion of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, where Rick Warren took the brazen step of ordaining three women, in direct opposition to the Southern Baptist’s declaration, “While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by scripture.” Warren’s response to the expulsion was to take to Tweet, “Friends worldwide: I’m so touched by your love! Kay and I love you back!” Whether that’s meant sarcastically for the leadership or as a thank you toward those who have reached out to them since their expulsion is unclear. What is clear is that Warren, who had previously opposed women’s ordination, changed his mind. And the reason, he said, is not that he had been “caving in to culture . . . becoming a liberal.” Rather, it’s because of the Great Commission. Here’s his view of Matthew 28:18: "There are four verbs in the Great Commission: go, make disciples, baptise and teach. Men and women are to do all four things. Women are to go, women are to make disciples. Women are to baptise and women are to teach. You can’t say: 'Well, the first two are for men and women, but the second two are only for men.' The Great Commission was given to every person; not just men and not just ordained people." So here’s a guy who claims he believes the Bible saying he’s convinced by the Bible that women should be ordained. The Southern Baptist Convention disagrees, and so far have held sway, but some pretty powerful voices are convincing a great number of people that the ordination of women is the right way to go. And that kind of logic ought to make Missouri Synod Lutherans sit up and take notice. Because the very same kind of language has been central to Missouri Synod thinking for some time now. The Great Commission has for years been a kind of shibboleth for the Missouri Synod. It’s a trump card in debates; it overrides reasoned arguments and is almost ubiquitous in congregational statements about who they are. Virtually everybody bows and scrapes to the Great Commission. And the Great Commission itself is almost universally misunderstood and misapplied in the Missouri Synod, in pretty much the same way as Rick Warren has done. Warren’s fatal error is in his first assumption. The Great Commission was not given to every person. It was given to the Apostles. There was no multitude, no assembly of Christians. Not even the Blessed Virgin was present on the mountain where Jesus gave it. Only “the eleven disciples.” Strictly speaking, this is about His authority: “all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore . . .” He makes these specific disciples His sent ones, His Apostles, fully enduing them with His own authority. Specifically, His authority to teach, as He says here. And in that He says “lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world,” He clearly means that this teaching office and authority will continue through the ones they will ordain after them, and so also until the end of the world. And so they themselves rightly determined, or rather assumed, that the ones they will ordain must be men like themselves, as the leadership of Israel were throughout history, going right back to the Creation, when God made Adam first, and then Eve out of his side. Since Christ also is male, being the Second Adam, any personal representative of Him could hardly be female, because that’s simply not the way things were made. Accordingly, St. Peter’s first requirement for a replacement for Judas was that it be a male: “Wherefore of these men (ανδρων) which have companied with us . . .” (Acts 1:21). This interpretation is of course fully consistent with St. Paul’s strict proscription: “I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence” (I Tim. 2:12). Warren’s interpretation says nothing at all about the Pauline proscription, and not surprisingly, because it’s in direct contradiction to what he says. But it doesn’t matter, because Warren played the trump card. All this is recounted here to demonstrate how very vulnerable we have become in our own churches to similar forays of faulty logic. Let the Great Commission govern everything, and soon you’ll find yourself ordaining women. Just follow Warren’s logic. It’s only a matter of time. + Pastor Eckardt Wednesday Evening Masses There is no mass scheduled on Wednesday, July 12t or July 19th. Pastor and Carol will be on vacation. Tentatively Wednesday masses are scheduled at 7 pm on all the other Wednesdays in July and August. July, August Anniversaries August: 8/1/2009 Chris and Trista Dooley 8/1/1981 Larry and Michele Campbell 8/13/2022 Derek and Felicia Baker Altar Guild Notes
Catechism Resumes in August Junior Catechism will resume on Tuesday, August 22nd, at 5:00 in the afternoon. Church Council The council will be meeting on July 26th, the fourth Wednesday in the month, as Pastor will be away on the 19th. In August, the scheduled meeting is for Wednesday, August 16th, the usual time. July and August Birthdays July: 7/2 Dana McReynolds 7/4 Sarah Kraklow 7/5 Sandra Verplaetse 7/7 Stephen Harris 7/9 Michelle Armstrong 7/10 Otis Anderson 7/13 Gayle Beauprez 7/14 Father Eckardt 7/14 Elizabeth Dooley August: 8/11 Sam Fisher 8/11 Judy Thompson 8/13 Donald Murphy 8/16 Trista Dooley 8/21 John Sovanski On Vacation I will be away for vacation from July 10th to the 21st. Matins will be held on Sunday the 16th, a service without communion. The subdeacons will lead the service which consists of psalms, hymns, canticles, readings, and the reading of a sermon by pastor. There is no mass on Wednesday the 12t or the 19th. I return on Friday the 21st.. This matins service will again be offered on Sunday, July 30th, when Pastor will be at the LCMS Convention in Milwaukee. + Pastor Eckardt In Our Prayers Our list of prayer intentions at mass includes the names on the lists below. To update the lists please inform pastor. in our parish: Sharon Hartz, Bea Harris, Don and Sue Murphy, John Sovanski, Sandra VerPlaetse, John Ricknell, Linda Rowe, Jewneel Walker, Emmy Wear, Jim Watson, Bill Thompson and beyond our parish: Jude Clapper, Anna, Katie, and Jodi Rutowicz, Julie Ross, Elizabeth Godke, Oneida Hendrickson, Janice Hart, Tim Newman, Theresa Moore, Kathy Boeger, Allison Leezer, Shannon Watson, Karen Parker, Richard Heiden, Brock Tumbleson, Jeanna Moore, Don Bitting, Jane Mueller, Jessica Wetzel [Kris Harden’s Daughter], Megan Rowe [Linda’s daughter-in-law], Pastor Justin Kane in the military: John Eckardt, Richard Heiden, Eli Wetzel, Traven Wetzel, Eric Verplaetse, Jake Mahaffey, James and Ann Lee Armstrong, Marcus Prentice in trouble: unborn children in danger of abortion; Debra Reeves’s children Rae Beth and Drew Wayne, that they may be reunited; those suffering from unrest, persecution, and imprisonment in Pakistan, Libya, China, North Korea, and elsewhere. Church Picnic Our picnic is scheduled for Sunday, July 9th, at Windmont Park. Same place as last year, and again a potluck. Mark your calendar. Our Ushers: Jim Hornback, Tom Wells, Steve Kraklow. Elders Our June elders meeting was late in the month, and July is looking very difficult for finding an open Tuesday, so our next elders meeting will not be until Tuesday, August 1st at the usual time. Vespers at 6:45 (for anyone who wants to attend); meeting at 7:15. Persecution Details (from Voice of the Martyrs Canada www.vomcanada.com) PAKISTAN 8 June 2023 A 22-year-old Pakistani Christian was sentenced to death for blasphemy on May 30th. Noman Masih was found guilty of blaspheming against the Muslim prophet Muhammad because of the pictures he was accused of distributing in 2019. The incident began when Noman’s cousin, Sunny Waqas, was taken into custody on June 29th, 2019. The police claimed to have received “secret information” proving that Sunny had printed blasphemous sketches of Muhammad and was carrying them in a bag to show others. While under interrogation, Sunny allegedly told the police he had received the images from Noman through WhatsApp. Police claim that Noman was sitting in a public park at 3:30 a.m. on July 1st, showing images to people gathered around him, when he was arrested. However, his father denies those allegations, stating that Noman was asleep in bed when police entered the home to arrest him. All allegations against Sunny and Noman have been denied by their family members. Sunny was released from prison on February 3rd of this year since the trial had not concluded within the mandatory two-year period. Noman’s family intends to appeal the conviction. Between January 1st and May 10th, 2023, at least 57 cases of alleged blasphemy have been reported in Pakistan, with four of the accused individuals having since been lynched or otherwise killed because of those allegations. LIBYA 1 June 2023 Six Libyans may face the death penalty for converting to Christianity and encouraging others to do the same. The believers were charged under Article 207 of Libya’s penal code, which punishes any attempt to spread views that aim to “alter fundamental constitutional principles, or the fundamental structures of the social order, or overthrow the state, and anyone who possesses books, leaflets, drawings, slogans or any other items that promote their cause.” The Christians, who are from western Libya, had been detained by the authorities in March. One of the believers is a 22-year-old woman who released a video explaining her conversion which took place when she was 15 years of age. In a statement from Libya’s Internal Security Agency, it was reported that the arrests were made to “stop an organized gang action aiming to solicit and make people leave Islam.” According to the interim constitution of Libya, while Islam is the state religion and the principal source of legislation, non-Muslims in the country are guaranteed the freedom to practice their religion. CHINA 8 June 2023 On May 24th, police raided the Shengjia Christian Education and Help Centre in Shunde City, which is located within the Chinese province of Guangdong. After forcibly entering the building, the authorities searched the premises and confiscated all the teaching materials. Pastor Deng was arrested, along with four of his coworkers. The following day, the families of the detained Christians received official notifications stating that each believer had been given a 30-day detention for conducting “illegal business operations." “When Pastor Deng’s wife, Shaoting, went to the detention centre on May 26th to bring clothing for her husband, she asked the police officers to pass along a Bible to him. They refused to do so. The officers also informed her that the pastor had blisters on his back due to an infection and the resulting inflammation. At the time, she was not told if Pastor Deng would be receiving any medical treatment. Thankfully, Shaoting was able to deliver letters of encouragement to her husband. In one of them she wrote: “All [of this] happened to us with God’s goodwill and for the good of us. Honey, you retreat into God with peace and enjoy the rest while being detained. We can take good care of ourselves, strive to preach the Gospel, and wait for you to come back!” St. Paul’s Ev. Lutheran Church 109 S. Elm Street Kewanee, IL 61443 4/27/2023 May 2023St. Paul’s Evangelical-Lutheran Church
109 S. Elm, Kewanee, Illinois 61443 Newsletter Volume 35 May 2023 No. 5 It’s Not So Much that We Have to Go; We Get to Go! It’s pretty common for people to think they need to attend Sunday worship at least once in a while if they’re members of the church. But that kind of thinking is at odds with the thinking of the first witnesses of the resurrection. They, says the very last sentence in the Gospel of Luke, returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God (St. Luke 24:52-53). That doesn’t sound to me as though they worshiped out of obligation—though worship is certainly obligatory according to the third commandment—but out of joy, the joy of knowing and being convinced that their Lord Jesus, who was given into death, had been raised from the dead, and had appeared to them. When my family was young, some of the children would ask on occasion whether they had to go to church on a particular Sunday; and they quickly grew to learn what my reply would be: “You get to go to church on Sunday!” Which, of course, is the point. It’s a privilege. While certainly we are supposed to do it, since we are to remember the Sabbath (which is Christ) by keeping it holy, if that’s as far as the question goes for us, then we’re really missing the point. No wonder, then, that people are often occasionally rather than regularly attending church on Sunday. For if it is merely the commandment that motivates you, then the motivation will be limited. For the law tells us what to do but doesn’t give us the power to do it. It produces guilt, so it is either that out of guilt that we go, guilt that we didn’t go last week, or it’s the desire to be free from guilt if we don’t go this week. You are supposed to go, after all, that is most certainly true; but there is much more to it than that. There is the fact that Jesus rose from the dead, and lives and reigns to all eternity; and there is the fact that He, the living Christ, comes to us personally every Sunday in Word and Sacrament. You wouldn’t want to miss that, now would you, honestly? So maybe a change in thinking is necessary, a new perspective. Think of the coming of Sunday morning as something to anticipate with joy, rather like the joy so many of us sense when Easter arrives, and we can’t wait to be there and hear and sing all the special music, and wear our Easter clothing, and be a part of the excitement. So perhaps next Sunday won’t have as many of the extra trimmings as Easter did, but those are indeed only extra trimmings. The reality is the same, the reason we are there, the heart and core of our faith and life. Christ is there, Christ Himself. And it’s true what they say, that every Sunday is in a sense Easter. Every Sunday is a celebration of the resurrection of our Lord. Every Sunday He comes to us again. Remember this, that He appeared again on the Sunday after the first Easter, and again after that, and then on the first Pentecost, He “appeared” again, though that time it was a little different. That time, He returned through the preaching of the Holy Apostles who had tongues of fire on their heads. And from that point forward they went forth and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following (St. Mark 16:20). And their preaching office continues until the end of the world, as the Lord also preaches through today’s preachers of the Holy Gospel, and through their administration of the Blessed Sacrament feeds His sheep. So try to think of it that way: it isn’t so much that you have to go (though you do); it’s that you get to go. + Pastor Eckardt Gottesdienst Fort Wayne The annual Gottesdienst Fort Wayne event is scheduled for Monday to Wednesday, May 1st – 3rd, at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Details are at the www.gottesdienst.org website. Pastor will be in attendance. Events here are cancelled on those days. Shut ins Jewneel Walker at Kewanee Care in Kewanee; Emmy Wear at Williamsfield retirement home; Bea Harris (occasionally) at home. May Anniversaries May 28, 1982 Chris & Garry Erickson May 28, 1977 John and Charlene Sovanski May Birthdays 5/2 Sheri Kraklow 5/10 Bill Thompson 5/24 Jeff Wagenknecht No More Second Mortgage! Some good news: The Church Council took the move of paying off our second mortgage altogether. It’s something we had been considering for some time, since we were blessed to have some extra funds. This reduces our monthly obligations considerably, since we no longer have to pay interest on that mortgage either. Our total indebtedness is now reduced to $81,000. That’s the lowest it’s been in years. The faithfulness and love of the membership of our little parish is a large part of the reason we were able to do this. As you may be aware, the “stewardship” methods we employ here are rather different from what you’d see in most places. Put very crudely, those methods tend to focus on the fact that you should give, or on the importance of regular giving, etc. Sometimes the financial numbers made available every week or every month are compared with—more like, contrasted to—what is needed. And people are generally guilted into giving. Not here. Although it’s true that you should give, and that giving is important, what I have always preferred to emphasize is the evidence and the results of our faithfulness. We at St. Paul’s know what we have; we love what we have; and we want to see it flourish and grow. That’s who we are. Sort of, in a minor way, like the churches at Macedonia, whom the Apostle commended because of the evidence they gave of the grace of God bestowed on them, that in spite even of afflictions and deep poverty they still gave of themselves and their substance because of “the abundance of their joy” (2 Corinthians 8:1-2). We of course have no affliction or great poverty like they had, but I find a favorable comparison in the reason for their generosity. It was out of joy more than out of obligation. And so also here, in spite of our small size, we love our parish, we love what we have, and we want to see it flourish. And behold, it flourishes! Let’s keep up the good work! + Pastor Eckardt Rogation Days Monday through Wednesday, May 15rd – May 17th The rogation days are the traditional days of prayer leading up to Ascension Day, and following Rogate, the Sixth Sunday after Easter. Rogate means to pray. Every one of these days is a good day to offer special prayers, and in particular to pray the Litany, which may be found in the hymnal on page 110. You may find the sung version listed as Hymn # 661. We will do this in church on Tuesday, May 16th, at 1 pm. A good tradition; join is in the church. Ascension Day May 18th Ascension Day is on Thursday, May 18th. Because of this, according to our usual practice, our midweek mass will be held that day at 7:00 pm, instead of the usual day for midweek mass of Wednesday. No mass is scheduled for Wednesday, May 17th. Instead, put May 18th on your calendar and come observe the Feast of the Ascension of Our Lord. Pentecost Ahead Pentecost Sunday is on May 28th this year, and we look forward to it again as a celebration of the birth of the Church and the beginning of the Gospel going out to all nations. Here at St. Paul’s we keep the tradition of portraying the “other tongues” of Pentecost with the reading of the opening verse of the Gospel in eight languages. The eight languages are Greek, Latin, Swedish, Spanish, French, Russian, German, and English, in which the entire Gospel will continue. For the hymn of the day, “O Holy Spirit, Enter In,” Father Eckardt will sing stanzas three and six in German. First Tuesday Our First Tuesday events are scheduled for May 9th: First Tuesday Vespers for all to attend 6:45 pm, and Elders following. In Our Prayers Our list of prayer intentions at mass includes the names on the lists below. To update the lists please inform pastor. In our parish: Derek Baker, Sharon Hartz, Kris Harden, Bea Harris, Don and Sue Murphy, John Sovanski, Sandra VerPlaetse, John Ricknell, Linda Rowe, Jewneel Walker, Emmy Wear, Jim Watson, and beyond our parish: Anna, Katie, and Jodi Rutowicz, Julie Ross, Elizabeth Godke, Oneida Hendrickson, Janice Hart, Tim Newman, Theresa Moore, Kathy Boeger, Allison Leezer, Shannon Watson, Karen Parker, Richard Heiden, Brock Tumbleson, Jeanna Moore, Don Bitting, Jane Mueller, Pastor Justin Kane in the military John Eckardt, Donny Appleman, Richard Heiden, Eli Wetzel, Traven Wetzel, Eric Verplaetse, Jake Mahaffey, James and Ann Lee Armstrong, Marcus Prentice In trouble any unborn children in danger of abortion those suffering from unrest, persecution, and imprisonment in Venezuela, Iran, Pakistan, India, China, North Korea, and elsewhere. Church Council to Meet Thursday, May 18th The monthly meeting of the Council is scheduled, as usual, for the third week of May, but on Thursday the 18th, at the usual 5:30 time. Our midweek mass is on Thursday this week, for Ascension Day May Ushers Jim Hornback, Steve Kraklow, Tom Wells Altar Guild Notes
Correspondence between Senator Duckworth and me over abortion: Very recent communications between Senator Tammy Duckworth and me are a continuation of emails between her and me beginning early in the summer of 2021 when I sent here a letter urging her to vote against an abortion initiative that was before the senate. Here is a portion of her reply on August 2nd of that year, followed by correspondence between us in late April of this year. Dear Dr. Eckardt, Thank you for contacting me about the health and well-being of pregnant women. I appreciate you taking the time to make me aware of your concerns on this matter. Like you, I respect human life. I believe that we should invest in programs that empower woman to control their own family planning decisions and help reduce health risks to women that may require a medically-necessary abortion to save her life. The rule of law also requires respecting long-standing precedent established by the Supreme Court of the United States of America. This includes a woman’s constitutional right to make her own medical decisions in consultation with her doctor and in accordance with her religious beliefs. Abortion is a difficult issue that elicits passionate disagreement among my constituents and I understand that you may strongly oppose my commitment to protecting the constitutional right of a woman to make individual healthcare decisions. . . . I hope that you will continue to share your views and opinions with me and let me know whenever I may be of assistance to you. Sincerely, Tammy Duckworth United States Senator I replied on the same day (August 2, 2021): Dear Senator Duckworth, I greatly appreciate your taking the time to respond to my note. Thank you. Where we differ, it seems to me, is on the question of whether abortion is fundamentally a matter of a woman’s health and her right to determine what is best for her own body. While I share with you the belief the everyone ought to be able to make his or her own healthcare decisions in a free society such as ours, I do not believe abortion to be a matter of a woman’s health, unless it were conceded that a fetus is not a living human being. Many people on both sides of the debate fail to consider this carefully, and it makes all the difference. Biologically speaking, a fetus is more than a potential life. It is as much a person as you or I. As I am sure you are aware, it has its own DNA, its own blood, its own developing organs. It is not part of the mother who carries it. If it were, I would have no issue at all with the proponents of women’s rights who want to keep abortion legal, and in fact I could even sympathize. But inasmuch as the fetus has all the legal and biological attributes indicative of a living human being, the entire matter of a woman’s right to choose does not apply at all. Surely you agree that no mother has the right to choose to kill her children. Please consider this carefully. Again, thank you kindly for taking the time. If you wish to discuss this matter further I would be most happy to oblige. Sincerely, Rev. Burnell Eckardt, PhD Pastor, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Kewanee, IL Senator Duckworth sent me another email on April 27 of this year. It must be a blanket letter sent to many pro-life advocates, since it refers to “our Nation’s Veterans,” a matter I had not at all addressed, and seems to be a reply to some other recent communication she had. I do not fault her for sending a blanket letter, inasmuch as she must receive thousands. Nevertheless she did not quite address or understand what I had previously written, either at the time a year and a half ago or recently. Here are some excerpts of her letter. My response follows. Dear Dr. Eckardt, Thank you for contacting me about the health and well-being of our Nation’s Veterans. . . . Abortion is a complex medical decision that a majority of Americans believe should be legal in the United States and accessible to patients, including in cases of rape and when a mother’s life is at risk, such as from an ectopic pregnancy or sepsis. Health care professionals have long affirmed that abortion is necessary in certain medical conditions. As medical research has advanced, the scientific facts of the viability of a fetus during certain stages of pregnancy remain unchanged. No evidence-based justification exists for eliminating a woman’s Constitutional right to make her own private medical decisions in consultation with her doctor and in accordance with her religious beliefs, which the Supreme Court upheld and reaffirmed over 30 years ago in Planned Parenthood v. Casey. Unfortunately, despite this long-established precedent, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, stripping the right to legal abortions from millions of women, opening the door to a nationwide abortion ban and risking the lives of American women in the process. I strongly oppose the enactment of any State law that would force a woman or child to give birth against her will, including in cases of rape or incest, or when proceeding with a pregnancy would jeopardize a woman’s health. . . . As your Senator, I recognize that abortion is a difficult issue that elicits passionate disagreement among my constituents . . . Thank you again for contacting me on this important issue. . . . Sincerely, Tammy Duckworth United States Senator Dear Senator Duckworth, I appreciate your taking the time to correspond and make an effort to address my concerns. I shall make my reply as brief as I can. You reiterated to me your belief that abortion is a matter of a woman’s reproductive rights, and your letter also indicates a concern about cases of rape, incest, and when a mother’s life is at risk. With respect, I believe these are red herrings. Regarding the latter concern, less than 2% of abortions are due to the reasons you cite, but in any case, the question of reproductive rights or procedures is not at all at issue. You come close to acknowledging this when you admit that “the scientific facts of the viability of a fetus during certain stages of pregnancy remain unchanged.” Indeed the scientific facts have not changed at all: what the woman carries, in every case, is alive, and is a life other than her own, whether “viable” or not. Where you veer off the issue is when you continue, saying, “No evidence-based justification exists for eliminating a woman’s Constitutional right . . .” How is it ever right to kill an innocent, living human being? This is not about “reproductive” rights at all. The reproduction has already occurred, and the prenatal child is already the result of that reproductive process. That is the only issue, and it ought to be the starting point in the debate. Please consider this one thing carefully before proceeding with any further discussion of the matter. It is always, 100% of the time, quite literally, a matter of life and death. Sincerely, Rev. Burnell Eckardt, PhD Pastor, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Kewanee, IL St. Paul’s Ev. Lutheran Church 109 S. Elm Street Kewanee, IL 61443 3/23/2023 April 2023St. Paul’s Evangelical-Lutheran Church
109 S. Elm, Kewanee, Illinois 61443 Newsletter Volume 35 April 2023 No. 4 The Holiest Time of the Year This article was written for the Kewanee Star Courier this year. We have come to the holiest time of the year, for the last two weeks of Lent are traditionally called Passiontide, when extra emphasis is placed on the passion, that is, the suffering, of our Lord Jesus. The last of those two weeks, Holy Week, begins with Palm Sunday and each holy day of remembrance, until especially the so-called Holy Three Days of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday, culminate in the Great Easter Vigil that marks the end of Lent. This time is rich with reflection on the righteousness and the love of God. The love of God for the world is displayed in that Jesus consented to give His life into death as a sacrifice for the sin of the world. This is what it really means to believe in the love of God: Jesus gave Himself for us and held nothing back from us that He has not given us. For He is also righteous, which is why it was necessary for Him to do this in order to save us. Since He is righteous, God must require obedience from mankind, but mankind has fallen into sin, as Isaiah also says, every one to his own way. Therefore in order for the requirement of God to be fulfilled, Christ by His passion has done what we were unable to do, namely make atonement for our sin. The salvation of the world is therefore now freely available to all, having been accomplished for us by Jesus, in whom alone we have a gracious God. Every Christian may be glad, for this means that the gaining of God’s favor does not depend at all upon us, but only upon Christ our holy substitute. This is the sum and substance of the Gospel, which is why we are pleased to hear it over and over again our entire lives, and by the power embedded in that word of God, to believe it. Hearing, reflecting, and meditating deeply upon these things is what makes Easter such a glad day for Christians. The resurrection of Christ from the dead is our guarantee that these things are true. It also tells us in no uncertain terms that death is undone, since the penalty that brought death into the world has been paid. Eternal life is seen nowhere more clearly than in the risen Christ standing before His apostles announcing peace to them. How rich is that peace to those who are acutely aware of its cost in the blood of Christ, its value in the divinity of Christ, and its accomplishment in the sacrifice of Christ! -Pastor Eckardt Opposed to a Pride Festival in Kewanee We learned of the plans for a Pride festival to be held in Kewanee this summer, which of course I find to be a great disappointment. I hope they will reconsider. Kewanee is a traditional small town known for its simple adherence to traditional values, and doesn’t need to be infected with the destructive influences of a godless culture that has overtaken so much of our society. Gay Pride is a divisive and radical movement that is sharply divergent from what countless generations of citizens around the country and throughout the world have unanimously embraced up until very recently. It has confused and deceived young people in particular. When Christians are maligned for opposing homosexuality, it is often with false claims that we harbor hatred for homosexuals. But we hate no one; in fact, we believe that it is a loving thing to hold fast to Sacred Scripture in opposing all forms of sin, not least our own (including, ironically, “pride”), so that we can begin to grasp what Scripture also teaches about the lovingkindness of our Lord who came to rescue us from all sin by His own sacrifice and resurrection from the dead. A Pride festival in Kewanee would be a very sad and disappointing thing for a great many Kewanee citizens. Consider contacting the city council to urge them to reconsider this and set the plans aside. Passion Readings during Holy Week As is our usual custom, there will be readings of the Passion accounts from St. Matthew on Palm Sunday, St. Luke on Holy Wednesday, and Good Friday. These readings involve the participation of the congregation, which is reminiscent of a common choral practice during Reformation times. The subdeacon reads the narrator’s part, the pastor reads the part of Christ, and the congregation reads the parts of groups or crowds of people. These readings are found in special booklets which are handed out with the bulletins. Holy Week and Easter Masses Holy Monday through Good Friday, 7 p.m. Great Vigil: Saturday, April 16th, 7 p.m. Easter Sunrise Mass: April 17th, 7 a.m. (Easter breakfast following) Easter Midweek Mass: Wednesday, April 20th, 7 p.m. Shut ins Jewneel Walker at Kewanee Care in Kewanee, Emmy Wear at Williamsfield retirement home. First Tuesday Our First Tuesday events are scheduled for the second Tuesday this year, due to Holy Week. We will meet on April 11h: First Tuesday Vespers for all to attend 7:15 pm, and Elders following. The Triduum Sacrum The Triduum Sacrum (holy three days) are the deepest point of Lent, giving way all at once to Easter. It starts on Maundy Thursday with mass at 7 p.m. There is no benediction for this service, as it is understood to continue on Good Friday and until the Great Vigil. As soon as the last part of the Maundy Thursday mass is sung (the Benedicamus: V: Bless we the Lord. R: Thanks be to God), the pastor and subdeacon remove their sacramental vestments while the choir sings a psalm. They then strip the altar, pulpit, and lectern of all their paraments, remove the reserved Sacrament, take out the torches, and leave the sanctuary bare. Following the congregational singing of another psalm, all depart in silence. On Good Friday, there is an opportunity to pray the Litany at 12 noon, the hour of crucifixion. Then at 7 pm is the Good Friday Solemn Liturgy with Holy Communion. On Holy Saturday, the third day, the Great Vigil commences at 7 p.m. with a newly lit fire outside (near the kitchen doors), from which the new paschal candle is lit. The congregation follows into the church in procession. The Vigil is in four parts, the first three of which anticipate Easter: the Service of Light, the Service of Readings, the Service of Baptismal Remembrance. And then comes part four, when the lights go up, the pastor wears his white chasuble, and he announces, “Alleluia! Christ is Risen!” to which all robustly reply, “He is risen indeed! Alleluia!” This is an ancient versicle and response dating to the early church. It is still used around the world, in virtually all languages. April Anniversary 4/13/2002 Steve and Sheri Kraklow In Our Prayers Our list of prayer intentions at mass includes the names on the lists below. To update the lists please inform pastor. in our parish: Don and Sue Murphy, Linda Rowe, Sharon Hartz, John Sovanski, Sandra VerPlaetse, Bea Harris, Jewneel Walker, and Emmy Wear, Kris Harden, Jim Watson, John Ricknell and beyond our parish: Jude Clapper Anna, Katie, and Jodi Rutowicz [Harris relations] Julie Ross [Svetlana Meaker’s daughter] Elizabeth Godke [Sharon Field’s mother] Oneida Hendrickson [Ricknell relative] Janice Hart [Judy Thompson’s sister] Caleb Cleaver [Ricknells’ grandson] Tim Newman [Shreck relation] Theresa Moore [Ricknells’ niece] Kathy Boeger [re Harrises] Allison Leezer [relative of the Kraklows] Everly Stoner Shannon Watson [Jim’s daughter] Karen Parker Richard Heiden [Carol Eckardt’s father] Brock Tumbleson Jeanna Moore Don Bitting [Judy Thompson’s brother] Pastor Justin Kane in the military: John Eckardt Donny Appleman [at request of the Ricknells] Richard Heiden [at request of the Eckardts] Eli Wetzel, Traven Wetzel Eric Verplaetse [Sandra’s grandson] Jake Mahaffey James and Ann Lee Armstrong Marcus Prentice [son of Felicia Baker] in trouble: any unborn children in danger of abortion; Debra Reeves’s children Rae Beth and Drew Wayne; those suffering from unrest, persecution, and imprisonment in Venezuela, Iran, Pakistan, India, China, North Korea, and elsewhere. Ushers Jim Hornback, Steve Kraklow, Tom Wells Easter Hats Ladies, remember our hats tradition! Easter is the time to wear your best, and if you are able, set it off with a handsome hat! And by all means, leave them on for the Easter breakfast. Church Council to Meet Wednesday, April 19th The monthly meeting of the Council is scheduled, as usual, for the third week of April, which is the 19th, at the usual 5:30 time. Altar Guild Notes
Easter Preparations Extra volunteers needed to help with Easter Breakfast preparations on Holy Saturday, April 8th, beginning at 9 am. Remember to sign up for items you are bringing for the breakfast. Everybody may bring something, but sign up for something in particular, so we don’t have everyone bringing the same thing. Easter lilies: find a sign-up sheet in the narthex or on the table in the hall. $15 each. Choir members, last rehearsals are Wednesday, March 29th and April 5th Ladies, remember your hats! Invite your families! Let us know you’re coming! April Birthdays 4/3 Adam Shreck 4.14 Emmy Wear 4/19 Luke Wells 4/25 Mason Dooley Saturday Class Time Moved The Saturday Bible Class, on the Gospel of St. Matthew, has been moved from its 11:00 time to 12 noon. Join us! St. Paul’s Ev. Lutheran Church 109 S. Elm Street Kewanee, IL 61443 2/23/2023 March 2023Volume 35 March 2023 No. 3 THE FAST There are no specific instructions in Scripture about how exactly to fast. The Church has had much to say about it over the centuries, but none of that is a reflection of anything the Scriptures actually say. So the restriction of meat has been a staple of fasting for a long time, but it’s nowhere commanded. The Church of Rome has made it a “holy obligation,” which isn’t particularly helpful, since part of the very nature of fasting is that it’s voluntary, a self-imposed form of bodily discipline. Yet one may choose voluntarily to follow Rome’s lead and limit or omit meats during Lent (for some reason fish is has not been considered meat in this sense, and one explanation for that is that the fishermen had a strong lobby in ancient times to keep the pope from declaring fasting also from fish). At least on Fridays it’s a helpful thing to be more concerned about fasting, especially if we remember that Friday was the day on which Jesus gave Himself into death for us. But for us there is no command, except for Jesus’ warning in the Sermon on the Mount, that “when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly” (St. Matthew 6:16-18). Hence, care must be taken in this and any spiritual exercise, that it be not undertaken as a devious means of impressing others. It’s between you and God. And of course, some people would be better advised not to fast in the way Rome prescribes, if, say, they have a medical issue that keeps them from eating enough in the first place. So how you fast is up to you. Jesus does assume that Christians fast, for He says (above) “when ye fast,” not “if ye fast.” And the apostles fasted, and the prophets, and the Israelites. And it’s a good thing to learn bodily discipline, and Lent is a good time to practice it. And when we get to the end of Lent, we break the fast with a great feast, on Easter Sunday. The feasting includes the Easter Breakfast, with a reminder that the term breakfast, is, literally, breaking the fast. So let’s look ahead to that, but meanwhile enter and benefit from Lententide and its emphasis on self-discipline, extra meditation on the Word of God—especially as it emphasizes our need for repentance and what our Redeemer has done to win for us undeserved salvation, as He willingly and without compulsion gave Himself into suffering and death for us. + Pastor Eckardt Memorial Service for Grant Andresen Set for March 6th Grant Andresen passed peacefully into the arms of Jesus on February 10th; the family, following his own wishes, has expressed a desire for a memorial service at St. Paul’s, which we have scheduled for Monday, March 6th, at 11:00 a.m., with visitation at 10:00 a.m. A catered luncheon will follow. The burial of his remains will take place in Iowa, at a date shortly afterwards. Grant was well known and loved at St. Paul’s for many years and will be missed. He was unable to attend for several years, living at a care facility in Rock Island. Arrangements were made for him to attend regular services at Immanuel in Rock Island, which is a few minutes from where he lived. Though he greatly appreciated that, his eager desire was to return to St. Paul’s which he had not seen since before the remodeling. He finally was able to attend one Sunday in January, which was a high point for him and for us. March Birthdays 3/1 Barbra Kraklow 3/25 Carol Eckardt March Anniversary 3/19/1977 Jeff and Diana Shreck Church Council Council meets Wednesday, March 15th, at 5:30. This is the third Wednesday of the month. March Ushers Jim Hornback, Steve Kraklow, Tom Wells. First Tuesday The regular schedule or the first Tuesday of the month (March 7th) includes Vespers at 6:45 pm (all are welcome) and Elders at 7:15. In Our Prayers Our current list of prayer intentions at mass includes the names on the lists here following. Anyone wishing to update the list by addition or subtraction, please inform the pastor.in our parish: Don and Sue Murphy, Linda Rowe, Sharon Hartz, John Sovanski, Sandra VerPlaetse, Bea Harris, Grant Andreson, Jewneel Walker, and Emmy Wear, Kris Harden, Jim Watson, John Ricknell beyond our parish: Jude Clapper Anna, Katie, and Jodi Rutowicz [Harris relations] Julie Ross [Svetlana Meaker’s daughter] Elizabeth Godke [Sharon Field’s mother] Oneida Hendrickson [Ricknell relative] Janice Hart [Judy Thompson’s sister] Caleb Cleaver [Ricknells’ grandson] Tim Newman [Shreck relation] Theresa Moore [Ricknells’ niece] Kathy Boeger [re Harrises] Allison Leezer [relative of the Kraklows] Everly Stoner Marvin Brown Shannon Watson [Jim’s daughter] Karen Parker Richard Heiden [Carol Eckardt’s father] Jeff Lewis [Carol Eckardt’s brother in law] Brock Tumbleson Jeanna Moore Pastor Justin Kane in the military: John Eckardt Donny Appleman [at request of the Ricknells] Richard Heiden [at request of the Eckardts] Eli Wetzel, Traven Wetzel Eric Verplaetse [Sandra’s grandson] Jake Mahaffey James and Ann Lee Armstrong Marcus Prentice [son of Felicia Baker] in trouble: any unborn children in danger of abortion; Debra Reeves’s children Rae Beth and Drew Wayne; those suffering from unrest, persecution, and imprisonment in Venezuela, Iran, Pakistan, India, China, North Korea, and elsewhere. Woodpecker Inspires Designers, Knocks Evolutionby Brian Thomas, M.S., Ph.D.Dr. Thomas is a Research Associate at the Institute for Creation Research in Dallas, Texas. When boring into wood in search of food, a woodpecker exerts so much force with each strike that its beak should crumble, its skull should crack, and its brain should be reduced to mush. However, a suite of design features absorbs the shock and ensures that these tragedies do not happen. How are these features able to provide such effective protection? Scientists have examined woodpecker design strategies to find the answer. In a study published in Bioinspiration & Biomimetics, Sang-Hee Yoon and Sungmin Park of the University of California Berkeley analyzed what makes the woodpecker’s shock absorbers work so well. They discovered a set of four essential features, which were described in a New Scientist article: These are its hard-but-elastic beak; a sinewy, springy tongue-supporting structure that extends behind the skull called the hyoid; an area of spongy bone in its skull; and the way the skull and cerebrospinal fluid interact to suppress vibration. The research duo set out to copy each of these features. They mimicked the beak’s resistant structure with an exterior metal cylinder. Inside that was a layer of rubber, inspired by the woodpecker’s hyoid, and then an interior layer of aluminum to imitate the interaction of the skull and cerebrospinal fluid. In the woodpecker, the nearness of the beak to the skull reduces vibration. The cylinder was packed with beads in an arrangement intended to mimic the way the bird’s porous bone material absorbs impact energy. Yoon and Park nestled sensitive electronics within the beads, and then the whole device was fired from an air gun at an aluminum wall to see how well the electronics were protected. Modern airplanes are equipped with flight recorders that capture important information. These devices are held in shock absorbers that can withstand 1000g, which is 1,000 times the acceleration force of an object near the earth’s surface. The new woodpecker-inspired shock absorber withstood 60,000g, thus offering possibilities for “remarkable improvement in the g-force tolerance”of man-made devices. The woodpecker has long been considered a living refutation of big-picture evolution. In his book The Evolution of a Creationist, author and speaker Dr. Jobe Martin tried to imagine a Darwinian scenario whereby the woodpecker might have evolved from another type of bird: Let’s suppose some bird decided that there must be all kinds of little critters, which would be good for lunch, hidden beneath the bark of trees. This bird decided to peck through the bark and into the hardwood tree. On first peck, this bird discovered problems with the way it was put together. Its beak shattered when it slammed against the tree, its tail feathers broke, and it developed a migraine-strength headache. With a shattered beak, the little bird was unable to eat and so it died. Of course, a dead bird could not evolve any further. Each feature that Yoon and Park mimicked includes specified material and arrangements, and all four are required for a woodpecker to effectively drill holes into wood. However, these remarkable structures are still not enough to enable the bird to extract its vital food from beneath tree bark. So, the woodpecker was equipped with an extendible, spear-shaped tongue, stiff tail feathers, and a specialized toe arrangement so that it can cling to a vertical tree trunk. There is no natural way for a whole suite of required, specified features to just “get together” all at one time. Perhaps unwittingly, these University of California researchers corroborated that the only way to achieve all-or-nothing design is by purposeful intent. Thus, the woodpecker is a testament to the superior engineering skill of its Creator. Catechism and Bible Class Schedule The schedule for classes this season is as follows: Junior catechesis on Tuesdays at 5:00 pm. Adult Bible class on Saturdays at 11:00 am, in addition to Sunday mornings. A Little Story about Bowing and Kneeling The following tale is told about a coarse and brutal lout. While the words “And was made man” were being sung in church, he remained standing, neither genuflecting nor removing his hat. He showed no reverence, but just stood there like a clod. All the others dropped to their knees when the Nicene Creed was prayed and chanted devoutly. Then the devil stepped up to him and hit him so hard it made his head spin. He cursed him gruesomely and said: “May hell consume you, you boorish ass! If God had become an angel like me and the congregation sang: ‘God was made an angel, I would bend not only my knees but my whole body to the ground! Yes, I would crawl ten ells down into the ground. And you vile human creature, you stand there like a stick or a stone. You hear that God did not become an angel but a man like you, and you just stand there like a stick of wood!” Whether this story is true or not, it is nevertheless in accordance with the faith (Rom. 12:6). With this illustrative story the holy fathers wished to admonish the youth to revere the indescribably great miracle of the incarnation; they wanted us to open our eyes wide and ponder these words well. (Luther’s Works, Sermons on John, Vol. 22, p105) Choir rehearsals again! In preparation for special music during Holy Week and Easter, choir rehearsals have started up again. The first Wednesday in March will have to be skipped, as Pastor and Carol plan to be visiting her father in Florida for a few days that week, so we plan to resume rehearsals on Wednesday, March 8th at 5:30 pm. Check the calendar and make a special note of it: March 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th, and April 5th. We will not rehearse after that unless we decide we need it. Midweek Lenten Services Following an old Lutheran custom, we suggest people to make a little more effort to come out for midweek masses during Lent, as another laudable way of observing the season. It’s a good part of the Lenten season. 7:00 Wednesday evenings. Easter Preparations Look for sign-up sheets that will be appearing soon in preparation for Easter: the opportunity to purchase lilies, and a sheet to sign up for the Easter breakfast. Mighty are the preparations! St. Paul’s Ev. Lutheran Church 109 S. Elm Street Kewanee, IL 61443 1/26/2023 February 2023St. Paul’s Evangelical-Lutheran Church
109 S. Elm, Kewanee, Illinois 61443 Newsletter Volume 35 February 2023 No. 2 FOR LIFE We received a letter from the Alliance Defending Freedom last month; it is printed below. These people are hard at work speaking out and seeking to educate people on the truth of abortion, and why the church must always stand strong against it and against its legalization. The reason is simple: every abortion kills an innocent baby. That’s it. The attempts by the pro-abortion advocates in our country to derail that conversation are many; they have been many ever since 1973 when the Supreme Court essentially ruled that the Constitution prohibits laws against abortion. Back then, as now, the focus of those advocates was on the right of a woman to do as she pleased with her own body. The premise for this right, it was argued at the time, was the right of marital privacy, which the Court essentially invented in 1965, in Griswold v. Connecticut. In that case, the Court ruled that the Constitution did in fact protect the right of marital privacy against state restrictions on contraception. While the Court explained that the Constitution does not explicitly protect a general right to privacy, it argued that the various guarantees within the Bill of Rights create penumbras, or zones, that establish a right to privacy. On the basis of this ruling, the Court ruled in 1973, in Roe v. Wade, that as this privacy was a matter into which the state could intrude, so also, in the matter of whether or not a woman could determine whether or not to end her pregnancy was also a matter into which the state could not intrude. Last year the Court extraordinarily reversed the 1973 ruling and vacated it, and all the friends of life rejoiced; and again the pro abortion crowd began to complain about the violation of women’s rights. Whether or not these rulings reflect what’s really in the Constitution (they don’t), this matter has nothing at all to do with the rights of women, and it never ceases to amaze me that people still think it does. It has to do with babies. Real babies, living babies, inside of their mothers’ wombs. They are not potential babies, not entities waiting to be brought into the world. They’re already in the world. And that’s the only issue. And since it is, therefore, let no one say that the government shouldn’t be involved in it. Because the first duty of any government is to protect its people. And its people include these little ones. To say that it’s not the government’s business would be the same as to say that murder isn’t the government’s business. Murder can never be allowed in a civilized society. Murder, as in, the unjustified killing of innocent people. And most especially the government’s protection is needed for people who can’t defend themselves. And who is more innocent and in need of protection than a tiny baby? These, more than any of us, ought to be the special concern of the law of the land. They need the government’s protection just as much as we do, even more. They’re people, living human beings. That’s the issue. When I attended the Confessions symposia at the Fort Wayne seminary a couple weeks ago, I was again struck by the display they have on their lawn as you enter the campus: thousands of little white crosses in rows, a somber reminder of the thousands of infants abortion killed in Indiana in the past year. And so we continue to pray, every Sunday at the altar, for those who are in trouble, “especially any unborn children in danger of abortion,” and for our society, that God might “beat down Satan under our feet” and bring us back to being a society, as it once was, that recognizes that abortion is not merely illegal but unthinkable. + Pastor Eckardt A letter from the Alliance Defending Freedom, January 5, 2023 Dear friend, Every innocent human life-whether born or not-is valuable, precious, and worthy of full protection. But, sadly, not everyone agrees. Those of us who are pro-life are told that "abortion is healthcare," that abortion is a "basic human right," that the unborn child isn't a person with dignity to be protected. Let's be clear: Abortion has no place in a civilized society. It's barbaric to pit a mother's interests against those of her unborn child. Killing a baby is a bad solution to any problem. And women deserve better than abortion. As clear as right and wrong may seem to you about abortion, not everyone agrees. Maybe not even all your friends and family agree. That's why you need to be ready to defend life and dispel common pro-abortion myths in conversation and respond with truth and grace. That's why ADF has created a short, free downloadable guide to help you be a voice for the voiceless: Life: 3 Myths & 3 Facts. To get a free copy, click here. Candlemas The Feast of Candlemas, or the Presentation of Our Lord and the Purification of Mary, is upon us again, so-called because of the custom of distributing, blessing, and lighting of candles during the service. It is one of the more beautiful occasions we celebrate at St. Paul’s. Set on February 2nd, this year it falls on the first Thursday February, so we’ll observe it on its eve, Wednesday night the 1st at the usual time, 7 p.m. When Jesus was presented in the temple, the priest Simeon also came in and declared, in the words of the Nunc Dimittis, “Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace according to Thy word, for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people, a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel.” This declaration of the Christ Child as a Light is the reason for the ceremonial use of candles at this Mass. The use of these lights in connection with the Blessed Sacrament emphasizes the analogy of Simeon’s jubilation on receiving the Child with our own reception of Christ at the altar. This connection is made at every Mass, of course, in our own recitation of the Nunc Dimittis. At Candlemas, the connection is highlighted because the Gospel appointed for the day is this very Gospel. The name of this Feast, Candlemas, also subtly provides a link to the Feast from which it springs, that great feast of forty days earlier, namely Christmas. Hand-candles are used twice in this service. First, at the opening, in a procession toward the altar and back to the pews, all the while singing the Nunc Dimittis (the song of Simeon). Second, when the Sacrament is consecrated. + Pastor Eckardt Septuagesima February 5th. On Septuagesima Sunday we turn our gaze toward Easter, though liturgically it is still off in the distance. This Sunday marks the first day of pre-Lent (also called the Septuagesima season), a period of preparing our minds for the coming of Lent. A few liturgical matters are noted: we bid the Alleluias farewell, for we will not sing them again until Easter. The choir sings The Depositio, which is a “farewell to the alleluia” at the opening of the service. In addition, and we have changed the color to violet, also the color for Lent. The Septuagesima season is observed in three Sundays: Septuagesima, Sexagesima, and Quinquagesima. These Latin terms mean 70th, 60th, and 50th, for we pass, roughly, the 70th, 60th, and 50th days before Easter. Following Quinquagesima comes Ash Wednesday, the first day of the 40 days of Lent. Lent itself was once called Quadragesima, which means 40th. In the middle ages Septuagesima Sunday was also seen as New Year’s Day, because of this shift in our focus: we had been living, as it were, in the wake of Christmas, since the Epiphany season is an extension of the Christmas season. On Septuagesima Sunday we live in the first stages of preparation for the coming of Easter. Shrove Tuesday February 21st A good opportunity to make confession privately in preparation for Lent. Pastor is available Tuesday afternoon until 5 pm and, as always, by appointment. Ash Wednesday February 22nd On Ash Wednesday, February 22nd, we will congregate at 7:00 pm to mark the beginning of Lent. The rite of imposition of ashes precedes the Mass. Lent The season of Lent emphasizes penitence, in preparation for Easter. Its span is forty days, like the forty days in which Jesus fasted in the wilderness, in fulfillment of the fast of Moses and Elijah on Mount Horeb. The Apostles themselves left the specific manner of observance to Christian liberty, saying, Let each be convinced in his own mind. Leaving aside the question of what things one should fast from (whether sweets, or meats, or milk products, etc.), what is clear is that the custom of fasting itself is quite biblical. If Moses, Elijah, and Jesus himself fasted, certainly it must be a good practice. Indeed, on Ash Wednesday we hear Jesus saying, “When ye fast, be not as the hypocrites,” etc. Luther’s Small Catechism also declares, “Fasting and other bodily preparation is indeed a fine outward training.” Therefore we conclude two things: first, that fasting is a good thing, and second, that it is a matter left to Christian liberty. Liturgically the Church fasts during Lent (as Israel fasted forty years in the wilderness). The color is penitential violet. Alleluias are not sung, and there is less music; flowers are absent, and weddings are not to be scheduled. Then, the last two weeks of Lent are designated as “passiontide,” when statutes, images, and crosses in the churches are veiled, and no Glorias are sung at all, except in the Gloria in Excelsis on Maundy Thursday. But in the midst of this penitential mood there is joy, especially at Laetare, the fourth Sunday in Lent (Laetare means ‘rejoice’). The entire penitential season is not to be sad, but joyful. For true joy of heart, born of the suffering and resurrection of Christ, transcends all parts of Christian life, even the deepest of sorrows, as we confess with David that weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. Thus the forty days of Lent is followed by a contrastingly festive forty-day season from Easter until Ascension Day. Annual Voters’ Assembly Set for January 29th The annual voters’ assembly is set for the last Sunday of January, the 29th. As usual, this meeting will take the place of Bible Class during the hour from 10:30 to 11:30 am. Choir Rehearsals Choir rehearsals will be starting again this month, beginning on Wednesday, February 1st at 5:30 p.m. Let’s get started preparing for Holy Week; see you there! February Birthdays 2/2 Mindie Fisher2/4 Joshua Kraklow2/5 Tom Wells2/23 Carol McReynolds February Anniversaries None First Tuesday The first Tuesday events (altar guild, vespers, elders) will be held, God willing, on Tuesday, February 7th. Vespers at 6:45; Elders at 7:15. All members are always encouraged to join us for First Tuesday Vespers, as you are able. Ushers Jim Hornback, Steve Kraklow, Tom Wells Tentative Plan Pastor and Carol will likely be traveling to Florida this month for a few days to visit her father. Schedules are therefore pending that plan. Robin Sighting Contest: Over Before It Begins Every year we hold the robin sighting contest about this time, asking who can find the first robin of spring. But in this tenth year of the contest, just as this newsletter was about to be printed, Michele Keehner reported a robin sighing already! The eligibility is already limited to people in Illinois extending as far south as Peoria, but, wow, some robins like to get an early start! We were all set to announce that the winner of the contest would get an all-expenses-paid dream vacation for two weeks in Hawaii. But, oh well, not now! Maybe next year? Our list of winners: 2023 Michele Keehner 2022 Steve Kraklow 2021 Andy Eckardt 2020 Michele Keehner 2019 Steve Kraklow 2018 Steve Kraklow 2017 Barbra Kraklow 2016 Judy Thompson 2015 Carol Eckardt 2014 Michele Keehner A sign of spring, the robin may also help us think of the approach of Easter! Saturday Bible Class Moves to 11 a.m. In the interest of consolidating Saturday times, for the benefit of those who come both for the morning and for Bible Class, we have determined to move it from its 1:00 p.m. slot to the earlier 11:00 a.m. slot. Join us! We’re studying the Gospel according to St. Matthew. In Our Prayers Our current list of prayer intentions at mass includes the names on the lists here following. Anyone wishing to update the list by addition or subtraction, please inform the pastor.in our parish: Don and Sue Murphy, Linda Rowe, Sharon Hartz, John Sovanski, Sandra VerPlaetse, Bea Harris, Grant Andreson, Jewneel Walker, and Emmy Wear, Kris Harden, Jim Watson, John Ricknell beyond our parish: Jude Clapper Anna, Katie, and Jodi Rutowicz [Harris relations] Julie Ross [Svetlana Meaker’s daughter] Elizabeth Godke [Sharon Field’s mother] Oneida Hendrickson [Ricknell relative] Janice Hart [Judy Thompson’s sister] Caleb Cleaver [Ricknells’ grandson] Tim Newman [Shreck relation] Theresa Moore [Ricknells’ niece] Kathy Boeger [re Harrises] Allison Leezer [relative of the Kraklows] Everly Stoner Marvin Brown Shannon Watson [Jim’s daughter] Karen Parker Richard Heiden [Carol Eckardt’s father] Jeff Lewis [Carol Eckardt’s brother in law] Brock Tumbleson Pastor Justin Kane in the military: John Eckardt, Donny Appleman [at request of John Ricknell], Richard Heiden [at request of the Eckardts], Eli Wetzel, Traven Wetzel, Eric Verplaetse [Sandra’s grandson], Jake Mahaffey, Trevor Shimmin, Shad Draminski, James and Ann Lee Armstrong, Marcus Prentice [son of Felicia Baker] in trouble: any unborn children in danger of abortion; Debra Reeves’s children Rae Beth and Drew Wayne; those suffering from unrest, persecution, and imprisonment in Venezuela, Iran, Pakistan, India, China, North Korea, and elsewhere. St. Paul’s Ev. Lutheran Church 109 S. Elm Street Kewanee, IL 61443 1/26/2023 January 2023St. Paul’s Evangelical-Lutheran Church
109 S. Elm, Kewanee, Illinois 61443 Newsletter Volume 35 January 2023 No. 1 God Is Pleased with MenThe earliest version of this sermon was preached in 1979 at my vicarage church in Lincoln Park, Michigan. It employs the alternate rendering of the angels’ message. The majority reading is “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” The alternate reading is a translation of some Greek manuscripts in which a single letter is added, thus rendering the reading, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased.” The two versions essentially say the same thing, but this sermon explains the second version. I have been adapting and reusing it from time to time ever since. Let us consider again the message from the angels to the shepherds. If you were one of them you would surely never have forgotten. You would have heard a message that would have been seared onto your memory forever. Because the grand proclamation made to those Judean shepherds was made by a multitude of angels. What sort of message could require all those angels? If on this one occasion, God sends not one, not two or three, but a multitude of angels, He must have something of utmost importance to say. In fact, it must be the most important thing He ever said to men, because nothing else ever required the presence of so many angels. What was the message of the unanimous and glorious chorus of heavenly messengers? Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men; or, to put it another way: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men, with whom He is pleased. The message from that multitude of the heavenly host of angels was clear and simple: There is peace on earth, dear shepherds, because God is pleased with men. For thousands of years after this grand proclamation, men would go on supposing that peace on earth is something accomplished by the ending of all global conflict, when at last all weapons are laid down. If only they had heard and understood the message of the angels, they would have known that peace on earth has already been accomplished. It isn’t something to be hoped for, it is something that is. For the message of the angels was clear: God is pleased with men. But at this point the objections of reason will sound forth at once. This can’t be right. Some men are wicked, heinous, tyrannical, cruel. Some are murderers, thieves, adulterers. How can anyone say that God is pleased with men, or that there is peace on earth? There must be some mistake. But even if one considers the absurd impossibility of an angel being mistaken, the message didn’t come from just one angel; it came from a multitude of angels. Could a whole countryside full of angels all bellowing out one unanimous message be mistaken? Listen to the angels, o shepherd in the field: God is pleased with men. But Satan must also raise an objection to this: How can this be? I have done my work well, I have caused many to fall deeply into sin, I have made them all sons of hell; I have filled them with all manner of wickedness, so that their thoughts are only evil continually. I have trapped them in pride and self-worship; I have made them sell me their souls. This message can’t be right! It’s far off the mark! It’s foolishness! Don't listen to it! It must have come from the mouth of a lunatic! But it didn’t. It came from the mouths of angels. And thank God for those angels. For if there are some men with whom God is not please, then surely we are among them! And if you were one of those shepherds, you might easily find yourself wondering—in fact you might be wondering right now—whether these objections may have a point. What about me? I am not worthy of God’s good pleasure, am I? Conscience pricks, and I know I have sinned. I know I am guilty, foul, and unclean. A thousand years of tears would not suffice for once worthily lamenting my wretchedness. How much more am I poor wretched man, who daily sin, continue without amendment, and approach God in sin. And the truth is that if God is not pleased with all men, he could never be pleased with me! O thank God for those angels! And thank God for all the lights and tinsel of Christmas, and all the carols and cheer, and all the bells which ring out the news which every sinner needs so badly to hear: Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled! Here we see the reason there is peace on earth, and why God is pleased with men. It isn’t because of what kind of men they are that God is pleased. In fact, it has nothing at all to do with the nature of man. The reason is this: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior which is Christ the Lord. And He didn’t come to be Savior of part of the world; he came to save it all. And if He is Savior of the world, then it makes all the sense in the world to say that God is pleased with men. Those Bethlehem shepherds undoubtedly never forgot the angelic message on that first Christmas Eve. Would that you might remember it as they must have; that it might be seared into your memory, your heart, and your conscience, that you too might never forget the grandest angelic proclamation ever heard on earth: Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace among men, with whom He is pleased! + Pastor Eckardt Christmas Cards from the Eckardts This year the Eckardt family Christmas card has not been included in this newsletter. Instead, members will find the Christmas card itself at your mailbox in the narthex. Merry Christmas! First Tuesday events Our First Tuesday events are scheduled as usual. On Tuesday, January 3rd, First Tuesday Vespers is scheduled for 6:45 p.m., and is followed by Elders at 7:15 pm. January Anniversaries None Altar Guild Notes Altar color is white throughout January, and doesn’t change until Septuagesima Sunday, when the color will change to violet. Annual Voters’ MeetingOur Annual Voters’ Meeting is scheduled for Sunday, January 29th at 10:30 a.m. (in the time slot normally reserved for Bible Class). An Epiphany Celebration Epiphany, January 6th, falls on a Friday this year. Our observance of this important feast day is scheduled for the following day, Saturday, January 7th, with Holy Mass and our 21st Day of Theological Reflection, continuing a long tradition here of such days. Here is the schedule: 9:00 a.m. Epiphany Mass 10:00 a.m. - noon Seminar (day of reflection): The twenty-first retreat in the Theological Reflection series is entitled, “TO FULFILL ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS” A consideration of the Baptism of Our Lord This seminar will consider the Gospel according to St. Matthew, where we left off at our Saturday class a few weeks ago. After a brief review of the second chapter with its account of the visit of the wise men and the flight of the Holy Family into Egypt, we will continue with a consideration of the Baptism of our Lord, which is the substance of the fourth chapter of Matthew. Join us for what is sure to be an edifying morning! Plans are up in the air for after the seminar. Perhaps we all have lunch together. The Bell Tolls On the last Sunday of the year, which in 2022 is Christmas Day, we remember the members who fell asleep in Christ during the year, with a tolling of the bell after each is named in the prayers These blessed dead are
In Our Prayers Our current list of prayer intentions at mass includes the names on the lists here following. Anyone wishing to update the list by addition or subtraction, please inform the pastor.in our parish: Don and Sue Murphy, Linda Rowe, Sharon Hartz, John Sovanski, Sandra VerPlaetse, Bea Harris, Grant Andreson, Jewneel Walker, and Emmy Wear, Kris Harden, Jim Watson, John Ricknell and beyond our parish: Jude Clapper, Anna, Katy, and Jody Rutowicz [Harris relations] Julie Ross [Svetlana Meaker’s daughter] Elizabeth Godke [Sharon Field’s mother] Oneida Hendrickson [Ricknell relative] Janice Hart [Judy Thompson’s sister] Caleb Cleaver [Ricknells’ grandson] Tim Newman [Shreck relation] Theresa Moore [Ricknells’ niece] Kathy Boeger [re Harrises] Allison Leezer [relative of the Kraklows] Everly Stoner Marvin Brown Shannon Watson [Jim’s daughter] Karen Parker Richard Heiden [Carol Eckardt’s father] Jeff Lewis [Carol Eckardt’s brother in law] Pastor Jacob Sutton, and Pastor Justin Kane in the military: John Eckardt Donny Appleman [at request of the Ricknells] Richard Heiden [at request of the Eckardts] Eli Wetzel, Traven Wetzel Eric Verplaetse [Sandra’s grandson] Jake Mahaffey, Trevor Shimmin, Shad Draminski James and Ann Lee Armstrong Marcus Prentice [son of Felicia Baker] In trouble any unborn children in danger of abortion those suffering from unrest, persecution, and imprisonment in Nigeria, Algeria, Sudan, Madagascar, Iran, Iraq, Syria, India, China, Vietnam, North Korea, and elsewhere. Caroling and Party a Great Success! Our caroling on Wednesday, December 15th went well! We visited the residents at Kewanee Care, Liberty Village, and briefly at Parkside Apartments, before stopping in at the Murphys’ new digs, and ending up at the church for mass. Afterwards we enjoyed one another’s company at our annual Christmas party at the Eckardts. A good time was had by all! Shut ins Emmy Wear is at Williamsfield Retirement Center, 112 IL-180, Williamsfield, IL 61489; and Jewneel Walker is at Kewanee Care, 144 South Junior Ave, Kewanee, IL 61443. Grant Andreson is at Friendship Manor, 1209 21st Ave, Rock Island, IL 61201. January Birthdays 1/1 Chris Erickson 1/13 James Hornback 1/15 Breann Dooley January Ushers Jim Hornback, Tom Wells, Steve Kraklow Poinsettias If you purchased a poinsettia, you may pick it up and take it to your own home any time after Christmas Day. Christmas Play Performed Again; Written and Composed by Pastor in 1988 Now in its second year of performance, again under the direction of Cantor Peter Eckardt, the first-to-third-graders at St. John Lutheran School in Mattoon, Illinois, presented a Christmas play on December 19th that was first sung in 1988 by the grade schoolers at St. John Lutheran Church in Berlin, Wisconsin, as part of a musical play “The Christmas Nobody Noticed,” entirely written, composed, and directed by Pastor in 1988 in Berlin, Wisconsin, where he served as Associate Pastor at St. John Lutheran Church and School. The play was performed there also in 1990 under his direction, when his son Peter participated as a preschooler, and again at Our Father Lutheran School in Greenfield, Wisconsin a few years after that. After a 31-year dormancy, last year the music from that play was discovered in the Eckardt basement and dusted off for use in the program. The play itself was not performed, but only the music was sung by the school children for their Christmas program. This year the program was expanded to include also the parts of the play as originally conceived. The play was held at Doudna Hall on the campus of Eastern University at Charleston, Illinois, on December 19th. The performance may be viewed at https://fb.watch/hyYJDUtirE/ St. Paul’s Ev. Lutheran Church 109 S. Elm Street Kewanee, IL 61443 |
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