St. 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
 
 
 

St. 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
 

• Richard Melchin
• Allan Kraklow
• Emilie Ricknell
• Dale Baker

 
 
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
 

St. Paul’s  Evangelical-Lutheran Church
109 S. Elm, Kewanee, Illinois 61443
Newsletter
Volume 34                                   December 2022                                            No. 12
 
The Body of the Christian, Honored by the Incarnation, and as Temple of the Holy Spirit
          

One outstanding feature of the Christian faith is its emphasis on the reality of the physical universe. When we speak of spiritual life, the life of faith and the new creation, we are not saying that this spiritual life is opposed to the physical life. Often this is misunderstood even by Christian people, who suppose that at death we are freed from the material world, to live in eternity freed from all things material. This is a misunderstanding.
 
When St. Paul says that there is a natural body and there is a spiritual body (I Cor. 15:44), he does not mean to say that material things are in themselves opposed to spiritual things. On the contrary, this is his way of contrasting the sinful flesh we inherited from Adam with the spiritual Man who is Christ Himself. “The second man is the Lord from heaven” (I Cor. 15:47). The very fact that God became flesh, in the Person of Jesus Christ, means that the physical realm has been wedded to the eternal God. This is the joy of Christmas.
 
The Man Jesus Christ is our eternal God, and there is no other. When we observe and celebrate Christmas, we are rejoicing over the marvelous fact that God has so come to us, wedding His eternal, divine nature inseparably to a human, bodily nature, and that for all eternity. See how He has honored our physical being, then, and why it is important for us to confess the resurrection of the body in our Creed. It is our own bodies that shall be raised from the dead on the Last Day, and we shall be complete and perfect, body and soul.
 
And even now, we Christians consider our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit, as St. Paul also says:
 
Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. (I Corinthians 9:8-20)
 
To glorify God, according to the Apostle, is not merely to pray, give thanks, worship, and live uprightly; it is also to glorify God in your body.
 
Therefore it is important for us to be mindful of how we treat our bodies, as temples of the Holy Spirit, being bound bodily to Christ, most especially in the Holy Supper, His Body and Blood.
 
Our flesh is therefore not something we ought to treat poorly or dishonorably. This is why we must abstain from sexual immorality, as the Apostle says. It is an affront to the body that God has given us. This is also why when we worship, we do so with bodily attention as well as bringing our minds to attention. We bow the head, bend the knee, stand reverently, and so forth.
 
This is why we ought even to be careful about making alterations to the body God gave us. Of course if we should become deformed in some way we may want to restore what has become deformed if we have opportunity, but we should take care, lest we begin to cross a line; if we should, say, dye our hair some color that is wildly unnatural, as has become the custom among certain young people, or be overly given to excess in piercings, jewelry, and the like. All things in moderation, as they say.
 
In addition to these things we see how faithful people treated the bodies of their loved ones who died with respect. Christian burial is itself a confession of the resurrection of the body, that is, with an awareness that this body shall rise again. While burial may be a bit more expensive than cremation, there are many things for which we Christian people are willing to spend our money to enrich our faith and the faith of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Cremation is not a Christian custom, and anyone who tells you that it is does not know the history of the Christian Church. Cremation came to popularity by pagan customs that deny the importance of the body.
 
In short, our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, and as such, it is laudable for us to treat them as such, in accord with our most holy faith.
 
+ Pastor Eckardt

Ushers:
Jim Hornback, Steve Kraklow, Tom Wells 

First Tuesday Dec. 6
 
On Tuesday, December 6th, First Tuesday Vespers will be held at 6:45 pm, and Elders will follow at 7:15 pm. All members invited and encouraged to come 0to vespers. The Sunday Epistle is normally read and preached on.
Two Christ Masses
 
There are two Christ Masses at St. Paul’s. The first is on Christmas Eve at 7:00, and the second is on Christmas morning at 10:00. Although Christmas Day is on a Sunday, this schedule overrides the regular Sunday schedule, so Sunday mass on Christmas Day is not at the usual 9:00 time, but one hour later. There is no Bible Class on Christmas Day.
 
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 14th, when we intend to go caroling (see below). Choir members, please put these Wednesdays in December on your calendar: November 30th, December 7th, and December 21st, before rather than after midweek mass. This should make traveling easier for out-of-towners
 
Caroling and Party Dec. 14th
 
We plan to go caroling on Wednesday, December 15th. 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. Grant Andreson is at Friendship Manor, 1209 21st Ave, Rock Island, IL 61201.
 
Grant Andreson called and said he appreciated the card we sent him in November (it was passed around at Sunday Bible class, and people signed it).
 
 
Cookie Walk Sunday Dec. 11th
 
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 were four deaths at St. Paul’s. At the prayer of the church, the bell will toll once for each of our dear members who fell asleep in Jesus.

• Dick Melchin
• Allan Kraklow
• Emilie Ricknell
• Dale Baker

 
December Anniversaries
none
 
December Birthdays
12/11 Kris Harden
12/13 Michael Eckardt
​
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:

• November 30th St. Andrew’s Day

 

• December 7th St. Nicholas, observed (the actual day is December 6th)

 

• December 14th St. Lucia, observed (the actual day is December 13th)

 

• December 21st (St. Thomas, Apostle)

 
On December 14th we will also have caroling and a party, as explained in a nearby article.
 
Another special mass will occur on Wednesday December 28th, which is Holy Innocents Day. Our midweek mass will observe that feast.
 
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 on Saturday, November 26th, for Advent I. Then on Saturday, December 3rd we will put up the Christmas tree (extra volunteers are sought for this), for Advent II. On Saturday, December 10th we will put up any remaining decorations needed, for Advent III, except that the array of poinsettias will not be set out until Christmas Eve.
 
Advent III (Sunday, December 11th) 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 3rd 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:
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
            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]
Yvette Baker [Dale Baker’s daughter-in-law]
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
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.
 
Church Council
 
As usual, the Church Council will meet the third Wednesday in the month, which is December 21st, 5:30.
Church Council
 
As usual, the Church Council will meet the third Wednesday in the month, which is December 21st, 5:30.
 
New Year’s Mass 
New Year’s Eve mass is 7 pm on December 31st. We observe the Circumcision and Name of Jesus (January 1st).
 
Since New Year’s Day is a Sunday, we will also observe the Feast that Day. The difference in emphasis will be noted by two different sermons.
 
Altar Guild Notes 
Advent begins the last Sunday in November. The four Advent Sundays’ color is violet.  If roses are obtained, they may be placed for the Third Sunday in Advent, December 4th.
For midweek masses, the color changes each week: November 30th is red for St. Andrew (who was martyred); December 7th is white for St. Nicholas (who was not martyred); December 14th is red for St. Lucia (who was martyred); and December 21st is also red, for St. Thomas (who was martyred).
For Christmas Eve, the first 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, even though it is a Sunday.  Color is white for both.
Holy Innocents Day will be celebrated on the Wednesday after Christmas, December 28th. For New Year’s Eve (at 7:00 p.m.) and New Year’s Day (at 10:00 am, even though it is a Sunday) the color is white. The color remains white in January.
 
Poinsettias 
There is 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.
 
 
Some Saints’ Days for which We Are Not Having Masses This Year
 
 
Saint Stephen, December 26th
Psalm 119:17-24 with Gloria Patri
Reading: Acts 6:8-15 and 7:54-60
Hymn and meditation, see nearby.
 
Saint John, December 27th
Psalm 92 with Gloria Patri
Reading: I John 1:1 – 2:2
Hymn and meditation, see nearby.
 
Holy Innocents is on Wednesday, December 28th. We will be holding mass at the usual times on that day.
 

Hymn:  From All Thy Saints in Warfare (TLP 350)
From all Thy saints in warfare for all Thy saints at rest
To Thee, O Blessed Jesus, all praises be addressed
For Thou hast won the battle that they might conq’ers be
Their crowns od living glory are lit with rays from Thee
 
[insert appropriate stanza]
 
Then praise to God the Father and praise to God the Son
And to the Holy Spirit Eternal Three in One
Till all the ransomed number fall down before the throne
And honor, praise, and glory ascribe to God alone.
 
St. Stephen, Protomartyr
Praise for the first of martyrs, who saw Thee ready stand.
To aid in midst of torments, to plead at God’s right hand.
Share we with him, if summoned, by death our Lord to own
On earth the faithful witness, in heaven the martyr’s crown.

St. John, Apostle and Evangelist
Praise for the loved disciple, exiled on Patmos’ shore;
Praise for the faithful record he to Thy Godhead bore,
Praise for the mystic vision  through him to us revealed.
May we, in patience waiting, with Thine elect be sealed.
 
St. Paul’s Receives Business Award 
Our friends at Abilities Plus, whom we hired to clean the church twice a month, have awarded their annual business award to us, in recognition of the special relationship we have developed with them. The award was received by Tom and Sue Ann Wells at a banquet held in Annawan in October. The award is a handsome glass trophy we have at the church. This event and award ceremony were  reported in the Geneseo Republic.
 
 
 

 
 
St. Paul’s Ev. Lutheran Church
   109 S. Elm Street
   Kewanee, IL 61443