July and August 2018

St. Paul’s Evangelical-Lutheran Church
109 S. Elm, Kewanee, Illinois 61443
Newsletter
Volume 30                                   July - August 2018                                      No. 7-8
           
The Church

As every good Lutheran should know, there is only one Christian church on earth, as we confess in the Apostles’ Creed: “I believe in the Holy Christian Church.” Jesus said, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (St. Matthew 16).

What became problematic early on, in the church’s history, was the rise of false confessions, false teachers, and the need to confess that the church’s faith does not correspond to these. Hence the question arose: How can I know whether I am in the true Christian Church? For ever since the first century, there has been falsehood contending with the truth, as even the hymnist puts it: “Though there be those that hate her, false sons within her pale; Against both foe and traitor She ever shall prevail.”

Many have thought, and still think, that the true church can only be known by succession of the apostolic line. Tracing the popes through the centuries beginning with St. Peter, the church of Rome claims this apostolic succession; the Orthodox church does as well, by tracing its line through Constantinople. The Lutheran confessors, and Luther himself, easily poked holes in this idea by showing how councils and popes can and do err. There is no guarantee that any successor to the apostles is a guarantor of infallibly; no such promise from our Lord can be found.

What can be found from our Lord, however, is a prayer that his Father would keep his apostles themselves in the truth: “I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world” (St. John 17:14-18).

Thus we have as our only touchstone the apostolic Scriptures: the Bible. All of the church’s teachings must come from it and be judged by it.

And by this token, however, we learn to know whether or not we have found the church. It is where the word of God is taught in its truth and purity. It is where the truth of Christ is proclaimed, and nowhere else. The sheep know the Shepherd by his voice.

If the truth is mingled with some falsehood, as is often the case, we may see the church there dimly, as it were, and this is where we distinguish Christian denominations from religious bodies that are not Christian at all. What every Christian should seek, however, is purity of doctrine, the Gospel in its sublime beauty.

Here we have a little parish in Kewanee where, by no strength of man, but by grace alone, the word of God does sound forth purely. This gift ought never be taken lightly. Pray for the church in this place; pray for me, that I may be a faithful steward of the gifts of God. For we do not exist as the church in this place except by his gift of the word and its attendant Sacraments.

+ Pastor Eckardt
 
June 24 Annual Church Picnic to be at Kraklows’
 
The annual church picnic is to be held, God willing, at the home of Allan and Barb Kraklow south of Toulon this year. The date is our traditional last Sunday in June, which this year will be June 24th, as soon after church as you can arrive. As usual, it’s a potluck, and bring your own table service.

Jazz on the Side at Wiley Park in Galva, June 24th, late afternoon
 
The Levitt AMP Galva Music Series will transform Wiley Park’s large underused lawn into a dynamic community hub for friends, families and neighbors to come together to enjoy a wide range of music genres, positioning Wiley Park to be a point of local pride that invigorates the local community and its surrounding areas. The headliners are the Sones de Mexico Ensemble at 7 pm, but among the local artists performing earlier will be Kewanee’s own Jazz on the Side, beginning at 4:30. Pastor is at the keyboard for the band.
 
NOTICE: Elders and Altar Guild moved to June 26th
 
The first Tuesday of July is the day before Independence Day, which may be problematic for some, so there is a change in schedule, since the regular June meeting was cancelled. ELDERS AND ALTAR GUILD IS NOW SCHEDULED FOR TUESDAY, JUNE 26TH. No meeting in July. Altar Guild at 6 p.m., Vespers at 6:45; Elders at 7:15.
 
Ephesians on Tuesdays: suspended during July
 
Our Tuesday Ephesians class is on the schedule for the remainder of June, but due to the checkerboard calendar of July, it is being suspended for the entire month of July. We will resume on August 7th.

July Ushers: Grant Andresen, Larry Campbell, Jim HornbackAugust Ushers: Otis Anderson, John Ricknell, Bill Thompson (Jim Hornback in reserve)
 
Catechesis to Resume in August
 
Saturday catechesis is set to resume the second Saturday in August, which is August 11th, at 9 a.m.
 
Altar Guild News
Wednesday masses cancelled July 4th, 11th, and 25th. The only Wednesday mass in July is on the 18th.  Wednesday masses scheduled throughout August. Color is white for August 1th (Dormition B.V.M.) and red for August 29th (Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist).
 
Color is Green throughout all Sundays in July and August.    

July, August Anniversaries
 
July:
7/1/1951 John and Emilie Ricknell
 
August:
8/1/2009 Chris and Trista Dooley
 
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   
7/10 Dale Baker         
7/13 Gayle Beauprez  
7/14 Pastor Eckardt
 
August:
8/2  Joyce Long
8/9  Donald Kegebein
8/11  Sam Fisher
8/11  Judy Thompson
8/13  Donald Murphy
8/16  Trista Dooley
8/17  Steven Peart
8/21  John Sovanski
8/24  Becky Russell
 
Shut ins
 
Mary Hamilton at home; Emmy Wear at Williamsfield Home in Williamsfield; Emilie Ricknell at home; Dick Melchin at Hammond-Henry extended care in Geneseo; Joyce Long briefly at her daughter Linda Jacobs’ house, then hoping to return home soon.
 
Vacationing
 
We have plans to take our summer vacation in Northern Wisconsin again this July, from the 21st to the 28th. As usual when I am away, there will be no mass on Wednesday the 25th. Pastor Mike Bahr from Springfield will again be here to fill in on July 22nd.
+ Pastor
 
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:
Emilie Ricknell, John Ricknell, Linda Rowe, Mary Hamilton, Emmy Wear, Sue Murphy, Don Murphy, Joyce Long, Bea Harris, Dick Melchin, DeAnne Anderson, Svetlana Meaker
    and also:
Anna Rutowicz [granddaughter of Harrises]
Jodi Rutowicz [daughter of Harrises]
Julie Ross [Svetlana Meaker’s daughter]
Jill Matchett [at request of Diana Shreck]
Annie Eastman [at request of Svetlana Meaker]
Steve Draminski [friend of Jim Watson]
Kathy Nussear [Joyce Long’s daughter, cancer]
Bud Harfst [Sue Murphy’s brother]
Harold Woods [Sue Murphy’s brother-in-law]
Pam Helmkamp
Dick Heiden [Carol Eckardt’s father]
Pastor Kenneth Wegener
Elizabeth Godke [Sharon Field’s mother]
Kathy Hopkins
Jesse Armstrong
Michael Nelson
Brandt and Oneda Hendrickson [Ricknells’ relatives]
Bob Laskey [friend of Monroe Kemerling]
Linda Anderson
Teresa Robertson [Carol Eckardt’s niece]
Everly Stoner [relative of Murphys]
Sarah Corzine
    in the military, especially:
John Eckardt
Donny Appleman [at request of the Ricknells]
Thomas Kim [at request of the Shrecks]
Michael Creech [at request of the Murphys]
Katherine Creech [at request of the Murphys]
Richard Heiden [at request of the Eckardts]
Carter Wills [grandson of the Thompsons]
Luke Van Landigan [grandson of Dick Melchin]
Jaclyn Alvarez [daughter of Kris Harden]
Traven Wetzel [at request of Kris Harden]
Shawn Wetzel
Eric Verplaetse [Sandra’s grandson]
Jake Mahaffey
    in trouble: especially
any unborn children in danger of abortion
those suffering from unrest, persecution, and imprisonment in Pakistan, Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, North Korea, and elsewhere.
 
CID Convention
 
The 59th Convention of the Central Illinois District of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod will be held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Springfield, Illinois, on July 8-10, 2018.  Your lay delegate is Steve Harris, who will attend, if able, with Pastor. The convention registrations are from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm on Sunday, July 8th, and the convention ssessions begin at 7:00 am on Monday, July 9th and conclude on Wednesday at midday.
 
Some details about the prayer list
 
·         The homosexual prime minister of Ireland has stated that all Catholic hospitals must perform abortions. Doctors, nurses, attendants must have the courage and faith to say no, whatever the consequences. Lord, have mercy.
·         North Korea has reportedly begun opening its borders to Christians. Thanks be to God.
 
St. Paul’s Ev. Lutheran Church
   109 S. Elm Street
   Kewanee, IL 61443