June Newsletter

St. Paul’s Evangelical-Lutheran Church
109 S. Elm, Kewanee, Illinois 61443
Newsletter
Volume 36                                   June 2024                                           No. 6
               
Special Voters’ Meeting to Extend a Call to a Pastor Announced
A special voters’ assembly is hereby announced and scheduled for Wednesday evening, May 29th, at 7 pm, for the purpose of choosing and extending a call to our next Pastor. Your elders, who have been appointed as the search committee, having received a list of names from the District, have dutifully trimmed that list down to three they deem most fit for St. Paul’s. Information about each of these three men is available at the church for you to read in advance of the meeting, to aid you in your making of a selection at the meeting.
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The usual time of Midweek Mass is 7 pm on Wednesdays; for the 29th, the time of mass is moved to 6 pm, and the meeting will follow.

A Fond Farewell
The time has arrived, and on June 9th I will preach and celebrate as pastor of St. Paul’s for the last time, as I enter into my retirement.
 
The founding father of the Missouri Synod, C. F. W. Walther, once said that a pastor ought to regard his parish as his heaven on earth, and so I have learned that this has been most especially true when I have been with you to serve you and to find in you most willing recipients of my ministry here.
 
In the 28th chapter of Acts, St. Paul bid farewell to the church at Ephesus, after which, we read, “he kneeled down, and prayed with them all. And they all wept sore, and fell on Paul’s neck, and kissed him, sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake, that they should see his face no more. And they accompanied him unto the ship.”
 
My departure from this parish is certainly not nearly as dramatic or gripping as that, yet I am sure we can relate on some level. In my case, as you know, we have no immediate plans to leave Kewanee. It’s even possible we will stay here, although it seems more likely at this point that we will be moving nearer to our children. Either way, at least for awhile we’ll still be around; I may even be called on to fill in here at some point, much as Pastor Wegener, of blessed memory, came to fill in here on occasion when I was away.
 
But changes often bring sorrow with them. It’s unavoidable sometimes.
 
One thing I know, nevertheless, is that the Lord Jesus will care for us all in accordance with His will. One proof of that is in the very fact that during my 29 years here He has done just that. Certainly it was not because of me that St. Paul’s has been blessed. More accurately I’d say that there were times when it was in spite of me. For every pastor has his weaknesses, and I am sometimes acutely aware of my own. Yet the Lord has always chosen earthen, fallible vessels, such as I am, to cause His will to be done.
 
My fervent prayer is that He will soon send you a faithful shepherd to be your next pastor. Receive him as a gift from the Lord’s hand, for that is what he will be. Give honor where honor is due, and remember the Apostle Paul’s words, copied also in Luther’s Small Catechism,
Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel. 1 Cor. 9:14.
 
Let him that is taught in the Word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. Gal. 6:6.
 
Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the Word and doctrine. For the Scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn; and the laborer is worthy of his reward. 1 Tim. 5:17-18.
 
Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves; for they watch for your souls as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy and not with grief; for that is unprofitable for you. Heb. 13:17.
 
The next pastor will no doubt have differences from my own way of doing things, and you must expect that and accept it, though by grace you can also expect that he will share with you the very same Gospel and Gifts of God as you have received from me.
 
Farewell, dear flock of God, I commend you to His unspeakable mercy and grace in Jesus Christ the Chief Shepherd of the Sheep.
 
+ Pastor Eckardt

Retirement Service and Celebration
 
The final Sunday mass of Pastor Eckardt’s ministry as the called pastor of this parish is set for June 9th. Hopefully all members can be here! The time of this service has been moved to 10:00 am instead of the usual time of 9:00 am, to accommodate our many guests and to fit the special schedule for the day. We anticipate a large crowd and a festive atmosphere.
 
Among our guests will be my friend the Rev. Benjamin Ball, the Second Vice President of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. He will be serving as Deacon and will officiate at the rite at the close of the Mass, Farewell and Godspeed to a Pastor Entering Retirement.
 
Directly following the Divine Service we will be holding a luncheon and reception in the gym. Write this down!
 
Vacancy Pastor
 
The elders have tentatively arranged for Rev. Philip Fischaber, pastor at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Walnut, to serve as our vacancy pastor. His phone number is 513-384-4651. The details of this arrangement, including whether we will be able to hold our Sunday mass as the usual time, are due to be worked out on May 30th. This will all be published in upcoming bulletins for Sunday morning masses. The vacancy pastor will be responsible for pulpit supply on Sunday mornings, whether he will be here himself or arrange for someone to be here on the Sundays he cannot be here.
 
Our prayers are that the vacancy will be short, and that God will soon provide us with a new pastor. But His will shall be done.
 
June Ushers
Jim Hornback, Steve Kraklow, Tom Wells.

June Birthdays
6/5 Linda Rowe         
6/16 Berniece Harris
6/29 Jim Watson
 
June Anniversaries
6/17/1967 Robert and Mary Beth Jones
6/18/1960 Sandra and John Verplaetse
6/18/1977 Fr. Burnell and Carol Eckardt
6/18/1966 Don and Sue Murphy
6/19/1977 Dana and Carol McReynolds
6/19/1966 Bill and Judy Thompson
 
Shut ins
Jewneel Walker at Kewanee Care in Kewanee; Emmy Wear at Williamsfield retirement home; Pat  Lagerhausen at Royal Oaks in Kewanee; Bea Harris (occasionally) at home; Jim Watson (occasionally) at home.
 
Ladies’ Luncheon
The June Ladies’ Luncheon is scheduled for Wednesday, June 5th at Sweet Peas in Geneseo. Ladies who want to carpool, meat at the church at 11:15 am. Each month a different restaurant is chosen by one of the ladies. All St. Paul’s’ ladies are welcome! Kris Harden is in charge of scheduling. Her number is 309-883-6596.
 
Altar Guild Notes

• Color is WHITE for the Octave of Trinity (June 2nd)
• Color is GREEN for the following Wednesday (June 5th)
• Color is GREEN for the remaining Sundays in June (Trinity season).
• No mass on Wednesdays after June 9th, until further notice.
  Always check supplies. When wine supply gets to the second to the last bottle or supply of hosts gets low (when the last sleeve is opened), please inform Felicia Baker at 773-614-1887.

 
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, Pat Lagerhausen, Jim Watson, Judy Thompson, Otis Anderson, Brett Monson, and Father Eckardt
            and beyond our parish:
Anna, Katie, and Jodi Rutowicz, Julie Ross, Elizabeth Godke, Oneida Hendrickson, Janice Hart, Kathy Boeger, Allison Leezer, Shannon Watson, Karen Parker, Deloris Bitting, John VerPlaetse, Becca Adler, Glenda Miller, Sue Berg [wife of Pastor Peter Berg], Ray Moreland, Deric Keefauver [Kris Harden’s grandson], Kathy Hopkins [Diana Shreck’s cousin], Gary Gresholdt, Rose Anderman, Judy Johnson [relative of Diana Shreck], Pastor Justin Kane
            in the military:
John Eckardt, Richard Heiden, 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, those suffering from unrest, persecution, and imprisonment in Israel, Nigeria, Ukraine, Pakistan, Libya, China, North Korea, and elsewhere.

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