“Even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.”
Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. Joel 2:12-13

The season of Lent is for looking deep within ourselves. It’s a time for pondering who we are in light of the cross of Jesus Christ. It’s a time to ponder this question: is your faith more than skin deep?
You know, sometimes you come across a new fact or idea that is so amazing, it just makes you sit up and take notice. I recently came across such a fact. Did you know that the average human being grows approximately 1,000 new layers of outer skin throughout his or her lifetime? I have two questions. What would we do if we didn’t shed the old skin? We would be humongous—and not very nice-looking as well. The second questions is, why don’t we feel as new on the inside as we are on the outside?
Golfer George Archer, a competitor on the Senior PGA Tour, was interviewed sometime back about his many surgically-replaced body parts. “My knee’s only a few months old,” he said, “my back is only 17, and I recently got a new hip.” Then he joked, “I might be too young now (for the Senior Tour).”
Wouldn’t that be something? Before too long advances in medical technology may make it possible to have a majority of new “parts” in an over-the-hill body. Will we feel any newer? I, for one, certainly hope so.
Getting a new body would feel mighty good for some of us. But our Bible passage for today is about a more profound and ultimately more fulfilling idea—namely, getting a new mind and heart.
The prophet Joel is speaking to the people of Israel, but he could just as easily be speaking to us today. He is in despair over how the people are practicing an empty form of religion without any heartfelt commitment to God. They observe all the necessary rituals, says Joel, but their hearts are far from God. Their faith makes no difference in their lives. Their sins have separated them from the Lord, and have made them a symbol of hypocrisy among their neighbors. The pagan people who live all around them have heard of the God of Israel—the Lord God Jehovah, the one true God. They hear that this is the Creator God, the Sovereign Ruler over all the Universe. And yet, the pagans can’t help but notice that the people who supposedly serve this incredible God are living empty and sometimes even wicked lives. They are no different from everybody else. Their lives lack any higher purpose, and their faith lacks any redemptive power. And so the prophet Joel urges the people to repent, to return to the promises, purposes, and power of the Lord.
“Even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.“ Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. . .Blow the trumpet in Zion. . .bring together the elders, gather the children, those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber. Let the priests, who minister before the LORD, weep between the temple porch and the altar. Let them say, “Spare your people, O LORD. Do not make your inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the nations. Why should they say among the peoples, Where is their God?”
I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of being ineffective in my Christian witness. I’m tired of praying at God, instead of communing with God. I’m tired of reading the Bible as an ancient document instead of as the living word of God. And most of all, I’m tired of waiting for that good old “bye and bye” when I will see God. I want to see God now, alive and working in my life and in my community and in the world.
So what does it take to get re-connected to the Power? What does it take to restore our souls? The prophet Joel says it takes repentance. “Rend your heart and not your garments,” says Joel. “Return to the Lord your God.”
My friends, the Lenten season is set aside for the express purpose of looking deep within our hearts and asking if our faith is more than skin deep. With that said I encourage you to come and “Rend your heart and not your garments” and then in faith rejoice in the fact that our gracious God is slow to anger and abounding in love for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Pastor Birtell

Bible Study
Please join us at 9:10 each Sunday morning for our Adult Bible Study. We have started a new series “The Calling: Live a Life of Significance” by Dr. Kurt Senske.

School News
We are coming up on our 3rd quarter midterm. We will have parent/teacher conferences on February 16. Midwinter break will be February 17-21.
We have started to practice our upcoming operetta which will be March 4. This year we will be presenting “Malice in the Palace-The story of Esther”. Parts have been given out and the students have been practicing songs.
On February 1, Wednesday, we are having a St. John’s night at Alice’s Cedar Inn in Creston. We will receive 10% of all sales from that night, starting at 5:00 pm. Scrip will not be accepted though since we already receive 10% from the purchase of it. Money raised will go towards our technology updates for the school.
We thank you all for your continued support for our school with the ongoing fundraising projects such as scrip, Super Saver receipts, ink cartridges, box tops and Green fiber recycling. To God be the Glory!

Lutheran Laymen’s League
St. John’s LLL met on January 3, 2012, in the church basement.
Pastor led the topic “A Stress-free Christmas” based on the book of Titus and how Paul advised the pastor Titus to teach his flock to focus on different things as they lived in the light of the grace of God that appeared in the manger.
Elden Kapels called the meeting to order with 14 members present. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved. The Treasurer reported a new balance of $77.45. Motion made and carried to pay the School Board $50.00 to cover the candy sacks.
Motion made and carried to host the Spring Rally in April. Other groups will be contacted to see if they are interested in serving a meal. Showing pictures of the combine disassembly in Nebraska and re-assembly in Kyrgyzstan was discussed for the Rally.
Discussion was held on collecting old tractor and car batteries. They are to be placed by the can cage west of John and Annette’s garage.
The next meeting will be February 7th at 7:00 P.M and Loren Fittje will serve lunch.
The meeting adjourned with the Lord’s Prayer.

Respectfully submitted,
Fred Siefken, Secretary

The Lutheran Hour
February 2012 February 5
"God Is Faithful. Get Busy And Wait On The Lord" Lutheran Hour Speaker: Rev. Gregory Seltz
We can wait on God-joyfully, expectantly, hopefully-because we can trust Him. (Isaiah 40:28-31)

February 12 "You Can't Muzzle True Joy" Lutheran Hour Speaker: Rev. Gregory Seltz
Joy is rooted in a relationship with God. You can't muzzle joy when that joy is connected to Jesus. (Mark 1:40-45)

February 19 "A Resurrection Glimpse to Empower Your Faith" Lutheran Hour Speaker: Rev. Gregory Seltz
Can you fathom what it means that it required the sacrifice of God's own Son in order that you might live, forgiven and redeemed? (Mark 9:2-11)

February 26 "Repent" Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour: Rev. Dr. Ken Klaus

WJAG Norfolk, NE 780 AM Sun 12:30 PM
KFAB Omaha, NE 1110 AM Sun 6:30 AM
KTIC West Point, NE 840 AM Sun 11:00 AM
KZEN Columbus, NE 100.3 FM Sun 9:00 AM

2011 Thrivent Review:
Colfax/Platte Chapter Board Project fund to St. John’s-
$500- LLL Fish Boil to Orphan Grain Train
$500- Youth Group for Minnesota Vacation Bible School
$500- WMA Supplies for Youth group Minnesota trip (quilts, health kits, education kits)
$1,000-St. John’s School through Octoberfest (each Lutheran school receives $1000 but must do a Project)
$600- St. John's School money left in 2011 Chapter funds

St. John’s Care Account-
$182 from chapter operating funds ($1 per Thrivent member for election expenses)
-$90 Expenses for confirmation questioning from Care Account

Thrivent Choice Dollar money 2011
$1428 to Organ fund
$3000 to Organ fund
$3000 to Building fund

St. John’s Advocates are Nancy Kapels (head advocate), Shari Maurer and Carol Rosendahl. We are allowed 4. Each Advocate gets an extra $25 to apply to either St. John’s School or Church. Duties are to give suggestions for Choice Dollar money- and oversee Election Vote for Chapter officers.

Money also went to these projects-
$500 to Creston Women’s fall dinner (Creston Pool)
$500 to Creston Rescue Unit for Equipment (4th of July meal)

COMING EVENTS

FREE Woodcutter's Weekend, Feb. 17 and 18, 2012 (RESCHEDULED FROM FEBRUARY 3 and 4)
Looking for an exciting time? Plan on attending our ANNUAL WOODCUTTER'S RETREAT, the first weekend in Feb. 2012! The retreat starts on Friday night February 3 with Bible Study, fellowship and an awesome late night snack of Brats! ALL DAY Saturday join other chainsaw wielding men cutting and moving wood. There's a hearty lunch and we finish off the weekend with our Steak dinner. The cost of this weekend retreat is FREE! Of course donations are alway accepted. Bring a friend and your chainsaws. Don't have one, help move and stack wood.