January 2018

Saturday Evening masses discontinued

Careful deliberations by the Board of Elders, with my input and approval, have yielded the decision that it is time to discontinue Saturday evening services, due to low attendance.

People who attend on Saturday nights are being encouraged to come on Sunday mornings, and if that is not possible, to come on Wednesday evenings at 7:00. Some people who might find mornings more difficult should find the Wednesday masses a welcome alternative.

Saturday evening services have a long history here, dating to before my arrival in 1995. At that time, the service was Evening Prayer. It soon changed, together with the Sunday morning schedule, so that it would always be a Divine Service, that is, a Mass, at which Holy Communion is offered.

The Saturday masses were curtailed a bit some years afterwards, in that they were cancelled whenever I was away. In addition, there were several weekends a year in which remnants of the old “Unity” services were retained. The Unity services were so named because on a few weekends in the year there was only one weekend service offered, and everyone was encouraged to attend, to express our unity as a congregation.

As a result, Saturday masses were never held on the day before Palm Sunday, the last Saturday in June, or the last Saturday of the year. To that list were soon added the Saturdays of Oktoberfest and after Thanksgiving.

The primary reason for the poor attendance on Saturdays seems to have been the gradual loss in membership the congregation has seen over the past 15 years. While new members have joined, many faithful families have had to move out of town because they had to follow employment opportunities. Kewanee itself has been in a population decline. If that decline should be reversed, or if for some reason it should become reasonable to revisit the idea of Saturday masses in the future, we can always do that.

Meanwhile, our Sunday morning worship remains vibrant and healthy, and we are hopeful that the loss of Saturday masses will not have an adverse effect on attendance at all.

The final Saturday mass was held on December 16th. The schedule was already without a Saturday mass on the 30th, according to long tradition, and the 23rd is the day before Christmas Eve, and worship opportunities abound. Therefore, the Saturday change is already effective: Saturday evening masses are now discontinued.

Special thanks to Dick Melchin are in order. Every Saturday, virtually without fail, he would be on hand to open the church, turn on the lights, and be the usher. He was faithful in this duty for decades, Saturday after Saturday one could expect to find him ready to welcome worshipers. His service to the church has proved invaluable. + Pastor Eckardt

The Eckardt Family Christmas Greeting:

Click here

Epiphany Seminar and Celebration, Saturday, January 6th, 2018

An Epiphany day of reflection is planned for Epiphany Day, Saturday, January 6th, 2018. To open the seminar we will have Epiphany mass at 9:00 in the morning. A seminar will follow. Here is the schedule:

9:00 a.m. Epiphany Mass
10:00 a.m. - noon Seminar (day of reflection):

The seventeenth retreat in the Theological Reflection series is entitled,
“YE Shall know that I am the lord
The eschatological nature of the name of God, of his sabbaths, and of his judgment”

This seminar will explore two aspects of Old Testament imagery, namely the revelation of the Lord’s mercy to his people, and of his subsequent wrath upon them when they reject him. On the one hand we note his abundant kindness to Israel, seen especially in their deliverance from Egypt, and on the other, we note his visitation of fury upon them when they become apostate, seen especially in their deportation to Babylon. A combination of these views with a view toward the final Day of Judgment (that is, eschatologically) is critical to a proper understanding of the Old Testament, against the false view that the wrath of God in the Old Testament is opposed by the love of the Savior in the New. The final judgment of which the Lord Jesus speaks is consistent with the fulfillment of the revelation announced in Ezekiel and elsewhere: ye shall know that I am the Lord.

Plans are up in the air for after the seminar. Perhaps we all have lunch together.

Annual Voters’ Meeting

Our Annual Voters’ Meeting is scheduled for Sunday, January 7rd, at 10:00 a.m. (in the time slot normally reserved for Bible Class).
2018 Envelopes

The offering envelopes are in your mailboxes.

January Birthdays

1/1 Chris Erickson
1/4 Lucille Kemerling
1/13 James Hornback
1/15 Breann Dooley

January Ushers

Steve Peart, Grant Andresen, Larry Campbell (unless Larry is scheduled to sub-deacon, in which case Steve Harris is on the schedule)

The Bell Tolls

On the last Sunday of 2017, we will toll the bell at prayers for each member of our parish who has died during the year. We remember this year three members who fell asleep in Christ:

· Lucille Kemerling
· Dennis Schoen
· Tony Fisher

Shut-ins

Mary Hamilton has again moved to be with her son in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Emilie Ricknell is at home; Joyce Long is at home; Dale Baker is at home; Emmy Wear at Williamsfield Retirement Center; Derrick Baker is at VA Rehab Center in Des Moines, Iowa.

January Anniversaries 

None

First Tuesday meetings

Our First Tuesday meetings will be held January 2nd, beginning with Altar Guild at 6 pm, Vespers at 6:45, and Elders at 7:15. Anyone is welcome to join us for vespers.

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:

Emilie Ricknell
John Ricknell
Linda Rowe
Mary Hamilton
Emmy Wear
DeAnne Anderson
Dale Baker
Sue Murphy
Don Murphy
Joyce Long
Steve Peart
Bea Harris
Derrick Baker
Dick Melchin
Dana McReynolds

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]
Shannon Watson [Jim’s daughter]
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 [John Ricknell’s relatives]
Dean Moss [Chris Erickson’s friend’s father, cancer]
Wilber Kruger [Mindie Fisher’s father]

in the military

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 Mahaffev

in trouble, especially:

The people of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Chicago
Any unborn children in danger of abortion
Those suffering from unrest, persecution, and imprisonment in Iraq, Syria, Burma, Sudan, North Korea, and elsewhere.

and our own church

Altar Guild Notes

Altar color is white until January 28th, Septuagesima Sunday, when it turns to violet. On Wednesday, January 31st, we will observe Candlemas, the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord and the Purification of Mary. Color is white for that day, then reverts to violet.

Since Saturday evening masses are no longer being held, the Wednesday crew will need to set up for Sunday, and the weekend crew will only have Sunday duties.

No mass on Wednesday, January 17th.

Pastor Presenting Sectional Paper at Symposium

I have been selected to present again at the Concordia Theological Seminary symposium during the third week in January on the topic “Ye Shall know that I am the LORD,” which is the same topic as that which is planned for our Epiphany seminar. See the story on the previous page. - Pastor

Alms for the Needy

Please remember those less fortunate during this season. The alms box is in the back of the church, and the offerings will be distributed during the holidays.

Council Meeting Cancelled

The January council meeting is unnecessary this month because of the annual voters’ assembly to be held January 7th.

Baptism of our Lord

The Baptism of our Lord is January 13th. This year we will observe it the Wednesday before, on January 10th, at the 7 pm time set for our regular Wednesday mass.

St. Paul’s Feast of Title January 24th

On Wednesday, January 24th, we will celebrate the Conversion of St. Paul. Since this congregation is named for this saint, the day is for us a “Feast of Title,” a First Class Feast. At 7 p.m., our usual Wednesday time.

Renovation News

We are still in the planning stage for the renovation of our church. We hope to have some proposals for a renovation of the chancel, the beginning of Stage III, soon.

Copies of Gottesdienst

Copies of the 100th issue of Gottesdienst, a special anniversary issue, are available in the narthex.

Candlemas observed Jan. 31

We will observe Candlemas, the Feast of the Presentation of our Lord and the Purification of Mary, on Wednesday, January 31 at our regular Midweek Mass. The actual day is February 2nd.


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