Lent is a time of spiritual rigor and growth. The main way this is done is through intensified meditation on God’s Word and prayer. To that end, St. John’s and St. Peter’s offer midweek services for your spiritual growth. The Book of Psalms is one of God’s most precious gifts to us. Martin Luther, the great Reformer, loved the Psalms and extolled their use:

No books of moral tales and no legends of saints which have been written, or ever will be, are to my mind as noble as the Book of Psalms…. In it we find what all saints do — their attitude to God, to their friends, to their foes; and their manner of life and behavior in face of manifold dangers and sufferings. Above all this, the book contains divine and helpful doctrines and commandments of every kind. It should be precious to us if only because it most clearly promises the death and resurrection of Christ, and describes his kingdom, and the nature and standing of all Christian people. It could well be called a “little Bible” since it contains, set out in the briefest and most beautiful form, all that’s to be found in the whole Bible, a book of good examples from among the whole of Christendom and from among the saints, in order that those who could not read the whole Bible through would have almost the whole of it in summary form.

On Wednesdays in Lent, we will be studying the Psalms together during our special Lenten midweek services. In particular, we will examine five categories Martin Luther used to describe them: Psalms of Prophecy, Instruction, Comfort, Prayer, and Thanks. Come and hear, so that your heart may be increasingly nourished by this most precious gift, the Psalms.

Dates: Wednesdays, March 8, 15, 22, 29, and April 5

Time: Noon at St. John’s, Rankin (40 minutes or less); 7:00 PM at St. Peter’s, Forestville

(All services preceded by a meal.)

Ash Wednesday will be observed this Wednesday, March 1, at 7:00 PM. We will be celebrating the Divine Service and receiving the Imposition of Ashes.

Service will be preceded by a meal at 6:00 PM.

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit. (Psalm 51:10-12 ESV)

Text: 1 Timothy 1:3-11
Liturgical Date: Pentecost 17, Proper 19 (C)
Calendar Date: September 11, 2016
Location: St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Forestville, WI

Text: Deuteronomy 30:15-20
Liturgical Date: Pentecost 16, Proper 18 (C)
Calendar Date: Septermber 4, 2016
Location: St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Forestville, WI

Text: Luke 14:1-14
Liturgical Date: Pentecost 15, Proper 15 (C)
Calendar Date: August 28, 2016
Preacher: Rev. Dr. Christopher D. Jackson
Location: St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Forestville, WI

Text: Luke 13:22-30
Liturgical Date: Pentecost 14, Proper 16 (C)
Calendar Date: August 21, 2016
Location: St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Forestville, WI
Preacher: Rev. Dr. Christopher D. Jackson

International touring artist and Door County local Katie Dahl will perform at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Forestville on August 27 at 6:30 PM.

Katie has performed her original songs everywhere from the dusty cliff country of Mali, West Africa, to the winding canals of southern France, to the cedar forests of the American northwoods. The depth and power of Katie’s alto voice, the literate candor of her original songs, and the easy humor of her live performances have earned her numerous songwriting awards, as well as the chance to share stages with some of America’s most respected songwriters, including Dar Williams, Peter Mulvey, Julie Gold, and Cheryl Wheeler.

Text: Luke 11:1-13
Liturgical Date: Pentecost 10, Proper 12 (C)
Location: St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Forestville, WI
Preacher: Rev. Dr. Christopher D. Jackson

Text: Luke 10:25-37
Liturgical Date: Pentecost 8, Proper 10 (C)
Location: St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Forestville, WI
Preacher: Rev. Dr. Christopher D. Jackson

Title: Harvest Workers
Text: Luke 10:2-3
Liturgical Date: Pentecost 7, Proper 9 (C)
Calendar Date: July 5, 2016
Preacher: Rev. Dr. Christopher D. Jackson
Location: St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Forestville, WI