All Saints Palatine

Lenten Devotional Being Prepared

2010-12-06T09:31:00.001-08:00

This message was sent a couple weeks ago, but in case you forgot to respond!

Hi all.
Your help is needed.

Do you ever read these daily devotionals and think, "I've got something to say too?"
Do you ever wonder why Pastor Seth and Pastor Jenn get to have all the fun of writing these messages?
Do you have something to share?

I'm sure that you do, whether you know it or not.

So, we are again this year preparing a Lenten devotional booklet for All Saints written by the people of All Saints.
If you should decide to put your name on the writer's list, you will get:

an assigned biblical text (usually 6-10 verses)
a deadline (in mid-January)
instructions and guidance, as much as you'd like.

What we'll ask you to do is to read your assigned passage and choose one or two key verses.

Write your thoughts about what these passages are saying to you. What do they make you think of? What do you learn about God from them? What do you learn about yourself from them? Use the booklets "Christ in our Home" or the daily email devotionals as inspiration. But make it your own. Share your thoughts with your sisters and brothers.

Finally submit the following via email: your key verses, 250-350 word reflection, and how you would like your name to be printed.

These will be printed together in a booklet for our congregation, the booklet will be made into a pdf and put on our congregation's website, and the devotions will be emailed as part of our daily email devotional plan for the season of Lent 2011.

If you would be willing to share your thoughts and to help us create this project, please respond via email to pastorseth@allsaintspalatine.org

Change of Address

2010-12-03T09:54:00.001-08:00

Hi there,

In order to simplify a few things and due to some changes in policy of the site that we use for congregational publicity (including these devotional messages): beginning next Monday, the daily devotionals will come to you from office@allsaintspalatine.org. This email address is being phased out. Make sure to check your spam folders and do the things you need to do to ensure you continue to receive the messages. If there are any glitches or problems, please let us know.

Pastor Seth

ASLC Devotions -- Friday

2010-12-03T04:45:00.001-08:00

Acts 13:25
²⁵And as John was finishing his work, he said, “What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but one is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of the sandals^* on his feet.”

When Paul gives his testimony about John the Baptist, he uses the words that John spoke -- I am not worthy to untie the thong of the sandals on his feet. Now, we're a long ways from untying sandals, but that was one of those jobs given to the servants of the house. John says, "I'm not even worthy to be his servant."

We talk about John the Baptist during Advent especially as one who pointed the way to Jesus, deflecting attention from his own actions and pointing people to Jesus. How are we called to be John the Baptist during this time, and always? How can we point our lives toward Jesus?

Peace,
Pastor Jenn

ASLC Devotions -- Thursday

2010-12-02T04:45:00.001-08:00

Acts 1:23-25
²³So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. ²⁴Then they prayed and said, ‘Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which one of these two you have chosen ²⁵to take the place^* in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.’

When the disciples met again after the ascension, they were together and devoted themselves in prayer. The book of Acts lists those who were together and indicates they spent their time in prayer "together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus." The time comes when they need to fill out their numbers, so they put together a nominating committee and come up with two men who fit the needs -- Joseph/Barsabbas/Justus and Matthias. The verse that I didn't include above indicates that the group "cast lots" and the lot fell upon Matthias.

The theme of prayer is woven throughout these verses and we can imagine that this was a time of intense prayer and reflection for the disciples and others who had been with Jesus throughout his life, death, resurrection and ascension. While we did not walk with Jesus through those events, our lives should be no less prayer-focused. During this season, as we await his birth, let's gather in prayer -- to remember, to wait, to give thanks, to intercede, to carve out a space in our days for conversation with God.

Peace,
Pastor Jenn

ASLC Devotions -- Wednesday

2010-12-01T04:45:00.001-08:00

Matthew 24:35
³⁵Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

In the lectionary readings that we have during the end of November and throughout Advent, we hear a lot about the end-of-time prophecies. Some of them are specific, referencing judgment methods, while others give hints about the signs that will take place and how people will know that the end is near.

I have no idea when the end will come. And, most days that doesn't concern me. However, what is of great importance to me is the steadfast nature of the words of Jesus. These are the words to which we cling, and ultimately, as the Word became flesh -- we cling to our salvation in the Word as Jesus. The rest? Well, that will all pass away.

Peace,

Pastor Jenn

PS. Join together this evening for dinner at 6:00 and worship at 7:00 as we dwell in the hope and anticipation of Advent.

ASLC Devotions - Thanskgiving Day

2010-11-25T05:00:00.001-08:00

For today, we provide you with the Prayer of the Day from our hymnal, Evangelical Lutheran Worship, for Thanksgiving Day.

Almighty God our Father, your generous goodness comes to us new every day. By the work of your Spirit lead us to acknowledge your goodness, give thanks for your benefits, and serve you in willing obedience, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

We give thanks for you and for your partnership and generosity every day.

Pastors Seth and Jenn

Remember that if you (or someone you know) has no place to be today, join us on Thursday for our free community meal, 11-2. We begin Advent in worship next Sunday at 8:30 and 11.

Lenten Devotional Being Prepared

2010-11-24T09:32:00.001-08:00

Hi all.
Your help is needed.

Do you ever read these daily devotionals and think, "I've got something to say too?"
Do you ever wonder why Pastor Seth and Pastor Jenn get to have all the fun of writing these messages?
Do you have something to share?

I'm sure that you do, whether you know it or not.

So, we are again this year preparing a Lenten devotional booklet for All Saints written by the people of All Saints.
If you should decide to put your name on the writer's list, you will get:

an assigned biblical text (usually 6-10 verses)
a deadline (in mid-January)
instructions and guidance, as much as you'd like.

What we'll ask you to do is to read your assigned passage and choose one or two key verses.

Finally submit the following via email: your key verses, 250-350 word reflection, and how you would like your name to be printed.

ASLC Devotions -- Wednesday

2010-11-24T05:01:00.001-08:00

Psalm 24:7 Lift up your heads, O gates!
and be lifted up, O ancient doors!
that the King of glory may come in.

This passage comes from that great poetic tradition of personifying inanimate objects. The psalmist calls on the gates and the doors of all of Jerusalem to open because the King of glory is coming. I picture a cartoon-setting where the psalmist cries out "Lift up your heads, O gates!" and the gate wakes up quickly from a long slumber. The gate shakes off the last bits of sleep and opens up just in time to let the Lord pass through.

But what if we play with the personification in the other direction? What if we are the gates? What if we are the doors? Lift up your heads, O people! and be lifted up, O saints! that the King of glory may come in. This week, lift up your head and prepare yourself to be a vessel through which the King of glory can enter the world. Because you are a gate and a door. Thanks be to God!

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

Join us for Thanksgiving worship tonight at 7. Bring a bag of groceries for the Palatine Food Pantry. Then join us on Thursday for our free community meal, 11-2. We begin Advent in worship next Sunday at 8:30 and 11.

ASLC Devotions - Tuesday

2010-11-23T05:01:00.001-08:00

Isaiah 33:22 For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our ruler,
the Lord is our king; he will save us.

Sometimes the church/liturgical calendar plays around with our national/secular calendar in interesting ways. Of course it's Thanksgiving week and we're all thinking about turkey and dressing and football and giving thanks. For some of us (especially those of us with young children who remind us) we're thinking about pilgrims and voyages across the ocean and being afraid of not surviving. And we remember that those pilgrims came because of a fear of a king, a ruler, a judge. They came because of a conflict with the ruler and the ruling class where they lived. They needed to go somewhere else to worship as they wanted.

In this way, Christ the King (which is the liturgical holiday just past and that we're still thinking about with this lesson) reminds us that we have a righteous and a just king. No matter where we live, no matter if we like the government or the politics or the system... we have a ruler who will save us. The Lord is our king. Thanks be to God!

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

Join us for Thanksgiving worship Wednesday evening at 7. Bring a bag of groceries for the Palatine Food Pantry. Then join us on Thursday for our free community meal, 11-2. We begin Advent in worship next Sunday at 8:30 and 11.

All Saints Devotions -- Monday

2010-11-22T05:00:00.001-08:00

Jeremiah 46:27 But as for you, have no fear, my servant Jacob,
   and do not be dismayed, O Israel;
for I am going to save you from far away,
   and your offspring from the land of their captivity.
Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease,
   and no one shall make him afraid.

This is the time of year for the weepy "homecoming" commercials. You know the ones I mean. Somebody sneaks into the house early on Christmas morning or pops in just as the turkey is set on the Thanksgiving table. Nobody expected them to be able to make it home. Maybe there were weather problems. Maybe they lived too far away. Maybe they were in the military. Nonetheless, they make it home. Everybody cries. The viewers cry. And then I guess we go buy the coffee or batteries or cellphone plan or whatever it is that made it all possible.

I'm not selling you anything this morning. God's not selling you anything. But God promises a return more profound than any family get-together. God promises that one day we will return to God's house. One day we will be welcomed home and the feast will be set before us and nobody will be able to make us afraid ever again.

So this season as you are surrounded by love and hope, either at All Saints' Thanksgiving dinner, at your family's gathering(s) or wherever it is... look at those things as signs. They are signs of the great feast that God promises us. Thanks be to God!

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

Join us for Thanksgiving worship Wednesday evening at 7. Bring a bag of groceries for the Palatine Food Pantry. Then join us on Thursday for our free community meal, 11-2. We begin Advent in worship next Sunday at 8:30 and 11.

ASLC Devotions - Friday

2010-11-12T05:00:00.001-08:00

2 Thessalonians 1:3 We must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.

I am by nature a cynical person. I tend to see the glass as half-empty. That's my natural way of looking at the world. I am a cynic by nature, but I'm an optimist by experience.

It's good for me to see people working together and serving together and loving one another and sacrificing for one another. And it happens all the time. I see it in the ministries of All Saints and I see it in the life of All Saints on a regular basis. I see people serving and helping and giving and sharing. I see people stepping in to offer a new idea or new excitement and energy. I see it every day. And it challenges my cynicism.

I must always give thanks to God for you, All Saints, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. Amen.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

This week it's back to 8:30 and 11:00 worship with Education Hour at 9:45. See http://www.allsaintspalatine.org for more information.

ASLC Devotions - Thursday

2010-11-11T05:01:00.001-08:00

Romans 1:25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever! Amen.

Paul is writing about those who worship statues and idols. They could be worshiping the true God, but instead they've chosen to worship a statue of a cow or a statue of a man or what-have-you. They've had the truth about God and they've chosen a lie instead. They're serving a creature rather than climbing right to the top of the supply chain to worship the Creator. How sad for them!

I'm so glad we don't worship statues anymore. I'm glad we don't serve statues and idols anymore.

Instead, we've exchanged the truth about God for lies and serve lots of other false gods. The more things change the more they stay the same.

What false gods or idols have you been serving lately? What has taken first place in your life lately?

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

This week it's back to 8:30 and 11:00 worship with Education Hour at 9:45. See http://www.allsaintspalatine.org for more information.

ASLC Devotions -- Wednesday

2010-11-10T05:00:00.001-08:00

Psalm 123
To you I lift up my eyes,
   O you who are enthroned in the heavens!
As the eyes of servants
   look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a maid
   to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the Lord our God,
   until he has mercy upon us.

Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us,
   for we have had more than enough of contempt.
Our soul has had more than its fill
   of the scorn of those who are at ease,
   of the contempt of the proud.

Today a whole psalm to read. And less from me. All I want to say is, let this psalm be your prayer today. Lift up your eyes to the One enthroned in the heavens. The Lord will have mercy upon you. The Lord has had mercy upon you.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

This week it's back to 8:30 and 11:00 worship with Education Hour at 9:45. Join us Wednesday (tonight) for Holden Evening Prayer and fellowship at 7:00 as well. See http://www.allsaintspalatine.org for more information.

ASLC Devotions - Monday

2010-11-08T05:00:00.001-08:00

Job 20:9 The eye that saw them will see them no more,
nor will their place behold them any longer.

One of the profound truths of the Bible is so simple and obvious yet it is truly profound. Nothing lasts forever. Wealth and power and privilege do not last. As the common phrase not found in the Bible puts it: "You can't take it with you." Life does not last. Health does not last. Nothing lasts forever. This passage from Job is actually talking about people who threaten or hate you. They don't last forever.

We serve a powerful and eternal God. Only God lasts. Only God's love lasts. God's love is stronger than hatred and jealousy and rivalry. God's love lasts and those things don't. God's love is stronger than any wealth or privilege. Those things will go away. God's love will not. What a privilege it is to worship and to serve an eternal and a loving God.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

This week it's back to 8:30 and 11:00 worship with Education Hour at 9:45. Join us Wednesday for Holden Evening Prayer and fellowship at 7:00 as well. See http://www.allsaintspalatine.org for more information.

ASLC Devotions -- Friday

2010-11-05T04:45:00.001-07:00

Acts 24:10
¹⁰When the governor motioned to him to speak, Paul replied: “I cheerfully make my defense, knowing that for many years you have been a judge over this nation.

We don't get a lot of adverbs in the writings of scripture, and often we have to provide our own stage cues, as it were. However, today, we read that Paul made his defense cheerfully. He believes with all of his might that he's done nothing wrong, and in fact many things right, so it's not surprising that he's able to state his defense cheerfully. But it makes me wonder how many things I do these days cheerfully? How about you? Are you of cheerful spirit as you go about your day or make your defense?

There are certainly moments when we understandably not cheerful, and perhaps it would even be considered inappropriate to be cheerful, but most days, at most times, my activities could use a dose of cheerfully.

Peace to you, cheerfully,
Pastor Jenn

Don't forget to turn back your clocks Saturday night!
Sunday morning schedule: 9:00 education, 10:00 worship followed by congregational meal! See you there!

ASLC Devotions -- Thursday

2010-11-04T04:45:00.001-07:00

Acts 23:11
¹¹That night the Lord stood near [Paul] and said, “Keep up your courage! For just as you have testified for me in Jerusalem, so you must bear witness also in Rome.”

Part of what we do as Christians is witness and testify for the Lord, which can be a tiring task. Moreso, of course, for Paul who nearly lost his life in this particular passage on behalf of his testifying. No wonder the Lord shows up and says, "Keep up your courage!"

We could bemoan the fact that the Lord never shows up directly next to us and whispers encouragement in our ear. Or, we could look around us and hear all the words of support and promise that our brothers and sisters in Christ give to us as they testify to what the Lord has done for them, and continues to do in each of our relationships. Dear ones, keep up your courage.

Peace,
Pastor Jenn

We will gather for worship at All Saints on Sunday at 10:00 with education at 9:00. A fellowship meal will follow worship. Please join together as we witness to the Lord and encourage each other.

ASLC Devotions -- Wednesday

2010-11-03T12:47:00.001-07:00

Psalm 50:1
¹The mighty one, God the Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.

I love the idea of God summoning the earth from morning to night. A lot of people tell me that they begin their day with prayer -- prayer for people, prayer over the newspaper, prayer to have the energy to get out of bed. God is there, summoning the earth and you.

Many of you also end the day with prayer -- for a restful night, for the people you encounter throughout the day, for the situations that weigh heavily on your heart and mind. God is there, still summoning the earth, and you.

And throughout the day, God summons the earth, and you. Listen, God is calling.

Peace,
Pastor Jenn

ASLC Devotions-- Tuesday

2010-11-02T05:00:00.001-07:00

Zechariah 7:9-10
⁹Thus says the Lord of hosts: Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another; ¹⁰do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the alien, or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.

The question came, "Should I fast during a particular month, as I have always done, to entreat the favor of the Lord?" And the answer came as it is written above. Show kindness and mercy. Do not oppress the widow or the orphan or the poor or the alien. Do not devise evil toward one another.

There are a few times in scripture, particularly when reading the prophets, when we read a word that seems to speak against what was seen to be acceptable worship: fasting, burnt offerings, lamentation and mourning. And God speaks back to say that justice, kindness and mercy should direct our living, and in so doing, our lives become an act of worship. That seem like pretty good directives for us today, too. May our whole lives be an act of worship today, and every day.

Peace,
Pastor Jenn

ASLC Devotions -- Monday

2010-11-01T08:30:00.001-07:00

Ephesians 1:17-19
¹⁷I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, ¹⁸so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, ¹⁹and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power.

Today is All Saints Day, the day when we remember all of the saints who have gone before us and who surround us still. The verses above from Ephesians speak a prayer for the spirit of wisdom and revelation, enlightenment, hope, riches of God's glorious inheritance, and the greatness of God's power. There are few prayers more powerful, and more moving.

As you remember the saints in your life, those who now rest eternally from their labors and those who labor in God's kingdom still, know that we pray this prayer together. Amen.

Peace,
Pastor Jenn

We will celebrate All Saints worship Sunday with the following schedule: Education for all ages at 9:00 am, Worship at 10:00 am, Congregational Meal following worship. Please join us, and don't forget to change your clocks as you head to bed Saturday night!

ASLC Devotions -- Friday

2010-10-29T05:01:00.001-07:00

2 Peter 1:2 May grace and peace be yours in abundance in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

We live in anxious times. We live in times of fear and uncertainty. Sometimes that fear is intentionally created and built up (see the latest campaign mailing to hit your mailbox). Sometimes that fear is a natural by-product of economic conditions, of workplace stresses, of family stresses. Whatever the source: we live in anxious times

I pray that you may find grace and peace in abundance. I pray that you may know that God is God and Jesus is the Lord and you don't need to have either one of those jobs. I pray that grace and peace might be yours in abundance. Amen.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

Worship with us this Sunday morning at 8:30 and 11.
Sunday afternoon between 3 and 5 pm, we will hold a "Trunk or Treat" event in our parking lot. Bring your kids and pass the word - a safe place to trick or treat from several cars!

ASLC Devotions -- Thursday

2010-10-28T05:01:00.001-07:00

1 John 4:1-2 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.

How am I supposed to know who is speaking God's will when lots of people claim to know God's will? "Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God."

A seminary professor once said that if you have a problem with another person... especially any of the -isms... racism, sexism, homophobism, classism, etc... then really you've got a problem with Jesus Christ on the cross. Because Jesus died on the cross for everyone. Jesus died on the cross for the people who don't look like you or think like you. Jesus died on the cross and, if you have a problem with someone else, what you're saying is "Jesus, how dare you die for her?"

If someone claims to speak for God and what they say would negate Jesus sacrifice for another person, then it's a lie. It's a false prophet. It's a false spirit. Reject it. Cling to the faith that Jesus Christ opened his arms on the cross for everyone. Simple. End of story.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

Join us for worship Sunday morning at 8:30 and 11. We will celebrate Affirmation of Baptism (Confirmation) at the 11:00 service. See you then!
Sunday afternoon between 3 and 5 pm, we will hold a "Trunk or Treat" event in our parking lot. Bring your kids and pass the word - a safe place to trick or treat from several cars!

ASLC Devotions -- Wednesday

2010-10-27T05:01:00.001-07:00

Psalm 84:11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
he bestows favour and honour.
No good thing does the Lord withhold
from those who walk uprightly.

No good thing does the Lord withhold from those who walk uprightly. Um, really. There are days when I read something like this and I think "Well then I must not be walking uprightly, because lots of good things seem to be being withheld." And while I encourage conversation and dialogue regarding these messages, please refrain from letting me know whether you think I'm walking uprightly. Let's keep those opinions to ourselves!

But I really don't think that's the issue. The issue is the good things. The issue is whether God is withholding, or whether God is withholding things that are truly good. This kind of question always brings to mind a phrase I've learned from African-American sisters and brothers: "God may not come when you want him. But he's always on time."

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

Join us for worship this weekend at 8:30 and 11. We will celebrate the Rite of Affirmation of Baptism (aka Confirmation) at the 11:00 service.
See you then!

ASLC Devotions -- Friday

2010-10-22T04:45:00.001-07:00

2 Timothy 3:13-15
¹³But wicked people and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and being deceived.¹⁴But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, ¹⁵and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

Do you ever wonder what it is exactly that you're supposed to be doing? Not in a task-list sort of way, but in a bigger picture, what is my life supposed to be like sort of way? It seems that today's scripture reminds us that our task is to continue -- to persevere.

But as for you, it says, continue in what you have learned. As for you, over here -- remember what you've learned about salvation and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Carry on in the faith that you have learned from childhood, and persevere.

Peace,
Pastor Jenn

ASLC Devotions -- Thursday

2010-10-21T04:45:00.001-07:00

2 Timothy 3:8-9
⁸As Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these people, of corrupt mind and counterfeit faith, also oppose the truth. ⁹But they will not make much progress, because, as in the case of those two men, their folly will become plain to everyone.

The trouble with a passage like this is that we can get hung up on questions like "What is the truth?" and "How do we know what is folly and what is faith?" The previous verses give us some clue that the divide centered on such things as people who are "lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³inhuman, implacable, slanderers, profligates, brutes, haters of good, ⁴treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit."

It would seem that no matter how you define truth or folly, these descriptors provide a pretty good clue as to how we shouldn't act toward one another. It might feel like too much on any given day to live a perfect life. After all, none of us are perfect (no, not even you!). But it does seem that we can do our best not to be abusive or arrogant or ungrateful or brutes or inhuman. So, dear ones, let's start there.

Peace,
Pastor Jenn

PS. I apologize with the unscheduled interruption of devotions earlier this week! There's nothing wrong with your email program...

ASLC Devotions - Friday

2010-10-15T05:01:00.001-07:00

2 Timothy 2:23 Have nothing to do with stupid and senseless controversies; you know that they breed quarrels.

Usually I use this space to try to provide a little hope and good news for your morning. Today instead we're going to provide a little bit of advice. Ancient advice. But simple advice. The book of the Bible 2 Timothy was written to Timothy who was learning to be a pastor by some older and more experienced mentor. Lots of it is advice about how to be a leader and an example of Christian faith. This verse is no exception: "Have nothing to do with stupid and senseless controversies; you know that they breed quarrels."

So stupid and senseless controversies must have been a part of church life 2000 years ago. And they must have been a part of business life, and civic life, and political life, and family life. Hmmmm... Not much has changed in 2000 years has it? Stupid and senseless controversies are all around.

I'd like to invite you today to join me in having nothing to do with them. Walk away. Choose a higher road. Focus your mind and your heart on things that matter. You never know! God might have something better in store for you.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

Join us tomorrow morning for Men's Breakfast at 8 am as Bob Crawford shares conversation with us about the political season (speaking of stupid and senseless controversies). Worship Sunday morning at 8:30 and 11.

ASLC Devotions - Thursday

2010-10-14T05:02:00.001-07:00

Acts 17:28 For “In him we live and move and have our being”; as even some of your own poets have said,
“For we too are his offspring.”

This is one tiny excerpt of a sermon that Paul gave to a group of Athenians. It's a great sermon. Lots of good stuff. But I pulled this one line out just because of the thing that Paul quotes actually: "In him we live and move and have our being." That's a reminder that I need this morning.

It is in God that I live. It is in God that I move. It is in God that I have my being. And if that's true, then nothing can take any of that away. Nothing can take away my living and being, because God is protecting it all. And nothing can take away my moving - my freedom of movement - my joyful movement - my dancing, because all of it rests in God.

In God you live and move and have your being.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

Join us Saturday morning at 8 for Men's Breakfast with our speaker Bob Crawford. And Sunday morning for worship at 8:30 and 11. More details at http://www.allsaintspalatine.org

ASLC Devotions - Wednesday

2010-10-13T06:36:00.001-07:00

Psalm 61:4
Let me abide in your tent for ever,
find refuge under the shelter of your wings.

Some days I just want to pull the covers back up over my head and stay in bed. Maybe it's the gray and dreary weather outside the window. Maybe it's the gray and dreary tasks on my to-do list. Maybe it's just sheer human laziness. But sometimes I just want to stay put and not have to face the world.

"Let me abide in your tent forever." It would be wonderful to be able to stay in God's tent and not have to face the world and all its real-life problems and real-life situations. It would be nice to stay sheltered and comfy and cozy. But of course we can't stay there. We all need to face the day. We need to face what the day brings.

It's sure a good thing that God's tent is bigger than my bed, bigger than my home. God's tent follows me and shelters me wherever I go.

May you know God's presence and shelter today, wherever you roam.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

Join together tonight for prayer and fellowship. Holden Evening Prayer at 7 pm followed by fellowship in the Gathering Space. Bring a dish or bottle to pass.

ASLC Devotions -- Tuesday

2010-10-12T05:01:00.001-07:00

Psalm 41:3 The Lord sustains them on their sickbed;
in their illness you heal all their infirmities.

In some ways I really believe that I have the greatest job in the world. I am privileged to be able to walk with people through all kinds of joys and sorrows in life, and to learn from them all along the way.

I walked into Joyce's room expecting sadness and tears. Anybody would have expected sadness and tears after Joyce's diagnosis. She didn't have much longer to live and what she had would be painful and hard. That was sure. I was prepared to try to offer comfort and to try to assure her that God would be with her even through all of this. That's my job.

Except that she assured me. She assured me that God is good, and that God had given her so many blessings throughout her life. She wanted only to talk about thankfulness. She wanted to talk about passing on her faith to her children and gratitude. I don't know about her children and grandchildren, but I know she passed on her faithfulness to me. The faithfulness that says, "Even here on my sickbed, I know that God sustains me and that God is a good and gracious God" is a faithfulness I can continue to learn and to carry.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

Visit http://www.allsaintspalatine.org for more information. Join us for prayer, singing, and fellowship Wednesday evening. Holden Evening Prayer is at 7 pm and join us for fellowship in the Gathering Space afterward. Bring a dish to share and join in the fun!

ASLC Devotions -- Monday

2010-10-11T05:01:00.001-07:00

2 Kings 5:15 Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company; he came and stood before him and said, ‘Now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel.'

Naaman is the "he" referred to here. He was a great general of a foreign army who had his leprosy healed by a prophet of the God of Israel. He was impressed to say the least. You have your skin disease disappear out of nowhere and your skin completely cleaned, you'll put some stock in whatever God or belief-system accomplished it. You'd believe too, I'd venture to say. Anybody would.

I've never seen a skin disease cured. I don't have that as a basis of faith.

But I've seen a woman reconciled with her mother after 35 years of not speaking. I've seen people fed who otherwise would have starved to death. I've seen it. I've seen this and so much more. I've seen it and it feeds my faith. It nourishes my faith. It reinforces my faith. It causes me to take Naaman's confession and change it up slightly. Naaman said "I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel." I say "I know that the God of Israel is alive and well in all the earth."

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

For more information, visit http://www.allsaintspalatine.org Join us Wednesday evening for Holden Evening Prayer and fellowship at 7 pm. Bring a dish to pass for the fellowship time.

ASLC Devotions -- Friday

2010-10-08T04:45:00.001-07:00

2 Timothy 2:1-2
You then, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus; ²and what you have heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will be able to teach others as well.

This is the heart of any graduation speech, congratulations card or send-off: be strong, and share what you have learned with others. To boil it down like that might seem like I'm not taking it very seriously, but I'd argue just the opposite. There are so many things that we learn throughout our lives -- and it is important to share them with others. Why should our knowledge about the Gospel and grace of Jesus Christ be any different?

I love, though, that all of that comes after the encouragement to be strong in the grace. Take encouragement to be strong. Take comfort to be strong. And then share what you have heard and what you know.

Peace,
Pastor Jenn

ASLC Devotions -- Thursday

2010-10-07T06:38:00.000-07:00

2 Timothy 1:13-14
¹³Hold to the standard of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. ¹⁴Guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us.

The letters that we read in scripture are full of many things -- some admonish, some encourage, some teach, some preach. These few lines remind the reader to uphold and guard the treasure, the Gospel message -- the Good News of Jesus Christ. Today we still hear about this teaching and treasure that we read about in the second letter to Timothy -- we still have received sound teaching and the Gospel message.

And, we don't have to do it alone -- the Holy Spirit lives in us. However, if that Holy Spirit feels a little quiet, take note that there are others in your life (and mine!) who help us to do these things. We have mentors and guides and wisdom folks who embody the role of guard and teacher, helping us to remember what we have learned and the value of this amazing treasure that we have received. Give thanks today for those Spirit-folks in your life.

Peace,
Pastor Jenn

ASLC Devotions -- Wednesday

2010-10-06T06:50:00.001-07:00

Psalm 3:5-6
⁵ I lie down and sleep;
I wake again, for the Lord sustains me.
⁶ I am not afraid of tens of thousands of people
who have set themselves against me all around.

On those nights when I cannot sleep because of worry, I am sometimes of clear enough mind to realize the absurdity of worrying late into the night. Not that I'm recommending that we worry during daylight hours, either, mind you, but there are often enough distractions during the day that our obsessive worries get a break. If we truly believe that the Lord sustains us, then we should sleep. If we truly trust in the Lord, we should sleep.

I've had several people tell me over the years that they feel badly about falling asleep in the middle of their bedtime prayers. Now, I don't know many conversation partners who would be appreciative if you fell asleep while talking with them, but I think that's maybe exactly what God wants us to do -- turn your worries over to God at the end of the day, and sleep. You will wake again, for the Lord sustains you. Do not be afraid. Rest.

Peace,
Pastor Jenn

ASLC Devotions -- Tuesday

2010-10-05T04:45:00.001-07:00

Habakkuk 2:2-4
² Then the Lord answered me and said:
Write the vision;
   make it plain on tablets,
   so that a runner may read it.
³ For there is still a vision for the appointed time;
   it speaks of the end, and does not lie.
If it seems to tarry, wait for it;
   it will surely come, it will not delay.

Perhaps the most powerful part of our words from Habakkuk today might be: "then the Lord answered me." In some ways it hardly matters exactly what the Lord says, but simply know that there's an answer can bring comfort and relief. Now, I know that's not always the case -- the answer we get or the response that comes can be far from what we hoped we would hear. But God does answer, and to Habakkuk, God says that there's still a vision, and that the task is still to write it -- large and plainly.

Habakkuk was a prophet, and he was hoping for a message from God to bring to the people, the wayward people. And, God assures him that the message is coming -- even if Habakkuk needs to have a little more patience. God has answered, the vision is coming, have patience. Take comfort -- the vision is coming. Have patience.

Peace,
Pastor Jenn

ASLC Devotions -- Monday

2010-10-04T04:45:00.001-07:00

Habakkuk 1:12-14
¹² Are you not from of old,
   O Lord my God, my Holy One?
   You shall not die.
O Lord, you have marked them for judgement;
   and you, O Rock, have established them for punishment.
¹³ Your eyes are too pure to behold evil,
   and you cannot look on wrongdoing;
why do you look on the treacherous,
   and are silent when the wicked swallow
   those more righteous than they?
¹⁴ You have made people like the fish of the sea,
   like crawling things that have no ruler.

Habakkuk seems like a cheeky prophet, like a prophet that got a little bit sassy with God, and somehow lived to tell about it. Some editors of modern translations, the folks who put those descriptive headings into our Bibles, have called this first chapter of Habakkuk "The Prophet's Complaint." Seems pretty accurate, especially when we read verse 13 -- why don't you say something, God, when the wicked eat up the good? Perhaps by my standards, though, we could all be considered a little bit cheeky when we wonder why God doesn't seem to speak a word to situations riddled with injustice.

There are two parts of Habakkuk's scripture that I find beautiful, however. One, the prophet brings a word to God -- a word of complaint, a word seeking justice, a word of information, a feisty word of challenge. Perhaps we sometimes shy away from being sassy with God -- we have lost the art of bringing a word to God, the art of prophetic give and take. And two, God responds. We'll hear that response tomorrow, but for today know that this is not a one-sided conversation that Habakkuk has with God -- and our conversations, our prayers, with God are not one-sided, either.

Peace,
Pastor Jenn

ASLC Devotions -- Friday

2010-10-01T05:02:00.001-07:00

Revelation 2:17 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To everyone who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give a white stone, and on the white stone is written a new name that no one knows except the one who receives it.

To those of us who conquer (through our baptism and the death and resurrection of Jesus), God promises to give us a white stone with a new name written on it. God says that nobody knows what the name is. God sent this message and seemed to want to promise us a new name but tell us not to bother trying to figure out the name.

Risking getting in trouble for even guessing, I've got a guess. I've got a guess of the new name that will be given to all of us at the end. I think it's "Christian." We've been marked. We've been claimed. Our sinful selves have been covered over in the purest white. We are now called not sinful Seth, but Christian.

That's my guess, and someday we'll all find out!

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

See http://www.allsaintspalatine.org for information about all of our ministries and a full calendar. Bring your pets for a service of blessing Saturday morning in the church parking lot at 9. Worship Sunday morning at 8:30 and 11.

ASLC Devotions -- Thursday

2010-09-30T05:02:00.001-07:00

Revelation 2:11 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Whoever conquers will not be harmed by the second death.

John, the author of Revelation uses this refrain throughout the book and I love it: "Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches." Do you hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches? To the church? To you? How can you tell that you know? How can you be sure?

One thing John is sure that the Spirit is saying to the churches... to you... is that "whoever conquers will not be harmed by the second death." And I'm telling you that you've conquered. In your baptism you've been joined to the conquering of Jesus. He conquered on your behalf. You will not be harmed by the second death.

Religion today is really concerned with the here and now. Most of us are concerned with the here and now. And there's good reason for that. But I think sometimes we forget that eternity awaits us. Eternity will be a lot longer than the 60-90 or more years of our life on earth. And eternity has been assured for us. Thanks be to God!

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

See http://www.allsaintspalatine.org for information about all of our ministries and a full calendar. Bring your pets for a service of blessing Saturday morning in the church parking lot at 9. Worship Sunday morning at 8:30 and 11.

ASLC Devotions -- Wednesday

2010-09-29T05:02:00.001-07:00

Daniel 12:1 At that time Michael, the great prince, the protector of your people, shall arise. There shall be a time of anguish, such as has never occurred since nations first came into existence. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book.

Today is the feast day of Michael and All Angels. The reading for the day is from Daniel's vision of the future and of Michael's role in the protection of God's people in that future.

I've never been a big angel guy. I'm not sure what I believe about angels and their existence and their role in the world and in God's plan for us. I'm fairly sure they don't look like Michael Landon or John Travolta. I say I'm fairly sure but I've been surprised before.

But there is one thing of which my faith is sure. God will protect God's people. God will save us. In fact, God has already saved us through Jesus' death and resurrection. And so today at least I'll give thanks for Michael, a protector of God's people. And most importantly, I'll give thanks for the God who protects and saves and defends us from all evil.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

See http://www.allsaintspalatine.org for information about all of our ministries and a full calendar. Bring your pets for a service of blessing Saturday morning in the church parking lot at 9. Worship Sunday morning at 8:30 and 11.

ASLC Devotions -- Tuesday

2010-09-28T05:02:00.001-07:00

Hosea 10:12 Sow for yourselves righteousness;
   reap steadfast love;
   break up your fallow ground;
for it is time to seek the Lord,
   that he may come and rain righteousness upon you.

I joined a congregation in Washington, DC during the tail end of my college years. Just before I began worshiping there, the congregation had experienced the death and funeral of Miss Judy, one of the shining light matriarchs of the congregation. From the way people talked, I gathered that she had touched a lot of lives with her faithfulness, with her kind words, with birthday cards and with an offer of a glass of lemonade on her front stoop. I also heard more people than I can remember say "I wish I had told her how much all that meant."

We all have people who mean a lot to us and we never tell them. We never say "I love you" or "Thank you." Or we don't say it as often as we should. It's like our faithfulness ground is lying fallow. It's just dirt. Nothing can grow in ungrateful soil. Nothing can grow in soil that isn't worked and turned. So...Hosea would say that we need to start sowing some righteousness and reaping some love. I'm going to make it simple: tell someone that you're grateful they're in your life today. Start with that. You never know what you might reap.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

See http://www.allsaintspalatine.org for information about all of our ministries and a full calendar. Bring your pets for a service of blessing Saturday morning in the church parking lot at 9. Worship Sunday morning at 8:30 and 11.

ASLC Devotions -- Monday

2010-09-27T05:00:00.001-07:00

Amos 6:8 The Lord God has sworn by himself
(says the Lord, the God of hosts):
I abhor the pride of Jacob
and hate his strongholds;
and I will deliver up the city and all that is in it.

God's got a problem with pride. I've never quite understood why God doesn't like groups of lions... let that one sink in. Bad humor on a Monday morning.

Back to the point, if there was one: the problem with our pride is that it hurts us. As a loving parent, God does not want to see us hurt. And God knows that our pride (or pridefulness) will make us think we've got it figured out. It will make us think we don't need help. It will make us say in the immortal words of a 3-year old "I do it myself." And sometimes that works out just fine.

Until it doesn't. Until we get hurt. Until we cry. Until we hurt someone else. And they cry. And we cry. The problem with pride is NOT that God doesn't want us thinking highly of ourselves. The problem with pride is that God doesn't want us getting hurt. You need help today. I need help today. I cannot do it myself. Praise God that the important things have already been done.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

See http://www.allsaintspalatine.org for information about all of our ministries and a full calendar. Bring your pets for a service of blessing Saturday morning in the church parking lot at 9. Worship Sunday morning at 8:30 and 11.

ASLC Devotions -- Friday

2010-09-24T04:03:00.001-07:00

Ephesians 2:4-5
⁴But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us ⁵even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

In yesterday's devotion I reflected about how we have been made rich through Christ, and while I still stand by that statement, today's scripture reminds us that first and foremost God is rich -- rich in mercy. We use this verse as part of our worship during the Confession and Forgiveness, and it moves me as we speak of our God being rich in mercy. Of course God is rich in all things -- mercy and love and kindness and justice and grace, to name a few.

And, those are all areas in which we can strive to build our riches, too. We can be rich in kindness and mercy toward others. We can be rich in grace. We can be rich in love. My prayer is that we can see the many ways that we are rich -- as people and as a congregation -- and continue to share what we have been given as we are alive in Christ.

Peace,
Pastor Jenn

ASLC Devotions -- Thursday

2010-09-23T04:03:00.001-07:00

2 Corinthians 8:8-9
I do not say this as a command, but I am testing the genuineness of your love against the earnestness of others. ⁹For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.

All too often we equate rich, poor, poverty and wealth with a bank account balance. It's not surprising -- after all, we have bills to pay and projects to complete and basic living to do. But it's clear that the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ really had nothing to do with money.

We are rich in our life with Jesus Christ. We have been on the receiving end of the most generous act that we could imagine. God has already determined your value and worth -- and nothing can change that.

Peace,
Pastor Jenn

ASLC Devotions -- Wednesday

2010-09-22T05:02:00.001-07:00

Psalm 12:6-7
⁶The promises of the Lord are promises that are pure,
silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times.

⁷You, O Lord, will protect us;
you will guard us from this generation forever.

The psalmist often writes from a point of view that makes it seem as if he is always under attack, which I'm not going to argue might have been the case. But he also writes from a position of deep faith that the Lord will protect. There are certainly days when the world does seem to conspire against us -- whether at work or school or simply driving from home to the grocery store. (Really, did ALL of the lights have to be red?) And, while I don't really think that God cares about red lights, I do believe deeply that God cares about us as God's children.

Chances are the whole world is not against you -- nor is this entire generation... However, God's promises and protection, perfected and made strong as if silver in a refiner's fire, are steadfast through the ages.

Peace,
Pastor Jenn

ASLC Devotions - Friday

2010-09-17T05:02:00.001-07:00

Romans 8:38-39 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So what else did you want to know?

This passage is my go-to for funerals or at the bedside of someone facing surgery or death. Seems to me that it sums up all the most important things we need to know at those most important points in life: nothing can separate us from God's love... not this funeral, not this surgery, not this death.

But it's probably a good reminder for those of us not going through a death or particular grief right now as well.

So what else did you want to know?

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

Join us for worship Sunday at 8:30 and 11 with Education Hour for ages 3 through adult at 9:45. More information at http://www.allsaintspalatine.org

ASLC Devotions -- Thursday

2010-09-16T05:02:00.001-07:00

Romans 3:3 What if some were unfaithful? Will their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God?

We are an arrogant bunch, aren't we? Even when we are down on ourselves and feeling worthless, it comes out in arrogance. I can't tell you how many times I've thought "I don't deserve it." I have thought that whatever I had done was just so bad that nobody, not even God, should or would forgive me. When good things have come my way, like family and love, I've thought "I don't deserve it." I have thought that there was nothing I could possibly have done to deserve those things. There must be some kind of cosmic mistake.

And that's just it. I don't deserve it. I don't deserve any of it. And God gives it anyway. God has promised to give us life. End of story. If we, by being unfaithful, could make God not give us life, then we'd have some power over God, wouldn't we? And that's ridiculous. God promises to love us and God will love us no matter what.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

Join us for worship Sunday at 8:30 and 11 with Education Hour for ages 3 through adult at 9:45. More information at http://www.allsaintspalatine.org

ASLC Devotions - Wednesday

2010-09-15T05:01:00.001-07:00

Psalm 73:26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength^* of my heart and my portion for ever.

Are you having a bad week? Things dragging you down? Are the bills piling higher than you thought they might? Had you hoped for a little relief, for a little bit easier time this week than last and it's just not there.

I don't have and won't attempt to give any easy answers to life's very complicated troubles. I know that pain and stress and heartache are just too real for that.

All I know is this: there is a God who is strong and powerful. The God of all the universe has claimed you and washed you and promised to be with you forever. Try something: memorize this verse and repeat it to yourself when it feels like the end of the line:

My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

Join us for worship Sunday at 8:30 and 11 with Education Hour for ages 3 through adult at 9:45. More information at http://www.allsaintspalatine.org

ASLC Devotions -- Tuesday

2010-09-14T05:00:00.001-07:00

1 Corinthians 1:18 For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

In the Christian calendar, today is Holy Cross Day. It's a day born of a mama's boy and son and mother's devotion to Christ. Helena went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land some time around the year 325. She found what she believed to be the actual cross where Jesus had been killed. Well, it just so happened that Helena's son was named Constantine and he happened to be the ruler of most of the known world, the Roman emperor. So he built a church on the spot and started a festival to honor the cross, Holy Cross Day, September 14.

This story of an emperor and his mother connect the cross to historical greats and to powerful people with massive influence, more influence than we can even imagine. And Paul reminds us, as he reminded the Corinthians, that the cross is all about foolishness and overcoming power. It's a message of foolishness to say that one killed by another Roman emperor became worshiped and adored by this Roman emperor, and down to thousands and millions of Christians 2000 years later, including you and I. The cross that Helena found may or may not have been the actual cross on which Jesus died. I don't know. But I do know that the cross and what Jesus did there for you and I have opened life to us.

A few light thoughts for your Tuesday morning!

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

Join us for worship Sunday at 8:30 and 11 with Education Hour for ages 3 through adult at 9:45. More information at http://www.allsaintspalatine.org

ASLC Devotions -- Monday

2010-09-13T05:02:00.001-07:00

Amos 7:3 The Lord relented concerning this;
‘It shall not be,’ said the Lord.

Looking for a bit of inspiration, I looked up relent on dictionary.com. Here's what I came up with: "to soften in feeling, temper, or determination; become more mild, compassionate, or forgiving."

I love the image of God softening in feeling, temper, or determination. God softening, God melting, God's angry face turning into a soft and compassionate face of love. It brings to mind one of those tear-jerking Hallmark commercials. Picture the parents coming down the stairs early in the morning bleary-eyed to find their children in the kitchen in the middle of a big mess. Broken eggs on the floor, flour spread all over the place, coffee sputtering out of the pot onto the counter. At first, anger. And then, when the kids look up sweetly offering their homemade breakfast, the parents melt.

God softens toward us. God relents. Even if we're not trying to do something nice like make breakfast. Even if we're not trying to do anything nice at all. God relents. God forgives. God softens. Thanks be to God!

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

Join us for worship Sunday at 8:30 and 11 with Education Hour for ages 3 through adult at 9:45. More information at http://www.allsaintspalatine.org

ASLC Devotions -- Wednesday

2010-09-08T04:45:00.001-07:00

Psalm 101:1,5
¹I will sing of loyalty and of justice;
to you, O Lord, I will sing.
⁵One who secretly slanders a neighbor I will destroy.
A haughty look and an arrogant heart I will not tolerate.

It can feel pretty innocent, those hushed-tone conversations that happen behind the backs of our neighbors and colleagues, in parking lots and backyards, on the phone or over e-mail. And yet, let's all be really honest -- bullying doesn't stop when we leave school. As adults we often engage in versions of the very behaviors that we find appalling among children. The slandering of neighbors and our arrogant hearts do nothing to sing of our loyalty to the Lord and the justice that God seeks.

God calls us into relationship with one another, and David's psalm rejects the ways that we often function in those relationships. It is my prayer and hope that we can reject the slandering, haughtiness and arrogance that permeates our cultures. Let our song be of loyalty and justice to the Lord. Let us sing that song together.

Peace,
Pastor Jenn

ASLC Devotions-- Tuesday

2010-09-07T09:22:00.001-07:00

1 Timothy 4:14
¹⁴Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you through prophecy with the laying on of hands by the council of elders.^*

This section of 1st Timothy contains instructions under the modern heading of "A Good Minister of Jesus Christ." Let me remind you that you are ALL ministers of Jesus Christ. Also, those headings were added by 20th Century editors. There are a number of times when we lay hands on people in the church -- at baptism, at an affirmation of baptism (often called "confirmation"), an ordination, and during times of healing and commissioning.

Within you is a gift, a gift from God. As with most things from God, it seems in poor taste to ignore it or neglect it. Instead, nurture it, use it, expand it, and respect it. A gift from God is far more than an ill-fitting sweater or book you've already read. What is the gift God has given you? How will you use it today?

Peace,
Pastor Jenn

ASLC Devotions -- Monday

2010-09-06T04:45:00.001-07:00

Colossians4:15-17
¹⁵Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters^* in Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house. ¹⁶And when this letter has been read among you, have it read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you read also the letter from Laodicea. ¹⁷And say to Archippus, ‘See that you complete the task that you have received in the Lord.’

I forget sometimes, in this age of quick communication and instant messaging, that not that long ago letters (actual hand-written letters) were not only rare, but treasured and shared. The letters, or epistles, included in our scriptures contain teachings and news to particular groups or churches and they have been passed through generations. Originally these letters would have been read in a gathered assembly, and as we see from the verses above, they would have also been shared with neighboring communities that perhaps did not receive a specific letter addressed to them. We can and do still learn from reading these early Christians' mail.

And while we might not write that many letters anymore, there are still similarities to how we communicate today. After you've read this email, share it with someone else, your neighbors or friends or family, and make sure you read their response. And say to the one in your life whom you know has a task from God, "Don't forget to complete what you have been given."

Peace,
Pastor Jenn

ASLC Devotions -- Thursday

2010-09-02T05:02:00.001-07:00

Philippians 2:29-30 Welcome him then in the Lord with all joy, and honour such people, because he came close to death for the work of Christ,^* risking his life to make up for those services that you could not give me.

The Apostle Paul wrote a letter to the people of Philippi. There was no US Postal Service at the time, so letters were carried by hand ideally by trusted messengers. Paul sent this letter along with his friend and co-worker Epaphroditus. So in the letter he wrote some words of recommendation for good ol' Epaphroditus (his friends maybe called him Paphie). Paul encouraged the people of Philippi to welcome and honor Paphie, for all the work that Paphie had done for the sake of the church and of the gospel.

We live in a very different time and place than Paul did. The church is in a very different position. Very few of us are thrown in jail for our belief, thanks be to God. Very few of us encounter real physical hardships at all because of our faith, thanks be to God.

But we're in the same place in that there are saints among us who show us the way. For Paul, it was Epaphroditus. For me, it's Mrs. Pugh. Mrs. Pugh was the woman in my Teaching Parish congregation who showed up first to make sure all the bulletins were laid out. She turned on all the lights. She made sure the lunch was hot and ready when worship ended. And she sat on the front pew singing her heart out in praise during worship. Mrs. Pugh never came close to death for the work of Christ, but I honour such people anyway. And I honour all of you for the ministry that you do in Christ's name.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

Join us for worship Saturday evening at 5 and Sunday morning at 9. More information at http://www.allsaintspalatine.org

ASLC Devotions -- Wednesday

2010-09-01T05:00:00.001-07:00

Psalm 119:71 It is good for me that I was humbled,
so that I might learn your statutes.

The psalmist is on the other side of a bad experience. This bad experience presumably reminded him that he couldn't go through life all on his own and that he didn't have all the answers. This was presumably one of those biblical bad experiences that drove the psalmist back to a dependence on God and on God's teaching (what he calls statutes). Looking back through this experience to the blessings that have come to him on the other side, he says "It is good for me that I was humbled, so that I might learn your statutes."

Easy for him to say.

Easy for me to say. It's easy enough to say from a place of blessing and a place of looking backward through hard times to see the blessings that have come through it. The silver lining is easiest to see when you've gone through the cloud, not when you're in the middle of it. In the middle of the cloud, we don't say "It is good for me to be here." What we do is trust. We trust that God will always be God and that God is good all the time. And we hold on.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

Join us for worship Saturday evening at 5 and Sunday morning at 9. More information at http://www.allsaintspalatine.org

ASLC Devotions -- Tuesday

2010-08-31T05:00:00.001-07:00

Isaiah 2:12 For the Lord of hosts has a day
against all that is proud and lofty,
against all that is lifted up and high;^*

The turning is coming. God has a plan to turn things right. God has a plan to lift up those who have been bowed down in this world and to lower those who have placed themselves above their sisters and brothers. That's the essence of the gospel. That's God's message for the world. That's what Jesus came to proclaim, and it's what his mother Mary sang about before he was even born. Long before he was born, Isaiah sang about it. Isaiah sang about the day that the Lord would have to turn things right.

This morning I pray that that day is today.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

Join us for worship Saturday evening at 5 and Sunday morning at 9. More information at http://www.allsaintspalatine.org

ASLC Devotions -- Monday

2010-08-30T05:01:00.001-07:00

2 Chronicles 12:1 When the rule of Rehoboam was established and he grew strong, he abandoned the law of the Lord, he and all Israel with him.

Rehoboam was one of the ancient kings of Judah. Judah was one of the two kingdoms that grew out of the division of Israel after the good times of Kings David and Solomon. Rehoboam thought he was pretty great. He was the king. He'd defeated some internal rebellions. He'd built up some fortresses. He had it all together. And so he abandoned the law of the Lord.

Now the writer of Chronicles doesn't put it in the same cause and effect terms that I just did. Chronicles itself just says that WHEN the rule of Rehoboam was established and he grew strong, he abandoned the law of the Lord. Not BECAUSE the rule was established. But WHEN. So the writer of Chronicles doesn't make the strength a cause of abandoning the law of the Lord. But I'm telling you from my life experience and the life-experiences of thousands of others, that there was some cause there. When we think we've got it all together, why do we need the teaching of God? When we're strong and prosperous, why do we need God? If we've got it all figured out, then what need do we have of God?

So if you're having a good day today, if things are going smoothly... just be careful that you remember that it's all a gift from God.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

Join us for worship Saturday evening at 5 and Sunday morning at 9. More information at http://www.allsaintspalatine.org

ASLC Devotions -- Friday

2010-08-27T04:45:00.001-07:00

1 Peter 4:9-10
⁹Be hospitable to one another without complaining. ¹⁰Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received.

When I look out at the world, whether it's from the pulpit on Sunday morning, or simply observing the world, I'm always delighted to realize just how gifted everyone is. Each of you has a gift. Every single one of you. And, it's up to each of us to use that gift (or gifts) to serve one another with it.

We're called to be good stewards in all areas of our lives, and perhaps the first step to being a good steward is to recognize that you have gifts to share. Recognize your gifts, and share them.

Peace,
Pastor Jenn

ASLC Devotions -- Thursday

2010-08-26T04:45:00.001-07:00

1 Peter 3:8
⁸Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind.

For the many students and teachers heading to Illinois classrooms for school today (and others around the country and world heading to school around this time, too), we lift a prayer of blessing for your days, that they would be graced with such a verse as this one.

Peace,
Pastor Jenn

ASLC Devotions -- Wednesday

2010-08-25T04:45:00.001-07:00

John 1:45-46
⁴⁵Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.” ⁴⁶Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

I love the simplicity of Philip's response to Nathanael: Come and see. All too often we think that our witness needs to be complicated and in-depth, when really the simplest of invitations works wonders. What Nathanael sees when he goes with Philip convinces him that Jesus is indeed the awaited Messiah.

There is a time and place for in-depth response to people's questions about what we believe and the certainty of our faith, but often an invitation to come and see speaks more clearly than anything else we could say.

Peace,
Pastor Jenn

ASLC Devotions-- Tuesday

2010-08-24T04:45:00.001-07:00

Ezekiel 20:21
²¹But the children rebelled against me; they did not follow my statutes, and were not careful to observe my ordinances, by whose observance everyone shall live; they profaned my sabbaths. Then I thought I would pour out my wrath upon them and spend my anger against them in the wilderness.

Several times in this passage, both before and after the verse quoted above, the Lord says, "Then I thought..." and finishes it by saying, "But I didn't." In similar fashion to all the ways that we want the Lord to smite those who do not follow the statutes and commands, it's the big wind up to what we think will be a ka-pow, and actually ends up being just a big sigh. There are all of these things that the people do wrong, and you really think that God's going to knock them out of the park... and then doesn't.

We're thankful for the ways that God honors the covenant that God makes, because as God's people, we struggle to keep our end. And God's forgiveness and love keeps coming back, over and over and over and over... Amen.

Peace,
Pastor Jenn

ASLC Devotions -- Monday

2010-08-23T04:45:00.001-07:00

Ezekiel 20:12
Moreover I gave them my sabbaths, as a sign between me and them, so that they might know that I the Lord sanctify them.

I have always found reading and writing about the sabbath, and sabbath-keeping, to be challenging. Mostly, I guess, because I'm not especially good about keeping sabbath and making it holy. After all, there's just a lot that needs to get done -- and who will do it, if I don't? Maybe because I grew up continuously reading Little House on the Prairie books, the idea of sabbath as sitting still all day and limiting my activity to reading scripture sounds neither plausible nor very restful to me. However we end up defining what it means to keep the sabbath, though, this verse from Ezekiel above is incredibly helpful to me -- and somehow I had missed it.

Instead of getting caught up in the discussion of what is allowed and what isn't, look again at the reason that God gives for the sabbath: so that they might know that I the Lord sanctify them. So that they might know that I make them holy. Well, now, isn't that a lovely thought? The sabbath is a gift, a sign (like the rainbow!), so that we might know that God has made us holy.

Peace,
Pastor Jenn

ASLC Devotions -- Friday

2010-08-20T05:03:00.001-07:00

Acts 17:1-3 After Paul and Silas^* had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three sabbath days argued with them from the scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Messiah^* to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, ‘This is the Messiah,^* Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you.’

Paul went into a synagogue in Thessalonica and for three straight sabbath days used the scriptures to proclaim the message that Jesus is the Messiah. He proclaimed a message that an executed criminal was the Messiah that these people had been waiting for. And he used their own Bible, on their own holy days, in their own holy building, to do it.

Takes a bit of moxie. Takes quite a bit of the Holy Spirit. And if the Holy Spirit can call and empower Paul to do this... do you think maybe the Holy Spirit can inspire you to invite your neighbor to worship with you? I wonder.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

For more information about all of the ministries of All Saints, visit http://www.allsaintspalatine.org To share your story or your responses to this devotional, visit http://aslcdevotions.blogspot.com Worship with us this weekend at 5 pm Saturday or 9 am Sunday.

ASLC Devotions -- Wednesday

2010-08-18T05:01:00.001-07:00

Psalm 32:7 You are a hiding-place for me;
you preserve me from trouble;
you surround me with glad cries of deliverance.

It's the summer blockbuster season at the movies. One type of movie that comes out a lot in the summer is the big suspense, slasher movie. "I Know What You Did Last Summer." "Night on Elm Street." I've never really liked that kind of movie. But I have an image in my head of what they're all basically like. Someone is running screaming at the top of their lungs away from someone "out to get them." Trying desperately to reach the safe place. Maybe it's a closet. Maybe it's the police station. Who knows.

I've never had a slasher chasing me. Have you? But I know what it's liked to be stalked. By fear. By self-doubt. By worries. By a lack of enough. Maybe you have too.
But we've got a hiding place more effective than any closet or police station. God is our hiding-place. And God is stronger than anything that might be chasing you.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

For more information about all of the ministries of All Saints, visit http://www.allsaintspalatine.org To share your story or your responses to this devotional, visit http://aslcdevotions.blogspot.com Worship with us this weekend at 5 pm Saturday or 9 am Sunday.

ASLC Devotions -- Tuesday

2010-08-17T05:02:00.001-07:00

Psalm 32:1 Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.

Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Martin Luther wrote in his Small Catechism that "we ask in this prayer that our heavenly Father would not regard our sins nor deny these petitions on their account, for we are worthy of nothing for which we ask, nor have we earned it. Instead we ask that God would give us all things by grace."

We ask that God would not regard our sins, that our sins would be covered. God indeed does cover our sins. God puts a blanket over our sin and hides it from God's own eyes. God pretends that God can't see our sin. For our sake. As a gift. Nothing we deserve, but everything God does. Indeed, we are happy!

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

For more information about all of the ministries of All Saints, visit http://www.allsaintspalatine.org To share your story or your responses to this devotional, visit http://aslcdevotions.blogspot.com Worship with us this weekend at 5 pm Saturday or 9 am Sunday.

ASLC Devotions -- Monday

2010-08-16T05:03:00.001-07:00

Jeremiah 23:32 See, I am against those who prophesy lying dreams, says the Lord, and who tell them, and who lead my people astray by their lies and their recklessness, when I did not send them or appoint them; so they do not profit this people at all, says the Lord.

Maybe you are not as concerned as Jeremiah and others in the Bible seemed to be with trying to separate true prophets from false prophets. It's not something that keeps me up at night. But we do wonder how do we recognize God's voice when we hear something? How do we know if we're following God's voice or just our own whims and desires? We don't have the burning bush experiences or the voice in our dreams, generally. So how do we know?

I like something in this verse as a measure: "they do not profit this people at all." So if you're trying to figure out whether something is God's will for your life or just your own, try out these questions: does it profit you? Is it good for you? Also, God says through Jeremiah that it should profit "this people" PLURAL. So... is the thing good for the community and not just you? If the answer to either of these questions is no, you can be sure it's not God's voice. It's not a definitive test, but some questions that point us in the right direction.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

For more information about all of the ministries of All Saints, visit http://www.allsaintspalatine.org To share your story or your responses to this devotional, visit http://aslcdevotions.blogspot.com Worship with us this weekend at 5 pm Saturday or 9 am Sunday.

ASLC Devotions -- Friday

2010-08-13T04:45:00.000-07:00

Hebrews 10:39
³⁹But we are not among those who shrink back and so are lost, but among those who have faith and so are saved.

Be Bold! (Be bold!) Be Strong! (Be strong!) For the Lord thy God is with thee!

With a campfire refrain, the strumming of guitars and scream-singing campers, we lifted our voices with the admonition to be bold! and to be strong! Indeed, we are not those who shrink back. We are, instead, the ones who are bold and strong because we know that God is with us.

We know that God is with us. We have faith that God is with us. What a powerful statement that can carry us through our lives, no matter the trouble and tribulations that we might face. So, go ahead, be bold. Be strong.

Peace,
Pastor Jenn

ASLC Devotions -- Thursday

2010-08-12T04:45:00.001-07:00

Hebrews 10:35-36
³⁵Do not, therefore, abandon that confidence of yours; it brings a great reward. ³⁶For you need endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.

Often scripture talks about faith as a race to be run and won, or a fight to be fought. Endurance is lifted up as something of value, and I don't disagree. Sometimes living a life of faith can be difficult, though that statement feels horribly trite from a middle-American perspective. When, really, have we ever been persecuted because of our faith?

But there are still times in our lives when we must draw from the deep well of confidence, not in ourselves, but the confidence that we have in our Lord, and the promises that God has made to us.

Peace, and confidence, to you.
Pastor Jenn

ASLC Devotions -- Wednesday

2010-08-11T04:45:00.001-07:00

Psalm 89:1-2
I will sing of your steadfast love, O Lord, forever;
with my mouth I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations.
I declare that your steadfast love is established forever;
your faithfulness is as firm as the heavens.

One of the (many) things that I love about worship is that we sing together as a congregation, all of us. Whether our voice is sure and strong, or it warbles a bit and strays from the tune, our voices rise, praising the Lord. The psalms are the songs of scripture, and the steadfast love of God that Psalm 89 references carries many of the songs that we sing.

This summer at All Saints we have had the opportunity for "hymn sings," and I have enjoyed hearing the favorite hymns that people have requested. The next time you're in worship, sing out, sing loud, sing with the passion that comes from praising God. Our song is proclamation, and our song is our witness to God's faithfulness and work in our lives.

Peace,
Pastor Jenn

ASLC Devotions-- Tuesday

2010-08-10T04:45:00.001-07:00

2 Chronicles 34: 22-23
22 So Hilkiah and those whom the king had sent went to the prophet Huldah, the wife of Shallum son of Tokhath son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe (who lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter) and spoke to her to that effect. ²³She declared to them, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Tell the man who sent you to me,

There is, of course, a larger story present her that continues after the declaration, "Thus says the Lord..." The prophet Huldah continues that the Lord will send all sorts of calamities upon the people, but because you have had a penitent heart, you and your people will die in peace and not see the distress brought upon the people. Of course that story is important.

However, because it is also important (I think) to see the occasions when women have a voice in scripture, these words come from the Lord's prophet, Huldah, the wife of Shallum, keeper of the wardrobe.

Preach it, Huldah, preach it.

Peace,
Pastor Jenn

ASLC Devotions -- Monday

2010-08-09T04:45:00.001-07:00

2 Chronicles 33:12-13
¹²While [Manasseh] was in distress he entreated the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his ancestors. ¹³He prayed to him, and God received his entreaty, heard his plea, and restored him again to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord indeed was God.

The earlier verses in chapter 33 tell us that Manasseh ruled for 55 years and that during that time he did much evil. He built altars for foreign gods within the temple of the Lord, and he misled the nations. And when the Lord tells him to stop, he does not heed the advice. Generally, I've discovered, that's a bad idea. So, the story continues that the armies advanced and then there was some distress, which is where these verses pick up.

There are many occasions in our scriptures when God hears the pleas of people who have done evil and restores them. And, like a child who doesn't see the obvious plot, nearly every time I think to myself, "Seriously, God? Did you not just read the same verses that I read? This character Manasseh has been messing with your world for 55 years condensed into 11 verses, and it only takes one entreaty for you to reverse and restore the whole thing? I mean, really, God, where is the justice?"

O, Lord, hear the entreaties of our hearts that have been hardened. Restore us daily to your kingdom. Remind us that you, indeed, are God.

Peace,
Pastor Jenn

ASLC Devotions -- Friday

2010-08-06T05:07:00.001-07:00

Acts 7:2 Brothers^* and fathers, listen to me. The God of glory appeared to our ancestor Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran.

God, the God of glory, the God who created the heavens and the earth, appeared and spoke to Abraham.

Stephen, who's giving a speech I've excerpted here, thinks it's important to point out that God spoke to Abraham when Abraham was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran. I think it's important too. Because God spoke to Abraham when he was a long way from the promised land. God started this whole project with someone who was outside. God didn't wait for Abraham to move before God appeared to him. God likes to start thing with outsiders. God likes to talk to those who are outside what people would normally expect. God seems to prefer to deal with those who are in some way surprising for their involvement. People like you, perhaps!?

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

For more information about all of the ministries of All Saints, visit http://www.allsaintspalatine.org To share your story or your responses to this devotional, visit http://aslcdevotions.blogspot.com Worship with us this weekend at 5 pm Saturday or 9 am Sunday.

ASLC Devotions -- Thursday

2010-08-05T05:01:00.001-07:00

Romans 9:4-5 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; to them belong the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, comes the Messiah,^* who is over all, God blessed for ever.^* Amen.

God's promises are always true. God always keeps God's promises. Thousands of years ago, thousands of years before Christ, God promised to Abraham that his descendants would be God's people. God promised that Israel would be God's chosen people, and that God's promises of life and hope would be for them. Those promises still hold true after Christ. Christianity doesn't mean that Jewish people need anything else. They've got the promise. They've got God's presence with them as their God. It was promised by God thousands of years ago and the promise is still alive today.

So why am I telling you this? Why does it matter for most of the people reading this message who are not Jewish. It matters for lots of reasons, for how we Christians relate to our Jewish sisters and brothers. But most of all, it matters because we need to know and to be reminded that God's promises are always true. God always keeps God's promises. Amen.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

For more information about all of the ministries of All Saints, visit http://www.allsaintspalatine.org To share your story or your responses to this devotional, visit http://aslcdevotions.blogspot.com Worship with us this weekend at 5 pm Saturday or 9 am Sunday.

ASLC Devotions -- Wednesday

2010-08-04T05:00:00.001-07:00

Psalm 127:1 Unless the Lord builds the house,
those who build it labour in vain.
Unless the Lord guards the city,
the guard keeps watch in vain.

I love lists. Give me a good checklist and an hour to work with it and I'm a happy guy. I love to make lists, I love to work lists. I love to make plans, I love to work plans. Good stuff happens when I have a list and when I have a plan. I don't think I'm alone. There's something innate in us humans that causes us to plan. It's one of the gifts of being human. My dog doesn't make many plans. He looks around for food droppings and barks at anything that passes. That's his life, and I don't want it. To be human is to be able to plan and do complex things.

To be human in relationship to God is to be able to plan and do complex things and to know that God might just have a different plan in mind than we do. To be human in relationship to God is to have your daily checklist and to know that God might put a person in your path who wasn't on your list but who needs your help. That's what it means to me to allow the Lord to build the house so I don't build it in vain. I do my plans, I do my lists. And i Know that God's got other lists in mind. I pray that my list looks a little bit like God's list. Then we're really cooking.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

For more information about all of the ministries of All Saints, visit http://www.allsaintspalatine.org To share your story or your responses to this devotional, visit http://aslcdevotions.blogspot.com Worship with us this weekend at 5 pm Saturday or 9 am Sunday.

ASLC Devotions -- Tuesday

2010-08-03T05:03:00.000-07:00

Ecclesiastes 4:5-6 Fools fold their hands
   and consume their own flesh.
Better is a handful with quiet
   than two handfuls with toil,
   and a chasing after wind.

The writer of Ecclesiastes (possibly Solomon) was not a happy guy: or at least not in a happy mood when he wrote this book. Probably the most common phrase in the whole book is "I saw that this also is vanity and an unhappy business." He basically goes through all the things that people spend their time and their energy on and says that it's a bunch of vanity and chasing after wind. I don't disagree with him, but I kind of just want him to lighten up a little bit.

In the passage above, he's talking about all the time and energy that we humans spend working and trying to get more stuff. He's just said that all work comes from one person's envy of another. We work because we want something that we see someone else has. A promotion, a better office, a car, a vacation home. There's truth to that. Perhaps there's something to the sentiment that "better is a handful of quiet than two handfuls with toil." Maybe we need to learn to rest and be happy with the gifts that God has already given us. Maybe.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

For more information about all of the ministries of All Saints, visit http://www.allsaintspalatine.org To share your story or your responses to this devotional, visit http://aslcdevotions.blogspot.com Worship with us this weekend at 5 pm Saturday or 9 am Sunday.

ASLC Devotions -- Monday

2010-08-02T05:01:00.000-07:00

Ecclesiastes 2:13-14 Then I saw that wisdom excels folly as light excels darkness.
The wise have eyes in their head,
but fools walk in darkness.
Yet I perceived that the same fate befalls all of them.

The book of Ecclesiastes is in part kind of a thought experiment about what brings true joy and meaning to life. It's a set of questions that we all deal with through our lives, whether we acknowledge the questions that obviously or not. Sometimes we don't know that we're trying to find joy and meaning in our lives, but if we sit back and think about it, that's really what it's about.

So the writer of Ecclesiastes, traditionally thought to be King Solomon, known as the wisest person in the history of humanity sets out to figure out what is really worth something in life.

And he acknowledges that wisdom is really good. Wisdom is a good thing. If you have to choose between being wise and being a fool, go with being wise. It's kind of like being in the light as opposed to being in the dark.
And yet it's not everything. As he says, "the same fate befalls all of them." The wise still die. The wise still lose things. The wise still experience sadness and loss, just like fools. So wisdom is valuable. But it's not everything. The only thing that brings value and meaning to life is a relationship with the God of the wise and the foolish. In God our lives are wrapped up into meaning and value.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

For more information about all of the ministries of All Saints, visit http://www.allsaintspalatine.org To share your story or your responses to this devotional, visit http://aslcdevotions.blogspot.com Worship with us this weekend at 5 pm Saturday or 9 am Sunday.

ASLC Devotions -- Friday

2010-07-30T04:45:00.000-07:00

Ephesians 4:20, 22-24
²⁰That is not the way you learned Christ! ²²You were taught to put away your former way of life, your old self, corrupt and deluded by its lusts, ²³and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, ²⁴and to clothe yourselves with the new self, created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

I'm sure you've never said or heard the phrase, "That' s not how you were raised!" But, imagine for a moment, the tone with which a parent might speak such a phrase. Now re-read the above scripture.

We constantly need to be reminded that we have learned Christ, that we have been raised (whether we're 5 or 50 or 90) to a new life, a new self according to the likeness of God. So, hear again, the words that turn us away from the former life, the old self, and turn us toward the righteousness and holiness of our God-life. Again and again and again, God turns us back to God. Thanks, God, we need that.

Peace,
Pastor Jenn

ASLC Devotions -- Thursday

2010-07-29T04:45:00.000-07:00

Romans 11:34-35
O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
³⁴ ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?’

The depth of God's riches and wisdom and knowledge -- O! While it's always true, most of us probably live day in and day out without giving a lot of thought to the magnificence of God. I've written before that it can be overwhelming to imagine God in all of God's ways... O, how rich, how wise, how filled with knowledge.

While we might forget, or simply not acknowledge it on a daily basis, remembering that God is God (and we're not) can be helpful. It's not up to us to shoulder the concerns of the world -- God has far more wisdom and knowledge to handle those things that come our way than we ever will. We are to turn to God for counsel, we are not expected to counsel God.

Peace,
Pastor Jenn

ASLC Devotions -- Wednesday

2010-07-28T04:45:00.000-07:00

Psalm 55:16-17
¹⁶ But I call upon God,
   and the Lord will save me.
¹⁷ Evening and morning and at noon
   I utter my complaint and moan,
   and he will hear my voice.

There is a sureness that the psalmist shares -- the Lord *will* save me; he *will* hear my voice. Is this a mantra that the psalmist repeats to get himself through the day? Is this the prayer before bed? Perhaps a little bit of both. While I'm sure that the Lord appreciates hearing our joys and thanksgivings, in addition to our complaints and moans, the truth is that there are days (weeks? months?) when complaints and moans dominate our conversations with God.

Let us trust that the Lord will hear our voice, and save us.

Peace,
Pastor Jenn

ASLC Devotions -- Friday

2010-07-23T05:05:00.000-07:00

Acts 2:29 Fellow Israelites,^* I may say to you confidently of our ancestor David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.

Peter gave the sermon at the first big Pentecost celebration and he started by reminding the people that David was still dead. David, the great leader of Israel's past... David, the greatest king in Israel's past... David, for whom God seems to have had a soft spot... David, the writer of the psalms... David died and stayed dead.

Sometimes we think about or talk about Jesus as the greatest prophet and moral teacher in the history of the world. And he was. He taught brilliantly in parables. I believe his Sermon on the Mount would stand up to any political speech today as a great plan for how people can live together. He motivated thousands. He brought food and healing and love and hope throughout his nation. He did all that. And so have others, to varying degrees.

But Peter here is hinting at the key difference. What makes Jesus Jesus? What makes Jesus worth following and worshiping? He didn't stay dead. That makes all the difference in the world. Because not only did Jesus not stay dead but he promised that neither will we. Thanks be to God!

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

For more information about all of the ministries of All Saints, visit http://www.allsaintspalatine.org To share your story or your responses to this devotional, visit http://aslcdevotions.blogspot.com

ASLC Devotions -- Thursday

2010-07-22T05:01:00.000-07:00

John 20:18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

Mary Magdalene said "I have seen the Lord." You have seen the Lord too. I know you have. You've seen God bringing hope into your heart at your grandmother's bedside as she died. You've seen God offering you a place to rest when you didn't think there was any room in the inn for you. You've seen God giving you a word of hope that let you get through another dreary and downcast week. You've seen the Lord. I know you have.

I also know, or at least I can guess, that you haven't felt like you could quite put it into words. You haven't felt quite worthy to tell anyone that you've seen the Lord. Because you're not a pastor. Because you're not a brilliant writer. Because you don't write amazing songs. Mary Magdalene felt the same way. She was a woman. She was an outcast woman. She followed Jesus but wasn't counted one of the Twelve Apostles. And yet God chose her to bear the message the first time. Mary Magdalene told the Easter story the very first time. If she could do it, so can you.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

For more information about all of the ministries of All Saints, visit http://www.allsaintspalatine.org To share your story or your responses to this devotional, visit http://aslcdevotions.blogspot.com

ASLC Devotions -- Wednesday

2010-07-21T05:02:00.000-07:00

Psalm 119:97 Oh, how I love your law!
It is my meditation all day long.

The law gets a bad rap. God's law, I mean. Too often we associate it with oppressive laws that tell us all the fun things we'd like to do but aren't allowed to do. And I think we in America have a particular problem with this because we confuse freedom with a lack of law and structure. God's law is not a list of don'ts. Part of God's law is a list of don'ts. Yes, we are not allowed to do things like kill and steal and bear false witness and covet our neighbor's donkey.

But that's just one part of God's law. God's law is really about teaching. God's law is God's way of guiding and teaching us to live the fullest lives that God has offered tou s. God's law includes love and humility and grace and graciousness. God's law includes hope and promise and mutual respect and prayer. Now that's a kind of law I could love and I could meditate on all day long.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

For more information about all of the ministries of All Saints, visit http://www.allsaintspalatine.org To share your story or your responses to this devotional, visit http://aslcdevotions.blogspot.com

ASLC Devotions -- Tuesday

2010-07-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

We all know in a secular, regular educational context that the most important step in learning something is to recognize that you need to learn it. Those who "know it all" will never learn. The most widely-acknowledged brilliant people in human history are all united in one thing: they recognized profoundly how much they did not understand. It's a common maxim that the more I know the more I know that I do not know.

The same is true of our relationship with God and our understandings of the divine and of our relationship to God. Proverbs puts it that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." That common biblical phrase "fear of the Lord" gets a bad rap in our day because we think of fear as hiding under the table cowering. That's not at all what we're talking about here. In this case, what the writer of Proverbs is saying is that the beginning of wisdom, the first step to understanding the world more deeply comes when you recognize that God is God and you're not. There is a difference between you and God. It's obvious, but we all need reminders.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

For more information about all of the ministries of All Saints, visit http://www.allsaintspalatine.org To share your story or your responses to this devotional, visit http://aslcdevotions.blogspot.com

ASLC Devotions -- Monday

2010-07-19T05:02:00.000-07:00

Exodus 18:8 Then Moses told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardship that had beset them on the way, and how the Lord had delivered them.

We struggle sometimes to come up with the right words to use when we want to tell others about our faith, when we want to do some faith-sharing or evangelism. Moses was one who struggled with words. You may remember that when God first called him to go to Egypt and talk to Pharaoh, Moses resisted saying he wasn't a good public speaker. But Moses found the words when he had a story to tell. Moses had an amazing story to tell about God's power and God's faithfulness.

So do you. God has given you life out of death. God has given you hope out of fear. God has brought light into your darkness. You have a story to tell. Your story is different than Moses' story and it's different than my story, but you've got one.

Once we've got the story, sometimes we struggle with an audience. With whom do we want to share our faith? Who around us might benefit from hearing the story? Here Moses is a great example as well: notice Moses tells the story to his own father-in-law. Faith-sharing often starts very close to home. So what's your story? And who might benefit from hearing it?

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

For more information about all of the ministries of All Saints, visit http://www.allsaintspalatine.org To share your story or your responses to this devotional, visit http://aslcdevotions.blogspot.com

ASLC Devotions -- Friday

2010-07-16T04:45:00.000-07:00

Ephesians 3:20-21
Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

To him be the glory. I think it's part of who we are that we want credit for what we do -- what we write, what we say, our list of accomplishments (though not always our failures), and our place in life. Yet we're reminded through this letter to the people in Ephesus that it's God who works within us to accomplish far more than we could on our own.

In fact, the scripture reads "far more than all we can ask or imagine," that's where the glory should go. Thinking too much about the time-space continuum of something that we can't imagine begins to hurt the brain a little bit, but there's also a beauty in recognizing that God's power that is at work within us, is so much bigger than we can even dream. So dream big and the give the glory to God, because God's power is so much more, always.

Peace,
Pastor Jenn

ASLC Devotions -- Thursday

2010-07-15T04:45:00.000-07:00

Hebrews 5:5-6
5 So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him,
‘You are my Son,
today I have begotten you’;
⁶as he says also in another place,
‘You are a priest for ever,
according to the order of Melchizedek.’

We talk about appointments as something that fills our calendars and keeps us busy throughout the day, but scripture and our Christian lives also talk about being appointed, or an appointment to an office or a calling.

On a particularly busy day, I'm not sure that thinking about my calendar as a gift from God will be all that helpful, but I'm willing to give it a try! How does our outlook for the day change when we think about how we have been appointed by God (through our baptism) to be God's people in the world? Are your appointments for the day ways that you can live out that calling? Hold the people and things on your calendar in prayer today.

Peace,
Pastor Jenn

ASLC Devotions -- Wednesday

2010-07-14T04:45:00.000-07:00

Psalm 25:16-18
¹⁶ Turn to me and be gracious to me,
   for I am lonely and afflicted.
¹⁷ Relieve the troubles of my heart,
   and bring me^* out of my distress.
¹⁸ Consider my affliction and my trouble,
   and forgive all my sins.

This psalm also includes the image of God removing the feet of the afflicted one from the net, a powerful image of the grasp that our afflictions can have on us. We turn to the Lord, assured of God's grace and mercy to relieve our troubles. Sometimes, though, recognizing that our feet are trapped in the net and that we need to turn to the Lord can be a difficult step.

How often have we wanted to shoulder the burden of our troubles all on our own, calling out with a weak attempt for help, "Oh, I wish someone would help me" but never really turning our worries and distress to God. Our appeal for forgiveness to God does not go unanswered; God does relieve the troubles of our hearts.

Peace,
Pastor Jenn

ASLC Devotions-- Tuesday

2010-07-13T04:45:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 19:11¹¹ Those with good sense are slow to anger,
and it is their glory to overlook an offense

One of my favorite scripture passages and references to God includes the phrase "slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love." I love that description of God and have found myself coming back to it again and again. Now I recall a similar passage in Proverbs and recognize the value for all of us in being slow to anger and overlooking of offenses.

The opposite of the proverb would be quick to anger and keeping of offenses. As mortals we probably fall closer to that end of the spectrum than to the godly end of the spectrum, and yet I feel that we could all turn toward being slow to anger and overlooking offenses. Peace to you today, as you (and I!) practice being slow to anger.

Peace,
Pastor Jenn

ASLC Devotions -- Monday

2010-07-12T04:45:00.000-07:00

James 2:2-4²For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, ³and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, ‘Have a seat here, please’, while to the one who is poor you say, ‘Stand there’, or, ‘Sit at my feet’,^* ⁴have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?

Last week Pastor Seth made the point that Martin Luther wasn't such a fan of the book of James, and there are definitely parts of the scripture that don't fit neatly within our Lutheran theology. But that's not reason to throw the whole book out! We talk a lot about hospitality and welcoming in the church -- we want people to feel comfortable and welcome here, or in any congregation. But there are many things that we do that probably stand in contrast to what we say we want to do.

However, all are welcome -- and all receive a seat of honor at the Lord's table -- to worship God. Come, sit here. Hear the Word of the Lord.

Peace,
Pastor Jenn

ASLC Devotions -- Friday

2010-07-09T05:03:00.000-07:00

Acts 7:9-10 ‘The patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him, and rescued him from all his afflictions, and enabled him to win favour and to show wisdom when he stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler over Egypt and over all his household.

Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers. He was carted off to a foreign place.

Do you have problems today?

God rescued Joseph from slavery. God raised Joseph up to be Pharaoh's right-hand-man. God used Joseph to save Egypt and many other nations. God used Joseph to save his own family: the ones who had sold him into slavery. God saved Joseph.

God is able to handle your problems too.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

Visit http://aslcdevotions.blogspot for conversation and http://www.allsaintspalatine.org for more details on all our ministries. Worship with us this weekend at 5 pm Saturday and 9 am Sunday.

ASLC Devotions -- Thursday

2010-07-08T05:01:00.000-07:00

James 2:18 But someone will say, ‘You have faith and I have works.’ Show me your faith without works, and I by my works will show you my faith.

Martin Luther wanted to take the book of James out of the Bible. It tends at times to argue against his emphasis on faith saving us and us not earning our salvation. I'm glad Martin didn't succeed in his anti-James quest. There are some good reminders for us there. Like this one, which is just this: don't worry so much about whether your works save you, but if you don't have any, I have some questions about your faith.

If you say you have faith in Jesus Christ Sunday morning, and then steal a car Sunday afternoon then we better talk about your faith. If you say you have faith in Jesus Christ Sunday morning and then give or take a bribe at work on Monday morning, then some conversation about what your faith is exactly might be in order. That's what it means. There are fruit that grow from faith. The fruit don't save you, but they are visual cues.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

Visit http://aslcdevotions.blogspot for conversation and http://www.allsaintspalatine.org for more details on all our ministries. Worship with us this weekend at 5 pm Saturday and 9 am Sunday.

ASLC Devotions -- Wednesday

2010-07-07T05:01:00.000-07:00

Psalm 119:73 Your hands have made and fashioned me;
give me understanding that I may learn your commandments.

The beginning of wisdom is knowing that you don't know. The beginning of learning is knowing that you have something to learn. The beginning of a relationship with God is knowing that you're not God. Knowing that God has made you and molded you, and you are not a self-made woman/man is the key.

Once you acknowledge that, you can ask for understanding. Once you acknowledge that God is God and you're not, there's room in your life for God to come in and grant grace and gifts. Once you know that you are in need of God's wisdom, it'll start to pour in.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

Visit http://aslcdevotions.blogspot for conversation and http://www.allsaintspalatine.org for more details on all our ministries. Worship with us this weekend at 5 pm Saturday and 9 am Sunday.

ASLC Devotions -- Monday

2010-07-05T05:00:00.000-07:00

Jeremiah 6:16 Thus says the Lord:
Stand at the crossroads, and look,
and ask for the ancient paths,
where the good way lies; and walk in it,
and find rest for your souls.
But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’

We are offered the path of life. We are offered the path that we need to walk in God's way. We know what the way looks like. We may quibble about the specifics, but we basically know what is the way of life that God requires of us. It's like a path that's been laid out before us and we stand at the crossroads ready to take the first step.

And most of us turn and take another path. You may call it the path of least resistance. You may call is the path of comfort and wealth. You may call it the path of social pressure. Whatever you call it, we know it's not God's path. And yet we turn and walk.

The brilliant thing about God though is that there is always another path for us. God's path is always open to us. So take the step with me today.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

Visit http://aslcdevotions.blogspot for conversation and http://www.allsaintspalatine.org for more details on all our ministries. Worship with us this weekend at 5 pm Saturday and 9 am Sunday.

ASLC Devotions -- Friday

2010-07-02T04:45:00.000-07:00

2 Corinthians 8:1-7
We want you to know, brothers and sisters,^* about the grace of God that has been granted to the churches of Macedonia; ²for during a severe ordeal of affliction, their abundant joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. ³For, as I can testify, they voluntarily gave according to their means, and even beyond their means, ⁴begging us earnestly for the privilege^* of sharing in this ministry to the saints— ⁵and this, not merely as we expected; they gave themselves first to the Lord and, by the will of God, to us, ⁶so that we might urge Titus that, as he had already made a beginning, so he should also complete this generous undertaking^* among you. ⁷Now as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you^*—so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking.

We rarely print the entire scripture reading for the day, instead choosing to use a verse or two for reflection. Sometimes, however, the scripture moves from verse to verse and there's no good place to stop it for reflection. So, today, I've included the whole reading as it pertains to generosity.

I invite you to do your own reflection about what it means for you to be generous, for you to give first to the Lord, for you to do so with abundant joy.

Peace,
Pastor Jenn

ASLC Devotions -- Thursday

2010-07-01T04:45:00.000-07:00

Romans 7:14-15
For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am of the flesh, sold into slavery under sin.^* ¹⁵I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.

Paul really struggled with the idea of wanting to do what he knew he should do, but feeling captive to the flesh that remained in slavery to the desires of the flesh. I'd say, "Poor Paul," but really, I think we can all relate to knowing what we should do and then doing the complete opposite. So how do we find hope?

Well, we confess our sins to God. We strive to do the right thing, knowing that we will always fall short of perfection. We remember that we have been washed by the waters of baptism. And, we gather in a community to hear the proclamation that God loves us, still.

Peace,
Pastor Jenn

ASLC Devotions -- Wednesday

2010-06-30T04:45:00.000-07:00

Psalm 140
⁴ Guard me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
   protect me from the violent
   who have planned my downfall.
⁵ The arrogant have hidden a trap for me,
   and with cords they have spread a net;^*
   along the road they have set snares for me.

It wouldn't be a far stretch to think that the psalmist is occasionally a little bit paranoid. Taken out of context, we could make ourselves believe that nothing really threatened the psalmist and that no one planned ill will. And yet, the struggles of the day were real, and the cries and prayers for help are real.

There are times when we all need to realize that no one is out to get us, no one is plotting to trip us. But when we have our fears, turning to the Lord is a good way to deal with our concerns.

Peace,
Pastor Jenn

ASLC Devotions-- Tuesday

2010-06-29T04:45:00.000-07:00

Acts 12:1-11⁷Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his wrists. ⁸The angel said to him, “Fasten your belt and put on your sandals.” He did so. Then he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.”

I wish an angel of the Lord would appear suddenly before me and tell me what to do. Yesterday's extended reading from Genesis also featured the assurance of an angel of the Lord to smooth the way for Abraham's servant. Angels of the Lord sure seem to make things easier for these folks, and appear at just the right time.

Before you get discouraged that the Lord has left you off the "In Need of an Angel Visit" list, I invite you today to think of the angels all around you. Maybe they aren't adorned in white with wings and cherubic faces. Perhaps they don't arrive with a light shining around them. Most likely they're wearing everyday clothing and have names like Joe or Linda or Jack or Betty.

Peace,
Pastor Jenn

ASLC Devotions -- Monday

2010-06-28T04:45:00.001-07:00

Genesis 24:37-39³⁷My master made me swear, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live; ³⁸but you shall go to my father’s house, to my kindred, and get a wife for my son.’ ³⁹I said to my master, ‘Perhaps the woman will not follow me.’

The man speaking is the servant of Abraham and he is explaining why he has come to be among these people -- to retrieve a wife for Isaac. There are a couple of pieces about this story that interest me. First, the assertion that perhaps the woman would not go with him. Later, the question of actually going is posed to Rebekah and she is given the option between leaving at the moment or waiting a few days as her family proposes. She indicates she will go, but I marvel that she was presented with a choice.

Too often we paint with broad brushstrokes the stories that we know so well without reading them closely, or discovering new insights. What stories do you need to re-read with new eyes this week? What stories do you think you know so well that you don't bother reading them again?

Peace,
Pastor Jenn

ASLC Devotions -- Friday

2010-06-25T05:05:00.000-07:00

Galatians 4:9 Now, however, that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and beggarly elemental spirits? How can you want to be enslaved to them again?

Paul writes to the congregation of Christians at Galatia to correct some things he's heard about them. The details of that are not what I want to write about today. I'm just struck by the way Paul writes... "Now, however, that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God..."

The phrase "I have come to know God" is familiar to us in our Christian culture. We talk about when we came to know God. Paul does the same thing.... but then corrects himself grammatically. He corrects himself and makes God the subject of the sentence, where God belongs.

It doesn't matter that much whether you know God. It doesn't matter that much ultimately what you know about God. What is of much more importance is what God knows about you. What matters is that God knows you are God's beloved child. You are God's redeemed. And God knows it.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

Visit http://aslcdevotions.blogspot for conversation and http://www.allsaintspalatine.org for more details on all our ministries. Worship with us this weekend at 5 pm Saturday and 9 am Sunday.

ASLC Devotions -- Thursday

2010-06-24T05:00:00.000-07:00

Malachi 3:4 But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?
For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap;

Sometimes contact with God, the holy one of Israel, is a scary affair. When the prophet Isaiah encountered God in the temple, his tongue was burned with charcoal. When Moses met God on the mountain, his face and appearance were changed for life. God is different than we are. All of our attempts to talk about what God might look like, what it might be like to meet God face to face.... all of it is metaphor. We cannot describe, we cannot know what that encounter would be like.

But the image of fire is common. Malachi reminds us that fire does not only destroy. Fire makes things stronger. Fire changes and purifies metal. God changes and purifies us. It may be not be comfortable. It may not feel like what we were hoping for. But we will be changed by an encounter with the living God. And we will be stronger.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

Visit http://aslcdevotions.blogspot for conversation and http://www.allsaintspalatine.org for more details on all our ministries. Worship with us this weekend at 5 pm Saturday and 9 am Sunday.

ASLC Devotions -- Wednesday

2010-06-23T05:00:00.000-07:00

Luke 9:42 While he was coming, the demon dashed him to the ground in convulsions. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father.

We are made for one another. We are made for relationships. In this vignette, Jesus heals a young boy of a demon at the request of the boy's father. After healing him, Luke tells us that Jesus "gave him back to his father." It's not like the son belongs to the father, in the sense of a possession. But the son belongs to the father in the sense of relationship and ties. Demons and illness and revenge and hatred tear those relationships and ties apart. Demons and illness and revenge and hatred tear us apart from one another; they make us less than we were made to be.

Jesus restores us to wholeness. As individuals, we are restored to wholeness with healing and hope. As families and as communities, we are restored to wholeness when relationships are restored. We like to focus on the "miracles" of demons cast out or the dead brought back to life. Personally, I think restored relationships are much more of a miracle. Praise God for restored relationships.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

Visit http://aslcdevotions.blogspot for conversation and http://www.allsaintspalatine.org for more details on all our ministries. Worship with us this weekend at 5 pm Saturday and 9 am Sunday.

ASLC Devotions -- Tuesday

2010-06-22T05:00:00.000-07:00

Job 19:7 Even when I cry out, “Violence!” I am not answered;
I call aloud, but there is no justice.

Job now speaks for himself in the context of losing everything and his "friends" telling him that he must have done something to deserve it. Job cries out. Job cries out in pain and agony. And Job is answered by silence.

At least in the short term.

At the end of the book, God shows up. God shows up and speaks with Job. God will show up and speak with you too. I don't know when. It might be today, and it might be a long time from now. But if you are crying out for justice. If you are crying out for release, God will answer.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

Visit http://aslcdevotions.blogspot for conversation and http://www.allsaintspalatine.org for more details on all our ministries. Worship with us this weekend at 5 pm Saturday and 9 am Sunday.

ASLC Devotions -- Monday

2010-06-21T05:02:00.000-07:00

Job 18:5 Surely the light of the wicked is put out,
and the flame of their fire does not shine.

If you've never read the book of Job, do it. It's great. Here's the basic outline: Job loses everything... his house, his family, his kids, his money, his cattle. He's the prototypical country music singer. And the question of the book of Job is "Why?" Why do these bad things happen? After all these bad things happen, three of Job's friends show up. And they provide possible answers to the why question.

The above quote is from the answer of Job's friend Bildad. Bildad says "Surely the light of the wicked is put out." Essentially he says... all these bad things are happening to you. You must deserve it. You must have done something bad. Bildad believes that bad things are a sign that God is punishing you.

Trust me for now, but read the book later... at the end of the book God shows up. And God tells Bildad to shut his mouth. We're left with some level of question about why exactly bad things happen, but God is perfectly clear that the answer is not Bildad's. So today when your coworker tells you about her aunt who has been hospitalized, please don't say "What did you do to deserve that?" Whatever the answer is to suffering, that ain't it.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

Visit http://aslcdevotions.blogspot for conversation and http://www.allsaintspalatine.org for more details on all our ministries. Worship with us this weekend at 5 pm Saturday and 9 am Sunday.