Ruth 1:16-17 But Ruth said,
‘Do not press me to leave you
or to turn back from following you!
Where you go, I will go;
where you lodge, I will lodge;
your people shall be my people,
and your God my God.
Where you die, I will die—
there will I be buried.
May the Lord do thus and so to me,
and more as well,
if even death parts me from you!’
Why have these words captured our imaginations for centuries? I've seen them etched on homes, I've seen them as plaques in entryways, as counted crossstitch, on quilts, in any artistic format you can imagine. What is it about these words that captures our thoughts and our hopes and dreams so?
I think it has something to do with our deepest desire as people. We long to belong. We long to belong to someone, to have people be loyal to us, to be loved unconditionally and strongly. We long for someone to promise that no matter what happens they'll never leave our side. Because we know too well that friendship and love and human commitment are all too often fragile.
But we also know the other side - the more beautiful and graceful side. We know that there are commitments in life that hold. We know that there are people and communities of belonging and meaning. We know that there are people who will stick by and with us throughout whatever life brings. May the church be such a place!
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Remember to join us for worship next Sunday at 8:30 and 11. It's Youth Sunday. Come and see what they've prepared for us.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
February Newsletter now available
The February newsletter is now available on the website at:
http://www.allsaintspalatine.org/news/news1102.pdf
Friday, January 21, 2011
ASLC Devotions - Friday
Galatians 2:10 They asked only one thing, that we remember the poor, which was actually what I was* eager to do.
Paul spends chapter 2 recounting a summit that he had with Jesus' disciples who had grown into the leaders of the early church. They talked about the basics of the faith and what each of them preached, and found that they agreed. They found that the Holy Spirit had called Paul to spread the good news of God in Christ to the uncircumcised (the non-Jewish) world, and that God had called Peter to lead the effort to preach to the Jews. So they agreed to go their separate ways and directions, knowing that the one God and the one Spirit was present in each of their ministries. And then there was the closing reminder.
Remember the poor. That's what they agreed was essential that both groups do. Paul, in converting the Gentiles, was given the freedom to proclaim the Gospel a little bit differently than those preaching to Jews. And vice versa. They all agreed that differences in how the Gospel was proclaimed didn't make them enemies or servants of a different Gospel. The one thing they all agreed they both needed to do was to care for the poor. That was the uniting factor.
We live in a divided world and a divided church. When we remember the poor together, we proclaim our unity.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Remember to join us this Sunday before the big game: 9 am Education Hour, 10 am ONE worship service, 11 am Congregational Meeting with lunch to follow.
Paul spends chapter 2 recounting a summit that he had with Jesus' disciples who had grown into the leaders of the early church. They talked about the basics of the faith and what each of them preached, and found that they agreed. They found that the Holy Spirit had called Paul to spread the good news of God in Christ to the uncircumcised (the non-Jewish) world, and that God had called Peter to lead the effort to preach to the Jews. So they agreed to go their separate ways and directions, knowing that the one God and the one Spirit was present in each of their ministries. And then there was the closing reminder.
Remember the poor. That's what they agreed was essential that both groups do. Paul, in converting the Gentiles, was given the freedom to proclaim the Gospel a little bit differently than those preaching to Jews. And vice versa. They all agreed that differences in how the Gospel was proclaimed didn't make them enemies or servants of a different Gospel. The one thing they all agreed they both needed to do was to care for the poor. That was the uniting factor.
We live in a divided world and a divided church. When we remember the poor together, we proclaim our unity.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Remember to join us this Sunday before the big game: 9 am Education Hour, 10 am ONE worship service, 11 am Congregational Meeting with lunch to follow.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
All Saints Sunday Schedule
This Sunday (January 23) is our Annual Congregational meeting.
Here is the schedule for the day:
9 am: Learning Hour
10 am: Worship
11 am: Annual Congregational meeting
Immediately following: a fellowship luncheon in the Gathering Space.
Don't worry. The big game's not until 2. And besides, given what some might say during the game, don't you think a little Confession and Forgiveness is in order?
-Pastor Seth
Here is the schedule for the day:
9 am: Learning Hour
10 am: Worship
11 am: Annual Congregational meeting
Immediately following: a fellowship luncheon in the Gathering Space.
Don't worry. The big game's not until 2. And besides, given what some might say during the game, don't you think a little Confession and Forgiveness is in order?
-Pastor Seth
ASLC Devotions - Thursday
Galatians 1:23-24 They only heard it said, ‘The one who formerly was persecuting us is now proclaiming the faith he once tried to destroy.’ And they glorified God because of me.
Paul, you may remember, used to be called Saul. When we was Saul he was the greatest enemy of the church. He persecuted the church, he arrested Christians, he may have been in charge at the stoning of Stephen, the first Christian martyr. Then, of course, he had his conversion experience, got a new name and became a Christian leader.
What's interesting to me in the verses above is the response of the church leaders - his former enemies. Before they even met him and examined him for themselves, they heard about his conversion and his preaching. "And they glorified God because of" him. Wow. How would you act if someone who has caused a lot of problems for you suddenly seemed to be on your side? Would you embrace that person and thank God because of them? Or would you suspect them of some deeper treachery? Would you suspect some kind of "Trojan horse" attack?
Perhaps we have trouble believing that God can do the kind of major changes in people's lives that the early Christian leaders saw. Perhaps we've lowered our expectations of what God is capable of doing.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Remember to join us this Sunday before the big game: 9 am Education Hour, 10 am ONE worship service, 11 am Congregational Meeting with lunch to follow.
Paul, you may remember, used to be called Saul. When we was Saul he was the greatest enemy of the church. He persecuted the church, he arrested Christians, he may have been in charge at the stoning of Stephen, the first Christian martyr. Then, of course, he had his conversion experience, got a new name and became a Christian leader.
What's interesting to me in the verses above is the response of the church leaders - his former enemies. Before they even met him and examined him for themselves, they heard about his conversion and his preaching. "And they glorified God because of" him. Wow. How would you act if someone who has caused a lot of problems for you suddenly seemed to be on your side? Would you embrace that person and thank God because of them? Or would you suspect them of some deeper treachery? Would you suspect some kind of "Trojan horse" attack?
Perhaps we have trouble believing that God can do the kind of major changes in people's lives that the early Christian leaders saw. Perhaps we've lowered our expectations of what God is capable of doing.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Remember to join us this Sunday before the big game: 9 am Education Hour, 10 am ONE worship service, 11 am Congregational Meeting with lunch to follow.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
ASLC Devotions -- Wednesday
Matthew 9:15a And Jesus said to them, ‘The wedding-guests cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they?
Have you ever been to a wedding where all the guests wore black and covered their heads? How about where everyone cried and wailed and stared blankly off into space wondering "What now?"
Of course you haven't. That's typically what do when we mourn. And Jesus gives us the "duh" comment - wedding guests don't mourn at the party do they? What he then goes on to say and to explain, taking this metaphor even further, is that the bridegroom is with us. Jesus is with us. So what are we mourning about? Where does our despair come from? Where does our hopelessness come from?
In this life there are surely times to be sad, there are surely times to grieve. But the grieving and the mourning and the hopelessness can never define us. Because Jesus is with us. Thanks be to God!
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Remember to join us this Sunday before the big game: 9 am Education Hour, 10 am ONE worship service, 11 am Congregational Meeting with lunch to follow.
Have you ever been to a wedding where all the guests wore black and covered their heads? How about where everyone cried and wailed and stared blankly off into space wondering "What now?"
Of course you haven't. That's typically what do when we mourn. And Jesus gives us the "duh" comment - wedding guests don't mourn at the party do they? What he then goes on to say and to explain, taking this metaphor even further, is that the bridegroom is with us. Jesus is with us. So what are we mourning about? Where does our despair come from? Where does our hopelessness come from?
In this life there are surely times to be sad, there are surely times to grieve. But the grieving and the mourning and the hopelessness can never define us. Because Jesus is with us. Thanks be to God!
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Remember to join us this Sunday before the big game: 9 am Education Hour, 10 am ONE worship service, 11 am Congregational Meeting with lunch to follow.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
ASLC Devotions -- Tuesday
Isaiah 53:11 Out of his anguish he shall see light;*
he shall find satisfaction through his knowledge.
The righteous one,* my servant, shall make many righteous,
and he shall bear their iniquities.
Isaiah wrote this prophecy long before the time of Jesus. He never named the person he was talking about. He just talks about a "he." Over the years, a name or nickname developed for all these prophecies of Isaiah about someone who would suffer and would care for others through their own suffering. He was called the Suffering Servant. About 2,000 years ago the Suffering Servant got a name. And it's Jesus. Jesus suffered on your behalf. Jesus bore your sins. Jesus makes you righteous.
Here's the important point for this morning: Jesus did it. Not you. You don't have to make anyone righteous. You don't have to bear anyone else's iniquities: heck, you don't even have to bear your own iniquities. Jesus has done it all. Jesus saw light out of his anguish so you don't have to. Don't worry about it. God's got it taken care of.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Remember to join us this Sunday before the big game: 9 am Education Hour, 10 am ONE worship service, 11 am Congregational Meeting with lunch to follow.
he shall find satisfaction through his knowledge.
The righteous one,* my servant, shall make many righteous,
and he shall bear their iniquities.
Isaiah wrote this prophecy long before the time of Jesus. He never named the person he was talking about. He just talks about a "he." Over the years, a name or nickname developed for all these prophecies of Isaiah about someone who would suffer and would care for others through their own suffering. He was called the Suffering Servant. About 2,000 years ago the Suffering Servant got a name. And it's Jesus. Jesus suffered on your behalf. Jesus bore your sins. Jesus makes you righteous.
Here's the important point for this morning: Jesus did it. Not you. You don't have to make anyone righteous. You don't have to bear anyone else's iniquities: heck, you don't even have to bear your own iniquities. Jesus has done it all. Jesus saw light out of his anguish so you don't have to. Don't worry about it. God's got it taken care of.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Remember to join us this Sunday before the big game: 9 am Education Hour, 10 am ONE worship service, 11 am Congregational Meeting with lunch to follow.
Friday, January 7, 2011
ASLC Devotions -- Friday
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, for ever and ever. Amen.
Quoting this line from Paul is one of my all-time favorite ways to end a prayer. Paul of course was praying for the readers of his letter in Ephesus and this is how he chose to end his prayer. But I just think it's a great summary to all prayer.
When we've finished asking God for all that we believe we want... when we've finished asking God for all that we believe we need... when we've finished asking God for all that we believe the world needs... then we turn it all over to God. Because God is above to accomplish abundantly far more than what we can ask for... far more than we can even imagine. We may think we're being bold in our prayers for healing and strength. But God gives beyond our asking. God gives us life in the first place. God gives us life in the last place. God gives us life.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Join us in worship next Sunday at 8:30 and 11. More information, including the latest newsletter, is available at http://www.allsaintspalatine.org
Quoting this line from Paul is one of my all-time favorite ways to end a prayer. Paul of course was praying for the readers of his letter in Ephesus and this is how he chose to end his prayer. But I just think it's a great summary to all prayer.
When we've finished asking God for all that we believe we want... when we've finished asking God for all that we believe we need... when we've finished asking God for all that we believe the world needs... then we turn it all over to God. Because God is above to accomplish abundantly far more than what we can ask for... far more than we can even imagine. We may think we're being bold in our prayers for healing and strength. But God gives beyond our asking. God gives us life in the first place. God gives us life in the last place. God gives us life.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Join us in worship next Sunday at 8:30 and 11. More information, including the latest newsletter, is available at http://www.allsaintspalatine.org
Thursday, January 6, 2011
ASLC Devotions -- Thursday
Matthew 2:11 On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure-chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Now that it's all been cleaned up and the wrapping paper has been thrown away, the boxes have been recycled and the tree has maybe even been put out (or put back in its box in the basement)... now that that's all done, it might be a good time to take stock of the season of giving through which we have just come together.
In the words of every child returning to school to see their friends for the first time since Christmas: "What'd ya get?" But of course, we know that what we get is not nearly so important as what we give, so I'd ask you: "What'd ya give?"
But even more importantly, I'd ask "How'd ya give?" Did you give with the spirit of the wise men? Did you give with the spirit of paying homage to God for coming to join us on this earth? Did you give with the spirit of awe and pure joy at this most wondrous gift of all? I know you did.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Join us in worship next Sunday at 8:30 and 11. More information, including the latest newsletter, is available at http://www.allsaintspalatine.org
Now that it's all been cleaned up and the wrapping paper has been thrown away, the boxes have been recycled and the tree has maybe even been put out (or put back in its box in the basement)... now that that's all done, it might be a good time to take stock of the season of giving through which we have just come together.
In the words of every child returning to school to see their friends for the first time since Christmas: "What'd ya get?" But of course, we know that what we get is not nearly so important as what we give, so I'd ask you: "What'd ya give?"
But even more importantly, I'd ask "How'd ya give?" Did you give with the spirit of the wise men? Did you give with the spirit of paying homage to God for coming to join us on this earth? Did you give with the spirit of awe and pure joy at this most wondrous gift of all? I know you did.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Join us in worship next Sunday at 8:30 and 11. More information, including the latest newsletter, is available at http://www.allsaintspalatine.org
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
ASLC Devotions -- Wednesday
Joshua 1:9 I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.’
Every year, the 9th grade students who are affirming their baptism go through a process of final assignments. One of their final assignments typically is to choose their special Bible verse that will be written on their certificate and read aloud during the Affirmation of Baptism ceremony. It's a great way to encourage them to think a little bit differently about their faith and what words speak to them and in what ways. Some students ask for help and some do not, and it's fine either way. What they choose is what they choose.
The verse above is one that gets chosen with some frequency, though it's nowhere statistically close to John 3:16 of course. But this is a great verse for a 9th grader, starting the High School journey, facing decisions about life's direction, uncertain about their place in the world. It's a great verse for a 9th grader.
Come to think about it, it's a great verse for all of us: I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.’
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Join us in worship next Sunday at 8:30 and 11. More information, including the latest newsletter, is available at http://www.allsaintspalatine.org
Every year, the 9th grade students who are affirming their baptism go through a process of final assignments. One of their final assignments typically is to choose their special Bible verse that will be written on their certificate and read aloud during the Affirmation of Baptism ceremony. It's a great way to encourage them to think a little bit differently about their faith and what words speak to them and in what ways. Some students ask for help and some do not, and it's fine either way. What they choose is what they choose.
The verse above is one that gets chosen with some frequency, though it's nowhere statistically close to John 3:16 of course. But this is a great verse for a 9th grader, starting the High School journey, facing decisions about life's direction, uncertain about their place in the world. It's a great verse for a 9th grader.
Come to think about it, it's a great verse for all of us: I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.’
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Join us in worship next Sunday at 8:30 and 11. More information, including the latest newsletter, is available at http://www.allsaintspalatine.org
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
ASLC Devotions - Tuesday
Exodus 3:5 Then God said to Moses, ‘Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.’
Where's your holy ground? Where is the place where you have met God? Where's that touchstone for you that carries you through the harder days and the days when you don't quite feel God's presence? Is it your childhood church? Your grandmother's house? Where is that place where you have felt wrapped in God's love and power and presence?
Hold on to that memory and that place. Those holy places, that holy ground... that's a gift from God to you. It will sustain you through your whole life.
And one more thing: look down. That's holy ground too.
Wherever you are, that ground is holy because God is with you. Emmanuel.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Join us in worship next Sunday at 8:30 and 11. More information, including the latest newsletter, is available at http://www.allsaintspalatine.org
Where's your holy ground? Where is the place where you have met God? Where's that touchstone for you that carries you through the harder days and the days when you don't quite feel God's presence? Is it your childhood church? Your grandmother's house? Where is that place where you have felt wrapped in God's love and power and presence?
Hold on to that memory and that place. Those holy places, that holy ground... that's a gift from God to you. It will sustain you through your whole life.
And one more thing: look down. That's holy ground too.
Wherever you are, that ground is holy because God is with you. Emmanuel.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Join us in worship next Sunday at 8:30 and 11. More information, including the latest newsletter, is available at http://www.allsaintspalatine.org
Monday, January 3, 2011
ASLC Devotions - Monday
Genesis 28:20-22 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, ‘If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house; and of all that you give me I will surely give one-tenth to you.’
Tis the season for New Year's resolutions. Reading this vow that Jacob made (admittedly not a New Year's resolution, but some similar motivations for him) makes me feel a little bit ashamed about mine. Getting back on the weight-loss train, being more thankful for the people around me... those are my New Year's resolutions this year.
Jacob, on the other hand, made a vow to make a house for God and to give one-tenth of all that he would ever get in his life to God. Maybe we can all learn something about our own priorities and choices this year from Jacob. How can you make more room for God this year? I don't mean to build a house for God, but to make more room in your own life and in your own house to acknowledge God's presence. How can you give more this year? How can you live a life of greater stewardship each and every day?
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Join us in worship next Sunday at 8:30 and 11. More information, including the latest newsletter, is available at http://www.allsaintspalatine.org
Tis the season for New Year's resolutions. Reading this vow that Jacob made (admittedly not a New Year's resolution, but some similar motivations for him) makes me feel a little bit ashamed about mine. Getting back on the weight-loss train, being more thankful for the people around me... those are my New Year's resolutions this year.
Jacob, on the other hand, made a vow to make a house for God and to give one-tenth of all that he would ever get in his life to God. Maybe we can all learn something about our own priorities and choices this year from Jacob. How can you make more room for God this year? I don't mean to build a house for God, but to make more room in your own life and in your own house to acknowledge God's presence. How can you give more this year? How can you live a life of greater stewardship each and every day?
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Join us in worship next Sunday at 8:30 and 11. More information, including the latest newsletter, is available at http://www.allsaintspalatine.org
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