Deuteronomy 32:11-12
As an eagle stirs up its nest,
and hovers over its young;
as it spreads its wings, takes them up,
and bears them aloft on its pinions,
the Lord alone guided him;
no foreign god was with him.
OK I had to look up pinions. Apparently pinions are the very longest feathers extending from the wings of an eagle or any other large bird. Think of the emblems on your money of a spread-winged eagle. They've got those long feathers extending down from the wings: those are pinions.
Enough science lesson... here's why I chose this verse then, having looked that up. God carries us, God's children, just like an eagle carries its young on its pinions. God carries us on God's own wing-feathers. The feathers that come down from God's wings are strong enough to carry you. No matter what big things you're carrying. No matter that your problems are beyond your comprehension. No matter that your to-do list grows and people harrass you daily. God's pinions are carrying you. And they're strong enough.
So stop worrying.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Visit http://www.allsaintspalatine.org for more information on all of our ministries. The March edition of "Saints Alive" our newsletter is now available.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
ASLC Devotions - Friday
Galatians 5:6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything; the only thing that counts is faith working* through love.
When I was in college I had an earring. When I was called to the ministry and decided to go to seminary, my mom asked if that meant I was going to stop wearing the earring. Frankly, she had wanted me to stop wearing the earring since the day before I got it, so the seminary thing was just another in a series of conversations. But she used it to her advantage.
I think Paul would say... I don't care if you have an earring or don't. I don't care if you have green hair or brown. I don't care about any of that stuff. Do you have faith? Do you have love? Of course we all know that that's the case and we shouldn't judge a book by its cover or judge the message by the messenger. And yet we do...
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Join us for worship this Sunday at 8:30 and 11. See if I've put the earring back in!
When I was in college I had an earring. When I was called to the ministry and decided to go to seminary, my mom asked if that meant I was going to stop wearing the earring. Frankly, she had wanted me to stop wearing the earring since the day before I got it, so the seminary thing was just another in a series of conversations. But she used it to her advantage.
I think Paul would say... I don't care if you have an earring or don't. I don't care if you have green hair or brown. I don't care about any of that stuff. Do you have faith? Do you have love? Of course we all know that that's the case and we shouldn't judge a book by its cover or judge the message by the messenger. And yet we do...
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Join us for worship this Sunday at 8:30 and 11. See if I've put the earring back in!
Thursday, February 17, 2011
ASLC Devotions - Thursday
1 Corinthians 10:31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.
Paul continues his conversation about Christian freedom and Christian obligation by talking about eating practices. There was a controversy in Corinth about whether it was OK for Christians to eat meat that had been sacrificed to idols. People would offer their sacrifice (maybe a goat or what-have-you) in the temple of one of the Greek/Roman gods. Then the extra meat would be sold in the marketplace to raise money to support the temple. Some felt that Christians shouldn't eat that meat because it had been tainted by its association with false gods. Some felt Christians could eat it with a clean conscience because it's a false god anyway - who cares!? So the Corinthians wanted Paul to give a hard and fast yes or no.
And Paul refused. I love that about Paul. He recognized that life isn't as simple as that. Christian life isn't as simple as black and white, cut-and-dried answers to questions. He said "I don't care." Eat the meat, don't eat the meat. It doesn't really matter. Eat it if you want. If you'll offend someone else's faith and hurt the body of Christ by eating it, then don't. "Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God." Eating or not eating specific kinds of things are not prescribed by our faith. Drinking or not drinking certain things are not prescribed by our faith. Does your lifestyle honor God? That's what you should be worried about.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Worship with us Sunday morning at 8:30 and 11. More information about all of our ministries is available at http://www.allsaintspalatine.org
Paul continues his conversation about Christian freedom and Christian obligation by talking about eating practices. There was a controversy in Corinth about whether it was OK for Christians to eat meat that had been sacrificed to idols. People would offer their sacrifice (maybe a goat or what-have-you) in the temple of one of the Greek/Roman gods. Then the extra meat would be sold in the marketplace to raise money to support the temple. Some felt that Christians shouldn't eat that meat because it had been tainted by its association with false gods. Some felt Christians could eat it with a clean conscience because it's a false god anyway - who cares!? So the Corinthians wanted Paul to give a hard and fast yes or no.
And Paul refused. I love that about Paul. He recognized that life isn't as simple as that. Christian life isn't as simple as black and white, cut-and-dried answers to questions. He said "I don't care." Eat the meat, don't eat the meat. It doesn't really matter. Eat it if you want. If you'll offend someone else's faith and hurt the body of Christ by eating it, then don't. "Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God." Eating or not eating specific kinds of things are not prescribed by our faith. Drinking or not drinking certain things are not prescribed by our faith. Does your lifestyle honor God? That's what you should be worried about.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Worship with us Sunday morning at 8:30 and 11. More information about all of our ministries is available at http://www.allsaintspalatine.org
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
ASLC Devotions - Wednesday
1 Corinthians 10:23 ‘All things are lawful’, but not all things are beneficial. ‘All things are lawful’, but not all things build up.
Paul writes a letter to the Corinthians apparently quoting what they've been saying, or what he thinks they might say. It's a rhetorical strategy. Counter the argument you assume someone is going to make. You say "All things are lawful." I say not all things are beneficial. I say not all things build up.
In our society we are obsessed with freedom. What am I free to do? Who is trying to limit my freedom? We place freedom at a very high value, perhaps the highest value of all. In Christian society, this would not be the case. Freedom isn't the highest value in the Christian worldview. What builds up the body? What builds up the kingdom? Those are the important questions. You may be free to say anything you want about your boss, your neighbor, your ex-spouse. First Amendment and all that. But is what you're saying beneficial? Will you saying it serve to build up the kingdom? That's the question that matters.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Worship together this Sunday at 8:30 and 11. Visit http://www.allsaintspalatine.org for current information about all of our ministries.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
ASLC Devotions - Tuesday
Deuteronomy 24:10-13 When you make your neighbour a loan of any kind, you shall not go into the house to take the pledge. You shall wait outside, while the person to whom you are making the loan brings the pledge out to you. If the person is poor, you shall not sleep in the garment given you as* the pledge. You shall give the pledge back by sunset, so that your neighbour may sleep in the cloak and bless you; and it will be to your credit before the Lord your God.
It's not often I get to write brief devotional messages about obscure ancient legal codes. So here we go!
Say you're loaning money to someone and getting some collateral (in the words of Deuteronomy: a pledge) in return. Say that you take the borrower's cloak as collateral against the loan. First of all, strange collateral... but maybe that's all the person has. Maybe it's literally the shirt off their back. The law of God says don't sleep in the cloak that you got as collateral. Not sure why you'd wear someone else's cloak to sleep in, but don't.
But the point comes at the end: give the pledge (collateral) back by sunset so your poor neighbor/borrower has something to sleep in. Even if they haven't paid the loan back. Compassion is the rule. Not fairness. Not equity. Not justice. Not the going rates in the marketplace. Not the invisible hand of the market. But compassion.
Perhaps not the most inspiring verse for a morning devotional message, but as you go about your business today, think about compassion as the guiding rule. It will be to your credit before the Lord your God.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Worship with us this Sunday at 8:30 and 11.
It's not often I get to write brief devotional messages about obscure ancient legal codes. So here we go!
Say you're loaning money to someone and getting some collateral (in the words of Deuteronomy: a pledge) in return. Say that you take the borrower's cloak as collateral against the loan. First of all, strange collateral... but maybe that's all the person has. Maybe it's literally the shirt off their back. The law of God says don't sleep in the cloak that you got as collateral. Not sure why you'd wear someone else's cloak to sleep in, but don't.
But the point comes at the end: give the pledge (collateral) back by sunset so your poor neighbor/borrower has something to sleep in. Even if they haven't paid the loan back. Compassion is the rule. Not fairness. Not equity. Not justice. Not the going rates in the marketplace. Not the invisible hand of the market. But compassion.
Perhaps not the most inspiring verse for a morning devotional message, but as you go about your business today, think about compassion as the guiding rule. It will be to your credit before the Lord your God.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Worship with us this Sunday at 8:30 and 11.
Monday, February 14, 2011
ASLC Devotions - Monday
A funny thing happened when I went to write this message. I entered today's date (2/14/11) in the search engine on the ELCA's Daily Lectionary page. The ELCA's Daily Lectionary doesn't follow lots of other calendars you may know about... it's linked to the Sunday passages to follow up on the previous Sunday and get us ready for the next Sunday. Anyway, I typed in today's date and the passage it spit back at me was the Ten Commandments.
I laughed out loud. It's Valentine's Day, and we get the Ten Commandments. Really? So what should I write: the Ten Commandments for Valentine's Day? The Eleventh Commandment for husbands? The Eleventh Commandment for valentines?
So I'm just going to say this: Remember today that love is a gift from God and a sign of God's love for us. Whether the love you experience is of the romantic kind or the friendship kind or the parental/child kind. No matter what form your love takes, no matter how awesome you think it is, it's just a sign of God's love. It's just a foretaste of God's love.
God's love is greater than any human love. And it comes with chocolates (or so I've been told!)
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Worship with us Sunday morning at 8:30 and 11.
I laughed out loud. It's Valentine's Day, and we get the Ten Commandments. Really? So what should I write: the Ten Commandments for Valentine's Day? The Eleventh Commandment for husbands? The Eleventh Commandment for valentines?
So I'm just going to say this: Remember today that love is a gift from God and a sign of God's love for us. Whether the love you experience is of the romantic kind or the friendship kind or the parental/child kind. No matter what form your love takes, no matter how awesome you think it is, it's just a sign of God's love. It's just a foretaste of God's love.
God's love is greater than any human love. And it comes with chocolates (or so I've been told!)
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Worship with us Sunday morning at 8:30 and 11.
Monday, February 7, 2011
ASLC Devotions -- Monday
2 Kings 22:13-14
13“Go, inquire of the Lord for me, for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found; for great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our ancestors did not obey the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.” 14So the priest Hilkiah, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to the prophetess Huldah the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe; she resided in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter, where they consulted her.
People have long wanted to ask God questions, to know the intent of God. At times I've counted myself among those who want to know all the answers. This, of course, is a futile exercise. We cannot really know the mind of God. Go ask, the instruction is set, about the words of this book -- the Lord's anger has been kindled.
While we might never get all the answers that we want, we can be mindful of the relationship that we keep with God. Read scripture. Pray. Worship.
Peace,
Pastor Jenn
Holden Evening Prayer is Wednesday at 7pm at All Saints. Invite a friend and come for worship.
13“Go, inquire of the Lord for me, for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found; for great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our ancestors did not obey the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.” 14So the priest Hilkiah, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to the prophetess Huldah the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe; she resided in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter, where they consulted her.
People have long wanted to ask God questions, to know the intent of God. At times I've counted myself among those who want to know all the answers. This, of course, is a futile exercise. We cannot really know the mind of God. Go ask, the instruction is set, about the words of this book -- the Lord's anger has been kindled.
While we might never get all the answers that we want, we can be mindful of the relationship that we keep with God. Read scripture. Pray. Worship.
Peace,
Pastor Jenn
Holden Evening Prayer is Wednesday at 7pm at All Saints. Invite a friend and come for worship.
Friday, February 4, 2011
ASLC Devotions -- Friday
James 3:18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for* those who make peace.
The tone of our national and political conversation has gotten a lot of attention over the past month or so. That's a good thing.
During the State of the Union address, I think we paid more attention to who was sitting next to whom than what was being discussed. Probably not a very good thing.
I think it's good to pay attention to our tone not just because of what happened in Tucson but just because it's a good thing. "A harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace." Do you make peace with your words and actions? Do you make peace in your home? Do you make peace in your workplace? Your school? Your neighborhood? Your church?
Perhaps a little less attention should be paid to who's right and wrong and a little more to who is building peace. Then a harvest of righteousness will come.
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.
The tone of our national and political conversation has gotten a lot of attention over the past month or so. That's a good thing.
During the State of the Union address, I think we paid more attention to who was sitting next to whom than what was being discussed. Probably not a very good thing.
I think it's good to pay attention to our tone not just because of what happened in Tucson but just because it's a good thing. "A harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace." Do you make peace with your words and actions? Do you make peace in your home? Do you make peace in your workplace? Your school? Your neighborhood? Your church?
Perhaps a little less attention should be paid to who's right and wrong and a little more to who is building peace. Then a harvest of righteousness will come.
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.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
ASLC Devotions -- Thursday
1 John 5:1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ* has been born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child.
There's an important point about Christian theology that I think we don't spend enough time pondering or talking about. It has to do with who we are as baptized children of God. And that's that: we are children of God... and as children of God, the Bible tells us that we're co-heirs with Christ. We share in Christ's inheritance as the eternal Son of God. That's amazing!
Just think about it: you will inherit from God just the same things that Jesus will/has. Your name is right next to his in God's will. We won't need to go into probate or anything. It's all there. As someone said to me recently in a Bible Study when we were talking about this concept: we've got the same benefits package as Jesus. Wow!
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.
There's an important point about Christian theology that I think we don't spend enough time pondering or talking about. It has to do with who we are as baptized children of God. And that's that: we are children of God... and as children of God, the Bible tells us that we're co-heirs with Christ. We share in Christ's inheritance as the eternal Son of God. That's amazing!
Just think about it: you will inherit from God just the same things that Jesus will/has. Your name is right next to his in God's will. We won't need to go into probate or anything. It's all there. As someone said to me recently in a Bible Study when we were talking about this concept: we've got the same benefits package as Jesus. Wow!
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.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
ASLC Devotions -- Wednesday
Luke 6:21 ‘Blessed are you who are hungry now,
for you will be filled.
‘Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
On Sunday we heard the Beatitudes of Jesus as recorded by Matthew. Here we have them according to Luke. If you read through the lists they are similar, but just different enough to be jarring. For example, Matthew says that "blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness." Luke makes it more earthy: "blessed are you who are hungry now." Matthew talks in terms of spiritual hunger and spiritual need; Luke talks about physical needs.
So which one is right? Which one did Jesus say? Of course we won't know until we're all together in heaven and can ask Jesus the list of questions we all carry around. But I think both are true. I think God has a special place in God's heart for those who are spiritually hungry and looking for answers and grace. And I also think God has a special place in God's heart for those who live their lives on this earth in physical hunger and poverty. God's got a big heart: lots of rooms for different kinds of hungry folks. And what's important is the promise: you will be filled.
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.
for you will be filled.
‘Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
On Sunday we heard the Beatitudes of Jesus as recorded by Matthew. Here we have them according to Luke. If you read through the lists they are similar, but just different enough to be jarring. For example, Matthew says that "blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness." Luke makes it more earthy: "blessed are you who are hungry now." Matthew talks in terms of spiritual hunger and spiritual need; Luke talks about physical needs.
So which one is right? Which one did Jesus say? Of course we won't know until we're all together in heaven and can ask Jesus the list of questions we all carry around. But I think both are true. I think God has a special place in God's heart for those who are spiritually hungry and looking for answers and grace. And I also think God has a special place in God's heart for those who live their lives on this earth in physical hunger and poverty. God's got a big heart: lots of rooms for different kinds of hungry folks. And what's important is the promise: you will be filled.
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.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
ASLC Devotions -- Tuesday
Ruth 2:8-9 8 Then Boaz said to Ruth, ‘Now listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women. Keep your eyes on the field that is being reaped, and follow behind them. I have ordered the young men not to bother you. If you get thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn.’
Ruth found herself in a position of hunger and need. And she found grace. She found grace in Boaz, a wealthy landowner who allowed her to walk behind his fieldhands picking up what they dropped behind them. This was a practice commanded by God in the Scripture, to allow the aliens in your midst to pick up the gleanings in your field. But it wasn't often actually done. Here Ruth finds grace in Boaz.
Boaz went beyond the grace commanded by his Scripture. Not only did he ALLOW Ruth to collect. Boaz instructed his own young men to leave her alone, he guided her to a productive field. There's almost a "wink wink" acknowledgement that she'll have the best results in this particular field. This is the grace that we humans sometimes show one another: going beyond the mercy commanded by God. Sometimes we go beyond the letter of the law to the spirit of the law. Sometimes...
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.
Ruth found herself in a position of hunger and need. And she found grace. She found grace in Boaz, a wealthy landowner who allowed her to walk behind his fieldhands picking up what they dropped behind them. This was a practice commanded by God in the Scripture, to allow the aliens in your midst to pick up the gleanings in your field. But it wasn't often actually done. Here Ruth finds grace in Boaz.
Boaz went beyond the grace commanded by his Scripture. Not only did he ALLOW Ruth to collect. Boaz instructed his own young men to leave her alone, he guided her to a productive field. There's almost a "wink wink" acknowledgement that she'll have the best results in this particular field. This is the grace that we humans sometimes show one another: going beyond the mercy commanded by God. Sometimes we go beyond the letter of the law to the spirit of the law. Sometimes...
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.
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