Acts 27:35 After Paul had said this, he took bread; and giving thanks to God in the presence of all, he broke it and began to eat.
Yesterday's story of Paul's journey to Rome as a prisoner continues in Acts 27 with a great story of a shipwreck and the very real threat of drowning and death. The group of prisoners and guards and sailors are in a terrible mess and terribly afraid. Altogether there were 276 people onboard, facing certain death.
In the midst of it all, Paul takes charge of the situation (remember, he's a prisoner here). He tells everyone to have courage because his God will not abandon them. He tells them they need to keep up their strength so they should eat - then he takes bread and gives thanks to God.
In the middle of a terrible storm with islands all around that could break up his boat, Paul takes out the time to give thanks to God and share in the blessing of God's food. Amazing what faith can do in the midst of a storm!
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Our summer worship service begins this coming weekend (May 28/29) with Saturday evening at 5 and Sunday morning at 9. This Saturday only, bring your bicycles and tricycles and other wheeled toys for a special blessing following worship.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
ASLC Worship Times Update
Saints of All Saints,
Remember that beginning this weekend, we are on our summer worship schedule. So starting now through Labor Day weekend (September 3/4), we will have worship as follows:
Saturday evening at 5.
Sunday morning at 9.
Each of these services will feature Word and Holy Communion. The Saturday evening service generally takes on a casual summer-time feeling with little sung liturgy and all piano-accompanied.
The Sunday morning services will continue to rotate our liturgies that we know and love: ELW, "Now the Feast," and Contemporary.
See you Saturday at 5 or Sunday at 9.
Remember that beginning this weekend, we are on our summer worship schedule. So starting now through Labor Day weekend (September 3/4), we will have worship as follows:
Saturday evening at 5.
Sunday morning at 9.
Each of these services will feature Word and Holy Communion. The Saturday evening service generally takes on a casual summer-time feeling with little sung liturgy and all piano-accompanied.
The Sunday morning services will continue to rotate our liturgies that we know and love: ELW, "Now the Feast," and Contemporary.
See you Saturday at 5 or Sunday at 9.
ASLC Devotions - Thursday
Acts 27:1 When it was decided that we were to sail for Italy, they transferred Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan Cohort, named Julius.
A little bit of biblical history here: the apostle Paul traveled all through what is now Turkey and Greece spreading the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ and founding churches. He did this in places we know mostly because of the letters he then wrote to them later: Thessalonica, Philippi, Corinth, etc. He wrote the book of Romans as a kind of introductory letter. He'd never been to Rome but wanted to go. He never quite made it, at least in the way he planned. But God still worked good from a bad circumstance.
Paul got himself arrested for his preaching. Because he was a Roman citizen he had the right to appeal his prosecution all the way to the emperor in Rome. So he did that. So eventually Paul made it to Rome (the beginning of the journey is what we read above), but not as a free man. God took the awful circumstance of Paul's arrest and made it possible for him still to reach Rome, preaching the gospel to his fellow prisoners and to his captors.
Whatever bad situation is happening in your life, God is able to provide good news out of it. Even if you're in prison.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Our summer worship service begins this coming weekend (May 28/29) with Saturday evening at 5 and Sunday morning at 9. This Saturday only, bring your bicycles and tricycles and other wheeled toys for a special blessing following worship.
A little bit of biblical history here: the apostle Paul traveled all through what is now Turkey and Greece spreading the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ and founding churches. He did this in places we know mostly because of the letters he then wrote to them later: Thessalonica, Philippi, Corinth, etc. He wrote the book of Romans as a kind of introductory letter. He'd never been to Rome but wanted to go. He never quite made it, at least in the way he planned. But God still worked good from a bad circumstance.
Paul got himself arrested for his preaching. Because he was a Roman citizen he had the right to appeal his prosecution all the way to the emperor in Rome. So he did that. So eventually Paul made it to Rome (the beginning of the journey is what we read above), but not as a free man. God took the awful circumstance of Paul's arrest and made it possible for him still to reach Rome, preaching the gospel to his fellow prisoners and to his captors.
Whatever bad situation is happening in your life, God is able to provide good news out of it. Even if you're in prison.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Our summer worship service begins this coming weekend (May 28/29) with Saturday evening at 5 and Sunday morning at 9. This Saturday only, bring your bicycles and tricycles and other wheeled toys for a special blessing following worship.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
ASLC Devotions - Wednesday
John 8:38 Jesus said: 'I declare what I have seen in the Father’s presence; as for you, you should do what you have heard from the Father.’
Practice what you preach. Preach what you practice. Talk the talk and walk the walk. Or is it, talk the walk and walk the talk?!? Anyway, we all know that there is a strong connection between spoken things and actions. Or at least, we'd like there to be. There's a strong connection sometimes in the dissonance we notice: we notice when someone isn't living what they say. We notice when someone's non-verbal communication doesn't match up to the words coming from their mouth. And we strive to have them match in our own lives.
Jesus speaks of this connection here in a slightly different way. We shouldn't so much strive to have our actions match up with our words... instead, we should strive to have our actions match up to God's words.
Love your enemies.
Pray for those who persecute you.
Trust in the Lord always.
How well do your actions today match up with these words?
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Join us TONIGHT (Wednesday) at 7 for a dessert reception and stories from South Africa with our missionary Brian Konkol. Then, our summer worship service begins next weekend with Saturday evening at 5 and Sunday morning at 9.
Practice what you preach. Preach what you practice. Talk the talk and walk the walk. Or is it, talk the walk and walk the talk?!? Anyway, we all know that there is a strong connection between spoken things and actions. Or at least, we'd like there to be. There's a strong connection sometimes in the dissonance we notice: we notice when someone isn't living what they say. We notice when someone's non-verbal communication doesn't match up to the words coming from their mouth. And we strive to have them match in our own lives.
Jesus speaks of this connection here in a slightly different way. We shouldn't so much strive to have our actions match up with our words... instead, we should strive to have our actions match up to God's words.
Love your enemies.
Pray for those who persecute you.
Trust in the Lord always.
How well do your actions today match up with these words?
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Join us TONIGHT (Wednesday) at 7 for a dessert reception and stories from South Africa with our missionary Brian Konkol. Then, our summer worship service begins next weekend with Saturday evening at 5 and Sunday morning at 9.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
ASLC Devotions - Tuesday
Proverbs 3:7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
Humility is one of the most important and common biblical concepts. We all need to recognize that, there is a God and you're not it. Humility is also one of the most counter-cultural things that we can do as Christians in our society. We live in a society that does not encourage humility. We are encouraged to build ourselves up, to win and to be proud, to metaphorically thump our chests. We all attend workshops and seminars on how to write our resumes to most fully show all our accomplishments and skills.
The problem is when you believe your own hype. The problem is when you actually begin to think that you can walk on water. When that happens, to paraphrase Martin Luther, you should reach up and feel the top of your head. Chances are, you'll feel some donkey ears up there. [He used a less family-friendly word for donkey] But when we recognize our own faults and failings, we can turn to the One who provides all. The Lord, who will turn us away from evil.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Join us Wednesday evening at 7 for a dessert reception and stories from South Africa with our missionary Brian Konkol. Then, our summer worship service begins next weekend with Saturday evening at 5 and Sunday morning at 9.
fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
Humility is one of the most important and common biblical concepts. We all need to recognize that, there is a God and you're not it. Humility is also one of the most counter-cultural things that we can do as Christians in our society. We live in a society that does not encourage humility. We are encouraged to build ourselves up, to win and to be proud, to metaphorically thump our chests. We all attend workshops and seminars on how to write our resumes to most fully show all our accomplishments and skills.
The problem is when you believe your own hype. The problem is when you actually begin to think that you can walk on water. When that happens, to paraphrase Martin Luther, you should reach up and feel the top of your head. Chances are, you'll feel some donkey ears up there. [He used a less family-friendly word for donkey] But when we recognize our own faults and failings, we can turn to the One who provides all. The Lord, who will turn us away from evil.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Join us Wednesday evening at 7 for a dessert reception and stories from South Africa with our missionary Brian Konkol. Then, our summer worship service begins next weekend with Saturday evening at 5 and Sunday morning at 9.
Monday, May 23, 2011
ASLC Devotions - Monday
Exodus 13:17-18 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was nearer; for God thought, ‘If the people face war, they may change their minds and return to Egypt.’ So God led the people by the roundabout way of the wilderness towards the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of the land of Egypt prepared for battle.
George said to me as he was facing his last days and looking back over his life "Pastor, my life sure didn't work out according to my plans. And boy am I thankful!"
In the midst of disappointments and hurts and sideroads and what seem like closed doors, life can seem random and disappointing. But when we look back, when we see things from a bit of perspective, generally I think we can see that God has carried us through all those sideroads and byways to something better (or at least more interesting) than what we would have chosen. If we're choosing and making our plans, we generally follow the advice that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. But God knows that there may be a stronger army standing in the middle of that straight line. God knows that the smarter course may be to go around.
It brings to mind one of my favorite church signs ever: "If God is your co-pilot, you better switch seats."
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Join us Wednesday evening at 7 for a dessert reception and stories from South Africa with our missionary Brian Konkol. Then, our summer worship service begins next weekend with Saturday evening at 5 and Sunday morning at 9.
George said to me as he was facing his last days and looking back over his life "Pastor, my life sure didn't work out according to my plans. And boy am I thankful!"
In the midst of disappointments and hurts and sideroads and what seem like closed doors, life can seem random and disappointing. But when we look back, when we see things from a bit of perspective, generally I think we can see that God has carried us through all those sideroads and byways to something better (or at least more interesting) than what we would have chosen. If we're choosing and making our plans, we generally follow the advice that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. But God knows that there may be a stronger army standing in the middle of that straight line. God knows that the smarter course may be to go around.
It brings to mind one of my favorite church signs ever: "If God is your co-pilot, you better switch seats."
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Join us Wednesday evening at 7 for a dessert reception and stories from South Africa with our missionary Brian Konkol. Then, our summer worship service begins next weekend with Saturday evening at 5 and Sunday morning at 9.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Missionary Visit
Hi all,
Brian Konkol, one half of the ELCA Missionary team we support in South Africa, will be visiting with us next Wednesday, May 25. Brian's partner and wife Kristen, will be staying in Wisconsin with their child to have some grandparent time.
Brian will be with us on Wednesday evening for a 7 pm dessert reception in the Gathering Space. He will share pictures and stories of their ministry in South Africa, and we will have an opportunity to ask questions and have conversation. Please join us for this great opportunity to thank Brian for his partnership in our ministry.
Pastor Seth
Brian Konkol, one half of the ELCA Missionary team we support in South Africa, will be visiting with us next Wednesday, May 25. Brian's partner and wife Kristen, will be staying in Wisconsin with their child to have some grandparent time.
Brian will be with us on Wednesday evening for a 7 pm dessert reception in the Gathering Space. He will share pictures and stories of their ministry in South Africa, and we will have an opportunity to ask questions and have conversation. Please join us for this great opportunity to thank Brian for his partnership in our ministry.
Pastor Seth
ASLC Devotions - Friday
Acts 6:8 Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.
Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.
George, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.
Lydia, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.
Nancy, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.
[Insert your name here], full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.
The power to do great wonders and signs is not limited to Jesus. Never was. Never was meant to be. The power to do great wonders and signs also passes to those who follow Jesus, to those who bear the name Christian. You do great wonders and signs. You make the blessings that God has given to you spread to all the people. You feed the poor. You shelter the homeless. You provide little geese for subsistence farmers in Guatemala. You proclaim the saving gospel that Jesus has risen in Palatine. You, saints, full of grace and power, do great wonders and signs among the people.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Come on Sunday morning for some more great wonders and signs. Worship is at 8:30 and 11.
Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.
George, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.
Lydia, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.
Nancy, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.
[Insert your name here], full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.
The power to do great wonders and signs is not limited to Jesus. Never was. Never was meant to be. The power to do great wonders and signs also passes to those who follow Jesus, to those who bear the name Christian. You do great wonders and signs. You make the blessings that God has given to you spread to all the people. You feed the poor. You shelter the homeless. You provide little geese for subsistence farmers in Guatemala. You proclaim the saving gospel that Jesus has risen in Palatine. You, saints, full of grace and power, do great wonders and signs among the people.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Come on Sunday morning for some more great wonders and signs. Worship is at 8:30 and 11.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
ASLC Devotions - Thursday
Acts 7:6 And God spoke in these terms, that his descendants would be resident aliens in a country belonging to others, who would enslave them and maltreat them for four hundred years.
This is a quote from a speech before the High Council by Stephen, one of the early Christian leaders. He's talking about ancient Israel being enslaved in Egypt for 400 years. So it's a guy from 2000 years ago talking about something that happened about 1200 years before his time. This is old stuff. Ancient stuff. And yet it resonates today. "Resident aliens in a country belonging to others" is an amazing phrase that describes Christian disciples today.
Many years ago (1989 to be exact) two theologians name Stanley Hauerwas and William Willimon cowrote a book called "Resident Aliens: Life in the Christian Colony." I have been influenced and challenged by this book in many ways. One of the things they mean by the title and that strikes me when I read this passage again is that we as Christian live in a culture that is not our own... if we're doing it right. Instead of winner-take-all, we are servants of all. Instead of the best and the brightest, we are the last shall be first. Instead of the survival of the fittest, we are the meek shall inherit the earth. It makes life difficult sometimes as a Christian in this alien culture we call the 21st Century West. But it's where God has called us to live. And just as God saved ancient Israel from their time of being resident aliens in Egypt, God has provided salvation for us as well. In Christ, the resident aliens find their home.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Join all the other resident aliens for worship at 8:30 and 11 this Sunday morning.
This is a quote from a speech before the High Council by Stephen, one of the early Christian leaders. He's talking about ancient Israel being enslaved in Egypt for 400 years. So it's a guy from 2000 years ago talking about something that happened about 1200 years before his time. This is old stuff. Ancient stuff. And yet it resonates today. "Resident aliens in a country belonging to others" is an amazing phrase that describes Christian disciples today.
Many years ago (1989 to be exact) two theologians name Stanley Hauerwas and William Willimon cowrote a book called "Resident Aliens: Life in the Christian Colony." I have been influenced and challenged by this book in many ways. One of the things they mean by the title and that strikes me when I read this passage again is that we as Christian live in a culture that is not our own... if we're doing it right. Instead of winner-take-all, we are servants of all. Instead of the best and the brightest, we are the last shall be first. Instead of the survival of the fittest, we are the meek shall inherit the earth. It makes life difficult sometimes as a Christian in this alien culture we call the 21st Century West. But it's where God has called us to live. And just as God saved ancient Israel from their time of being resident aliens in Egypt, God has provided salvation for us as well. In Christ, the resident aliens find their home.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Join all the other resident aliens for worship at 8:30 and 11 this Sunday morning.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
ASLC Devotions Wednesday
Matthew 20:25-28 But Jesus called them to him and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.’
These verses are on my mind a lot as someone who is called to lead in the church. But this isn't just about pastors: all of you are Christian leaders in various ways and forms as well.
So what the heck is it about? To state the obvious, I think it's saying that we as a Christian community ought to look different than the rest of the world. And yes, we ought to look different than the world of Jesus' time with the Roman empire and slavery and all that. But I think we ought to look different than today's dominant culture as well. The details could fill volumes, not just one email screen (which is our goal for these morning messages) but I think it means that ego ought to have no place for us in our relations with one another. A desire to prove that you're right, a desire to win the argument: these are the things we should strive against. Service, honoring the other: these are the things we should work for... not just in worship, but in a Sunday School classroom, in a committee meeting, in a conversation over coffee.
It's my goal, and I hope you share it, that on those occasions when life at All Saints starts to look a little bit too much like life everywhere else, we ought to ask questions. It's not necessarily wrong, but we ought to ask the question, and think about this passage and instruction from Jesus. As disciples (followers) of Jesus, we indeed have different priorities.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Worship with us at 8:30 and 11 on Sunday. Join us this Saturday night for an evening of fellowship and Bunko - 6:30 gathering and 7:30 game!
These verses are on my mind a lot as someone who is called to lead in the church. But this isn't just about pastors: all of you are Christian leaders in various ways and forms as well.
So what the heck is it about? To state the obvious, I think it's saying that we as a Christian community ought to look different than the rest of the world. And yes, we ought to look different than the world of Jesus' time with the Roman empire and slavery and all that. But I think we ought to look different than today's dominant culture as well. The details could fill volumes, not just one email screen (which is our goal for these morning messages) but I think it means that ego ought to have no place for us in our relations with one another. A desire to prove that you're right, a desire to win the argument: these are the things we should strive against. Service, honoring the other: these are the things we should work for... not just in worship, but in a Sunday School classroom, in a committee meeting, in a conversation over coffee.
It's my goal, and I hope you share it, that on those occasions when life at All Saints starts to look a little bit too much like life everywhere else, we ought to ask questions. It's not necessarily wrong, but we ought to ask the question, and think about this passage and instruction from Jesus. As disciples (followers) of Jesus, we indeed have different priorities.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Worship with us at 8:30 and 11 on Sunday. Join us this Saturday night for an evening of fellowship and Bunko - 6:30 gathering and 7:30 game!
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
ASLC Bunko
Hello all,
Remember that All Saints' annual Bunko party is THIS SATURDAY, May 21 at 7:30. Social hour will start at 6:30 with the games to begin at 6:30.
The cost for the game is $5.
Suggested donation for the bar beverages if you choose is $5.
Folks are also invited to bring either a dessert or appetizer to share.
If you haven't had the chance yet to sign up, please call (847-991-2080) or email the church office at office@allsaintspalatine.org by Wednesday. Thanks!
Remember that All Saints' annual Bunko party is THIS SATURDAY, May 21 at 7:30. Social hour will start at 6:30 with the games to begin at 6:30.
The cost for the game is $5.
Suggested donation for the bar beverages if you choose is $5.
Folks are also invited to bring either a dessert or appetizer to share.
If you haven't had the chance yet to sign up, please call (847-991-2080) or email the church office at office@allsaintspalatine.org by Wednesday. Thanks!
ASLC Devotions
Ezekiel 34:23 I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd.
Sunday was a great day for sheep and for shepherds. Jesus is the Great Shepherd and we reminded ourselves of that. We reminded ourselves that the Great Shepherd provides for, cares for, feeds, and protects his sheep. We are sheep and we are fed and nurtured. It's good to be taken care of. Whether you're a parent responsible for someone else or you're in the case of being cared for by another person - whether a nurse or a mother or a child... it's always good to know that you are being taken care of.
Jesus is our Great Shepherd. Jesus cares for us.
And Jesus/God have given us people in our lives over and over who care for us as more temporal shepherds. David. Your mom. Many others. They are all "God with skin on." Thanks be to God for all of these people who shepherd us in our lives.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Worship this Sunday at 8:30 and 11.
Sunday was a great day for sheep and for shepherds. Jesus is the Great Shepherd and we reminded ourselves of that. We reminded ourselves that the Great Shepherd provides for, cares for, feeds, and protects his sheep. We are sheep and we are fed and nurtured. It's good to be taken care of. Whether you're a parent responsible for someone else or you're in the case of being cared for by another person - whether a nurse or a mother or a child... it's always good to know that you are being taken care of.
Jesus is our Great Shepherd. Jesus cares for us.
And Jesus/God have given us people in our lives over and over who care for us as more temporal shepherds. David. Your mom. Many others. They are all "God with skin on." Thanks be to God for all of these people who shepherd us in our lives.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Worship this Sunday at 8:30 and 11.
Friday, May 13, 2011
ASLC Devotions - Friday
1 Peter 2:15 For it is God’s will that by doing right you should silence the ignorance of the foolish.
How do you make your case when someone else is doing something wrong? How do you counter arguments that are hurtful, that are destructive, that bring completely the wrong perspective?
Are you the type to calmly state your case? Do you sometimes just walk away rather than engage in an argument?
Peter provides a bit of advice here: do right. Dr. Martin Luther King and others have used nonviolent resistance to counter "the foolish." One of the main purposes of nonviolent resistance is to show the world and others (and hopefully even the foolish one themselves) how foolish they are being. And you do that not by throwing stones back. You do that by doing right. By demonstrating justice. It just makes sense. AND it's God's will. It works in great social movements... and in everyday life.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Plan to join us for worship this Sunday morning. This Sunday morning at 11 we'll celebrate Holy Baptism and First Communion. A wonderful celebration!
How do you make your case when someone else is doing something wrong? How do you counter arguments that are hurtful, that are destructive, that bring completely the wrong perspective?
Are you the type to calmly state your case? Do you sometimes just walk away rather than engage in an argument?
Peter provides a bit of advice here: do right. Dr. Martin Luther King and others have used nonviolent resistance to counter "the foolish." One of the main purposes of nonviolent resistance is to show the world and others (and hopefully even the foolish one themselves) how foolish they are being. And you do that not by throwing stones back. You do that by doing right. By demonstrating justice. It just makes sense. AND it's God's will. It works in great social movements... and in everyday life.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Plan to join us for worship this Sunday morning. This Sunday morning at 11 we'll celebrate Holy Baptism and First Communion. A wonderful celebration!
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
ASLC Devotions - Wednesday
John 21:1-3 After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. 2Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. 3Simon Peter said to them, ‘I am going fishing.’ They said to him, ‘We will go with you.’ They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
Put yourself in the place of Jesus' disciples. They had dedicated their lives to this guy. They followed him around for three years. They had left home and family, jobs and boats. And then they watched him be arrested and executed.
But that wasn't the end of the story: they met him again. He came into their locked room and breathed peace on them. So what were they supposed to do now? Start a bunch of churches? Get seminary degrees? Write books of theology?
I think Simon Peter had it about right - get fishing. Get on with your life. Do the things that God has created you to do. But do it as a changed person now. Do it as someone who knows that death isn't the end anymore. Do it as someone who knows that Jesus truly is the Son of God.
Not a bad idea for us either. So today - get fishing.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Join us for Holden Evening Prayer tonight at 7 pm.
Put yourself in the place of Jesus' disciples. They had dedicated their lives to this guy. They followed him around for three years. They had left home and family, jobs and boats. And then they watched him be arrested and executed.
But that wasn't the end of the story: they met him again. He came into their locked room and breathed peace on them. So what were they supposed to do now? Start a bunch of churches? Get seminary degrees? Write books of theology?
I think Simon Peter had it about right - get fishing. Get on with your life. Do the things that God has created you to do. But do it as a changed person now. Do it as someone who knows that death isn't the end anymore. Do it as someone who knows that Jesus truly is the Son of God.
Not a bad idea for us either. So today - get fishing.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Join us for Holden Evening Prayer tonight at 7 pm.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
ASLC Devotions - Tuesday
Proverbs 9:1-6
Wisdom has built her house,
she has hewn her seven pillars.
2 She has slaughtered her animals, she has mixed her wine,
she has also set her table.
3 She has sent out her servant-girls, she calls
from the highest places in the town,
4 ‘You that are simple, turn in here!’
To those without sense she says,
5 ‘Come, eat of my bread
and drink of the wine I have mixed.
6 Lay aside immaturity, and live,
and walk in the way of insight.’
This a part of a beautiful poem in Proverbs that personifies Wisdom... as a female, though I'm not going to comment on that.
I just thought you should read more of this this morning than the one verse we usually do. Wisdom is throwing a party. And you're invited. Come, eat of Wisdom's bread. Come, drink of Wisdom's wine. It's waiting for you.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Visit http://www.allsaintspalatine.org for more information about our ministries. Join us Wednesday evening at 7 pm for Holden Evening Prayer.
Wisdom has built her house,
she has hewn her seven pillars.
2 She has slaughtered her animals, she has mixed her wine,
she has also set her table.
3 She has sent out her servant-girls, she calls
from the highest places in the town,
4 ‘You that are simple, turn in here!’
To those without sense she says,
5 ‘Come, eat of my bread
and drink of the wine I have mixed.
6 Lay aside immaturity, and live,
and walk in the way of insight.’
This a part of a beautiful poem in Proverbs that personifies Wisdom... as a female, though I'm not going to comment on that.
I just thought you should read more of this this morning than the one verse we usually do. Wisdom is throwing a party. And you're invited. Come, eat of Wisdom's bread. Come, drink of Wisdom's wine. It's waiting for you.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Visit http://www.allsaintspalatine.org for more information about our ministries. Join us Wednesday evening at 7 pm for Holden Evening Prayer.
Monday, May 9, 2011
ASLC Devotions - Monday
Genesis 18:14 'Is anything too wonderful for the Lord? At the set time I will return to you, in due season, and Sarah shall have a son.’
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
The Easter season rolls on. And we read from Genesis a part of the story of the angel announcing to Abraham and Sarah that they will have a child - while both are well past the age of child-bearing. And the angel responds to Sarah's laughter: "Is anything too wonderful for the Lord?"
Indeed. Is anything too wonderful for the Lord? The Lord who raised Jesus from the dead... the risen Lord who revealed himself to his disciples as they broke bread together... the Lord who conquered death and the devil forever... is anything too wonderful for the Lord?
What's your deepest longing? What is that thing you long for but don't even dare to speak out loud because it sounds too ridiculous? Reconciliation with a family member? A job? Retirement? Peace on the face of the earth?
Go ahead. Speak it. Is anything too wonderful for the Lord?
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Visit http://www.allsaintspalatine.org for more information. Join us Wednesday evening for Holden Evening Prayer at 7 pm.
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
The Easter season rolls on. And we read from Genesis a part of the story of the angel announcing to Abraham and Sarah that they will have a child - while both are well past the age of child-bearing. And the angel responds to Sarah's laughter: "Is anything too wonderful for the Lord?"
Indeed. Is anything too wonderful for the Lord? The Lord who raised Jesus from the dead... the risen Lord who revealed himself to his disciples as they broke bread together... the Lord who conquered death and the devil forever... is anything too wonderful for the Lord?
What's your deepest longing? What is that thing you long for but don't even dare to speak out loud because it sounds too ridiculous? Reconciliation with a family member? A job? Retirement? Peace on the face of the earth?
Go ahead. Speak it. Is anything too wonderful for the Lord?
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Visit http://www.allsaintspalatine.org for more information. Join us Wednesday evening for Holden Evening Prayer at 7 pm.
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