ASLC Devotions - Friday

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. 

Thought I'd just share all of Paul's words here, because the man knew how to write!
I just love the image of the churches of Macedonia "overflowing in a wealth of generosity" and "begging" for the privilege of sharing. 
But the truth is, I don't just love the image. I love the reality. I love the reality of seeing people and congregations every day begging for the privilege of giving. It happens. All the time. Thanks be to God!

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

Join us as we worship together on Saturday at 5 or Sunday at 9. 

ASLC Devotions - Thursday

2 Corinthians 7:13 In this we find comfort.
In addition to our own consolation, we rejoiced still more at the joy of Titus, because his mind has been set at rest by all of you. 

There was a conflict in the church at Corinth. Paul sent his deputy Titus to help take care of the situation and to solve the problem. The problem was resolved and the people were one again, worshiping together in unity and in joy.

That's where Paul found comfort - not in winning, not in getting his way, not in any of those things. Paul found comfort because Titus' mind was set at rest, because the people were worshiping and working together. A burden shared is a burden lightened and a joy shared is a joy multiplied. Paul shared in Titus' joy who shared in the joy of the people of Corinth. Their joy was multiplied. Share in someone else's joy today. Be of one mind and share the joy.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

Worship this weekend: Saturday at 5 pm and Sunday at 10 am. We will have a special appeal and update from our National Youth Gathering group. And enjoy the ASLC float in Saturday morning's parade.

ASLC Devotions - Wednesday

Mark 6:48  When Jesus saw that the disciples were straining at the oars against an adverse wind, he came towards them early in the morning, walking on the lake. He intended to pass them by.  

Jesus needed some time to himself to pray. Always a good idea, even when you're the Messiah! So he sent the disciples on ahead of him to their next destination, across the lake. Then when he decided it was time to see what the guys were up to, he saw that the winds were bad and they were really struggling with the oars. And he set out on foot to meet them: across the water. This didn't happen in northern Minnesota in the wintertime, so the lake wasn't frozen over. He walked on the water. And this version of the Bible says "he intended to pass them by."

I've always wondered about that. What was Jesus' plan? Was he going to just walk across and meet them at the other side? As it turns out, he paused and got in the boat with them and the winds calmed down and everyone was amazed. But what was the original plan? Was he just going to leave them to suffer against the wind while he went ashore to rest? 

I've seen other translations that take the original Greek words to mean something else - something like "he pretended to pass them by." I love that image. Jesus, pretending to walk on without noticing them - until they cry out for help. Jesus as the ultimate practical jokester. "Oh, I didn't see you there." 

We'll never know the original plan, but Jesus didn't leave them struggling. Jesus never leaves us struggling. Jesus handles it for us. Jesus calms the wind. Jesus gets in our boat. Jesus does not leave us alone.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

Join us for worship this weekend: Saturday at 5 and Sunday at 9. Check out our float in the parade on Saturday morning as well.

ASLC Devotions - Tuesday

Sorry for the lateness of the morning, but ponder this the rest of the day!

Exodus 9:20  Those officials of Pharaoh who feared the word of the Lord hurried their slaves and livestock off to a secure place.  

This little line comes in the midst of all the plagues that God sent to Egypt through Moses in order to win the freedom of God's people. After a couple of the plagues, Moses then warned them that hail was coming. Apparently some thought Moses was more accurate than Tom Skilling and took precautions.

It just struck me as I read this that I sometimes forget there were people in Egypt who believed God - even before Pharoah finally relented. We sometimes think of this story in simple terms: people didn't believe and bad stuff happened, people still didn't believe and more bad stuff happened. But this sentence reminds us that some of the officials of Pharaoh trusted and took precautions. I guess it's just a healthy reminder that life and faith are not as simplistic as we sometimes make them out to be. There are lots of gray areas. 

Also - God always finds people who trust God's word. Every day. In every place.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

Remember to join us for worship on Saturday at 5 and Sunday at 9. Also, don't forget to check out All Saints' entry in Palatine's parade on Saturday morning! 

ASLC Devotions - Friday

 John 20:15-16  Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? For whom are you looking?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabbouni!’ (which means Teacher). 

I'm sharing a little bit of Easter in June with you because of the Feast Day of Mary Magdalene. Mary was the first of Jesus' followers to meet him after he had risen from the dead. Mary was the first evangelist - telling the rest of his followers that he was alive. This scene is one of the most tender and beautiful you'll find.

Mary is weeping for all that she's lost - Jesus is dead, and she thinks now even his body is gone so she can't anoint him and care for his body the way she wants. But then Jesus simply speaks her name. And she recognizes him. Jesus calls her by name and she knows. She knows that everything is changed. Jesus has called you by name as well. Listen for his voice.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

Join us for worship Saturday at 5 and Sunday at 9. A blood drive is being hosted this Sunday morning at All Saints. As always, complete information can be found at http://www.allsaintspalatine.org 

ASLC Devotions - Thursday

 Acts 20:2  When [Paul] had gone through those regions and had given the believers much encouragement, he came to Greece.

Much of the book of Acts is the story of Paul's missionary journeys. He traveled throughout much of modern-day Turkey and Greece (and Mediterranean islands as well) spreading the gospel and proclaiming the good news of the life that's available in and through Jesus. It often makes for great adventure reading. This verse could almost act as a summary of the whole thing: "when Paul had gone through those regions and had GIVEN THE BELIEVERS MUCH ENCOURAGEMENT, he came to Greece."

That's what Paul did. He traveled around and gave the believers encouragement. He encouraged them to stay true to the faith in the face of persecution. He encouraged them to live together peacefully and as one. He encouraged them to worship and pray diligently. He encouraged them. Who will you encourage today? Who encouraged you yesterday?

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

Join us for worship Saturday at 5 and Sunday at 9. A blood drive is being hosted this Sunday morning at All Saints. As always, complete information can be found at http://www.allsaintspalatine.org 

ASLC Devotions - Wednesday

 Luke 6:45  The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil; for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.

Here Jesus is talking about contrasting good people and evil people and being able to judge them by what we see. Previously he was talking about trees and fruits: a good tree bears good fruit of course... and a bad tree produces bad fruit.

Knowing most of you as I do, there are not evil people reading this. So that's not really the concern that I want to raise for you this morning. Instead, think about Jesus' closing comment: "it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks." Do you let your mouth speak the abundance that's in your heart? Or are you shy about your faith, about your love, about your deepest commitments? Let the abundance of your heart out - then good fruit will spread throughout the world.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

Join us for worship Saturday at 5 and Sunday at 9. A blood drive is being hosted this Sunday morning at All Saints. As always, complete information can be found at http://www.allsaintspalatine.org 

ASLC Devotions - Tuesday

 Jeremiah 21:11  To the house of the king of Judah say: Hear the word of the Lord,O house of David! Thus says the Lord:
Execute justice in the morning,
   and deliver from the hand of the oppressor
   anyone who has been robbed,
or else my wrath will go forth like fire,
   and burn, with no one to quench it,
   because of your evil doings. 

Jeremiah here provides a bit of a job description reminder for the king. Never-mind whether the king appreciated being told the parameters of his job by a wandering prophet. This gives us a little insight into what God thinks the job of a king is. Execute justice. Save those who have been robbed from their oppressor. Simple. A two-point job description. Not bad.

Now I'm assuming that nobody reading this is a king. Though through the power of email forwarding and the six degrees of separation, you never know. But we all can vote for our king/President and Congress. And we all exercise power to greater or lesser degrees. This is what God wants us to do in our life together: justice and saving those who are robbed from their oppressors. And by God's grace, we can do it as well.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

Join us for worship Saturday at 5 and Sunday at 9. A blood drive is being hosted this Sunday morning at All Saints. As always, complete information can be found at http://www.allsaintspalatine.org 

ASLC Devotions - Monday

 Ezekiel 31:3, 9  Consider Assyria, a cedar of Lebanon,
with fair branches and forest shade,
   and of great height,
   its top among the clouds. 
 I made it beautiful
   with its mass of branches,
the envy of all the trees of Eden
   that were in the garden of God.

Ezekiel is talking about Assyria, which at the time was one of the greatest kingdoms in the known world. They were the envy of their neighbors: wealthy, well-organized, low crime-rates, high property-values, and things were going well. So Ezekiel provides a great analogy comparing Assyria to a great and mighty cedar tree, with God saying...

I made it beautiful. I made it the envy of all the trees of Eden. I did it. They didn't do it themselves. I did it. And the reading goes on to say  - I did it for my own purposes. God gives all the good gifts. God gives blessings. Whatever is good and right in your life, give thanks to God.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

Join us for worship Saturday at 5 and Sunday at 9. A blood drive is being hosted this Sunday morning at All Saints. As always, complete information can be found at http://www.allsaintspalatine.org

ASLC Devotions -- Friday, June 15

Hebrews 2:6-8
⁶But someone has testified somewhere,
‘What are human beings that you are mindful of them,
   or mortals, that you care for them?
⁷ You have made them for a little while lower than the angels;
   you have crowned them with glory and honor,
⁸   subjecting all things under their feet.’

Indeed, God, what are humans that you are mindful of them? A little lower than the angels.

The scriptures are full of examples of the ways that God values and cares for us. They are good reminders for us that we are valued – each of us. And this particular passage places us just below the angels, for a little while.

Until we dance with the angels, let us remember how much God values us, and let us value one another.

 

Peace,

Pastor Jenn

 

ASLC Devotions -- Thursday, June 14

 

Hebrews 11:4-7

 

The Examples of Abel, Enoch, and Noah

 

4 By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain’s. Through this he received approval as righteous, God himself giving approval to his gifts; he died, but through his faith he still speaks. ⁵By faith Enoch was taken so that he did not experience death; and ‘he was not found, because God had taken him.’ For it was attested before he was taken away that ‘he had pleased God.’ ⁶And without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. ⁷By faith Noah, warned by God about events as yet unseen, respected the warning and built an ark to save his household; by this he condemned the world and became an heir to the righteousness that is in accordance with faith.

We don’t usually include a scripture passage that’s this long. We want these devotions to be brief. But reading this passage I was so taken with the repetition of these stories “by faith.” These stories of faith name some of the people who acted on faith, witnessing their trust in God.

But you could likely pen your own “by faith” story from your own life or that of someone in your family. What have you witnessed to, by faith?

Peace,

Pastor Jenn

ASLC Devotions -- Wednesday, June 13

Luke 11:14-15

 

 Now he was casting out a demon that was mute; when the demon had gone out, the one who had been mute spoke, and the crowds were amazed. But some of them said, ‘He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.’

My first instinct whenever I read this passage (or the ones similar to it in other Gospel accounts) is to think, “Wow, some people will never be happy, will they?” I mean, here Jesus brings healing to one who had been unable to speak, giving the person speech again. And while some folks are amazed (it never does say thankful), others begin to spread rumors that Jesus does this casting out of demons in the name of a demon.

When Pastor Satterlee preached this past weekend, he posed a question to guide our interactions, “Will this bring healing?” I’ve been thinking about that phrase since Sunday morning, and I think it’s a helpful filter – “Will this email/conversation/remark be healing, or will it be hurtful?” I know I don’t always get it right, but my hope is that reminders such as this one continue to tip the scales toward healing.

Peace,

Pastor Jenn

ASLC Devotions -- Tuesday, June 12

1 Kings 18:17-18

 

When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, ‘Is it you, you troubler of Israel?’ ¹⁸He answered, ‘I have not troubled Israel; but you have, and your father’s house, because you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and followed the Baals.’

“Is it you, you troubler of Israel?” Ahab has been looking for Elijah, and he’s not been happy that he hasn’t found him. These prophets of God often had messages that were not popular among the people in power. Remember John the Baptist? Arrested and eventually beheaded for speaking out against Herod being married to his brother’s wife.

Elijah is the one prophet of the Lord, and there are about 450 prophets of Baal; he challenges them to a duel. You cut up a bull and put it on fireless wood, and I’’ll do the same. We’ll see if your god lights your altar on fire or if mine lights mine on fire. In general I think it’s a bad idea to put God to the test like that, but it works for Elijah. Even after he has watered his wooden altar not once or twice, but three times, it still erupts into flames.

Is it you, you troubler of Israel? Call me what you will, Ahab, but I have not forsaken the Lord, and God has acted on my behalf.

Peace,

Pastor Jenn