Matthew 5:46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax-collectors do the same?
This is part of Jesus' speech where he tells us that we are to love our enemies. That was hard advice when Jesus gave it and it's hard advice now. But this verse is interesting to me: my first thought when I read it is about the reward that God will give us if we love our enemies. He says, what reward to you have if you love only those who love you?
But maybe it's not about a reward that God gives... maybe it's about the consequences of our actions (which are, ultimately rewards from God, but I hope you see the distinction I'm making). If we love our enemies, we may have a new friend. If we love our enemies, we may begin to discover commonalities we didn't see before and put an end to a conflict. That's the reward. The reward is something that happens in us through the very act of loving enemies. That doesn't make this command any easier, but it does help me to see the consequences more clearly.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
This message is a ministry of All Saints Lutheran Church. If you wish to be unsubscribed, please send us a message. Visit our website for full calendar and information about our ministries. Make sure to keep an eye on Kingdom Rock Vacation Bible School this week by watching our Facebook page. Worship with us this weekend in the Gathering Space at 5 pm Saturday or 9 am Sunday.
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
ASLC Devotions - Tuesday
Esther 7:5-6 Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther, ‘Who is he, and where is he, who has presumed to do this?’ Esther said, ‘A foe and enemy, this wicked Haman!’ Then Haman was terrified before the king and the queen.
If you remember yesterday's story, Haman was one advisor of the king who got upset because another advisor Mordecai didn't give him the kind of respect he deserved. So Haman plotted to have Mordecai embarrassed and killed. One thing that didn't seem to enter into his calculations: the Queen was Mordecai's niece. So she was in a position to foil Haman's plot to kill not only Mordecai but all the Jewish people in the kingdom.
Esther was in the right position at the right time to do the right thing for God's people. Because of her position, she was able to foil Haman's plot and save the people. Some might say Mordecai and the Jewish people of the kingdom were lucky Esther was the queen. But I would say they were blessed. Luck is, by definition, about chance. Blessed is about God's will for life and for hope. They were blessed. And so are you.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
This message is a ministry of All Saints Lutheran Church. If you wish to be unsubscribed, please send us a message. Visit our website for full calendar and information about our ministries. Make sure to keep an eye on Kingdom Rock Vacation Bible School this week by watching our Facebook page. Worship with us this weekend in the Gathering Space at 5 pm Saturday or 9 am Sunday.
If you remember yesterday's story, Haman was one advisor of the king who got upset because another advisor Mordecai didn't give him the kind of respect he deserved. So Haman plotted to have Mordecai embarrassed and killed. One thing that didn't seem to enter into his calculations: the Queen was Mordecai's niece. So she was in a position to foil Haman's plot to kill not only Mordecai but all the Jewish people in the kingdom.
Esther was in the right position at the right time to do the right thing for God's people. Because of her position, she was able to foil Haman's plot and save the people. Some might say Mordecai and the Jewish people of the kingdom were lucky Esther was the queen. But I would say they were blessed. Luck is, by definition, about chance. Blessed is about God's will for life and for hope. They were blessed. And so are you.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
This message is a ministry of All Saints Lutheran Church. If you wish to be unsubscribed, please send us a message. Visit our website for full calendar and information about our ministries. Make sure to keep an eye on Kingdom Rock Vacation Bible School this week by watching our Facebook page. Worship with us this weekend in the Gathering Space at 5 pm Saturday or 9 am Sunday.
Monday, July 29, 2013
ASLC Devotions - Monday
Esther 5:9 Haman went out that day happy and in good spirits. But when Haman saw Mordecai in the king’s gate, and observed that he neither rose nor trembled before him, he was infuriated with Mordecai;
This is part of a much longer story, but here is the point. Haman and Mordecai were both advisors to the king. Haman had gotten invited to a special banquet with just the king and queen - things were looking really good for him. And he was happy. He was proud of himself and of his position. Until he walked out and Mordecai didn't give him the respect he thought he deserved. Mordecai didn't rise in the presence of Haman, or bow down before him, or offer the right kind of salute.
The way the story goes on, Haman tries to get Mordecai killed and it doesn't turn out well for Haman. But all the trouble of the whole book of Esther is rooted in the fact that Haman couldn't just let well enough be alone. He couldn't let his good fortune be enough for him: he wanted someone else to acknowledge how awesome he was. Here's the lesson I take from this, and it's a lesson learned in Pre-School: it's best just to worry about yourself and not worry about other people. Everything I needed to learn I learned in Pre-School.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
This message is a ministry of All Saints Lutheran Church. If you wish to be unsubscribed, please send us a message. Visit our website for full calendar and information about our ministries. Make sure to keep an eye on Kingdom Rock Vacation Bible School this week by watching our Facebook page. Worship with us this weekend in the Gathering Space at 5 pm Saturday or 9 am Sunday.
This is part of a much longer story, but here is the point. Haman and Mordecai were both advisors to the king. Haman had gotten invited to a special banquet with just the king and queen - things were looking really good for him. And he was happy. He was proud of himself and of his position. Until he walked out and Mordecai didn't give him the respect he thought he deserved. Mordecai didn't rise in the presence of Haman, or bow down before him, or offer the right kind of salute.
The way the story goes on, Haman tries to get Mordecai killed and it doesn't turn out well for Haman. But all the trouble of the whole book of Esther is rooted in the fact that Haman couldn't just let well enough be alone. He couldn't let his good fortune be enough for him: he wanted someone else to acknowledge how awesome he was. Here's the lesson I take from this, and it's a lesson learned in Pre-School: it's best just to worry about yourself and not worry about other people. Everything I needed to learn I learned in Pre-School.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
This message is a ministry of All Saints Lutheran Church. If you wish to be unsubscribed, please send us a message. Visit our website for full calendar and information about our ministries. Make sure to keep an eye on Kingdom Rock Vacation Bible School this week by watching our Facebook page. Worship with us this weekend in the Gathering Space at 5 pm Saturday or 9 am Sunday.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
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.’
The writer of Proverbs personalizes Wisdom as one of the characteristics of God. Just a couple comments because I think this passage is beautiful enough on its own: First, Wisdom is personified as female. No comment. Finally, notice that Wisdom sends out her invitation far and wide. We are all invited. Join the Wisdom feast.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
This message is a ministry of All Saints Lutheran Church. If you wish to be unsubscribed, please send us a message. Visit our website for full calendar and information about our ministries. Worship with us this weekend at 5 pm Saturday or 9 am Sunday.
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.’
The writer of Proverbs personalizes Wisdom as one of the characteristics of God. Just a couple comments because I think this passage is beautiful enough on its own: First, Wisdom is personified as female. No comment. Finally, notice that Wisdom sends out her invitation far and wide. We are all invited. Join the Wisdom feast.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
This message is a ministry of All Saints Lutheran Church. If you wish to be unsubscribed, please send us a message. Visit our website for full calendar and information about our ministries. Worship with us this weekend at 5 pm Saturday or 9 am Sunday.
Monday, July 22, 2013
ASLC Devotions - Monday
Exodus 18:11 Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods, because he delivered the people from the Egyptians, when they dealt arrogantly with them.
Moses, you may remember him? He led his people (the Hebrew people) under God's care out of slavery in Egypt. His father-in-law was a priest-chief of a wilderness tribe in the Sinai peninsula named Jethro. So Jethro was not a Hebrew person, he was not a worshiper of the Lord, the one God who made heaven and earth. He worshiped many gods presumably.
But after the exodus event, after God did the basic thing that God (frees people) Moses came to see his father-in-law. He stopped by for a family visit during the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. And his father-in-law was impressed. So Jethro gives his testimony of faith - the Lord is greater than all gods, because he delivered the people. God is great because God gives freedom. God is to be trusted because God frees slaves. God has given you freedom. God is great!
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
This message is a ministry of All Saints Lutheran Church. If you wish to be unsubscribed, please send us a message. Visit our website for full calendar and information about our ministries. Worship with us this weekend at 5 pm Saturday or 9 am Sunday.
Moses, you may remember him? He led his people (the Hebrew people) under God's care out of slavery in Egypt. His father-in-law was a priest-chief of a wilderness tribe in the Sinai peninsula named Jethro. So Jethro was not a Hebrew person, he was not a worshiper of the Lord, the one God who made heaven and earth. He worshiped many gods presumably.
But after the exodus event, after God did the basic thing that God (frees people) Moses came to see his father-in-law. He stopped by for a family visit during the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. And his father-in-law was impressed. So Jethro gives his testimony of faith - the Lord is greater than all gods, because he delivered the people. God is great because God gives freedom. God is to be trusted because God frees slaves. God has given you freedom. God is great!
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
This message is a ministry of All Saints Lutheran Church. If you wish to be unsubscribed, please send us a message. Visit our website for full calendar and information about our ministries. Worship with us this weekend at 5 pm Saturday or 9 am Sunday.
Friday, July 19, 2013
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.
Yesterday I wrote to you (as if those of you who actually know me needed a reminder) that I am subject to weakness. We all are. And this prayer and blessing that Paul offers to the people of Ephesus is the reason I can, in my weakness, continue to humbly serve and proclaim the gospel. Because God is at work in me and in you. Without God's working in my life, I'd literally be nothing.
And not only is God at work in me, God is at work doing things in and through my life (and yours) that I could never imagine on my own. I simply pray each day for God to do something in and through my life that is God's will, whether or not I can see it. That's my prayer for you today as well: may God work in you far more than you can ever hope or imagine.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
This message is a ministry of All Saints Lutheran Church. If you wish to be unsubscribed, please send us a message. Visit our website for full calendar and information about our ministries. Worship with us this weekend at 5 pm Saturday or 9 am Sunday.
Yesterday I wrote to you (as if those of you who actually know me needed a reminder) that I am subject to weakness. We all are. And this prayer and blessing that Paul offers to the people of Ephesus is the reason I can, in my weakness, continue to humbly serve and proclaim the gospel. Because God is at work in me and in you. Without God's working in my life, I'd literally be nothing.
And not only is God at work in me, God is at work doing things in and through my life (and yours) that I could never imagine on my own. I simply pray each day for God to do something in and through my life that is God's will, whether or not I can see it. That's my prayer for you today as well: may God work in you far more than you can ever hope or imagine.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
This message is a ministry of All Saints Lutheran Church. If you wish to be unsubscribed, please send us a message. Visit our website for full calendar and information about our ministries. Worship with us this weekend at 5 pm Saturday or 9 am Sunday.
Thursday, July 18, 2013
ASLC Devotions - Thursday
Hebrews 5:1 Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is subject to weakness;
This is kind of a biblical job description for a priest (or pastor in our terminology). It demonstrates why it's good that pastors are human beings and not some sort of superheroes with no flaws. High priests (pastors) are chosen from among mortals - they're mortal. And the high priest (pastor) can't get all uppity with the people and judgmental about the things they do wrong, their lacking in faith, because the pastor himself (or herself) is subject to weakness. They understand how the people feel in struggling in faith because they struggle themselves.
Now we all know that sometimes pastors CAN in fact get judgmental and forget their own flaws and weaknesses. But the writer of Hebrews is saying here they shouldn't (since pastors themselves are subject to weakness). I just want to close with this inspiring thought. Your pastor (at least me, not speaking for Pastor Jenn at the moment) is VERY able to deal gently with the wayward, because your pastor (Seth) is VERY subject to weakness. Just in case you didn't know!
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
This message is a ministry of All Saints Lutheran Church. If you wish to be unsubscribed, please send us a message. Visit our website for full calendar and information about our ministries. Worship with us this weekend at 5 pm Saturday or 9 am Sunday.
This is kind of a biblical job description for a priest (or pastor in our terminology). It demonstrates why it's good that pastors are human beings and not some sort of superheroes with no flaws. High priests (pastors) are chosen from among mortals - they're mortal. And the high priest (pastor) can't get all uppity with the people and judgmental about the things they do wrong, their lacking in faith, because the pastor himself (or herself) is subject to weakness. They understand how the people feel in struggling in faith because they struggle themselves.
Now we all know that sometimes pastors CAN in fact get judgmental and forget their own flaws and weaknesses. But the writer of Hebrews is saying here they shouldn't (since pastors themselves are subject to weakness). I just want to close with this inspiring thought. Your pastor (at least me, not speaking for Pastor Jenn at the moment) is VERY able to deal gently with the wayward, because your pastor (Seth) is VERY subject to weakness. Just in case you didn't know!
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
This message is a ministry of All Saints Lutheran Church. If you wish to be unsubscribed, please send us a message. Visit our website for full calendar and information about our ministries. Worship with us this weekend at 5 pm Saturday or 9 am Sunday.
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
ASLC Devotions - Wednesday
Matthew 25:40 And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family,you did it to me.”
Jesus wants us to know that how we treat each other really matters. We can imagine that when we reach out in care and love to anyone on earth, we are reaching out in care and love to Jesus. And the opposite is true as well. We know this well and I, for one, think about it every time I'm helping some with food or visiting someone who is alone. I am doing this for Jesus.
But I want to pose another conclusion from this. Jesus takes a special interest in the poor and the outcast. Jesus closely identifies himself with the poor. Members of his family. For those of us who have enough to eat and have a roof over our heads, this can be a faith-challenge. And here is what I think today: in those places in my life where I am poorest, in the most trouble, unable to stand on my own: those are the places where I am closest to God. Those are not things to hide from, but points of contact with the divine.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
This message is a ministry of All Saints Lutheran Church. If you wish to be unsubscribed, please send us a message. Visit our website for full calendar and information about our ministries. Worship with us this weekend at 5 pm Saturday or 9 am Sunday.
Jesus wants us to know that how we treat each other really matters. We can imagine that when we reach out in care and love to anyone on earth, we are reaching out in care and love to Jesus. And the opposite is true as well. We know this well and I, for one, think about it every time I'm helping some with food or visiting someone who is alone. I am doing this for Jesus.
But I want to pose another conclusion from this. Jesus takes a special interest in the poor and the outcast. Jesus closely identifies himself with the poor. Members of his family. For those of us who have enough to eat and have a roof over our heads, this can be a faith-challenge. And here is what I think today: in those places in my life where I am poorest, in the most trouble, unable to stand on my own: those are the places where I am closest to God. Those are not things to hide from, but points of contact with the divine.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
This message is a ministry of All Saints Lutheran Church. If you wish to be unsubscribed, please send us a message. Visit our website for full calendar and information about our ministries. Worship with us this weekend at 5 pm Saturday or 9 am Sunday.
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
ASLC Devotions - Tuesday
Proverbs 19:17 Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord,
and will be repaid in full.
We talk a lot about stewardship meaning what we do with the time, treasure, and talents that God has given us. The very word stewardship reminds us that none of these things are ours, things we created or earned by our own merit. All that is good in this world ultimately belongs to God and we are entrusted to be stewards, to take care of it.
The proverb above kind of spins this around directionally. Instead of thinking of our possessions as belonging to the Lord and he just loaned them to us to use for a while, this talks about our giving to the poor as lending to the Lord. When we lend something, we expect to be repaid. When we give to the poor, we are assured, God will repay us. It may not be in money, it may not be today, and it may not be in a form we even recognize. Often we are repaid in joy. Often we are repaid in a relationship with the poor we never would have had otherwise and which enriches us. But we are repaid.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
This message is a ministry of All Saints Lutheran Church. If you wish to be unsubscribed, please send us a message. Visit our website for full calendar and information about our ministries. Worship with us this weekend at 5 pm Saturday or 9 am Sunday.
and will be repaid in full.
We talk a lot about stewardship meaning what we do with the time, treasure, and talents that God has given us. The very word stewardship reminds us that none of these things are ours, things we created or earned by our own merit. All that is good in this world ultimately belongs to God and we are entrusted to be stewards, to take care of it.
The proverb above kind of spins this around directionally. Instead of thinking of our possessions as belonging to the Lord and he just loaned them to us to use for a while, this talks about our giving to the poor as lending to the Lord. When we lend something, we expect to be repaid. When we give to the poor, we are assured, God will repay us. It may not be in money, it may not be today, and it may not be in a form we even recognize. Often we are repaid in joy. Often we are repaid in a relationship with the poor we never would have had otherwise and which enriches us. But we are repaid.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
This message is a ministry of All Saints Lutheran Church. If you wish to be unsubscribed, please send us a message. Visit our website for full calendar and information about our ministries. Worship with us this weekend at 5 pm Saturday or 9 am Sunday.
Monday, July 15, 2013
ASLC Devotions - Monday
Job 24:1 Why are times not kept by the Almighty,
and why do those who know him never see his days?
Why do those who know the Almighty never see his days? Why does it seem like the ones most dedicated to the Lord never get to see the light of day? Why does the promised light of love and peace and joy and shalom (Heb: wholeness) never shine in the places where it should? Why do bad things happen to good people?
I've never really had a good answer to that question if you're looking for a simple easy-to-understand answer. The only answer that has truly been satisfying to me is this: bad things happen to everyone. The rain falls equally on the just and the unjust. What God promises is the rainbow. God promises an end to the rain. Not today, but soon. That answer satisfies me not because it's what I want the answer to be, but because it feels true.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
This message is a ministry of All Saints Lutheran Church. If you wish to be unsubscribed, please send us a message. Visit our website for full calendar and information about our ministries. Worship with us this weekend at 5 pm Saturday or 9 am Sunday.
and why do those who know him never see his days?
Why do those who know the Almighty never see his days? Why does it seem like the ones most dedicated to the Lord never get to see the light of day? Why does the promised light of love and peace and joy and shalom (Heb: wholeness) never shine in the places where it should? Why do bad things happen to good people?
I've never really had a good answer to that question if you're looking for a simple easy-to-understand answer. The only answer that has truly been satisfying to me is this: bad things happen to everyone. The rain falls equally on the just and the unjust. What God promises is the rainbow. God promises an end to the rain. Not today, but soon. That answer satisfies me not because it's what I want the answer to be, but because it feels true.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
This message is a ministry of All Saints Lutheran Church. If you wish to be unsubscribed, please send us a message. Visit our website for full calendar and information about our ministries. Worship with us this weekend at 5 pm Saturday or 9 am Sunday.
Friday, July 12, 2013
ASLC Devotions - Friday
Acts 7:9 The patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him
You may or may not know this story, either from the Bible or from Andrew Lloyd Webber. Joseph was the favorite of the sons of Jacob. His other brothers got so angry and jealous about it that they sold him into slavery in Egypt. But as is so often the case with God's people, that was not the end of the story for Joseph.
God protected Joseph in his Egyptian slavery. God kept him safe and blessed him. Eventually Joseph rose from being a slave to being put in charge of the entire treasury of the whole nation, Pharoah's right hand man. All because, as the writer of Acts says: God was with him. And God is with you. God will always be with you, whether you're going to college or a new job or into retirement or into slavery in Egypt. God will always be with you.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
This message is a ministry of All Saints Lutheran Church. If you wish to be unsubscribed, please send us a message. Visit our website for full calendar and information about our ministries. Worship with us this weekend at 5 pm Saturday or 9 am Sunday.
You may or may not know this story, either from the Bible or from Andrew Lloyd Webber. Joseph was the favorite of the sons of Jacob. His other brothers got so angry and jealous about it that they sold him into slavery in Egypt. But as is so often the case with God's people, that was not the end of the story for Joseph.
God protected Joseph in his Egyptian slavery. God kept him safe and blessed him. Eventually Joseph rose from being a slave to being put in charge of the entire treasury of the whole nation, Pharoah's right hand man. All because, as the writer of Acts says: God was with him. And God is with you. God will always be with you, whether you're going to college or a new job or into retirement or into slavery in Egypt. God will always be with you.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
This message is a ministry of All Saints Lutheran Church. If you wish to be unsubscribed, please send us a message. Visit our website for full calendar and information about our ministries. Worship with us this weekend at 5 pm Saturday or 9 am Sunday.
Thursday, July 11, 2013
ASLC Devotions - Thursday
James 2:19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder.
This is one of my favorite Bible verses when I'm in a bit of a snarky mood. Some of you might ask when I'm not in a snarky mood, but we'll leave that question for later. James writes to those who, in the popular language of today, would say they are spiritual but not religious. Folks who say "I believe in God but I don't believe in organized religion." People who say "I believe in God so I don't have to go to church." James would say - you believe in God? Congratulations. You're about at the level of the demons now. The demons believe in God. The question isn't whether you believe intellectually, but do you trust in God's love and show that love with your life? That's the question.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
This message is a ministry of All Saints Lutheran Church. If you wish to be unsubscribed, please send us a message. Visit our website for full calendar and information about our ministries. Worship with us this weekend at 5 pm Saturday or 9 am Sunday.
This is one of my favorite Bible verses when I'm in a bit of a snarky mood. Some of you might ask when I'm not in a snarky mood, but we'll leave that question for later. James writes to those who, in the popular language of today, would say they are spiritual but not religious. Folks who say "I believe in God but I don't believe in organized religion." People who say "I believe in God so I don't have to go to church." James would say - you believe in God? Congratulations. You're about at the level of the demons now. The demons believe in God. The question isn't whether you believe intellectually, but do you trust in God's love and show that love with your life? That's the question.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
This message is a ministry of All Saints Lutheran Church. If you wish to be unsubscribed, please send us a message. Visit our website for full calendar and information about our ministries. Worship with us this weekend at 5 pm Saturday or 9 am Sunday.
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
ASLC Devotions - Wednesday
First, I apologize for the silence on the devotions the past couple of days. I write these in advance and use a service to auto-send them. I thought I wrote them for Friday through Tuesday and loaded, but they are gone. So either I imagined it, or there was computer/operator error. But here we go!
Luke 10:16 Jesus said: Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.
Jesus gave a lot of power to his disciples. Having lots of power can sound like a good thing, but it often isn't. It often means a lot more responsibility and actually being constrained a whole lot more. It's easy to say "If it were up to me, I'd do it differently" than it is to actually do it differently and deal with all the consequences, foreseen and unforeseen. I've gotten fairly obsessed with the "Game of Thrones" books and TV series recently and I can't help but remember King Robert saying, "I thought being king meant I would get to do whatever I want all the time..." He found it wasn't really that way.
So Jesus has given us lots of power... whoever listens to us as we proclaim the gospel listens to Jesus. And whoever rejects the gospel message we share is rejecting Jesus and the One who sent Jesus. Sounds like a lot of power. But what a responsibility! We need to proclaim the gospel and share the good news of God in such a way that people can hear it. We need to show with our whole lives the love that God intends for the whole world. Now that's a lot of responsibility.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
This message is a ministry of All Saints Lutheran Church. If you wish to be unsubscribed, please send us a message. Visit our website for full calendar and information about our ministries. Worship with us at 7:30 tonight (monthly Holden Evening Prayer at Summer Supper) or this weekend at 5 pm Saturday or 9 am Sunday.
Luke 10:16 Jesus said: Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.
Jesus gave a lot of power to his disciples. Having lots of power can sound like a good thing, but it often isn't. It often means a lot more responsibility and actually being constrained a whole lot more. It's easy to say "If it were up to me, I'd do it differently" than it is to actually do it differently and deal with all the consequences, foreseen and unforeseen. I've gotten fairly obsessed with the "Game of Thrones" books and TV series recently and I can't help but remember King Robert saying, "I thought being king meant I would get to do whatever I want all the time..." He found it wasn't really that way.
So Jesus has given us lots of power... whoever listens to us as we proclaim the gospel listens to Jesus. And whoever rejects the gospel message we share is rejecting Jesus and the One who sent Jesus. Sounds like a lot of power. But what a responsibility! We need to proclaim the gospel and share the good news of God in such a way that people can hear it. We need to show with our whole lives the love that God intends for the whole world. Now that's a lot of responsibility.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
This message is a ministry of All Saints Lutheran Church. If you wish to be unsubscribed, please send us a message. Visit our website for full calendar and information about our ministries. Worship with us at 7:30 tonight (monthly Holden Evening Prayer at Summer Supper) or this weekend at 5 pm Saturday or 9 am Sunday.
Thursday, July 4, 2013
ASLC Devotions - Thursday
National holidays, like Independence Day, are not part of the Christian liturgical calendar. The Christian calendar embraces a much wider community than the United States and concerns itself with those people and places.
In our lectionary cycle, there are readings for each Sunday. In addition there are "Lesser Festivals": these are festivals of various saints and martyrs of the church and other occasions like Reformation Day. Then there are "Commemorations:" these are occasions when local congregations or communities would want to commemorate saints or missionaries or pastors other than the big ones observed throughout the church. Finally there are what are called "Occasions:" there are readings and prayers written for various occasions like the dedication of a church building or a national holiday. I invite you to pray today the Prayer of the Day for National Holidays.
Lord of all the world, guide this nation by your Spirit to go forward in justice and freedom. Give to all our people the blessings of well-being and harmony, but above all things give us faith in you, that our nation may bring glory to your name and blessings to all peoples, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
This message is part of the ministry of All Saints Lutheran Church. See our website for more information and calendar. If you wish to no longer receive these messages, please reply and ask to be removed. Remember to join us for worship this weekend: Saturday at 5 pm or Sunday at 9 am. Also, cheer on (or join) the All Saints float in the Palatine Independence Day Parade on Saturday morning.
In our lectionary cycle, there are readings for each Sunday. In addition there are "Lesser Festivals": these are festivals of various saints and martyrs of the church and other occasions like Reformation Day. Then there are "Commemorations:" these are occasions when local congregations or communities would want to commemorate saints or missionaries or pastors other than the big ones observed throughout the church. Finally there are what are called "Occasions:" there are readings and prayers written for various occasions like the dedication of a church building or a national holiday. I invite you to pray today the Prayer of the Day for National Holidays.
Lord of all the world, guide this nation by your Spirit to go forward in justice and freedom. Give to all our people the blessings of well-being and harmony, but above all things give us faith in you, that our nation may bring glory to your name and blessings to all peoples, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
This message is part of the ministry of All Saints Lutheran Church. See our website for more information and calendar. If you wish to no longer receive these messages, please reply and ask to be removed. Remember to join us for worship this weekend: Saturday at 5 pm or Sunday at 9 am. Also, cheer on (or join) the All Saints float in the Palatine Independence Day Parade on Saturday morning.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
ASLC Devotions - Wednesday
Matthew 10:24 ‘A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master;it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master.'
Jesus taught his disciples lots of things - things about the kingdom of God and things about what it means to be one of his disciples. When we talk about Jesus' disciples, we sometimes think of just the twelve from the Bible, or maybe the larger group from the Bible who followed him around and were healed and fed and learned from him. But the crowd of Jesus' disciples is much larger (and much closer to home than all that). YOU are Jesus' disciples.
You are not above the teacher, Jesus. But it is enough, and it is in fact, the goal, to be like the teacher. The goal of life is to have people look at your life and see reflections of Jesus. Just as the moon does not have any light of its own but reflects the sun's light, we reflect the love of Christ to the world around us. It is enough for the disciples, YOU, to be like the teacher. It is enough.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
This message is part of the ministry of All Saints Lutheran Church. See our website for more information and calendar. If you wish to no longer receive these messages, please reply and ask to be removed. Remember to join us for worship this weekend: Saturday at 5 pm or Sunday at 9 am. Also, cheer on (or join) the All Saints float in the Palatine Independence Day Parade on Saturday morning.
Jesus taught his disciples lots of things - things about the kingdom of God and things about what it means to be one of his disciples. When we talk about Jesus' disciples, we sometimes think of just the twelve from the Bible, or maybe the larger group from the Bible who followed him around and were healed and fed and learned from him. But the crowd of Jesus' disciples is much larger (and much closer to home than all that). YOU are Jesus' disciples.
You are not above the teacher, Jesus. But it is enough, and it is in fact, the goal, to be like the teacher. The goal of life is to have people look at your life and see reflections of Jesus. Just as the moon does not have any light of its own but reflects the sun's light, we reflect the love of Christ to the world around us. It is enough for the disciples, YOU, to be like the teacher. It is enough.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
This message is part of the ministry of All Saints Lutheran Church. See our website for more information and calendar. If you wish to no longer receive these messages, please reply and ask to be removed. Remember to join us for worship this weekend: Saturday at 5 pm or Sunday at 9 am. Also, cheer on (or join) the All Saints float in the Palatine Independence Day Parade on Saturday morning.
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
ASLC Devotions - Tuesday
Jeremiah 3:17 At that time Jerusalem shall be called the throne of the Lord, and all nations shall gather to it, to the presence of the Lord in Jerusalem, and they shall no longer stubbornly follow their own evil will.
The vision of the Hebrew prophets was that there will be a time when all creation is brought to rights, when things are returned to the way God intended in creation and the new heaven is created here on Earth. Christians believe the same thing and we look forward along with our Jewish sisters and brothers to that day. Christians tend to believe in these things in a more spiritual than literal way, but the belief of the Hebrew prophets is that this would literally mean all the peoples of the world would acknowledge Jerusalem and their physical temple as the center of life.
We can share belief in this way: there will be a time when the entire world worships the one true God, when all people are gathered together under the lordship of Christ. There will be a time when we worship together, when we put away our swords and our tanks and our missiles. There will be a time when we worship the God who is also our king. There will be a time... Come quickly, Lord Jesus.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
This message is part of the ministry of All Saints Lutheran Church. See our website for more information and calendar. If you wish to no longer receive these messages, please reply and ask to be removed. Remember to join us for worship this weekend: Saturday at 5 pm or Sunday at 9 am. Also, cheer on (or join) the All Saints float in the Palatine Independence Day Parade on Saturday morning.
The vision of the Hebrew prophets was that there will be a time when all creation is brought to rights, when things are returned to the way God intended in creation and the new heaven is created here on Earth. Christians believe the same thing and we look forward along with our Jewish sisters and brothers to that day. Christians tend to believe in these things in a more spiritual than literal way, but the belief of the Hebrew prophets is that this would literally mean all the peoples of the world would acknowledge Jerusalem and their physical temple as the center of life.
We can share belief in this way: there will be a time when the entire world worships the one true God, when all people are gathered together under the lordship of Christ. There will be a time when we worship together, when we put away our swords and our tanks and our missiles. There will be a time when we worship the God who is also our king. There will be a time... Come quickly, Lord Jesus.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
This message is part of the ministry of All Saints Lutheran Church. See our website for more information and calendar. If you wish to no longer receive these messages, please reply and ask to be removed. Remember to join us for worship this weekend: Saturday at 5 pm or Sunday at 9 am. Also, cheer on (or join) the All Saints float in the Palatine Independence Day Parade on Saturday morning.
Monday, July 1, 2013
ASLC Devotions - Monday
Genesis 24:56 But he said to them, ‘Do not delay me, since the Lord has made my journey successful; let me go, that I may go to my master.’
God calls us into lots of different kinds of journeys. I believe that God still sometimes calls us to move physically from place to place as we read about regularly in the Bible. I believe also that God calls us to reach out to certain people, to become involved in a certain activity or ministry in life, to give of ourselves in various ways. God calls us and promises to bless our journeys.
Whether our journeys are physical/geographical or of a more spiritual/esoteric nature, God promises to bless them. If God has called you on a journey, God will bless that journey through to the end. The other important thing to remember is the admonition we read above: if God has called a journey into being, best not to get in the way. Whether it's your journey or someone else's, let God's path be open. It will go well for you.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
This message is part of the ministry of All Saints Lutheran Church. See our website for more information and calendar. If you wish to no longer receive these messages, please reply and ask to be removed. Remember to join us for worship this weekend: Saturday at 5 pm or Sunday at 9 am. Also, cheer on (or join) the All Saints float in the Palatine Independence Day Parade on Saturday morning.
God calls us into lots of different kinds of journeys. I believe that God still sometimes calls us to move physically from place to place as we read about regularly in the Bible. I believe also that God calls us to reach out to certain people, to become involved in a certain activity or ministry in life, to give of ourselves in various ways. God calls us and promises to bless our journeys.
Whether our journeys are physical/geographical or of a more spiritual/esoteric nature, God promises to bless them. If God has called you on a journey, God will bless that journey through to the end. The other important thing to remember is the admonition we read above: if God has called a journey into being, best not to get in the way. Whether it's your journey or someone else's, let God's path be open. It will go well for you.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
This message is part of the ministry of All Saints Lutheran Church. See our website for more information and calendar. If you wish to no longer receive these messages, please reply and ask to be removed. Remember to join us for worship this weekend: Saturday at 5 pm or Sunday at 9 am. Also, cheer on (or join) the All Saints float in the Palatine Independence Day Parade on Saturday morning.
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