As you gather to give thanks and eat today, whether it be with family or with neighbors and friends or with strangers around a table in the Gathering Space, I encourage you to remember to give thanks to God. Here is one idea of a prayer you could use:
Almighty God our Father, your generous goodness comes to us new every day. By the work of your Spirit lead us to acknowledge your goodness, give thanks for your benefits, and serve you in willing obedience, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Today, we will feed friends and neighbors 11-1:30. Come and join. Then, Sunday, we will worship at 8:30 and 11 am. There will be no Education Hour this Sunday.
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
ASLC Devotions - Wednesday
Luke 1:1-4 Since many have undertaken to set down an orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled among us, 2just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, 3I too decided, after investigating everything carefully from the very first, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4so that you may know the truth concerning the things about which you have been instructed.
Sunday is the First Sunday in Advent. It's New Year's Day - the beginning of the church year. And so we turn to thinking about beginnings. Luke began his gospel by telling his audience why he was bothering to write a gospel account. He wanted them to know the story in an orderly way. He wanted them to know the truth of the things about which they had been instructed.
As we begin this new church year, my prayer is that you will know the truth of Jesus Christ more and more. My prayer is that you'll know the truth of God's love for you shown in Jesus. My prayer is that you'll know the truth of the life and hope that is yours because of all the things about Jesus, the things about which you have been instructed, the things about which Luke wrote.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Join us for worship Wednesday evening (TONIGHT) as we give thanks. 7 pm worship. Then Thursday (TOMORROW), we will feed friends and neighbors 11-1:30. Come and join. Finally, Sunday, we will worship at 8:30 and 11 am. There will be no Education Hour this Sunday.
Sunday is the First Sunday in Advent. It's New Year's Day - the beginning of the church year. And so we turn to thinking about beginnings. Luke began his gospel by telling his audience why he was bothering to write a gospel account. He wanted them to know the story in an orderly way. He wanted them to know the truth of the things about which they had been instructed.
As we begin this new church year, my prayer is that you will know the truth of Jesus Christ more and more. My prayer is that you'll know the truth of God's love for you shown in Jesus. My prayer is that you'll know the truth of the life and hope that is yours because of all the things about Jesus, the things about which you have been instructed, the things about which Luke wrote.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Join us for worship Wednesday evening (TONIGHT) as we give thanks. 7 pm worship. Then Thursday (TOMORROW), we will feed friends and neighbors 11-1:30. Come and join. Finally, Sunday, we will worship at 8:30 and 11 am. There will be no Education Hour this Sunday.
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
ASLC Devotions - Tuesday
Isaiah 33:22 For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our ruler,
the Lord is our king; he will save us.
Last Sunday we celebrate Christ the King Sunday. This is a relatively new festival of the church, invented in the year 1925. I think that's important. The feast was started because the pope at the time, Pius XI wanted to remind Christians that Christ is our king as opposed to anything else. Christ is our king as not Mussolini. Christ is our king and not Hitler or Stalin. Christ is our king and not any earthly person or system.
This makes this a really important festival even today, in my eyes. I think it's still very important to use to remember that Christ is our king and not MSNBC or Fox News. Christ is our king and not left or right notions about what's right and wrong. Christ is our king and not any preconceived notions. This week, as we give thanks, I invite you to give thanks for the kingship of Jesus Christ.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Join us for worship Wednesday evening as we give thanks. 7 pm worship. Then Thursday, we will feed friends and neighbors 11-1:30. Come and join. Finally, Sunday, we will worship at 8:30 and 11 am. There will be no Education Hour this Sunday.
the Lord is our king; he will save us.
Last Sunday we celebrate Christ the King Sunday. This is a relatively new festival of the church, invented in the year 1925. I think that's important. The feast was started because the pope at the time, Pius XI wanted to remind Christians that Christ is our king as opposed to anything else. Christ is our king as not Mussolini. Christ is our king and not Hitler or Stalin. Christ is our king and not any earthly person or system.
This makes this a really important festival even today, in my eyes. I think it's still very important to use to remember that Christ is our king and not MSNBC or Fox News. Christ is our king and not left or right notions about what's right and wrong. Christ is our king and not any preconceived notions. This week, as we give thanks, I invite you to give thanks for the kingship of Jesus Christ.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Join us for worship Wednesday evening as we give thanks. 7 pm worship. Then Thursday, we will feed friends and neighbors 11-1:30. Come and join. Finally, Sunday, we will worship at 8:30 and 11 am. There will be no Education Hour this Sunday.
Monday, November 25, 2013
ASLC Devotions - Monday
Jeremiah 46:27 But as for you, have no fear, my servant Jacob,
and do not be dismayed, O Israel;
for I am going to save you from far away,
and your offspring from the land of their captivity.
Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease,
and no one shall make him afraid.
I am struck by the words "I am going to save you from far away." I know historically that this meant that the people of Israel were far away from their home. They were living in captivity when this message came from God through Jeremiah. I know that God was telling them that they would be saved from their far-away place and would be brought home.
But I'm also struck by the sense that we sometimes have that God is far away. Of course, I want to affirm that God is also near. God is as near as your heartbeat, as near as your breath. But, in another sense, God truly is far away. God is different than us and different than our world. God is, somehow, far away. And YET, God saves. God doesn't need to be in the room to save me. God doesn't need to be holding my hand to save me. God is strong enough to save me even if I feel that God is far away.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Join us for worship Wednesday evening as we give thanks. 7 pm worship. Then Thursday, we will feed friends and neighbors 11-1:30. Come and join. Finally, Sunday, we will worship at 8:30 and 11 am. There will be no Education Hour this Sunday.
Friday, November 8, 2013
ASLC Devotions - Friday
Acts 24:15 I have a hope in God—a hope that they themselves also accept—that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.
This is Paul speaking before one of his judges during his long journey of trials and appeals all the way to Rome. He is laying claim to his basic beliefs - and then he goes on to show how those beliefs should not be any kind of threat to Rome. But here he lays out the basic faith of Christians: I have a hope that there will be a resurrection.
The church says and does lots of things. But our central message is really about resurrection. Our central message is that life isn't over when the doctors say it is. Our central message is that there is more to this world than what we can see and experience right now. There is more. That is our hope. That is our faith. That is our confidence.
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. This Sunday we worship at 8:30 and 11 with Education Hour at 9:45.
This is Paul speaking before one of his judges during his long journey of trials and appeals all the way to Rome. He is laying claim to his basic beliefs - and then he goes on to show how those beliefs should not be any kind of threat to Rome. But here he lays out the basic faith of Christians: I have a hope that there will be a resurrection.
The church says and does lots of things. But our central message is really about resurrection. Our central message is that life isn't over when the doctors say it is. Our central message is that there is more to this world than what we can see and experience right now. There is more. That is our hope. That is our faith. That is our confidence.
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. This Sunday we worship at 8:30 and 11 with Education Hour at 9:45.
Thursday, November 7, 2013
ASLC Devotions - Thursday
Acts 23:11 That night the Lord stood near him and said, ‘Keep up your courage! For just as you have testified for me in Jerusalem, so you must bear witness also in Rome.’
Paul was arrested in Jerusalem for proclaiming the Christian message. The Jewish leaders turned him over to the Roman authorities just as they had Jesus. Paul had an ace card though - he was a Roman citizen. This entitled him to appeal to trial in Rome and afforded him lots of other privileges that weren't available to non-Roman citizens like Jesus. And so his trip to Rome began. He brought the Christian message to the center of the world.
God told him to keep up his courage so he could bear witness to Jesus' truth in Rome. Paul had no idea where this journey was going to take him, but he trusted in God. I have no idea where my life's journey will take me and you have no idea where you are going. But know this: God is with you. And God will work through you to change the world.
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. This Sunday we worship at 8:30 and 11 with Education Hour at 9:45.
Paul was arrested in Jerusalem for proclaiming the Christian message. The Jewish leaders turned him over to the Roman authorities just as they had Jesus. Paul had an ace card though - he was a Roman citizen. This entitled him to appeal to trial in Rome and afforded him lots of other privileges that weren't available to non-Roman citizens like Jesus. And so his trip to Rome began. He brought the Christian message to the center of the world.
God told him to keep up his courage so he could bear witness to Jesus' truth in Rome. Paul had no idea where this journey was going to take him, but he trusted in God. I have no idea where my life's journey will take me and you have no idea where you are going. But know this: God is with you. And God will work through you to change the world.
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. This Sunday we worship at 8:30 and 11 with Education Hour at 9:45.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
ASLC Devotions - Wednesday
Luke 19:11 As they were listening to this, he went on to tell a parable, because he was near Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately.
This is the introduction to one of Jesus' parables. For the moment, the exact parable is not important - it's the introduction that has my attention. We often wonder why Jesus told parables. Why didn't he just say what he meant and be clear about it? Here's one answer - because he was getting close to the end of his journey and his disciples seemed to be misunderstanding the point.
His disciples supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. Of course, we readers who know how the story ends know this isn't the case - at least not in how they thought it would happen. The kingdom of God did not appear in Jerusalem. Jesus died. He seemed to have lost. He needed to get them ready for this overturning of expectations. So he spoke in parables, to help them learn to think in kingdom ways - upside down, and surprising ways. Kingdom ways of thinking are so different from worldly ways it takes training. How's your training going?
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. This Sunday we worship at 8:30 and 11 with Education Hour at 9:45.
This is the introduction to one of Jesus' parables. For the moment, the exact parable is not important - it's the introduction that has my attention. We often wonder why Jesus told parables. Why didn't he just say what he meant and be clear about it? Here's one answer - because he was getting close to the end of his journey and his disciples seemed to be misunderstanding the point.
His disciples supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. Of course, we readers who know how the story ends know this isn't the case - at least not in how they thought it would happen. The kingdom of God did not appear in Jerusalem. Jesus died. He seemed to have lost. He needed to get them ready for this overturning of expectations. So he spoke in parables, to help them learn to think in kingdom ways - upside down, and surprising ways. Kingdom ways of thinking are so different from worldly ways it takes training. How's your training going?
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. This Sunday we worship at 8:30 and 11 with Education Hour at 9:45.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
ASLC Devotions - Tuesday
Zechariah 7:8-10 The word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying: 9Thus says the Lord of hosts: Render true judgements, show kindness and mercy to one another; 10do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the alien, or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.
This is a message from God through Zechariah that talks about hypocrisy. Just before this passage, God asks the people, when you fasted and observed all the special festivals, did you do it for me? Because that's not what I really wanted. What I really wanted was mercy and love. What I really wanted was for you to treat the most vulnerable among you with love and loyalty.
There is nothing wrong with religious observance. There is nothing wrong with daily prayer, with worship and rituals. What is wrong is if we are in such a hurry to get to church for prayer that we step over our neighbor to get there. Walk the walk. Every day.
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. This Sunday we worship at 8:30 and 11 with Education Hour at 9:45.
This is a message from God through Zechariah that talks about hypocrisy. Just before this passage, God asks the people, when you fasted and observed all the special festivals, did you do it for me? Because that's not what I really wanted. What I really wanted was mercy and love. What I really wanted was for you to treat the most vulnerable among you with love and loyalty.
There is nothing wrong with religious observance. There is nothing wrong with daily prayer, with worship and rituals. What is wrong is if we are in such a hurry to get to church for prayer that we step over our neighbor to get there. Walk the walk. Every day.
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. This Sunday we worship at 8:30 and 11 with Education Hour at 9:45.
Monday, November 4, 2013
ASLC Devotions - Monday
Nehemiah 13:3 When the people heard the law, they separated from Israel all those of foreign descent.
A concern for Nehemiah in re-establishing Israel after the Babylonian captivity was to purify the nation, to make distinctions between Israelites and non-Israelites. This was about being clear about who was subject to God's teaching and who was not subject to God's teaching (or law).
We are the new Israel, born not of a specific ethnicity but of faith and baptismal waters. We should not be drawing distinctions on ethnic lines. But perhaps we should be drawing more distinctions in terms of being subject to God's teaching. Perhaps we should more often say "We're Christians and that's not how we act." When the world around us ridicules others and starts or fuels petty arguments, perhaps we should say "We're Christians and that's not how we act." When the world around us seeks to win at any cost, perhaps we should say "We're Christians and that's not how we act." Maybe distinctions aren't such a bad thing all the time!
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. This Sunday we worship at 8:30 and 11 with Education Hour at 9:45.
A concern for Nehemiah in re-establishing Israel after the Babylonian captivity was to purify the nation, to make distinctions between Israelites and non-Israelites. This was about being clear about who was subject to God's teaching and who was not subject to God's teaching (or law).
We are the new Israel, born not of a specific ethnicity but of faith and baptismal waters. We should not be drawing distinctions on ethnic lines. But perhaps we should be drawing more distinctions in terms of being subject to God's teaching. Perhaps we should more often say "We're Christians and that's not how we act." When the world around us ridicules others and starts or fuels petty arguments, perhaps we should say "We're Christians and that's not how we act." When the world around us seeks to win at any cost, perhaps we should say "We're Christians and that's not how we act." Maybe distinctions aren't such a bad thing all the time!
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. This Sunday we worship at 8:30 and 11 with Education Hour at 9:45.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)