ASLC Devotions - Thursday

Philippians 1:18 What does it matter? Just this, that Christ is proclaimed in every way, whether out of false motives or true; and in that I rejoice.

Paul is writing from prison to reassure his followers in Philippi that he's doing OK, that he's still preaching and proclaiming the gospel, and that he hasn't lost heart. He doesn't believe that his imprisonment means God has abandoned him, and neither should the Philippians. He is praising God in prison even for the way in which he's been able to share the good news about Jesus Christ with his guards and fellow inmates and many of them have come to follow. That's Paul: always finding a way to share his faith.

In our age of division in the church, we often use metaphors from the business or political world when we talk about the church. It can be easy to begin to think that we are in competition with the church down the street that calls itself Lutheran or Methodist or Catholic or Presbyterian. Paul here reminds us that we're not. I don't care how Christ is proclaimed, I don't care who gets the credit, I don't even care what the motives of the proclaimers are: God can work with it. God can bring good news and hope out of anything. So let's just get on with the business of proclaiming Christ.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

Worship with us for the Second Sunday in Advent this Sunday at 8:30 and 11. Our choir will present a special cantata at both services: "Let the Whole Earth Sing." http://www.allsaintspalatine.org for a full calendar and details. 

ASLC Devotions - Wednesday

Psalm 90:1-2 Lord, you have been our dwelling-place
   in all generations. 
 Before the mountains were brought forth,
   or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
   from everlasting to everlasting you are God.  

During this season of Advent we talk a great deal in the church about watching and waiting. We talk about patience and expectation. We prepare for the coming of Jesus Christ into the world as a baby born 2000 years ago, and we prepare for Jesus' coming into our own lives in 2012. We watch and we wait for Jesus to come in power to set all things right. These are the themes of the Advent season, from a church perspective. It occurs to me today that it would be good to reflect a bit on the one in whom we wait, the one in whom we have patience and hope.

We wait and God. We watch for God. We wait living in the hope of God. We wait and we hope in the God who has been our dwelling-place in all generations. God has never failed us before, and so we can wait in trust and confidence now. We know that God will never fail.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

Midweek Advent worship begins tonight - dinner at 6:15 and worship at 7. Come and meet Abigail, a woman who traveled with Mary and Joseph in the caravan to Bethlehem. Visit http://www.allsaintspalatine.org for more details.

ASLC Devotions - Tuesday

2 Samuel 7:18 Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and said, ‘Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?'

I know, I know. We've moved on from Thanksgiving and put away the massive inflatable turkeys and exchanged them for massive inflatable Santas, or inflatable Mary and Joseph figures (those have always made me feel very awkward, but that's another story). But today's reading is a perfect sentiment for Thanksgiving, or for those who want to practice it all year 'round, we can just de-capitalize the word. Today's reading is a perfect sentiment for thanksgiving: King David said to the Lord: "Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?" David recognizes how undeserving he is of all that God has given him. David recognizes the pure grace of all that God provides.

God has given you everything you have: your house, your family, your loved ones, the electronic device on which you're reading this message right now. God has provided you the ability to read and the faithful heart to receive the message. And David recognized the truth about himself that's just as true for you and I: God doesn't provide us these things because we deserve them, because we're the best. Who are we that God should care about us so much? I don't know, but I just choose to live in thanksgiving that God does care.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

 Join us for our first midweek Advent service this Wednesday. Dinner will be at 6:15 in the Gathering Space followed by worship in the sanctuary. We will use Holden Evening Prayer and hear a bit of the Christmas story from the perspective of a woman who traveled with Mary and Joseph in the caravan to Nazareth. Visit http://www.allsaintspalatine.org for more information.

ASLC Devotions - Monday

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance.

Peter is writing to people who were beginning to get a little confused or perhaps even dismayed by the fact that Jesus had not come back again yet and brought to fulfillment all the promises about the end. He is assuring them that God's not late, God's now slow; God is patient, wanting to give plenty of opportunities for faith development and for repentance. Peter is trying to remind people that God is never late, God is seldom early, God is always right on time.

The timing of God is a constant mystery. Peter's words here remind me of conversations I have had with people in the last stages of their life: people who know that they are dying, they may be on hospice care. People often are asking question: why hasn't God taken me yet? Why won't God just let this end? I sympathize with that question. It seems strange and bizarre sometimes. And that is the way our faith often is: strange and bizarre. Know that God's timing is God's timing. God is not slow. God is working right on time. Trust and believe in the promise: God will grant life and hope and joy: perhaps not today and perhaps not tomorrow. But it will happen.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

Join us for our first midweek Advent service this Wednesday. Dinner will be at 6:15 in the Gathering Space followed by worship in the sanctuary. We will use Holden Evening Prayer and hear a bit of the Christmas story from the perspective of a woman who traveled with Mary and Joseph in the caravan to Nazareth. Visit http://www.allsaintspalatine.org for more information.

ASLC Devotions -- Friday, November 30

Romans 10:15-17

 

¹⁵And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’ ¹⁶But not all have obeyed the good news; for Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed our message?’ ¹⁷So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.

We talk a lot about how faith is shared – through invitation, telling the story, witnessing. This letter to the Romans reminds us that faith comes from what is heard – and what is heard comes through the word of Christ. But it also contains this verse about being sent, and it is a good reminder for all of us, I think. How are we to proclaim Jesus unless we are sent?

At the end of every worship we send you – “Go in peace, serve the Lord!” and you respond, “For all to know Christ! Thanks be to God!” Maybe you think, “Where are you sending me? I don’t really want to go anywhere.” Well, we aren’t sending you very far – just to your homes and to your places of work and your schools and to breakfast or lunch. You have heard the word of Christ. And now you’re sent.

By the way, your feet are beautiful. They carry a messenger of the word of God.

Peace,

Pastor Jenn

ASLC -- Wednesday, November 28

John 16:33
[Jesus said to his disciples] “³³I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!”

“I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace.” Jesus has just finished telling his disciples that he has come from the Father and will again go to the Father. He wants them to know what is coming, and that he has told them these things in order that they might have peace in him. This is a time of year when we sing “Peace on Earth!” and we send cards to one another with greetings for peace and love, hope and joy. But so often, the world we see around us doesn’t reflect the peace we desire – and our wishes are for future dreams more than today’s reality.

But every Sunday when we gather, we proclaim, “The Peace of the Lord be with you always!” And people respond, “And also with you!” (Exclamation points added for emphasis.) And then we shake hands or hug or exchange another sign of peace with one another. In Christ, we have peace. In the Lord, that dream of peace isn’t a far-off wish, but a present-day reality. Regardless of what the world brings, we have peace in the Lord.

Peace be with you,

Pastor Jenn

ASLC Devotions -- Tuesday, November 27

Ezekiel 29:1-3

In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month, the word of the Lord came to me: ²Mortal, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against all Egypt; ³speak, and say, Thus says the Lord God:

I love reading the prophets in the Hebrew scriptures, if only for the way that they recorded the ways in which the Lord spoke to them. It’s so detailed! Tenth year, tenth month, on the twelfth day. Don’t we all wish we could point to a day on the calendar when the word of the Lord came to us? Perhaps some of you can, maybe we all could if we thought about it.

But the other reason that I love reading the prophets is because the message that they were given was often difficult. Set your face against the king of Egypt and prophesy against him and all of Egypt. I probably would have run the other way (and we know how well that works, so maybe not). I don’t imagine that the prophets were especially well-liked; their messages were hard and strong – words that foretold destruction and ruin in powerful peoples’ lives. It’s not that I like reading the difficult messages, but instead I think we can gain strength from knowing that God has called prophets throughout the ages. In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day…

 

Peace,

Pastor Jenn