James 2:2-4
2For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, 3and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, ‘Have a seat here, please’, while to the one who is poor you say, ‘Stand there’, or, ‘Sit at my feet’,* 4have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?
Last week Pastor Seth made the point that Martin Luther wasn't such a fan of the book of James, and there are definitely parts of the scripture that don't fit neatly within our Lutheran theology. But that's not reason to throw the whole book out! We talk a lot about hospitality and welcoming in the church -- we want people to feel comfortable and welcome here, or in any congregation. But there are many things that we do that probably stand in contrast to what we say we want to do.
However, all are welcome -- and all receive a seat of honor at the Lord's table -- to worship God. Come, sit here. Hear the Word of the Lord.
Peace,
Pastor Jenn
Monday, July 12, 2010
Friday, July 9, 2010
ASLC Devotions -- Friday
Acts 7:9-10 ‘The patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him, and rescued him from all his afflictions, and enabled him to win favour and to show wisdom when he stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler over Egypt and over all his household.
Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers. He was carted off to a foreign place.
Do you have problems today?
God rescued Joseph from slavery. God raised Joseph up to be Pharaoh's right-hand-man. God used Joseph to save Egypt and many other nations. God used Joseph to save his own family: the ones who had sold him into slavery. God saved Joseph.
God is able to handle your problems too.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Visit http://aslcdevotions.blogspot for conversation and http://www.allsaintspalatine.org for more details on all our ministries. Worship with us this weekend at 5 pm Saturday and 9 am Sunday.
Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers. He was carted off to a foreign place.
Do you have problems today?
God rescued Joseph from slavery. God raised Joseph up to be Pharaoh's right-hand-man. God used Joseph to save Egypt and many other nations. God used Joseph to save his own family: the ones who had sold him into slavery. God saved Joseph.
God is able to handle your problems too.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Visit http://aslcdevotions.blogspot for conversation and http://www.allsaintspalatine.org for more details on all our ministries. Worship with us this weekend at 5 pm Saturday and 9 am Sunday.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
ASLC Devotions -- Thursday
James 2:18 But someone will say, ‘You have faith and I have works.’ Show me your faith without works, and I by my works will show you my faith.
Martin Luther wanted to take the book of James out of the Bible. It tends at times to argue against his emphasis on faith saving us and us not earning our salvation. I'm glad Martin didn't succeed in his anti-James quest. There are some good reminders for us there. Like this one, which is just this: don't worry so much about whether your works save you, but if you don't have any, I have some questions about your faith.
If you say you have faith in Jesus Christ Sunday morning, and then steal a car Sunday afternoon then we better talk about your faith. If you say you have faith in Jesus Christ Sunday morning and then give or take a bribe at work on Monday morning, then some conversation about what your faith is exactly might be in order. That's what it means. There are fruit that grow from faith. The fruit don't save you, but they are visual cues.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Visit http://aslcdevotions.blogspot for conversation and http://www.allsaintspalatine.org for more details on all our ministries. Worship with us this weekend at 5 pm Saturday and 9 am Sunday.
Martin Luther wanted to take the book of James out of the Bible. It tends at times to argue against his emphasis on faith saving us and us not earning our salvation. I'm glad Martin didn't succeed in his anti-James quest. There are some good reminders for us there. Like this one, which is just this: don't worry so much about whether your works save you, but if you don't have any, I have some questions about your faith.
If you say you have faith in Jesus Christ Sunday morning, and then steal a car Sunday afternoon then we better talk about your faith. If you say you have faith in Jesus Christ Sunday morning and then give or take a bribe at work on Monday morning, then some conversation about what your faith is exactly might be in order. That's what it means. There are fruit that grow from faith. The fruit don't save you, but they are visual cues.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Visit http://aslcdevotions.blogspot for conversation and http://www.allsaintspalatine.org for more details on all our ministries. Worship with us this weekend at 5 pm Saturday and 9 am Sunday.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
ASLC Devotions -- Wednesday
Psalm 119:73 Your hands have made and fashioned me;
give me understanding that I may learn your commandments.
The beginning of wisdom is knowing that you don't know. The beginning of learning is knowing that you have something to learn. The beginning of a relationship with God is knowing that you're not God. Knowing that God has made you and molded you, and you are not a self-made woman/man is the key.
Once you acknowledge that, you can ask for understanding. Once you acknowledge that God is God and you're not, there's room in your life for God to come in and grant grace and gifts. Once you know that you are in need of God's wisdom, it'll start to pour in.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Visit http://aslcdevotions.blogspot for conversation and http://www.allsaintspalatine.org for more details on all our ministries. Worship with us this weekend at 5 pm Saturday and 9 am Sunday.
give me understanding that I may learn your commandments.
The beginning of wisdom is knowing that you don't know. The beginning of learning is knowing that you have something to learn. The beginning of a relationship with God is knowing that you're not God. Knowing that God has made you and molded you, and you are not a self-made woman/man is the key.
Once you acknowledge that, you can ask for understanding. Once you acknowledge that God is God and you're not, there's room in your life for God to come in and grant grace and gifts. Once you know that you are in need of God's wisdom, it'll start to pour in.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Visit http://aslcdevotions.blogspot for conversation and http://www.allsaintspalatine.org for more details on all our ministries. Worship with us this weekend at 5 pm Saturday and 9 am Sunday.
Monday, July 5, 2010
ASLC Devotions -- Monday
Jeremiah 6:16 Thus says the Lord:
Stand at the crossroads, and look,
and ask for the ancient paths,
where the good way lies; and walk in it,
and find rest for your souls.
But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
We are offered the path of life. We are offered the path that we need to walk in God's way. We know what the way looks like. We may quibble about the specifics, but we basically know what is the way of life that God requires of us. It's like a path that's been laid out before us and we stand at the crossroads ready to take the first step.
And most of us turn and take another path. You may call it the path of least resistance. You may call is the path of comfort and wealth. You may call it the path of social pressure. Whatever you call it, we know it's not God's path. And yet we turn and walk.
The brilliant thing about God though is that there is always another path for us. God's path is always open to us. So take the step with me today.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Visit http://aslcdevotions.blogspot for conversation and http://www.allsaintspalatine.org for more details on all our ministries. Worship with us this weekend at 5 pm Saturday and 9 am Sunday.
Stand at the crossroads, and look,
and ask for the ancient paths,
where the good way lies; and walk in it,
and find rest for your souls.
But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
We are offered the path of life. We are offered the path that we need to walk in God's way. We know what the way looks like. We may quibble about the specifics, but we basically know what is the way of life that God requires of us. It's like a path that's been laid out before us and we stand at the crossroads ready to take the first step.
And most of us turn and take another path. You may call it the path of least resistance. You may call is the path of comfort and wealth. You may call it the path of social pressure. Whatever you call it, we know it's not God's path. And yet we turn and walk.
The brilliant thing about God though is that there is always another path for us. God's path is always open to us. So take the step with me today.
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
Visit http://aslcdevotions.blogspot for conversation and http://www.allsaintspalatine.org for more details on all our ministries. Worship with us this weekend at 5 pm Saturday and 9 am Sunday.
Friday, July 2, 2010
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.
We rarely print the entire scripture reading for the day, instead choosing to use a verse or two for reflection. Sometimes, however, the scripture moves from verse to verse and there's no good place to stop it for reflection. So, today, I've included the whole reading as it pertains to generosity.
I invite you to do your own reflection about what it means for you to be generous, for you to give first to the Lord, for you to do so with abundant joy.
Peace,
Pastor Jenn
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.
We rarely print the entire scripture reading for the day, instead choosing to use a verse or two for reflection. Sometimes, however, the scripture moves from verse to verse and there's no good place to stop it for reflection. So, today, I've included the whole reading as it pertains to generosity.
I invite you to do your own reflection about what it means for you to be generous, for you to give first to the Lord, for you to do so with abundant joy.
Peace,
Pastor Jenn
Thursday, July 1, 2010
ASLC Devotions -- Thursday
Romans 7:14-15
For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am of the flesh, sold into slavery under sin.* 15I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.
Paul really struggled with the idea of wanting to do what he knew he should do, but feeling captive to the flesh that remained in slavery to the desires of the flesh. I'd say, "Poor Paul," but really, I think we can all relate to knowing what we should do and then doing the complete opposite. So how do we find hope?
Well, we confess our sins to God. We strive to do the right thing, knowing that we will always fall short of perfection. We remember that we have been washed by the waters of baptism. And, we gather in a community to hear the proclamation that God loves us, still.
Peace,
Pastor Jenn
For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am of the flesh, sold into slavery under sin.* 15I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.
Paul really struggled with the idea of wanting to do what he knew he should do, but feeling captive to the flesh that remained in slavery to the desires of the flesh. I'd say, "Poor Paul," but really, I think we can all relate to knowing what we should do and then doing the complete opposite. So how do we find hope?
Well, we confess our sins to God. We strive to do the right thing, knowing that we will always fall short of perfection. We remember that we have been washed by the waters of baptism. And, we gather in a community to hear the proclamation that God loves us, still.
Peace,
Pastor Jenn
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