2 Kings 5:15 Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company; he came and stood before him and said, ‘Now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel.'
Naaman is the "he" referred to here. He was a great general of a foreign army who had his leprosy healed by a prophet of the God of Israel. He was impressed to say the least. You have your skin disease disappear out of nowhere and your skin completely cleaned, you'll put some stock in whatever God or belief-system accomplished it. You'd believe too, I'd venture to say. Anybody would.
I've never seen a skin disease cured. I don't have that as a basis of faith.
But I've seen a woman reconciled with her mother after 35 years of not speaking. I've seen people fed who otherwise would have starved to death. I've seen it. I've seen this and so much more. I've seen it and it feeds my faith. It nourishes my faith. It reinforces my faith. It causes me to take Naaman's confession and change it up slightly. Naaman said "I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel." I say "I know that the God of Israel is alive and well in all the earth."
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
For more information, visit http://www.allsaintspalatine.org Join us Wednesday evening for Holden Evening Prayer and fellowship at 7 pm. Bring a dish to pass for the fellowship time.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Friday, October 8, 2010
ASLC Devotions -- Friday
2 Timothy 2:1-2
You then, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus; 2and what you have heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will be able to teach others as well.
This is the heart of any graduation speech, congratulations card or send-off: be strong, and share what you have learned with others. To boil it down like that might seem like I'm not taking it very seriously, but I'd argue just the opposite. There are so many things that we learn throughout our lives -- and it is important to share them with others. Why should our knowledge about the Gospel and grace of Jesus Christ be any different?
I love, though, that all of that comes after the encouragement to be strong in the grace. Take encouragement to be strong. Take comfort to be strong. And then share what you have heard and what you know.
Peace,
Pastor Jenn
You then, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus; 2and what you have heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will be able to teach others as well.
This is the heart of any graduation speech, congratulations card or send-off: be strong, and share what you have learned with others. To boil it down like that might seem like I'm not taking it very seriously, but I'd argue just the opposite. There are so many things that we learn throughout our lives -- and it is important to share them with others. Why should our knowledge about the Gospel and grace of Jesus Christ be any different?
I love, though, that all of that comes after the encouragement to be strong in the grace. Take encouragement to be strong. Take comfort to be strong. And then share what you have heard and what you know.
Peace,
Pastor Jenn
Thursday, October 7, 2010
ASLC Devotions -- Thursday
2 Timothy 1:13-14
13Hold to the standard of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14Guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us.
The letters that we read in scripture are full of many things -- some admonish, some encourage, some teach, some preach. These few lines remind the reader to uphold and guard the treasure, the Gospel message -- the Good News of Jesus Christ. Today we still hear about this teaching and treasure that we read about in the second letter to Timothy -- we still have received sound teaching and the Gospel message.
And, we don't have to do it alone -- the Holy Spirit lives in us. However, if that Holy Spirit feels a little quiet, take note that there are others in your life (and mine!) who help us to do these things. We have mentors and guides and wisdom folks who embody the role of guard and teacher, helping us to remember what we have learned and the value of this amazing treasure that we have received. Give thanks today for those Spirit-folks in your life.
Peace,
Pastor Jenn
13Hold to the standard of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14Guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us.
The letters that we read in scripture are full of many things -- some admonish, some encourage, some teach, some preach. These few lines remind the reader to uphold and guard the treasure, the Gospel message -- the Good News of Jesus Christ. Today we still hear about this teaching and treasure that we read about in the second letter to Timothy -- we still have received sound teaching and the Gospel message.
And, we don't have to do it alone -- the Holy Spirit lives in us. However, if that Holy Spirit feels a little quiet, take note that there are others in your life (and mine!) who help us to do these things. We have mentors and guides and wisdom folks who embody the role of guard and teacher, helping us to remember what we have learned and the value of this amazing treasure that we have received. Give thanks today for those Spirit-folks in your life.
Peace,
Pastor Jenn
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
ASLC Devotions -- Wednesday
Psalm 3:5-6
5 I lie down and sleep;
I wake again, for the Lord sustains me.
6 I am not afraid of tens of thousands of people
who have set themselves against me all around.
On those nights when I cannot sleep because of worry, I am sometimes of clear enough mind to realize the absurdity of worrying late into the night. Not that I'm recommending that we worry during daylight hours, either, mind you, but there are often enough distractions during the day that our obsessive worries get a break. If we truly believe that the Lord sustains us, then we should sleep. If we truly trust in the Lord, we should sleep.
I've had several people tell me over the years that they feel badly about falling asleep in the middle of their bedtime prayers. Now, I don't know many conversation partners who would be appreciative if you fell asleep while talking with them, but I think that's maybe exactly what God wants us to do -- turn your worries over to God at the end of the day, and sleep. You will wake again, for the Lord sustains you. Do not be afraid. Rest.
Peace,
Pastor Jenn
5 I lie down and sleep;
I wake again, for the Lord sustains me.
6 I am not afraid of tens of thousands of people
who have set themselves against me all around.
On those nights when I cannot sleep because of worry, I am sometimes of clear enough mind to realize the absurdity of worrying late into the night. Not that I'm recommending that we worry during daylight hours, either, mind you, but there are often enough distractions during the day that our obsessive worries get a break. If we truly believe that the Lord sustains us, then we should sleep. If we truly trust in the Lord, we should sleep.
I've had several people tell me over the years that they feel badly about falling asleep in the middle of their bedtime prayers. Now, I don't know many conversation partners who would be appreciative if you fell asleep while talking with them, but I think that's maybe exactly what God wants us to do -- turn your worries over to God at the end of the day, and sleep. You will wake again, for the Lord sustains you. Do not be afraid. Rest.
Peace,
Pastor Jenn
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
ASLC Devotions -- Tuesday
Habakkuk 2:2-4
2 Then the Lord answered me and said:
Write the vision;
make it plain on tablets,
so that a runner may read it.
3 For there is still a vision for the appointed time;
it speaks of the end, and does not lie.
If it seems to tarry, wait for it;
it will surely come, it will not delay.
Perhaps the most powerful part of our words from Habakkuk today might be: "then the Lord answered me." In some ways it hardly matters exactly what the Lord says, but simply know that there's an answer can bring comfort and relief. Now, I know that's not always the case -- the answer we get or the response that comes can be far from what we hoped we would hear. But God does answer, and to Habakkuk, God says that there's still a vision, and that the task is still to write it -- large and plainly.
Habakkuk was a prophet, and he was hoping for a message from God to bring to the people, the wayward people. And, God assures him that the message is coming -- even if Habakkuk needs to have a little more patience. God has answered, the vision is coming, have patience. Take comfort -- the vision is coming. Have patience.
Peace,
Pastor Jenn
2 Then the Lord answered me and said:
Write the vision;
make it plain on tablets,
so that a runner may read it.
3 For there is still a vision for the appointed time;
it speaks of the end, and does not lie.
If it seems to tarry, wait for it;
it will surely come, it will not delay.
Perhaps the most powerful part of our words from Habakkuk today might be: "then the Lord answered me." In some ways it hardly matters exactly what the Lord says, but simply know that there's an answer can bring comfort and relief. Now, I know that's not always the case -- the answer we get or the response that comes can be far from what we hoped we would hear. But God does answer, and to Habakkuk, God says that there's still a vision, and that the task is still to write it -- large and plainly.
Habakkuk was a prophet, and he was hoping for a message from God to bring to the people, the wayward people. And, God assures him that the message is coming -- even if Habakkuk needs to have a little more patience. God has answered, the vision is coming, have patience. Take comfort -- the vision is coming. Have patience.
Peace,
Pastor Jenn
Monday, October 4, 2010
ASLC Devotions -- Monday
Habakkuk 1:12-14
12 Are you not from of old,
O Lord my God, my Holy One?
You shall not die.
O Lord, you have marked them for judgement;
and you, O Rock, have established them for punishment.
13 Your eyes are too pure to behold evil,
and you cannot look on wrongdoing;
why do you look on the treacherous,
and are silent when the wicked swallow
those more righteous than they?
14 You have made people like the fish of the sea,
like crawling things that have no ruler.
Habakkuk seems like a cheeky prophet, like a prophet that got a little bit sassy with God, and somehow lived to tell about it. Some editors of modern translations, the folks who put those descriptive headings into our Bibles, have called this first chapter of Habakkuk "The Prophet's Complaint." Seems pretty accurate, especially when we read verse 13 -- why don't you say something, God, when the wicked eat up the good? Perhaps by my standards, though, we could all be considered a little bit cheeky when we wonder why God doesn't seem to speak a word to situations riddled with injustice.
There are two parts of Habakkuk's scripture that I find beautiful, however. One, the prophet brings a word to God -- a word of complaint, a word seeking justice, a word of information, a feisty word of challenge. Perhaps we sometimes shy away from being sassy with God -- we have lost the art of bringing a word to God, the art of prophetic give and take. And two, God responds. We'll hear that response tomorrow, but for today know that this is not a one-sided conversation that Habakkuk has with God -- and our conversations, our prayers, with God are not one-sided, either.
Peace,
Pastor Jenn
12 Are you not from of old,
O Lord my God, my Holy One?
You shall not die.
O Lord, you have marked them for judgement;
and you, O Rock, have established them for punishment.
13 Your eyes are too pure to behold evil,
and you cannot look on wrongdoing;
why do you look on the treacherous,
and are silent when the wicked swallow
those more righteous than they?
14 You have made people like the fish of the sea,
like crawling things that have no ruler.
Habakkuk seems like a cheeky prophet, like a prophet that got a little bit sassy with God, and somehow lived to tell about it. Some editors of modern translations, the folks who put those descriptive headings into our Bibles, have called this first chapter of Habakkuk "The Prophet's Complaint." Seems pretty accurate, especially when we read verse 13 -- why don't you say something, God, when the wicked eat up the good? Perhaps by my standards, though, we could all be considered a little bit cheeky when we wonder why God doesn't seem to speak a word to situations riddled with injustice.
There are two parts of Habakkuk's scripture that I find beautiful, however. One, the prophet brings a word to God -- a word of complaint, a word seeking justice, a word of information, a feisty word of challenge. Perhaps we sometimes shy away from being sassy with God -- we have lost the art of bringing a word to God, the art of prophetic give and take. And two, God responds. We'll hear that response tomorrow, but for today know that this is not a one-sided conversation that Habakkuk has with God -- and our conversations, our prayers, with God are not one-sided, either.
Peace,
Pastor Jenn
Friday, October 1, 2010
ASLC Devotions -- Friday
Revelation 2:17 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To everyone who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give a white stone, and on the white stone is written a new name that no one knows except the one who receives it.
To those of us who conquer (through our baptism and the death and resurrection of Jesus), God promises to give us a white stone with a new name written on it. God says that nobody knows what the name is. God sent this message and seemed to want to promise us a new name but tell us not to bother trying to figure out the name.
Risking getting in trouble for even guessing, I've got a guess. I've got a guess of the new name that will be given to all of us at the end. I think it's "Christian." We've been marked. We've been claimed. Our sinful selves have been covered over in the purest white. We are now called not sinful Seth, but Christian.
That's my guess, and someday we'll all find out!
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
See http://www.allsaintspalatine.org for information about all of our ministries and a full calendar. Bring your pets for a service of blessing Saturday morning in the church parking lot at 9. Worship Sunday morning at 8:30 and 11.
To those of us who conquer (through our baptism and the death and resurrection of Jesus), God promises to give us a white stone with a new name written on it. God says that nobody knows what the name is. God sent this message and seemed to want to promise us a new name but tell us not to bother trying to figure out the name.
Risking getting in trouble for even guessing, I've got a guess. I've got a guess of the new name that will be given to all of us at the end. I think it's "Christian." We've been marked. We've been claimed. Our sinful selves have been covered over in the purest white. We are now called not sinful Seth, but Christian.
That's my guess, and someday we'll all find out!
In Christ,
Pastor Seth
See http://www.allsaintspalatine.org for information about all of our ministries and a full calendar. Bring your pets for a service of blessing Saturday morning in the church parking lot at 9. Worship Sunday morning at 8:30 and 11.
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