ASLC Devotions - Monday

 Ezekiel 31:3, 9  Consider Assyria, a cedar of Lebanon,
with fair branches and forest shade,
   and of great height,
   its top among the clouds. 
 I made it beautiful
   with its mass of branches,
the envy of all the trees of Eden
   that were in the garden of God.

Ezekiel is talking about Assyria, which at the time was one of the greatest kingdoms in the known world. They were the envy of their neighbors: wealthy, well-organized, low crime-rates, high property-values, and things were going well. So Ezekiel provides a great analogy comparing Assyria to a great and mighty cedar tree, with God saying...

I made it beautiful. I made it the envy of all the trees of Eden. I did it. They didn't do it themselves. I did it. And the reading goes on to say  - I did it for my own purposes. God gives all the good gifts. God gives blessings. Whatever is good and right in your life, give thanks to God.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

Join us for worship Saturday at 5 and Sunday at 9. A blood drive is being hosted this Sunday morning at All Saints. As always, complete information can be found at http://www.allsaintspalatine.org

ASLC Devotions -- Friday, June 15

Hebrews 2:6-8
⁶But someone has testified somewhere,
‘What are human beings that you are mindful of them,
   or mortals, that you care for them?
⁷ You have made them for a little while lower than the angels;
   you have crowned them with glory and honor,
⁸   subjecting all things under their feet.’

Indeed, God, what are humans that you are mindful of them? A little lower than the angels.

The scriptures are full of examples of the ways that God values and cares for us. They are good reminders for us that we are valued – each of us. And this particular passage places us just below the angels, for a little while.

Until we dance with the angels, let us remember how much God values us, and let us value one another.

 

Peace,

Pastor Jenn

 

ASLC Devotions -- Thursday, June 14

 

Hebrews 11:4-7

 

The Examples of Abel, Enoch, and Noah

 

4 By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain’s. Through this he received approval as righteous, God himself giving approval to his gifts; he died, but through his faith he still speaks. ⁵By faith Enoch was taken so that he did not experience death; and ‘he was not found, because God had taken him.’ For it was attested before he was taken away that ‘he had pleased God.’ ⁶And without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. ⁷By faith Noah, warned by God about events as yet unseen, respected the warning and built an ark to save his household; by this he condemned the world and became an heir to the righteousness that is in accordance with faith.

We don’t usually include a scripture passage that’s this long. We want these devotions to be brief. But reading this passage I was so taken with the repetition of these stories “by faith.” These stories of faith name some of the people who acted on faith, witnessing their trust in God.

But you could likely pen your own “by faith” story from your own life or that of someone in your family. What have you witnessed to, by faith?

Peace,

Pastor Jenn

ASLC Devotions -- Wednesday, June 13

Luke 11:14-15

 

 Now he was casting out a demon that was mute; when the demon had gone out, the one who had been mute spoke, and the crowds were amazed. But some of them said, ‘He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.’

My first instinct whenever I read this passage (or the ones similar to it in other Gospel accounts) is to think, “Wow, some people will never be happy, will they?” I mean, here Jesus brings healing to one who had been unable to speak, giving the person speech again. And while some folks are amazed (it never does say thankful), others begin to spread rumors that Jesus does this casting out of demons in the name of a demon.

When Pastor Satterlee preached this past weekend, he posed a question to guide our interactions, “Will this bring healing?” I’ve been thinking about that phrase since Sunday morning, and I think it’s a helpful filter – “Will this email/conversation/remark be healing, or will it be hurtful?” I know I don’t always get it right, but my hope is that reminders such as this one continue to tip the scales toward healing.

Peace,

Pastor Jenn

ASLC Devotions -- Tuesday, June 12

1 Kings 18:17-18

 

When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, ‘Is it you, you troubler of Israel?’ ¹⁸He answered, ‘I have not troubled Israel; but you have, and your father’s house, because you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and followed the Baals.’

“Is it you, you troubler of Israel?” Ahab has been looking for Elijah, and he’s not been happy that he hasn’t found him. These prophets of God often had messages that were not popular among the people in power. Remember John the Baptist? Arrested and eventually beheaded for speaking out against Herod being married to his brother’s wife.

Elijah is the one prophet of the Lord, and there are about 450 prophets of Baal; he challenges them to a duel. You cut up a bull and put it on fireless wood, and I’’ll do the same. We’ll see if your god lights your altar on fire or if mine lights mine on fire. In general I think it’s a bad idea to put God to the test like that, but it works for Elijah. Even after he has watered his wooden altar not once or twice, but three times, it still erupts into flames.

Is it you, you troubler of Israel? Call me what you will, Ahab, but I have not forsaken the Lord, and God has acted on my behalf.

Peace,

Pastor Jenn

ASLC Devotions - Friday

2 Corinthians 5:4  For while we are still in this tent, we groan under our burden, because we wish not to be unclothed but to be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 

We recently had an interesting and ultimately funny "Who's on first" type of conversation around our dinner table about whether something was real or unreal and alive or not. It was about a ceramic pot designed to look like a frog. Was the plant in it real? Yes - it was a real living plant. Was the pot real? Well, it was real in that it existed, but it wasn't really a frog. I see now that the humor does not translate into type.

But Paul writes here about "what is mortal" being swallowed up by life. When I think of mortal things, I think of living things - things which are alive. But Paul is speaking about an entirely different - a greater - kind of life. What is mortal (our bodies, which are alive but not ALIVE Paul might say) will be swallowed up by LIFE - eternal life - the life of the ages. We can only imagine what that life will be like. The most alive we feel, the most full of life that we can experience is just a foretaste of that feast to come.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

Remember to join together in worship this Saturday evening at 5 and Sunday morning at 9. As always, find more information about events at http://www.allsaintspalatine.org and also as always, please be careful driving on Quentin Road and coming in and out of the church parking lot through the construction. 

ASLC Devotions - Thursday

1 Peter 4:15-16  But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, a criminal, or even as a mischief-maker. Yet if any of you suffers as a Christian, do not consider it a disgrace, but glorify God because you bear this name.  

This whole business of suffering in God's name is tricky business. First of all, we need to be very clear that God doesn't want us to go out and seek suffering. Jesus didn't say "Blessed are those who suffer persecution" as an instruction - go out and seek some persecution. That's not the intent. That's not God's desire for you or for anyone.

But also - we sometimes use the blessing of suffering in God's name as an excuse when we're just suffering because we've actually done something wrong. If people don't like us because we're mean, we don't get to use the excuse that "I do not consider it a disgrace, but glorify God because I bear this name." No - we still have the responsibility to act as decent people, to treat people how we would want to be treated. As Peter says - don't suffer because you're a murderer or a thief or a criminal - or even as a mischief-maker. That's no good. God doesn't bless that. Do good, so far as you are able. Bear Christ's name, so far as you are able. And let God take care of the rest.

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

Remember to join together in worship this Saturday evening at 5 and Sunday morning at 9. As always, find more information about events at http://www.allsaintspalatine.org and also as always, please be careful driving on Quentin Road and coming in and out of the church parking lot through the construction.