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From the pastor
"Just a little respect"
by Joel L. Domingo, Executive Pastor
I have been intrigued
the past couple of weeks by the uproar over the arrest of Harvard professor
Henry Louis Gates. If you haven't
followed the story, here's a quick recap: About two weeks ago, Gates and his
driver were locked out of his residence and thus forced the door open when a
neighbor called the police thinking that they were breaking into the house. Police arrived and a heated exchange occurred
between the authorities and Gates, who was then arrested on charges of
disorderly conduct. The charges were
later dropped, however.
All of this
sparked a national debate over race relations in America, (Gates is black and
the arresting officer was white) and people could not wait to get on the
bandwagon to voice their perspective as the rhetoric became polarized. What started out as a misunderstanding has quickly
turned into talk of racial profiling.
What really saddens
me about this whole fiasco is not necessarily anything related to race, but
rather the elevation of the need for respect and the resulting loss of
community. Neither Gates nor the police
was willing to back down when they confronted each other. One writer said it best, "...all parties in the
national conversation believe they should be the teachers. The theme is,
"No, you listen to me!" Everybody seems to want to teach the need for
respect: the respect owed by white police officers to black men, and the
respect Harvard professors ought to show to cops doing their jobs."
Isn't it interesting
that Jesus, who, as God, deserved all the respect in the world, chose not to
demand it from us but rather "humbled himself by becoming obedient to death"
(Philippians 2:8). Jesus chose not to
demonstrate his awesomeness through a manifestation of his power but through his humility
and weakness. While the world sees value
in title, privilege, and acclamation, Christ followers are called to see value
in service, humility and love.
Ultimately, Jesus did not want respect, he wanted us!
My prayer for All
Saints is that we become people who serve our community not to demonstrate how
great we are, but rather to show how much we love to demonstrate service in the
name of Jesus. I'll look forward to
seeing you on Sunday.
Grace to you.
- Pastor Joel |
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Service Teams Highlight of the Week
Here at All Saints, we want the people of
Seattle to know and understand the reality of an abundant life in
Christ. This can only happen if we live out our faith in the same
places where we live out our lives. The 1 + 1+ 1 forumla is a way to
bring together our faith and our personal lives to coexist as one. The
formula includes 1 church gathering + 1 service team + 1 life group. In
the coming weeks, we will be highlighting each service group. We want
to let you know more about the awesome opportunities to serve the
people of All Saints and the people of Seattle.
All Saints - Hospitality Team:
The Hospitality team helps coordinate, setup, and clean up all those delicious treats served during the Sunday morning gatherings. Contact Laura Bosler or Debby Domingo at hospitality@believedoubtseek.org
In Seattle - Breakfast- Roots Young Adult Shelter:
Serve breakfast in the U-District to 18-25 year olds experiencing homelessness. Daily servers are needed but we're also putting together an All Saints Breakfast Club to serve once a month on Sundays before the 9:30am gathering. If you're interested in joining the team, contact Libby Turner at libbyturner324@gmail.com.
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Just so you know...
Summer Beach Party and Baptisms:
On August 30th we invite you to head to Golden Gardens Beach after our Sunday gatherings for our annual Beach Party and Baptisms! As we wtinessed in the past at All Saints, baptism is a very meaningful and powerful experience of leaving your old self behind, accepting Jesus' grace and starting again as a committed follower of Christ. We'll be baptizing people in the Puget Sound and then enjoying the afternoon together at the beach. If you would like someone to contact you about being baptized or you are interested in helping out please sign up at the concierge desk or send us an email to life@believedoubtseek.org
Central America Missions Trip:
All Saints is planning an international service trip this fall to Central America. The team will be assembled over the next week and we will keep you posted as plans develop. If you are interested in donating to this cause, send us an email to life@believedoubtseek.org
August Guest Speakers:
This month, we will be putting our James series on hold, and we will be having several guest speakers come through the church to speak on various topics. Our very own Joel Domingo will be speaking this Sunday, but also look for Earl Creps, a pastor from Berkley, CA, and All Saints' Craig Mathison and Joe Macias.
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We need your help at All Saints!
Here are a couple of specific ways that you can serve at All Saints!
We are looking for anyone with web development skills in Ruby on Rails and content management systems. If you or anyone that you know would be interested in helping out please contact Brian at: brian@believedoubtseek.org. Thanks.
The Custodial Team is looking for new team members to help with some light cleaning duties after the Sunday gatherings once or twice a month. The team also helps with our quarterly deep cleans and occasional event set up/clean up. If you'd like to help, please contact April Mower at: custodial@believedoubtseek.org
The Children's Ministries Team is looking for additional volunteers to help teach and assist in the classrooms on Sundays during both gatherings. If you would like to join the kids team, please
contact Sharlena Dressler at kids@believedoubtseek.org
Fall is around the corner and that means new Life Groups. If you are interested in leading a life group, or would like to learn more about what that looks like, contact Stacy Baas at lifegroups@believedoubtseek.org
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All Saints News is sent out regularly to the community to engage and inform people of all that takes place through All Saints Church. This and previous updates are available on the All Saints website.
If you have any ideas, submissions, or comments, please send them to life@believedoubtseek.org
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