A Message from Pastor Kaji

Dear Church:

You are in for a treat for worship on Sunday! On the liturgical calendar, this is Ascension Sunday, the day we celebrate Jesus’ ascension into heaven after the period after the resurrection. 

In honor of Mother’s Day, we will be celebrating the mothering – of all sorts – that has blessed us to this point. *If you can, please bring a bouquet of flowers to share!* We will be giving out the flowers we collect from you so that everyone – you included – can feel our collective gratitude for the mothering that you do. 

You’ll also be in for a treat scripturally. Our text this week is just beautiful. In your preparations, I invite you to read it with a focus on the action words. Make a list, according to the split of who’s doing what. What does God ask you to do? What does God promise to do? This text has lots of verbs, and they are very telling. I’ll list them for you, out of Dr. Gafney’s translation:

Look
Stand
Knock
Hear
Open
Come (in)
Dine
Conquer[s]/[ed]
Give
Sat
Listen
Say[ing]

Out of these verbs, we hear commands and promises. And that’s just it: there is such. Promise. In them. From our Mothering God we call Abba. 

I can’t wait to see you in church! Don’t forget your flowers to share!

SCRIPTURE
Revelation 3:20–22 (Year B, p. 181):
 
20 “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and dine with you, and you with me. 21 To the one who conquers, I will give a place with me on my throne, just as I myself conquered and sat down with my Abba on God’s throne. 22 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.”