A Message from Pastor Kaji
Sunday October 8
Dear Church:
Come home.
Homecoming can be a very general term, but for our church, it has deep theological meaning. For the past several weeks of worship, we have been exploring different ways of coming home to God. We have talked about co-creating with God, the recklessness of God’s grace that will reach us anywhere to bring us back, God’s ability to move on from our faults, God’s willingness to break through our understanding.
This Sunday is our Homecoming. It’s our chance to ritualize our coming home to God, again and again. It’s a chance to come to the church for worship and fellowship. It’s a chance to get to know our fellow pilgrims on this journey of faith. Some will bring food that reflects something important about them. (I’m bringing my mom’s collard greens that I’ve preached about.)
Our scripture is one of my very favorites. This text from Matthew 25 grounds my entire ministry, and I believe it grounds our entire community. In it, Jesus makes very clear what he prioritizes. It’s a beautiful reminder for all of us. So as you prepare for worship, I invite you to find yourself in the word.
You are invited. You are welcome. Come as you are. Bring what you can – even if that’s just yourself.
We can’t wait to worship and fellowship with you.
Pax Christi,
Pastor Kaji
Matthew 25:31-46 (Year A, p. 489):
41 “Then the one who rules will say to those on the left, ‘Go from me, all you who are accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you all gave me no food; I was thirsty and you all gave me no drink; 43 a stranger and you all did not gather me in, naked and you all did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you all did not care for me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, asking, ‘Majesty, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ 45 Then the ruler will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you all, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you all did not do it for me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”