A Message from Pastor Kaji

I am grateful for – and continue to covet – your prayers as I address some complexities. Please join me in thanking Brittany Braithwaite for stepping in and delivering my prepared sermon. As chair of the Pastoral Relations team, she very much came through for me and the church when I suddenly could not walk! Today I am feeling much better and feel almost back to normal. Thanks be to God and my medical and care team and family. 

Right now our justice ministry is hard at work pushing the outgoing national administration to do right by the most vulnerable. To that end, I will be heading to the White House next week to follow up on our spring meeting. If the next administration will change everything, then this administration must do everything it can to protect the people it can and should. We will continue to outline that and to give them a path forward to make it happen. We are Matthew 25 Christians. We follow Jesus in this work.   

Our finance team is hard at work adjusting our budget to reflect the new reality of the church. Thanks to the hard work of our staff who have been supporting our vision and strategic plan to bring the church to full use of our space, our revenue position is radically better than even last year. We are working together to find the best way to adjust and move forward so that we have an even better, well thought-out plan for 2025 and beyond. To that end, we’re taking a bit more time to get this together. The church – you – deserve our utmost clarity and vision. 

Back to our spiritual health. For worship this coming Sunday, the lectionary has appointed a fascinating text. As you read this passage from Revelation, it might be confusing. Let me break down a few things. First, a little about the author of Revelation, or the Revelation of John. From the Harper Collins: 

“The frequent allusions to the OT (particularly Ezekiel and Daniel) suggest his Jewish origin. The Semitic features of his Greek style indicate that he was a native of Palestine who emigrated to Asia Minor, perhaps in the wake of the first Jewish revolt against Rome (66–73 CE), when many were forced to flee for their lives. By calling his composition a prophetic book (1.3; 22.7, 10, 18, 19), he clearly implies that he is a prophet. His familiarity with the circumstances of the seven Christian communities he addresses further suggests that he was probably a well-known itinerant Christian prophet (22.9).” (NRSV, P 6390)* 

Thus, we connote that this John, of Patmos, was a Christian convert from Judaism who lived in exile in Turkey. 

Next, note the authority of the angel who offers a prophetic vision. That’s verse 1. Finally, note the naming of Babylon. In Revelation, you need to know that “Babylon” is encoded. Babylon is more of a state of state rather than a place. Meaning, a fallen, wicked place – at the time, Rome. Rome *was* Babylon. But many other places have been, since. 

Can you think of a few? 

Can you think of one? 

Back to the text. The last section (starting in v 7) is very time-specific, so I leave that to history. But the next section (v 4-6) does what I appreciate John of Patmos always doing (even if it’s hard to hear). He names a problem and offers a solution. As you read this, I would love to ask you: if you can think of a Babylon close to you, who might be responsible for this? Who has taken on this work before? What role have you played in this? For whatever you’ve done, I give thanks to you and to God. 

That’s what I’ve got. But you know what? God’s got us. And that’s the most important thing. 

Let’s be together as we do our most important job: giving praise for all God has done, is doing and will do. I can’t wait to see you on Sunday.

* DAVID E. AUNE in Attridge, H. W., ed. (2006). HarperCollins study bible. HarperOne. Kindle Edition.

SCRIPTURE
Revelation 18:1–2, 4–8 (Year B, p. 308):
 
1 I saw [an] angel coming down from the heavens, one who had great authority and the earth was illuminated with its splendor. 2 It called out with a mighty voice, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!
Now she has become a den of demons,
a bastion of every unclean spirit,
a bastion of every unclean bird,
a bastion of every unclean and hateful beast.
4 Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, so that you do not take part in her sins, and so that her plagues you do not receive.
5 For her sins touch the heavens,
and God has remembered her iniquities.
6 Pay her back what she herself has paid out, and pay her back double, double for her works; in the cup she mixed, mix her a double.
7 Just as she glorified herself and lived running wild, likewise give her just as much torment and sorrow.
Now then, in her heart she says,
‘I sit a queen; I am no widow,
and sorrow shall I never see.’
8 Therefore in a single day her blows will come:
death and sorrow and famine.
And with fire shall she be burned;
for mighty is the Sovereign God who judges her.”