Congregational Hymn The Old Rugged Cross (UMH #504) Eugene & Kathy Onishi, Unison
Closing Prayer Pastor Angeline Lau, JBC
Benediction Pastor Karen Yokota Love
After Pastor Karen provides the Benediction, members of the Blaine Memorial Worship Team will carefully and lovingly remove the candles, rocks, and paraments from the altar. We will sit in the dark while we meditate on Christ’s love for us. The pastors will quietly walk out of the Sanctuary. You may follow when you are ready. You are welcome to sit and pray after the service is finished.
If you’d like to stay for a bit, the Social Hall will be open for conversation.
“My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that, if I do this, You will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.”
Thomas Merton
“Thoughts in Solitude”, (1958)
I pray that all of our Blaine Memorial community have a meaningful Lent. Each year I set a Lenten theme and this year’s theme is Coram Deo. Coram Deo means, “in the presence of God” and is an idea of Christians living in the presence of, under the authority of, and to the honor and glory of God. During this Lent, I pray to become more attentive in listening to God and I want to be more sincere and faithful in the presence of God each day. I am grateful to share that I passed the Oregon-Idaho Board of Ordained Ministry interview in February. I feel deeply appreciative and relieved. I want to express my gratitude to the village of Blaine Memorial for your continued prayer and support. It takes multiple villages to equip pastors and I want to say THANK YOU! I am preparing to present myself to the Oregon-Idaho Clergy Session in May, and I need to get 2/3 of their votes. This long path of my ordination journey has been intentional and a life-transforming experience.
Whenever I became vulnerable and discouraged, God’s grace lifted me up and guided my steps. The past seven years have been a unique wilderness and words from the Apostle Paul gave me strength and hope. The Apostle Paul tells us in Philippians 1:6, “I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” and Philippians 3:10-14, “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal, but I press on to lay hold of that for which Christ has laid hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider that I have laid hold of it, but one thing I have laid hold of: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal, toward the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.”
I experienced Coram Deo, God’s presence, in my wilderness. I waited for God’s next move, prepared, and walked along the way with God. During this Lent, God invites me to submerge in this deep and intentional time of Coram Deo once again. I am excited that God will continue to give me hope in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus and will continue to do good works in me and through me.
In February, Miriam and the congregation of Blaine Memorial UMC raised their hands as they prayed for Rev. Mia MiKyung Park in preparation for her ordination interviews.
The memorization verse for Church School last March is 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 “Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable; it keeps no record of wrongs; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
During Lent, we follow the footsteps of Jesus who took 40 days of intentional time of Coram Deo. I pray that we become more grateful, faithful, and joyful as we walk this Lenten journey, including Holy Week, as a faith community. May God continue to bless and guide our faith journey as we live our daily lives as Coram Deo.
Pastor Mia Park serves as the Associate Pastor of Blaine Memorial UMC.
Lectionary Schedule
Sixth Sunday of Lent, Palm Sunday • April 2, 2023
Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29 Matthew 21:1-11 Isaiah 50:4-9a Psalm 31:9-16 Philippians 2:5-11 Matthew 26:14-27:66 or Matthew 27:11-54
Resurrection of the Lord • April 9, 2023
Acts 10:34-43 or Jeremiah 31:1-6 Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 Colossians 3:1-4 or Acts 10:34-43 John 20:1-18 or Matthew 28:1-10
Second Sunday of Easter • April 16, 2023
Acts 2:14a, 22-32 Psalm 16 1 Peter 1:3-9 John 20:19-31
Third Sunday of Easter • April 23, 2023
Acts 2:14a, 36-41 Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19 1 Peter 1:17-23 Luke 24:13-35
Fourth Sunday of Easter • April 30, 2023
Acts 2:42-47 Psalm 23 1 Peter 2:19-25 John 10:1-10
Fifth Sunday of Easter • May 7, 2023
Acts 7:55-60 Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16 1 Peter 2:2-10 John 14:1-14
Rev. Mia MiKyung Park, Lynne Onishi, Rev. Karen Yokota Love, Barbara, Miriam, and Anne Arakaki-Lock participated in a Zoom Reconciling Ministries Bible Study.
Listen, Discern, and Dream
ByLynne Onishi,B.Y.G. Co-Director
What does new life look like to you? As we welcome the Easter season and see signs of new life springing up around us, what are you noticing about the world? What are you noticing about yourself? What are you noticing about God?
Our Innovation Hub Team and Reconciling Ministries Task Force continue to wonder about new life in the context of this Church. What is God calling our church to do or be, but in ways that are new? Recently, we’ve learned how to foster community and belonging for young adults through our monthly activities and how to be both inclusive and faithful people of God through our Reconciling Ministries Bible study series. And yet, we know God has many more dreams for new life in this community! It is up to all of us to listen, discern, and dream alongside God in this innovative work!
Reconciling Ministries Q and A:
We are bringing back our Reconciling Ministries Q and A series this month! In previous newsletter articles, we explained what the Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN) is and how joining the RMN would change things at Blaine Memorial UMC. This month, we would like to share more about the process of becoming officially reconciling and lay out our reconciling journey at Blaine Memorial thus far.
Q: What does a church have to do to become reconciling? Where is Blaine Memorial in this process, currently?
A: All churches who are discerning whether to become reconciling are first advised to form a team of congregation members to steer their church’s process. Because each church is unique, the team plays an important role in shaping their unique church’s reconciling journey. The team’s task is to help the congregation make informed decisions about joining RMN. This might mean answering questions from church members or providing education around LGBTQIA+ issues in the church. Churches join the RMN by voting to adopt a reconciling statement, which must receive support from 75% of the congregation. When the team feels like the congregation is ready to take a vote, they help the church set up protocols for voting.
Our Reconciling Ministries Task Force formed July 2022. Since then, we have been dialoguing with you all about what it means to be an accepting and affirming church. We surveyed dozens of you in August and September to hear your questions and concerns about becoming reconciling. We have hosted film and discussion events throughout the year to provide a space for candid sharing and processing. We are currently leading a Bible study that explores how United Methodists can be faithful and inclusive at the same time. We hope these have been meaningful and thought-provoking opportunities for you to share and learn alongside one another. This spring, we will prepare to take a vote. Before we do, we’d like to take a closer look at the Reconciling Statement with you all. Please stay tuned for more news on this!
The IH team and RM Task Force are always looking for new folks to join us. If you feel called to lend your voice to these important ministries, we invite you to join us for future Zoom meetings. Please contact Lynne or any of the other team members for more information.
On Wednesday, April 5 we met for our third Reconciling Ministries Bible Study Session over Zoom! At a future date, we will have a RM/Young Adult event to be announced soon!
Contact Lynne Onishi with questions about the IH team or Reconciling Ministries, lynneonishi@gmail.com. Onishi serves as the convener of the Innovation Hub Team.
Blaine Youth Group supports Tent City 3 while fellowship continues going strong
By Lawrence Paltep, B.Y.G. Co-Director, Additional photos by Kai Yamamoto
Blaine Youth Group (B.Y.G.) is a thriving ministry at Blaine Memorial UMC, where youths are supported by leaders dedicated to their faith journey, pastors who nurture spiritual guidance, and families who provide for the needs of the group. The following are some of the photos from the past few months.
Collaborative Youth | On February 24 to 25, Beacon United Methodist Church and our B.Y.G. had a collaborative overnight event. About 40 people joined with 25 staying for the overnighter. In the spirit of community, we enjoyed a potluck, sang worship songs, did three devotionals, partook in communion, participated in small group workshops, and played games.
Leaders from Beacon and Blaine Memorial UMCs served dinner to our young people. There were diverse food options for the participants to enjoy. Youth and leaders introduced themselves and prayed over the various food brought by participants. They were asked to bring food that represented a part of who they are.
Revs. Karen Yokota Love and Mia MiKyung Park served the youth and leaders communion after the Lenten devotional led by Rev. Karen.
Fun & Games | During a Sunday gathering, B.Y.G. played a game where they tossed a ball in a specific order, passing the ball to everyone as fast as possible, which made people burst into laughter. Who knew you could be silly and serious all at the same time?
Playing with Food | In a workshop led by Kai Yamamoto, youth built structures from spaghetti and marshmallows. Aidan and Marcus show the tallest and most stable structure in the group.
Special Delivery | Due to the weather, B.Y.G. could not cook for Tent City 3 residents as scheduled. Instead of cooking and delivering a meal, Lawrence, Gloria, and Pastor Mia delivered pizza, fruit, and 14 blankets for them. Note: The B.Y.G. rescheduled their new service to Sunday, March 26.
Upcoming Plans for B.Y.G.
April 8-9
Easter Sunday Overnighter
April 16, 23, 30
Fellowship Gatherings
The Blaine Youth Group meets on Sundays at 10:00am in the sanctuary then in the Nishida Room. If you are interested in growing spiritually, learning acceptance of self and others, and developing a love for God and neighbor, contact Lynne Onishi & Lawrence Paltep – co-directors of Youth Ministry at Blaine Memorial UMC (lynneonishi@gmail.com or lawrence.byg@gmail.com respectively).
Postlude “Awesome God” by Rich Mullins Kathy Onishi
Passing of the Peace Rev. Karen Yokota Love
Zoom Break Out Room Rev. Dr. Jeney Park-Hearn
Sermon Reflection Questions
1. Imagine you are one of the disciples. You know all the threats mounting against Jesus; you know that the religious leaders are conspiring against him. As Jesus openly enters the city with a public procession, how do you feel? What do you fear?
2. The proclamation, “Hosanna,” is a Hebrew imperative that was initially a cry for help, meaning, “Save us!” Over time, it was used liturgically in Psalm 118 as an expression of praise and adoration. Psalm 118 was sung at the Feast of Tabernacles, which was associated with palm branches. The crowd is described as shouting, or more accurately, “crying out.” Therefore, the tone of the parade is nuanced and complex. Some cry out with desperation. Some shout with adoration and praise. Some are there for the Festival of Passover and participate in the liturgical procession without giving it much thought at all. Some are threatened and afraid.
Imagine the confusion and chaos of this scene. How would you find your way through the crowd?
Upcoming Lectionary Scriptures
Monday 4/3
Isaiah 42:1-9 Psalm 36:5-11 Hebrews 9:11-15 John 12:1-11
Tuesday 4/4
Isaiah 49:1-7 Psalm 71:1-14 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 John 12:20-36
Wednesday 4/5
Isaiah 50:4-9a Psalm 70 Hebrews 12:1-3 John 13:21-32
Isaiah 52:13-53:12 Psalm 22 Hebrews 10:16-25 or Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9 John 18:1-19:42
Saturday 4/8
Job 14:1-14 or Lamentations 3:1-9, 19-24 Psalm 31:1-4, 15-16 1 Peter 4:1-8 Matthew 27:57-66 or John 19:38-42
Announcements
Easter Cards Sale!
Today
The B.Y.G. continues fund raising today, during fellowship hour. Easter cards designed by Ally S. Each set of cards comes with 5 unique designs and 5 envelopes. Sets are $10. Proceeds will go to our Youth Camping Ministries Fund, to help our youth/leaders to attend Junior High Camp and Asian American
Blaine Cookbook needs your recipes!
Due May 31
Blaine Memorial United Methodist Church will release a 120th Anniversary Edition of “Let’s Dine!”, the latest in a series of cookbooks produced by Blaine Memorial over the past 70 years. This cookbook will commemorate the 120th Anniversary of Blaine Memorial, with a scheduled release of January 2024. We are seeking submissions for the 2024 cookbook and are calling on you to contribute! Scan the QR code to visit blaineonline.org for more information.
Summer Camps & VBS 2023!
See Dates
This summer’s Camping Ministries and Vacation Bible School schedules are out! Please save the dates for your children and youth!
June 25-30
Jr/High Camp (for incoming 6th-9th graders)
July 10-14
Vacation Bible School, 10am-3pm
July 23-28
Asian Camp (for incoming 10th grade-2 yrs. post-HS)
Wednesday Coffee & Prayer
April 5 • 9am on Zoom
Please join Rev. Karen for a time of meditation and prayer on Wednesday, 9am. A few Lenten devotionals will be read. Brew a fresh cup of coffee or steep some tea. This is a great opportunity to pause in the middle of the week to check in with others. The Zoom link will be sent out prior to gathering on Tuesday.
Chips, Savory Items Needed!
Thank you all for generously donating sweet and savory treats for post-worship fellowship time. If you are able to provide individually wrapped bags of chips (potato chips, Doritos, Cheetos etc.) that would be appreciated. Please drop off your donations to the Narthex, Church Office or Social Hall when convenient either on Sunday or during Church Office Hours (Tuesday-Friday 9am-5pm). If you are interested in helping serve refreshments on Sundays after worship, please contact Julie Lock at: jtlock00@gmail.com.
