- May 28, 2023
- 10am in the Sanctuary
- Hybrid Worship
- Today’s altar flower arrangement is designed by Terri Pitman.
- Continue scrolling for today’s bulletin or view the printed version
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Welcome!
- May 21, 2023
- Hybrid Worship
- 10am in the Sanctuary
- Continue scrolling for the bulletin or view the printed version
Order of Worship
| Prelude Spirit, Spirit of Gentleness By James K. Manley Kathy Onishi |
| Welcome of Grace and Greeting Rev. Karen Yokota Love |
| Call to Worship Rev. Mia MiKyung Park |
| Opening Prayer Rev. Mia MiKyung Park |
| *Opening Hymn Sois la Semilla (You are the Seed) (UMH #583) Eugene and Kathy Onishi |
| First Scripture Reading Acts 1:6-14 (CEB, JLB) Terri Pittman & Yuki Sofronas |
| Children’s Message Rev. Mia MiKyung Park |
| Special Music O Jesus, I Have Promised By J.E. Bode, A.H. Mann Blaine Memorial Choir |
| Mission Moment: ACRS/Walk For Rice Michael Byun, Executive Director; Audrey Hwang and Justine |
| Second Scripture Reading John 17:1-11 (NRSVUE, JLB) Terri Pittman & Yuki Sofronas |
| Sermon The Struggle for Love Rev. Karen Yokota Love |
| Hymn of Response Blest Be The Tie That Binds Eugene and Kathy Onishi (UMH #557) |
| Reconciling Ministries Moment #3 Arlene Naganawa |
| Introduction to the Offering Rev. Mia MiKyung Park |
| Doxology (UMH #94) Kathy Onishi |
| Prayer of Dedication Rev. Mia MiKyung Park |
| Announcements Rev. Karen Yokota Love |
| Closing Hymn They’ll Know We Are Christians By Our Love (TFWS #2223) Eugene and Kathy Onishi |
| Benediction Rev. Karen Yokota Love |
| Postlude Across the Lands By Keith Getty and Stuart Townend Kathy Onishi |
| Straw Poll Arlene Naganawa Not at in-person worship? Send your vote by May 21, 2023 at 2pm to blaineoffice@yahoo.com. This method is not anonymous. |
| Passing of the Peace Rev. Karen Yokota Love |
| Zoom Breakout Room Rev. Dr. Jeney Park-Hearn |
Sermon Reflection Questions
- What is a stream of Christian spirituality that you feel at odds with?
- How is the Spirit inviting you to integrate some of their practices into your life?
- What is a fragment of your story that you are ashamed of?
- How is the Spirit inviting you to integrate it back into your life?
Upcoming Lectionary Scriptures
| Monday, May 22, 2023 Psalm 99; Leviticus 9:1-11, 22-24; 1 Peter 4:1-6 |
| Tuesday, May 23, 2023 Psalm 99; Numbers 16:41-50; 1 Peter 4:7-11 |
| Wednesday, May 24, 2023 Psalm 99; 1 Kings 8:54-65; John 3:31-36 |
| Thursday, May 25, 2023 Psalm 33:12-22; Exodus 19:1-9a; Acts 2:1-11 |
| Friday, May 26, 2023 Psalm 33:12-22; Exodus 19:16-25; Romans 8:14-17 |
| Saturday, May 27, 2023 Psalm 33:12-22; Exodus 20:1-21; Matthew 5:1-12 |
Announcements
Reconciling Ministries Straw Poll
Today after worship
The Reconciling Ministries Team will conduct a straw poll on Sunday, May 21. This poll is not a final vote on affiliation with Reconciling Ministries. The team is simply conducting a poll of our congregation to better understand your thoughts, feelings, and concerns about the reconciling statement. The vote will take place after the service is finished, and your participation is required.
VBS Volunteers Meetings
May 21 & June 4
We will be holding volunteer meetings on the following Sundays: May 21st and June 4th, after the service, from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm in the Webb Room. If you are planning to volunteer at VBS this year, please make sure to attend these meetings.
Wednesday Coffee & Prayer
May 24 • 9am on Zoom
Please join Rev. Karen for a time of meditation and prayer on Wednesday, May 24 at 9am. The Wednesday Prayer group continues to meet each week. Our time together consists of a check-in question centering around United Methodist Founder John Wesley’s famous question, “How is it with your soul?”
Please join us! 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.
33rd Annual ACRS Walk for Rice
June 17 • 9am
This year ACRS will hold its in-person Walk for Rice at 9:00 am on Saturday, June 17, 2023 at Seward Park! Team Blaine’s fundraising goal is $7,000. Help ACRS feed AAPI community members who are experiencing food insecurity by joining or donating to Team Blaine!
Go to: https://give.acrs.org/team/498138 to donate online! Or mail your donation to the Blaine office (checks made out to “Walk for Rice”, memo: “Team Blaine”) . Thanks for your support! Read more.
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! Read more.
Ongoing Donations for Afghan and Ukrainian Refugees
Items being collected: At this time, we have an abundance of some items and so we are NOT in need of clothing or children’s toys. Especially needed items are women’s products, toothpaste, personal care items, rice cookers, blenders, mixing bowls, microwave ovens, toasters, mixers, irons, dish sets, towels, and blankets.
Blaine Memorial UMC Collection Hours: Collection items can be dropped off to the Blaine Memorial Social Hall from Tuesday – Thursday between 10:00AM-4:00PM. Please call the Church Office at (206) 723-1536 prior to dropping off your items. South King County Response Center Collection & Volunteer Hours: The Donation Center is open on Tuesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays from 10am-2pm, same time as the Tukwila Pantry at 3118 S. 140th St. Seattle.
Please text Kim Parks at (206) 683-1707 when you would like to help. Please wear a mask and bring a marking pen and measuring tape if possible. Please contact Donna Sekijima at: donnasek@outlook.com and/or Anne Arakaki-Lock at: aarakakilock@gmail.com.
This summer’s Camping Ministries and Vacation Bible School schedules are out!
Please save the dates for your children and youth! Summer Camps & VBS 2023!
| June 25-30 Jr/High Camp (for incoming 6th-9th graders) Jr. High Camp registration is open now! Please register your youth by May 31! |
| July 10-14 Vacation Bible School 10am-3pm VBS registration is open now! Visit the VBS 2023 page and bookmark it for updates! |
| July 23-28 Asian Camp (for incoming 10th grade- 2 yrs. post-high school) |
Ongoing Request for Chips and Savory Treats
Thank you all for generously donating sweet and savory treats for post-worship fellowship time. Currently, we need more chips and savory items: wrapped bags of chips (potato chips, Doritos, Cheetos etc.) would be appreciated. Drop off your donations to the Narthex, Church Office, or Social Hall either on Sunday or during Church Office Hours (Tuesday-Friday 10:00AM-4:00PM). Help serve refreshments on Sundays after worship by contacting Julie Lock at: jtlock00@gmail.com
The Beacon newsletter is ready for viewing!
Printed versions are available in the office, sanctuary, and social hall!
Check out what’s happening at Blaine!
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Reconciling Ministries Team
Celebrating God’s Gift: Diversity
By Lynne Onishi
Greetings from the Reconciling Ministries (RM) team at Blaine! The RM team is a lay-led group of congregation members who are passionate about LGBTQIA+ inclusion in the church. We are here to help guide this church through a process of discernment as we consider affiliating with the Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN).
To affiliate with RMN, our church must vote to adopt a Reconciling Statement. We want to hear what you think about this statement before we take a final vote, so we are conducting a straw poll on May 21. As we prepare to take a straw poll, we invite you to look at the Reconciling Statement below:
“We celebrate God’s gift of diversity and value the wholeness made possible in community equally shared and shepherded by all. We welcome and affirm people of every gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation, who are also of every age, race, ethnicity, physical and mental ability, level of education, and family structure, and of every economic, immigration, marital, and social status, and so much more. We acknowledge that we live in a world of profound social, economic, and political inequities. As followers of Jesus, we commit ourselves to the pursuit of justice and pledge to stand in solidarity with all who are marginalized and oppressed.”
Why are you a part of the team?
I am a member of the Reconciling Ministry Team because I know a family whose son is non-binary. I have seen their fear when prejudice and hate were directed toward their child. And I have seen their reaction to be one of honesty, courage, and love. I believe the church can come alongside families like this to provide support and community.
Terri Pittman
I am part of the Reconciling Ministries Team because I grew up in this church and have always felt included, yet also off to the side, and want to see a place that is welcoming and affirming to all.
Dale H. Watanabe
I am a member of the Reconciling Ministries Team because we, as a church, love God and God’s people. We can show our love by openly expressing welcome to our friends who are often marginalized and hurt, even though that may not be our intention. As a teacher, I worked with many youth who suffered pain and rejection because of their sexual identities. Sometimes, the pain was too much to bear. Offering an accepting (Christian?) community can metaphorically and literally save lives.
Arlene Naganawa
Reconciling Ministries Team
Yoshi Kuramoto, Arlene Naganawa, Lynne Onishi, Lawrence Paltep, Terri Pittman, Mariko Ronan, Jarrett Shirouzu, Jenna Tong, Dale Watanabe, Malia Yamamoto
The Reconciling Ministries Team invites all who are interested to join in our work! Visit rmnetwork.org for more information.
Also read…
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So what’s next after Holy Week?
By Anne Arakaki-Lock, photos courtesy of Wikipedia
The disciples experienced Jesus’ triumphant Palm Sunday entry into Jerusalem, their Last Supper together, his betrayal and agonizing crucifixion, the darkness when he was in the tomb, and his resurrection on Easter Sunday. But what happened after that?
For 40 days before he went to heaven, I love how Jesus hung out with his disciple friends after his resurrection. Scriptures say they went fishing. They ate. He promised them that they would be getting a gift of the Holy Spirit, the Counselor who would comfort them and guide them as he commanded them to share his story with others:
“… you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” – John 14:18.
“… the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” – John 14:26.
So, after Jesus’s ascension, we celebrate the descent of the Holy Spirit on Jesus’s disciples and other followers, marking the birth of the Church. At Pentecost, 50 days from Easter, we see God’s promise fulfilled. The disciples (learners) became apostles (messengers), filled with the Holy Spirit. So now, they were not as much supposed to show people what they could do for God, but what God had done for them: “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting… All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit” – Acts 2:1-4. Has the Holy Spirit descended on you and have you accepted this priceless gift from God?
Anne Arakaki-Lock serves as a member of Blaine Memorial’s Congregational Care Ministry.
Lectionary Readings
| 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 Sixth |
| Sunday of Easter May 14, 2023 Acts 17:22-31 Psalm 66:8-20 1 Peter 3:13-22 John 14:15-21 |
| Ascension of the Lord May 18, 2023 Acts 1:1-11 Psalm 47 or Psalm 93 Ephesians 1:15-23 Luke 24:44-53 |
| Seventh Sunday of Easter May 21, 2023 Acts 1:6-14 Psalm 68:1-10, 32-35 1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11 John 17:1-11 |
| Day of Pentecost May 28, 2023 Acts 2:1-21 or Numbers 11:24-30 Psalm 104:24-34, 35b 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13 or Acts 2:1-21 John 20:19-23 or John 7:37-39 |
| Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth May 31, 2023 1 Samuel 2:1-10 Psalm 113 Romans 12:9-16b Luke 1:39-57 |
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Pentecost: The Gift of Diversity
By Rev. Karen Yokota Love, Senior Pastor
“When the day of Pentecost came, all the believers were gathered together in one place. Suddenly there was a noise from the sky which sounded like a strong wind blowing, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then they saw what looked like tongues of fire which spread out and touched each person there. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to talk in other languages, as the Spirit enabled them to speak.” Acts 2:1-4
In Acts 2, the disciples are huddled in the upper room. First, there is wind and fire. Then the disciples speak about Jesus, and the author Luke writes, “When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. Utterly amazed, they asked: ‘Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language?’”
Pentecost becomes an affirmation of God’s gift of diversity. Luke makes a point of listing all the places that the people had come from to be in Jerusalem. There were many different people from many different places speaking many different languages. Pentecost is a celebration of unity in diversity. Diversity can be difficult. The people of Blaine Memorial United Methodist Church began conversations around LGBTQIA+ inclusion in July 2022. This is an ongoing process of prayer, learning, discernment, and conversation. The process will culminate with a congregational decision. Disaffiliation, or leaving the United Methodist Church as a denomination, has not been a part of these discussions. There is no intention of leaving the UMC. We continue to discuss what this outcome looks like for Blaine Memorial UMC and how this helps us be a more loving community. We might not always understand one another and there might be miscommunication. Social queues could be misinterpreted. Sometimes, understanding one another more effectively or efficiently can be frustrating.
However, the “birth” of the church is more than simply understanding one another more effectively or efficiently. The reign of God depends on diversity. The more we can widen and deepen our awareness of where the holy is at work among us, the more possibilities become reality for the peaceable kin-dom to come near.
Sometimes this work of deepening understanding and stretching our perceptions is the opposite of efficient. But it is worth the effort because we are talking about the dream of our hearts, initiated and fulfilled by our God. Sometimes we are tempted to confuse our own experience of “normal” with being faithful.
The Pentecost experience reminds us that God always is willing to break up and expand our perception of the norm to welcome every blessed variety of God’s beloved creation. The more we can hear, see, and experience the Spirit at work in the incredible diversity of our world, the more we receive the deep invitation to full life in Christ.
We are re-centered in God’s love as the ultimate “norm” for all life, and we begin to see the world anew. When we truly are baptized into Christ, we become a part of a new creation.
Every Pentecost is the re-birth of the church anew into a particular time and place and context, each with its own joys and sorrows. The visible manifestation of the Holy Spirit in Pentecost today may be very similar to the first Pentecost: reaching across boundaries to understand those who live differently, speak differently, experience reality differently. Our Spirit-given diversity challenges singular and dominating forms of power that dehumanize, and that ignore the breath of divine life, the Holy Spirit, who dwells in all creation, in every human being. This gift offers us countless and bold ways to build communion and inclusive community where diversity breathes life. Pentecost then is not so much the birth of the church, but a snapshot of the church in action through the power of the Holy Spirit: where diversity is chosen over division, where dialogue is chosen over conflict, and where all are cared for, not just the people of our tribe or clan. Pentecost screams the GOOD NEWS of Jesus Christ: all are invited and all are welcome here. May it be so.
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