Pastors’ Columns

Senior Pastor News Comments Off on Senior Pastor News

Senior Pastor News

Posted by on May 16, 2023 in Blaine Youth Group, Church News & Events, Giving, Innovation Hub, Pastors' Columns, Prayer, Service Opportunities, Small Groups, Sunday Worship, Weekly Calendar

Blaine Church members meet-and-greet with Bishop Cedrick D. Bridgeforth. From (L-R): Sharon Maeda, Bishop Cedrick D. Bridgeforth, Ron Nobuyama and Rev. Karen Yokota Love

We are resurrection people!

By Rev. Karen Yokota Love, additional photos by Lawrence Paltep and Jesse N. Love

Hallelujah! Christ is risen. Hallelujah! Christ is risen, indeed! I greet you with the miracle of Easter during this Eastertide season.

Members and friends of Blaine wrap the rice balls with anko. The rice balls were prepared the night before. Anko is a sweet red bean paste made from adzuki beans and sugar.

I’m thrilled because Blaine Memorial’s Sukiyaki Take Out benefit ministry event was an absolute success. After three years of being suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a great team of leadership resurrected Sukiyaki this year. Thank you for your generous support. This event can only be successful when folks like yourselves are willing to give your time, energy and commitment. Take a look at “Sukiyaki Photos 2023” to see all of the fun.

The Blaine Youth Group prepared a delicious breakfast for Easter Sunday, April 9, 2023.

To top that off, Easter Sunday at Blaine Memorial was magical this year. Our Blaine Youth Group (BYG) resurrected the Easter Breakfast! The BYG prepared and cooked a delicious Easter breakfast with all the fixings – scrambled eggs, mini sausages, fruit, cinnamon rolls, haupia, and so much more!

Steve Sofronas and Joseph Adriano set the flowered cross in the sanctuary.

The Worship Committee decorated the sanctuary on Holy Saturday. The altar was covered in lilies with white and gold touches. Joe Adriano, Steve Sofronas and Michael Corsilles carried in the flowered cross during the processional which magnified the sanctuary. Our Church School Teachers and BYG filled and hid 300 Easter Eggs in the Social Hall and Kono Chapel for our children. Even though it rained all morning, Easter was still special with Christ’s love surrounding us with breakfast, the flowering of the cross, a dynamic worship service and an Egg Hunt. Thank you for a special Easter, Blaine Memorial. Christ Is Risen, Indeed!

George Yates and Shig Nishida serve breakfast on Mother’s Day as Rev. Karen Yokota Love partakes in a hearty meal.

Speaking of eggs, our Mother’s Day Breakfast made a comeback! We honored the women and those who identify as women at Blaine Memorial UMC on Sunday, May 14. We showed love to our mothers, grandmothers, godmothers, aunts, sisters, cousins, wives, teachers, mentors, and all the women in our lives that have influenced and shaped us into the people who we are today. The men of Blaine Memorial prepared breakfast early at 6am. Thank you to Howard Nakase for chairing this year’s Mother’s Day breakfast!

Team Blaine represents at the ACRS Walk for Rice!

May signals the importance of Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month. On Sunday, May 21, we will celebrate our long-standing relationship with Asian Counseling and Referral Services. Executive Director Michael Byun will join us in our worship service and share stories with us about ACRS’s long history with Blaine Memorial. ACRS promotes social justice and the well-being and empowerment of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other underserved communities – including immigrants, refugees, and American-born – by developing, providing, and advocating for innovative, effective, and efficient community-based multilingual and multicultural services. We’ll also hear from Audrey Hwang and Justine about the upcoming Walk for Rice event in June. Visit “Walk for Rice 2023” for more info.

The Rev. Karen Yokota Love presents a Reconciling Ministries Moment during Sunday Worship on May 7, 2023.

Also on Sunday, May 21, we will take a straw poll after worship. This poll is to identify if we can become a reconciling congregation. It will also give us an opportunity to measure our progress and to discuss further scripture texts, intentionally facilitate dialogue, and answer any questions that one might have to become a reconciling congregation. Please look at “God’s Radical Love: Diversity”, where Lynne Onishi discusses the process more in depth.

Earlier last month, I had the honor of meeting our new Greater Northwest Resident Area Bishop, Cedrick D. Bridgeforth at a Meet-and-Greet with the SeaTac District. We also had the chance to meet his spouse, Christopher. Bishop Cedrick expressed his great passion with a wide range of social justice issues, including restorative justice, homelessness, and hunger. He articulated in his sermon that one of his goals while he serves the Greater Northwest Area is to eradicate racism and discrimination of all kinds. I look forward to Bishop Cedrick’s leadership and where he will take this conference with his vision and innovative ideas.

As we move towards Pentecost, which signifies the birthday of the church, may you feel and know the power of the Holy Spirit this season. May you celebrate and be renewed with God’s Spirit. May you use this time of deep reflection and a renewal of faith. May God be with you. Blessings to you during this season!

Read the Beacon!

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Sixth Sunday of Easter Comments Off on Sixth Sunday of Easter

Sixth Sunday of Easter

Posted by on May 13, 2023 in Archives, Blaine Youth Group, Church News & Events, Congregational Care, Giving, Innovation Hub, Pastors' Columns, Prayer, Sermons, Service Opportunities, Small Groups, Spiritual Formation, Sunday Worship, Weekly Calendar

Welcome!

Order of Worship

Prelude
Time Now to Gather
By M.N. Keithahn and J. D. Hormon
Kathy Onishi
Welcome of Grace and Greeting
Rev. Mia MiKyung Park
*Opening Hymn
For the Beauty of the Earth (UMH #92)
Eugene and Kathy Onishi
Mother’s Day Liturgy
Lynne Onishi
First Scripture Reading
John 14:15-21 (CEB, JLB)
Lynne Onishi & Tsutomu Nagoya
Children’s Message
Rev. Mia MiKyung Park
Special Music
Love Comes From God
Blaine Memorial Choir
Sermon
The Great Comforter
Rev. Karen Yokota Love
Hymn of Response
Spirit of the Living God, Fall Afresh on Me
(UMH #393)
Eugene and Kathy Onishi
Reconciling Ministries Moment #2
Rev. Karen Yokota Love
Introduction to the Offering
Rev. Mia MiKyung Park
Doxology
Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow
(UMH #94)
Kathy Onishi
Prayer of Dedication
Rev. Mia MiKyung Park
Announcements
Rev. Karen Yokota Love
Closing Hymn
Gift of Love
(UMH #408)
Eugene and Kathy Onishi
Benediction
Rev. Karen Yokota Love
Postlude
He is Exalted
By Twila Paris
Kathy Onishi
Passing of the Peace
Rev. Karen Yokota Love
Zoom Breakout Room
Rev. Dr. Jeney Park-Hearn

Announcements

Today! Blaine Memorial’s Mother’s Day Breakfast is back!

After worship!

Come join us as we give thanks to our mothers and mother-like figures in our lives! Join us as we honor the women and those who identify as women at Blaine Memorial UMC. Our Mother’s Day Breakfast is back! During this time, we will honor, remember and show our love to our mothers, grandmothers, godmothers, aunts, sisters, cousins, wives, teachers, mentors, and all of the women in our lives that have influenced and shaped us into the people who we are today.

Wednesday Coffee & Prayer

May 17 • 9am on Zoom

Please join Rev. Karen for a time of meditation and prayer on Wednesday, May 10 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?” We continue our time together with a few readings out of The Upper Room Magazine May/June edition.

Finally, we end our time together with a pastoral prayer. We pray for anyone who would like to be prayed for. 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.

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.

Image courtesy of Wikipedia.

Apply Now! Blaine Educational Scholarships

Due May 17

The Blaine Memorial United Methodist Church Educational Scholarships are designed to support the mission of the church through supporting a multitude of educational opportunities. We are proud to have helped students in their pursuit of continuing education since 1968. Applications are due May 17. We are blessed to offer the following scholarships: the Vera Ing Scholarship, Blaine Memorial United Methodist Church Scholarship, Yasuda Scholarship, William S. Yorozu Scholarship, and the Robert S. Sato Scholarship. 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.

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)

The Beacon newsletter is ready for viewing!

Printed versions are available in the office, sanctuary, and social hall!

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Intentional Coram Deo Comments Off on Intentional Coram Deo

Intentional Coram Deo

Posted by on Apr 7, 2023 in Church News & Events, Pastors' Columns

Associate Pastor’s Spiritual Reflection

Coram Deo: In the presence of God

By Pastor Mia MiKyung Park, Associate Pastor

“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

Now Available!

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Senior Pastor News Comments Off on Senior Pastor News

Senior Pastor News

Posted by on Mar 28, 2023 in Church News & Events, Lenten Season, Pastors' Columns, Photos, Sunday Worship, Weekly Calendar

Easter Egg Hunt | Last year’s Easter Egg Hunt was welcomed with excitement after two years of not having an egg hunt due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We look forward to your participation at this year’s Egg Hunt in the Courtyard!

New life is all around us!

By Rev. Karen Yokota Love, additional photos courtesy of Wikipedia

The season of Lent is coming to an end; the days are getting longer, the sun is shining more, the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, and signs of new life are starting to appear all around us. For Christians, the season of Lent prepares us to receive new life, in particular, one that we experience in the resurrection of Jesus celebrated on Easter Day. New life is all around us as Blaine Memorial UMC reignites activity through our many ministries! The campus is full of activity as gather together as a faith community while outside groups are utilizing our campus. The vibrancy at Blaine is energizing. Sukiyaki Dinner preparations are underway and we are thrilled to announce joyfully that we will host a Sukiyaki Take-Out Event on Saturday, April 29 from 2pm-6pm!

As we close-in to the end of this 40-day Lenten journey, the walk of Holy Week draws us deeper into the story of God’s profound love for the world. We will journey through the events of Palm Sunday and Maundy Thursday when our emotions will range from gleeful joy to humble wonder to dark sadness. Good Friday will bring us to the broken, pain-filled sorrow of death.

On Easter Day, the resurrection of Jesus Christ reveals God’s gift to us in the truth of the new life of Jesus: the truth that God is a God of love who walks with us and brings us to a place of wholeness, a place of possibility, a place of new life. New life that is grounded in hope and compassion. New life that is deeply connected to God’s love and passionate about sharing that love with the world. New life that reveals God’s justice in ways that transform not only our lives, but the whole world.

I invite you to join us in the rituals of Holy Week!

Palm Sunday

April 2, 2023 at 10am

Celebrate Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem with palm fronds!

Good Friday

April 7, 2023 at 7pm

Will will remember Jesus’ sacrifices and unwavering love for us. It will be wonderful to worship, collaborate, and reunite with our friends from Japanese Baptist Church. Join us at 6pm for a simple soup supper meal.

Easter Sunday

April 9, 2023 at 10am

Celebrate the resurrected Christ with song and word! Bring flowers for the flowering of the Cross before worship. Children and youth are invited to an Easter Egg Hunt in the Social Hall.

Peace to you during this Lenten and Easter season. My prayer: may your life be transformed by the new life of Jesus, by God’s justice, by God’s love and passion, and by this truth: Alleluia, Christ is risen! The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia!

More news from our Senior Pastor

For the first time in a long time, the New Federation of Asian American United Methodist Caucus (NFAAUM) met on March 2, 2023 for a NFAAUM General Assembly Meeting in Nashville, Tenn. at the GCFA Denman Building. This was the first time the group met in person in more than seven years. We discussed a new name change, financial matters an implications and the future of a vibrant church. NFAAUM is one of the five officially recognized racial ethnic caucuses of The United Methodist Church and seeks to empower and advocate on behalf of Asian American United Methodist laity, clergy, local congregations, and ministries at all levels of The United Methodist Church. Rev. Karen is the chair of the National Japanese American United Methodist Caucus.

Coming Soon!

This story can be found in our April edition of the Beacon!

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The Ordination Journey Comments Off on The Ordination Journey

The Ordination Journey

Posted by on Mar 12, 2023 in Church News & Events, Pastors' Columns

The Blaine Memorial UMC congregation raise hands and pray over Pastor Mia as she embarks on a week of interviews with the Oregon-Idaho Conference’s Board of Ordained Ministries – as they will determine if she will move forward with the ordination process.

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What is God seeking? Comments Off on What is God seeking?

What is God seeking?

Posted by on Mar 9, 2023 in Church News & Events, Lenten Season, Pastors' Columns

Lent, Spring, Sukiyaki: What is God Seeking?

By Rev. Karen Yokota Love, Senior Pastor

There are clear signs that Spring is approaching as cherry blossoms bloom sparsely among the trees in the neighborhood. Spring screams renewal, regeneration, and new beginnings, with a sudden burst of fresh energy, after the carefully considered and controlled conservations of winter. However, I feel a great sense of tension. American musician Henry Collins once said, “In winter, I plot and plan. In spring, I move.” Blaine Memorial continues to be a vibrant place with new ideas and ministry activities, while reviving much loved events hosted prior to 2020. 

After a three-year hiatus, our Sukiyaki Benefit Fundraiser will return to Blaine Memorial UMC on Saturday, April 29 from 2pm-6pm, take-out only. This year’s benefit recipient will be the Rainier Valley Food Bank. Invite your family and friends for a delicious homemade meal!

As we enter the second week of Lent, I hope it is meaningful for you. Just as Jesus prepared for ministry through prayer and fasting for 40 days, we have sought to further open ourselves to God’s presence, work, and vision for us and for this world. Our Lenten programs are yielding the fruit of the Spirit in the lives of those who are participating in-person, online, through service or by way of prayer and support.

This year’s Lenten theme is “Seeking: honest questions for deeper faith”. We’ll continue to use Lectionary A which offers us many stories of Jesus encountering people who are seeking: 

• Nicodemus comes to him in the veil of night

• Jesus approaches a Samaritan woman at a well

• Jesus heals a man born without sight 

In these stories, each person is seeking a new beginning, a different life, and a deeper faith. Often, an unveiling occurs — assumptions are disrupted, a new perspective is revealed, mystery grows. This year’s Lenten series is founded on many questions. Some feel restorative (Can these bones live?). Some feel like a charge or challenge (Who will you listen to?). Some questions are hopeful and curious (How do we begin again?). Our questions won’t necessarily lead to answers, but they can help us find clarity and a new perspective. Ultimately, we pray they lead to a new beginning, a restoration, and a wider grace.

We are also seeking many things: clarity, connection, wonder, justice, balance. We are seeking our calling, the sacred, and how to live as a disciple. During the last few years, many of us have asked big questions about our lives and our faith. If you are returning to church, you probably have more questions and a critical lens. We hope this series will help unpack some of those questions in honest and faithful ways. We hope you will continually ask yourself, “What am I seeking? What is God seeking?”

Blaine Memorial continues to seek answers and dig deeper into our faith as the Reconciling Ministries (RM) Team continues to offer safe spaces for conversations about human sexuality. The RM Team will facilitate a 3-part Bible Study about Reconciling Ministries on March 15, March 22, and April 5 from 7pm-8:30pm. Subscribe to our weekly emails for updates.

Rev. Karen having fun with our youth on Palm Sunday 2022.

Save the Dates for Holy Week in early April: 

• Palm Sunday Service, April 2, 10am: We will have a procession of palm leaves into the Sanctuary.

• Good Friday Service, April 7, 7pm: Join us at Blaine Memorial as we collaborate with Japanese Baptist Church as we reflect on how Jesus bore the full brunt of our violence, sin, weaknesses, and pain. A simple soup supper in the Social Hall will be at 6pm. 

• Easter Sunday Service, April 9, 10am: Celebrate and worship God’s love, grace, new life, and the miracle of the resurrection! We’ll have the flowering of the cross and an Easter Egg Hunt for our children and youth! 

Rev. Karen, Rev. Angeline Lau (JBC), Rev. Mia and Rev. Samuel Kim (JBC) at Japanese Baptist Church on Good Friday 2022.

We invite you to engage in the spiritual practice of seeking during Lent. Stay curious, open, and nimble. Soften your assumptions and expand your perspectives. We pray that these questions will create a safe space to explore — to be drawn more deeply into the fullness of life, into the heart of God. 

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