2026-11-05
Brooke Strong
The Word Among Us
A Weekly Note from Pastor Michael
Love Comes Prepared
Thursday, November 4, 2026
The Federated Church of Chagrin Falls
What does it mean to be ready?
(I’m trying hard not to ask that question in the voice I use to talk to my ten-year-old as we head out the door to meet the day.)
This Sunday, we turn to one of Jesus’ more curious parables: ten bridesmaids waiting for the arrival of a bridegroom. All ten have lamps, and all ten grow tired and fall asleep. But when the bridegroom finally arrives, only five are prepared to welcome him.
Jesus concludes the parable with these famous words of instruction: “Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
But notice something peculiar. All ten bridesmaids fell asleep. The contrast in the parable is not about who stayed awake. It is about those who had prepared for the unexpected.
Preparation, it turns out, is not simply about anticipating what might happen. It’s an act of love. I think Jesus’ parable of the prepared bridesmaids is about becoming the kind of people who know how to respond when love is needed.
Throughout this Pentecost season, we’ve been asking what kind of people God is calling us to become. Now, as we approach Advent, Jesus invites us to consider what we’re preparing for.
At Federated, we’re beginning important conversations about becoming a sanctuary people. Certainly, this means establishing boundaries, practicing accountability, and protecting vulnerable people. But our calling reaches beyond preventing harm. We’re not simply trying to create a world where fewer things go wrong. We’re participating in God’s work of making the world right. God’s love is taking on flesh among us.
A sanctuary is not merely a place where people are safe. It is a place where people can belong, grow, flourish, and discover the fullness of life together.
The bridesmaids, after all, weren’t preparing for a disaster. They were preparing for a wedding feast.
Perhaps that is what Jesus wants us to remember. We practice courage, compassion, care, and justice not merely because the world is dangerous, but because the world is beloved.
And love, if it is to become more than good intentions, requires practice.
Love comes prepared.
I hope you’ll join us this Sunday as we continue discovering what it means to become a people ready to welcome the world God is bringing into being.
In the Ever Unfolding Love of God,
Rev. Michael Howard
Preparing for Sunday
Scripture: Matthew 25:1–13
As you read the passage this week, consider these questions:
- What is the difference between intending to do something good and being prepared to do it?
- What habits and practices help us become people our neighbors can count on?
- If God’s promised future is a world of justice, belonging, and abundant life, how might we begin practicing that future together today?
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