A child flinches as the verdict is delivered: “Go to your room!” Punishment has been pronounced. Freedom is revoked. Solitary confinement begins.

And yet, the irony is hard to miss. The “room” of punishment is often the very place of comfort. A familiar space. A safe space. Still, the command carries weight. It lingers in the air like a sentence.

Truth be told, our lives are filled with rooms.
A bedroom for rest.
A classroom for learning.
A waiting room where patience is tested.
A green room where performers gather before stepping into the spotlight.
And, when traveling, we might even splurge on a room with a view.

Rooms, more often than not, are places of refuge. Spaces of comfort and safety. Outside of childhood discipline, being sent to a room is not usually a bad thing.

In fact, Scripture leans into that very image. In John 14:2, we hear words often spoken at funerals:
“My Father’s house has many rooms… I go to prepare a place for you.”

Jesus offers not punishment, but promise. Not exile, but welcome. A room prepared with care.

After the crucifixion, the disciples gathered behind locked doors in an upper room, afraid and uncertain. It was there, in that very space, that the risen Christ appeared among them and spoke words that still echo today: “Peace be with you.”

The room became more than shelter. It became a place of encounter. A place where fear met grace.

This Sunday, May 3, at 9:30 AM, we invite you into a room of your own. The sanctuary. A sacred space set apart for prayer, praise, and peace.

So come without hesitation. No fear. No dread.

This time, the invitation sounds a little different: Go to your room… the Lord’s room.

Blessings,

Pastor Marc