ベサニー・キリスト教会

Just a few days before leaving Japan for the US, I discovered this classic Amreican Primitive Guitar CD at Tower Records in Namba. It has been un-available for many years but this year it has once again seen the light of day. This CD is as good an introduction to American Primitive Guitar and to the music of John Fahey as anything I know. I especially liked his rendition of "Life Is Like A Mountain Railroad".I would strongly recommend going out and buying this CD while it is available.

Today I was able to take my last test at Mount Memorial Hospital. With the completion of this test my doctors will now have all of the information that they need to set up a schedule for my surgery and therapy. On Monday the 10th I will meet with my doctor at 1pm and we will go over all of the data about my condition and will decide what to do about surgery and chemotherapy and radiation therapy. So, please pray for good results from the tests and for wisdom in deciding how best to treat my cancer.

Also please pray for wisdom in the timing of my return to Japan. I of course want to return as soon as possible but I need to at the same time do all that must be done here in the States.

Today, Reiko and I met with my doctor and set a date for surgery. The date is September 27th. Please pray for my doctor and for my surgery. Also please continue to pray for Reiko and I as we move towards this important date. The surgery should be straight forward so I can hopefully return to Japan quite soon afterwards. I am looking forward to seeing all of you in Japan soon.

Christianity was first introduced to Japan by the Nestorians around the same time or before Buddhism was. In spite of this early introduction to Japan, there seems to be hardly any Christian influence remaining from those days. Why is this? Carl F. H. Henry offers an explanation in his book, "God, Revelation, and Authority Volume III". He says, "The gospel has taken poor root, and the life of faith has become vulnerable to many vagaries, wherever and whenever the church has lagged in translating the Bible into the language of the people.This was the case when the Nestorians carried the gospel across Asia to China but neglected Scripture translation."

As a result, the fact that the Nestorians brought the gospel to Japan is known, but not one word of Christian teaching or of the Christian gospel or of the Bible remains in Japan from that age.

This is in contrast to the Roman Catholic Church which brought Christianity to Japan in the 1500s. As a result of Christian teaching and portions of the Bible being available in Japanese, Japan was on the verge of becoming a Christian country. In reaction to this, the Japanese government expelled all foreigners and outlawed Christianity for nearly 400 years. During those 400 years there were still Christians who did not give up their faith and their influence remains to this day.

Which all shows how important the Bible-the Word of God-is for our faith and for the church in Japan. It would seem that the life of the church in Japan would depend on the extent to which the Bible-the Word of God-is believed and followed.

アメリカからお便りします！いつも主人の為に尊いお祈りを心から感謝します！様々な検査を終えて、ようやく主人の手術の日が決まりました！９月２７日の午後一時からです。日本時間では、２８日の午前2時です。ベッドに入る前に覚えてお祈り下されば幸いです。また、それまでの間、体調が整えられますようにお祈りよろしくお願いします。まだまだ日本は暑さが続いているのでしょうか？お一人一人の体調も守られますようにお祈りしています。(レイ子)

久しぶりに登場です！レイ子牧師夫人のエントリーを読み、ホームシックの気分でした。遠くアメリカに居られる牧師夫妻こそ、ホームシックを感じている頃かもしれないのに、「ああ、早く元気な笑顔に会いたい」と思うと、胸キュンでした。（＾＾；）

さて、先週の礼拝は、河内長野NLCの春名副牧師のメッセージと聖餐式で祝福を受けました。「とりなしの祈り」の大切さを各々の心につよく覚えて帰路につきました。今週の礼拝の、同じく河内長野NLCの三堂兄の奨励では、「祈りは神様が私達に与えてくださった特権・神様との会話手段」であることを感謝をもって受け取りました。

礼拝後は今週２２日に転居されるY夫妻との名残惜しいお別れの後、数名が会堂に残っていたら、三堂兄の福音マジックを見せていただけることになり、とってもラッキーでした（＾＾）。観客がずいぶん盛り上がってましたよ（笑）

毎週水曜日は午後２時から会堂で、夜８時から中本宅で、祈祷会をもっていましたが、夜の祈祷会は、隔週で教会の会堂に集まり特別祈祷会をもつことになりました。H姉方達が中心になってご奉仕してくださっています。特に牧師夫妻の安全と癒しと平安を祈っています。報告は次回しますね。
昼の祈祷会の様子は、Y.K.姉の言葉をお借りして：

「祈り会（お昼）は、だいたい5-6人で集まっています。　賛美がギター奏者の技術不足のため、みなさんのリクエストを聞くことができず、残念です。　司会者を順番に決めて、それぞれが1週間で受けた恵みや教えられたことの分かち合いをしています。　先生たちがアメリカに行かれて1ヶ月半、毎回休むことなく、祈りのときをもてていることがとても感謝です。　あとのおしゃべりは、いつもよりパワフルで、気づくと6時ってなことも多いです。　楽しく有意義に過ごしています。そんなかんじかな。」

みなさん、ぜひ教会に集ってください。元気に癒されますよ。

真弓