ベサニー・キリスト教会

After nearly a year I have finally been able to solve a major problem at the Mt. Makio rock climbing area.

Mountain climbers and rock climbers have different goals. A mountain climber has the goal of climbing a certain peak. A rock climber, on the other hand, often has the goal of solving a certain climbing problem. This problem may involve only a few feet of rock or it may involve hundreds of feet. At any rate, the rock climber has to figure out how to get up that certain section of rock. Interestinly, many mathematicians are also rock climbers. They seem to use the same brain cells for thier mathematics as they do in figuring out moves on rock. As I am not a mathematician maybe that is why this particular problem has taken me so long to solve !

The problem I set out to solve about a year ago is a rock formation called the Chimney. The name needs no explanation-the climb involves climbing a tube of rock shaped like a chimney. However, this formation is located way at the top of the rock climbing area and so getting used to the hight alone took some time. Then I had to figure out the moves involved in actually climbing this route. About once a month, starting about a year ago, I have working on this section of rock. Overall it is about 120 (40 meters) feet of climbing. The first section was quite easy and the second section was just a mattter of getting used to the hight. However, the last two sections were a real bear. The moves were few and far apart and a lot of time it seemed that the only thing that would work would be basic friction rather than actual holds-not a happy propect when you are way up high ! However, I finally was able to figure it all out and have now climbed the entire route several times. There is something very exciting about climbing a route that has taken that long to figure out. The hight is always the same so it is always scary but of course that is what make is special.

I suppose in time I will start working on other even harder problems but for now I am just happy to have solved the problem of the Mt. Makio Chimney and plan on enjoying climbing it for some time to come.

Reiko and I just got back from three days in Nagasaki. I found it to be one of the most unique Japanese cities that I have ever been in. The main reason is that one of the major attractions of the city is the city's churches. In fact, the first place that many tourists first visit would be the Oura Tenshudo Church which was constructed in 1864 to honor the 26 martyrs of Nagasaki. These 26 Christians were arrested for their faith in Kyoto and then marched to Nagasaki in the middle of the winter for the express purpose of seeing them all die on 26 crosses waiting for them there. The youngest was only 12 while the oldest believer was 61 years old.

Another place that a tourist might decide to make the first place to visit is the monument that stands in honor of these 26 believers. In fact, throughout the city of Nagasaki these 26 martyrs seemed to either follow us or be waiting for us.

The last church that we visited was the Urakami Tenshudo Church-another spot that most tourists visit. Our first reaction was very negative-it just seemed like a large modern church. However, things are often not what they seem on the surface. The Christians of the Urakami area went underground for 200 years while Christianity was banned. When they were free to surface the first thing that they did was to build the largest Catholic Church in East Asia.with their own hands. This was their way of expressing their faith. All the persecution in the world could not stop them from believing in and following the true God. However, on August 9, 1945 the A-bomb was dropped on Nagasaki and totally destroyed the church. Again, the first thing that the Urakami believers did after the war was to rebuild their beloved church. Their message was that neither persecution nor A-bombs could destroy their faith in God ! And so, even though it is a modern building, it is a church with great meaning

And of course besides the famous 26 martyrs were many many others who gave thier life for their faith. In each case, the message was the same. Believing in and following Jesus was more important than life itself. The confession, "I believe in Jesus Christ" was the road to physical death while the confession, "I renounce Jesus Christ" was the way to physical life. I am now fighting cancer but it is simply a sickness that has come upon me which I need to accept while the believers of Nagasaki of their own free will chose suffering and death. This was a great challenge to me.

On our last evening in Nagasaki, Reiko and I visited the church next to the Oura Tenshudo. This was a church built for prayer here and now rather than looking back to the past. We enjoyed a time of prayer and meditation there. Again, I was amazed at the city of Nagasaki. A Japanese city with a unique message-To die for Christ is the way to Eternal Life. I am sure that all the students and young people who visit this city are forced to think about what is most important to them. Is there anything that they believe in that is worth giving up their life for? And of course those most basic questions of all-Does God really exist? and Who is Jesus Christ? Is He really the Son of God and our Savior from sin?

On our last day in Nagasaki we got into our taxi to go to the train station and found out that our taxi driver was a Christian. In his taxi he has a book that listed every one of the churches in the city and we spent most of our time talking about Christianity and faith. Only in Nagasaki would such a thing happen! I trust that God will use this city to challenge people about the importance of faith in God and the importance of Eternal Values.

On Sunday the 21st we will be holding a special English Service here at 4 pm. Our special speaker will be STEVE KNUDTSEN who is Bethany's Asian Director. Steve now lives and works in the Philippines. Mr. Tsuchiya will be traslating so even if you do not know a lot of English, please feel free to join us for this service. After the service we will have a time of fellowship with coffee and cookies-that should be a lot of fun also !

Steve will also be speaking at our regular morning church service at 10:30 am. Normally, our service is all in Japanese but Steve will be speaking in English with Paul Sunde translating so even if you do not know Japanese this might be a good chance to attend a Japanese church.

All of us at Bethany Christian Church welcome your attendance. Looking forward to seeing you then.

Let no one apologize for the powerful emphasis Christianity lays upon the doctrine of the world to come. Right there lies its immense superiority to everything else within the whole sphere of human thought or experience....We do well to think of the long tomorrow.

A.W. Tozer

キリスト者として

わたしが救いを経験した時の感動は衝撃的でした。
心にずっとポッカリとあいた場所があってその場所は
何にも埋める事は出来ませんでした。
物、出来事、家族…
なんで？なんで？わからん？
わたしの何が悪いの？
教会に通い出したある日。
家で掃除機をかけてたら涙がボロボロ出てきました。

マタイ２７：４６
三時ごろ、イエスは大声で、「エリ、エリ、レマ、サバタクニ」と
叫ばれた。
これは、「わが神、わが神。どうしてわたしをお見捨てになったの
ですか」という意味である。

その時この、みことばが飛び込んで来ました。
神さま。ありがとう。
イエスさま。こんな私の為に。ごめんなさい。
神さまの愛を心から感謝した瞬間でした。

ヨハネ３：１６
神は、実に、そのひとり子をお与えになったほどに、世を愛された。
それは御子を信じる者が、ひとりとして滅びることなく、
永遠のいのちを持つためである。

その時から、この感動を家族、友人、先輩、後輩。
みんなに経験して欲しい！
その一心でした。

箴言１９：２
熱心だけで知識のないのはよくない。
急ぎ足の者はつまづく。

あらゆる所であらゆる人に神さまの話しをしてました。

箴言１６：２－３
人は自分の行いがことごとく純粋だと思う。
しかし主は人のたましいの値うちをはかられる。
あなたのしようとすることを主にゆだねよ。
そうすれば、あなたの計画はゆるがない。

神さまの事を知って欲しいと言う自分の欲だった様に思います。
本当に１人でも多くの人に神さまを知って欲しい。
その思いは変わらないけど私の思いではなく神さまのみこころを
伝える事が出来る者となりたいと願います。

テモテ２：１
そこで、まず初めに、このことを勧めます。
すべての人のために、また王とすべての高い地位にある人たちのた
めに願い祈り、
とりなし、感謝がささげられるようにしなさい。

祈りながら過ごす事を出来る自分でありたいと願います。
そして神さまの事を安全な環境で思える立場に。
教会、周りの人、家族を与えて下さった事を感謝します。

どうか、この気持ちを忘れないようにと願います。

mck

mckさんのみ言葉に裏付けられた証し、感動しました！ありがとう！ クリスチャンにとって神様に語られる事ほど感謝な事はありませんね。「わたしの羊はわたしの声を聞き分けます。またわたしは彼らを知っています。そして彼らはわたしについてきます。ヨハネの福音書10：27」 今日もイエス様のお声に従って歩いていけますように。

Reiko

8月の末、自転車で走行中、遊歩道のポールにぶつかり右足親指骨折というアクシデントに見まわれました。
今回が初めての怪我ではなく、２年前にも自転車での左手親指靭帯断裂の怪我を体験し、それから遡ること２年前（2003年）
には乳癌の手術と２年おきの災難続きに見まわれましたが、今回の骨折は前回体験した試練より何倍も深い痛みを体験しました。
まさしく骨折に伴う身体の痛みだけでなく、何度もこの身に起こる試練に今回はさらに霊的な痛みが加わりました。
神様がとても遠くに感じられ、私の存在も否定的になり悲愴感に苛まれました。でも神様は弱った信仰も心も体も全てご存知でした。
神様は今まで以上に祈りの機会を与えようと導いておられるようでもっと近づきなさいと語られているようでした。何度も体験した試練の中にあっても癒しがありました。大きな禍からも遠ざけてくださる主の御臨在があります事ももう一度
今回の怪我を通して神様の憐れみと信仰の油そそぎを頂きました。またたくさんの「気づき」も頂きました。
詩篇77　10～12　そのとき私は言った。「私の弱いのはいと高き方の右の手が変わったことによる。」
私は主のみわざを思い起こそう。まことに、昔からのあなたの奇しいをわざを思い起こそう。
私は、あなたのなさったすべてのことに思いを巡らし、あなたのみわざを、静かに考えよう。

この御言葉に平安と力を頂き、さらにこの御言葉に大きな慰めを頂ました。

コリントⅡ12　9　しかし、主は「わたしの恵みは、あなたに十分である。というのは、わたし
の力は弱さのうちに現れるからです。

ご報告が遅くなりました。ハレルヤと喜びをお知らせします。

9月26日、ギブスが外れました。4週間でギブスが取れるとは思ってもみなかｌった経緯にまさにハレルヤと感謝を叫びました。
主の癒しの御業はそればかりではなく骨折して１週間めからももう現れました。特に１週間～２週間は骨折した部位は
ずれ易いとのことでしたがそれも全て守られました。
主の癒しの導きは人知をはるかに越え、試練の中をはるかに越えた主の恵みがあり、信仰の歩みを確かなものへと
導き共にいて下さる主の栄光があります。


この骨折に際して，多くの癒しと執り成しのお祈りを捧げてくださいました事心から感謝申し上げます

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