The first church service at Bethany Church was in 1980. However, the seeds for this work were planted in 1974 and 1975 at the Omega Coffeehouse in Umeda. My original vision for evangelism in Japan was not through a church but through a Christian coffeehouse.
Over a dozen young Christians from various local Osaka churches joined me in this venture. However it was not long lived and I realized that God was calling me to a more traditional type of outreach-in other words church planting and pastoring.
However, to go from running a Christian coffeehouse to pastoring a church is not an easy process. I am forever thankful that this group of young Christians that gathered at the Omega coninued to support me with prayer and advice and all manner of other help. As a result, in 1980 I was able to start the Bethany Christian Church. However, the Omega people continued to pray for and support Reiko and I. and this support has continued to the present.
One of our main co-workers at the Omega was Shin Chan. He is a Christian Singer/Songwriter and often gave lived gospel concerts at the Omega. Last week he called me up and suggested that we get together to record some of the songs that we used to sing back in the 70s.
And so, yesterday, he brought all his recording equipment and we set up a bit of a recording studeo in our upstairs spare room. We ended up recording 4 songs.
The first was "Glory Glory". This was a song that really sustained me throught the first 2 or 3 years of my missionary work. It is a simple song that I could sing anytime to encourage myself and also if I was placed in front of a crowd of people I could alwasy share a bit about my relationship with Jesus Christ and then sing this song. Besides Shin Chan and I we also got Reiko to join in on this song.
The second song ended up being a secular song-"Country Roads" of John Denver fame. It was a song we sang an awful lot back then and so decided to record it even though it is not a gospel song.
The third song we recorded was "Since I Opened uo the Door" by Lovesong. The only problem was we could not remember neither the melody nor the words! I went searching and found an old tape with the song in Japanese. Through that tape we were able to remember the melody and also the English words of the chorus. So, we recorded it in Japanese with the chorus in English.
Finally, as kind of an afterthought, I recorded "I've Got Peace Like a River"-another simple song that we sang often at various and sundry meetings.
Recording these songs was a wonderful experience as it was a chance to think back about all the help and guidance that God has given us over the years. All the members of the Omega group are serving God in the place where He has put them. It is wonderful to realize that God is alive and He never stops working-the same God who was working in the 70s is now working in 2008. Praise the Lord!
When I came to Japan as a missionary in 1973 I had no idea what Golden Week was. Either the term was not used in the 50s and 60s when I was living in Shiga Prefecture or it just had no relationship to the Sunde family schedule. At any rate I had no knowledge of Golden Week-usually spoken of as GW.
What Golden Week is is a period of time in Japan where there are so many national holidays that the whole work force pretty much takes it easy for a week. The holidays are April 29th, May 3rd, May 4th, May 5th, and May 6th.
Whap happens during Golden Week? Basically, people that can afford it take long trips while others take in a lot of day trips or just spend their time taking it easy at home I have done all of the above. Some years ago, Reiko and I and the Dugan family took a very nice trip to the Shinshu area of Japan during GW. Shinshu is kind of like Minnesota and so it was a lot of fun.
This year, so far, I only have one special event in my schedule. On the 1st, Shin Chan, who I used to do music ministry with back in the 70s, will be coming over and we hope to do some music together and actually do some recording if possible.
Many years on the 3rd of May I head to Mt. Kongo for their annual awards ceremony. Last year, I received an award for climbing Mt. Kongo 1500 times. My friend and fellow Bethany Church member, Mr. K, received a medal for climbing 100 times. I may or may not make it this year. Interestingly, because Mt. Kongo is over 1,000 meters high, the cherry blossoms are in full bloom on the 3rd so that event is known as the Mt. Kongo Cherry Blossom Festival.
At any rate, if you know people in Japan and are having a hard time contacting them, it is probably because of GW. Wait a week and try again and they will be back on the job..
"The flesh and the Spirit are the two powers. Under the rule of either, every act is done. Let our every step be a walk after and through the Spirit." page 190 of The Spirit of Christ
Amen
"The flesh and the Spirit are the two powers. Under the rule of either, every act is done. Let our every step be a walk after and through the Spirit." page 190 of The Spirit of Christ
Amen
It is that time of year again! This morning I just could not get myself to head in the direction of Mt. Kongo.It is still cold and the leaves are not yet out at the peak.
Instead, I took down my rock climbing shoes and headed off towards Mt. Makio. There, all the leaves were out and the late cherry blossoms were in full bloom. The sky was blue and the sun was warm-a perfect day to start the 2008 rock climbing season.
Because of my weak body, it took me a bit of time to get to the main rock climbing area. However, that was just more time to enjoy the scenery and to take pictures. The rock was just like I remembered it from last year-nice and dry and just waiting to be climbed.
I had a very enjoyable climb up to the main ledge where I enjoyed the view and a cup of coffee for a long long time. I then headed up to the peak to again enjoy the breeze and the view and a second cup of coffee.
I'm sure I will still continue to climb Mt. Kongo but at the same time I am pretty sure that when the weather is good, I will mostly be climbing the rocks at Mt. Makio. After the snow and the cold it is great to enjoy a different kind of mountain and a different kind of climbing.
"The really hard life is the one lived in opposition to Jesus' path. All you need to do is to look at how hard life is for folks who cannot forgive others, who desperately need to be the focus of attention, who have to be in control of everything, who are driven to succeed to prove they are significant. This is the hard life, not the life of self-denial. As one gets good at self-deial for the Kingdom, life gets prgressively easier."
Page 148 of "Kingdom Triangle"
On the 8th of April, Reiko and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary by taking a three day trip to Okinawa. It was a wonderful three days of relaxing and thanking the Lord for all these years together.
However, I realized that it was also my 30th anniversary of being involved in Christian Church work here in Japan. I had at first been involved in youth ministry and also in music. However, God clearly spoke to me that the need in Japan was for more churches and that church planting and pastoring was what I was to do. When I was younger, I had decided that being a missionary was the one thing I would not do. However, if I did become a missionary, Japan was the one country I was going to avoid. Finally, if in spite of everything I became a missionary to Japan, church planting and pastoring was the one thing I would not do.Well, God had other plans and in 1978 I gladly entered into my new ministry of church planting and pastoring.
It has been a wonderful 30 years and I can see God's grace throughout. Of course there have been many battles to fight. 20 years ago I had my first fight with cancer and now I am in the midst of the second round. Developing local leadership in the church has taken time and I have made many mistakes. But, overall, more than my mistakes and more than any hard times the church may have gone through, these 30 years have seen the guidance and the power and the grace of God at work.
I am looking forward to God's continuing guidance and can't wait to see what God has in store for me and for the church in the next 30 years. Praise be to God!
Romans 1:16-17
After 30 years Mark Fosson has finally decided to release the album he recorded in 1976 and 1977. At the time, Mark was working with John Fahey and his record was supposed to be a Takoma Records release. However, things did not work out and the master tapes have been sitting in Mark's garage ever since!
They would have stayed there if it were not for Mark's cousin, Tiffany Anders. When she heard that he know John Fahey and had actually made a record she strongly encouraged him to release those recordings. They are now released as "The Lost Takoma Sessions" and are a great example of American Primitive Guitar.
Mark seems to play a Martin 12 string that was bought for him by John Fahey. It seems he used to open for John and so his music has that "Takoma" sound to it.
If you want to listen to some genuine American Primitive Guitar I would strongly recommend "The Lost Takoma Sessions" by Mark Fosson. Happy Listening!
For most people in Japan the appearance of the cherry blossoms is a sign of spring. However, for me, it reminds me that the last snow of the season is probsbly falling up on the peak of Mt. Kongo. This year was no exception. Today (March31) the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. However, as I headed toward Mt. Kongo the weather slowly changed and by the time I got to the parking lot all I could see was fog.
As I started walking toward the peak, the wet ground first turned to slush and then slowly grew whiter and a snowscape started to appear. The closer I got to the peak the more snow I saw and then it actually started to snow. It was strange watching the snow come down knowing that back in Sakai City the sun was shining and people were enjoying cherry blossom viewing.
When I finally reached the peak the temperature was exactly 0. Needless to say, sitting by the stove in the coffeehouse felt awful good. I had brought a book along and so as I drank coffee made with local Mt. Kongo water I enjoyed a nice long rest.
I suspect that this might be the last snow I will see this season and so I am happy that my health and schedule allowed me to enjoy this last sight of, not white cherry blossoms, but white snow on bare tree branches.
It was in the early 70s that I was first introduced to the idea of a "worldview" by Francis Schaeffer. As a result I have tried to develop a consitant Christian worldview for myself and have tried to understand the worldviews of others. However, I am ashamed to admit that I only recently read "The Universe Next Door" even though it was first published in 1973 and is the premier textbook on worldviews. Over 250, 000 copies have been printed so far
In this book, James Sire tells us what kinds of questions need to be answered when looking at a worldview. He covers most of the modern worldviews that we would come into contact with. He covers Christian theism, deism, naturalism, nihilism, existentialism, Eastern panthiestic monism, New Age philosophy, and postmodernism. Because of recent events, I would hope that in future revised editions he might also cover Islam as a major worldview held by a great number of people today.
It is important to realize that we all hold a worldview whether or not we think in those terms or not. James Sire has written a great book to help us understand our own worldview and also the worldviews of others. I would strongly encourage you all to read this important book.
Next to our Chrismas Serice, our Easter Service is no doubt our biggest yearly service. While Christmas is a household word in Japan, Easter is hardly known at all. However, I am thankful that those who are Christains are aware of the centrality of Easter to our faith and our Easter Service is always a time for our church members to once more think about the wonderful power of God that raised Jesus from the dead.
Whenever possible, at Easter, we try to schedule a baptism and 2008 was no exception. Mr. M was able to share his testimony and be baptized in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost. Mr. M mainly came to faith in Christ through reading the Bible-first the New Testament and later the Old Testament. As is often the case, it took a lot of courage and the grace of God to cross the thresshold of the church but Mr. M was able to do so and as a result we were able to welcome into our church membership. If some of you have not been able to hear his testimony, I would urge you to borrow the CD from the church.
After our Easter Service and lunch we all went to our church gravesite for a simple service of praise and thanksgiving there.We were joined by the members of our sister church, the New Life Church of Kawachinagano and a wonderful time of fellowship was had by all. We were worried about the weather but our service started at 2:30 under a cloudy sky but with no rain. We ended at 3:00 and enjoyed coffee and tea and talking together till 3:30 when it started to rain and this seemed to be a clear sign that our Easter schedule for 2008 should end.
For myself, Easter was quite a challenge as I was fighting a fever the whole week before. However, by God's grace I was able to preach and baptize Mr. M and also share at the gravesite service.
Let me close with the words we read in church at our service.
"He is not here, for He is risen, as He said." Matthew 28:6
If there is one lesson the believer needs to learn, who would enjoy the full indwelling of the Spirit, it is the one taught so forcefully in this passage: that the law, the flesh, and self-effort are all utterly useless in enabling us to serve God. It is the Spirit within, taking the place of the law without, that leads us into the liberty whereby Christ has made us free. "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."
page 118 of "The Spirit of Christ" by Andrew Murray
It was over 20 years ago that I first heard of the guitarist Daniel Hecht and of the album "Willow". Every time I went to a record store here in Japan I would look for this album but never could find it. Finally, now, I have been able to obtain a copy of the CD and have really enjoyed finally hearing this fine artist.
Willow was put out as one of the first Windom Hill albums. Early Windom Hill and American Primitive Guitar are basically the same. In fact, Will Ackerman's first album, "In Search of the Turtle's Navel" was thought to really be a John Fahey album as John would often invent new names for himself and was into turtles in a big way. As to Daniel Hecht's style of playing he sounds just like early Alex deGrassi. (Turning: Turning Back) (Slow Circle)
Daniel Hecht has a background in classical guitar and that shows I guess. Early in his career he came down with psoriasis and this basically ended his guitar playiing. He is now an author.
Even though the album "Willow" is only available second hard I strongly recommend it-give it a listen if you have the chance,
The Bible is an extensive collection of literature that, when taken together, presents the story Christians call the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Christians believe this book is inspired by God and interpreted by the Spirit of God, but it remains a book written by human authors and understood primarily in the obvious ways we approach any literature. The message of the Bible answers the biggest, most important and most vital of life's questions and proclaims God's saving message to all persons. The rich literary contents of the Bible can occupy anyone with much study, but in its basic message-its essential, Christ-centered message-there is a remarkable directness and brevity. You do not have to be an expert on first century Judaism or the sociology of sacrificial systems to understand the Bible. The message is ably summerized in the Gospels and elsewhere in the New Testament. Even a child can understand it, believe it and live it.
From a recent post on Michael Spencer's blog
Amen!
First of all, thank you so much for all of your prayers and encouragement-Reiko and I really appreciate it.
On the 4th of March I had a CT scan taken and the results were very good. The cancer has not spread at all. PTL! My blood test that day was also very very good and so my doctor was in good spirits. I was able to have my normal chemotherapy treatment that day and things went smoothly. Some weeks ago I fell into shock as a result of one of the drugs used in my treatment but that drug has been identified and removed from the mix so I can continue with the FOLFOX treatment minus that one drug.
I have been gaining weight and my appetite is good. I have no pain though overall I am weak. I still try to get to Mt. Kongo for exercise every week though I have to walk slowly and take things easy. I have bee slowly doing more things with the church. I am now doing a weekly Bible Study in preparation for our Easter baptism service.
My daily verse is 2 Corinthians 4:16 and I am really experiencing the truth found in that verse-daily God is re-newing my inner man. PTL!
Thanks again for all of your prayers-I trust you will continue to remember me in that way.
On February 24th, 2008, Larry Norman went to be with His Lord. After a long fight with heart trouble the cause of his death was heart failure.
Larry Norman was a great challenge to me in the early 70s when I was still a student. His music and his articles in the Hollywood Free Paper (put out by Duane Pederson in L.A.) always encouraged my faith and challenged me to be a better Christian and to reach my generation for Christ.
Larry Norman is known as the Father of Christian Rock and also the Father of Christian Contemporary Music. In 2001 he was inducted into the Gospel Music Association's Hall of Fame and in 2007 was inducted into the San Jose Rock Hall of Fame. One of his first records was produced by the same person who produced the Beatles' albums.
In the early 70s I attended the Campus Church which met at the West Bank of the U of M. Larry Norman's wife was a member of the church so often it was Larry who would be the special music during the time that the offering plate was passed. Pastor O'Neill would never introduce Larry and so it was always a pleasant surprise to hear such songs as "I Wish We'd All Been Ready" being sung while the offfering was being taken.
However, many Christians did not like Larry or his music and I am glad that I was able to catch him at least once at a concert in St. Paul. I believe it may have been the best Christian concert I have ever attended. His music was just great-both beating on his old classical guitar and also his piano playing. The mix between his sharing and his singing and his playing was just perfect. Also, he was not someone to disappear after the concert-he simply came down from the stage and had coffee and cookies like everyone else and talked with anyone and everyone. As a result I also was able to at least spend some time talking with him and this made me an even stronger believer in what he was doing.
After those years, Larry tended to be out of the Christian spotlight in a major way but he never lost his initial vision for reaching out to people. Some years ago I know he was in Tokyo singing Christian rock and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I would like to add my voice at this time to the many who are writing tributes to him. I want to say, "Thank you, Larry, for being such a help and challenge to my Christian faith." I trust that even though he is gone, his message will continue to get out to the world through his CDs.
I have never met anyone anywhere like Francis Schaeffer, who took God so passionately seriously, people so passionately seriously, and truth so passionately seriously. The combination was dynamite, and it is that vision and style of faith, rather than the content of his thinking, which is the debt I owe to him. Os Guinness in a recent book review
Let me quote the last sentences from Francis A. Schaeffer's book, "Art and the Bible".
"No work of art is more important the the Christian's own life, and every Christian is called upon to be an artist in this sense. He may have no gift of writing, no gift of composing or singing, but each man has the gift of creativity in terms of the way he lives his life. In this sense, the Christian's life is to be an art work. The Christian's life is to be a thing of truth and also a thing of beauty in the midst of a lost and despairing world."
AMEN!
This is Os Guinness' latest book and he basically is developing a theme that he has already mentioned in a previous book. In his 2005 book on evil, "Unspeakable", he makes the following statement. "I have long been a proponent of the "civil public square", set off clearly from the extremes of the "sacred public square" on one side and the "naked public square" on the other."
This is basically the theme of the whole book-the need for America to have "civil public square". In America now, there are those who call for a "sacred public square". These are people who believe that Protestant Christianity should have "special" treatment" and should have government protection or help. All other groups would be excluded.
There are also those in America today who call for a "naked public square". These are people who believe that ALL religions are bad-probably even "evil" and that all public religious discussion should be banned. These people believe that religion is "private" and must never be allowed to have any impact on public issues.
In "The Case For Civility" Os is calling rather for a "civil public square". That is, he believes that Protestants and Catholics and Jews and Muslims and Mormons and Athiests and Agnostics should ALL be allowed to discuss and share their views publicly in a "civil" manor. The problem now is that rather than freely engaging in discussion, people simply call people in other groups nasty names or simply denounce them as wrong period. Often, there is a great amount of anger and even of hatret involved. When issues of religious freedom come up, rather than engaging in discussion in a civil manner a lawsuit is prepared and the issue is handed to a secular judge to take care of.
In this election year in America this is a timely book and I would recommend reading it and taking to heart the things that Os shares in it.
Last month I visited Tower Records in Namba with no plans to buy anything-just to take a look around. However, I ended up finding a really great CD of American Primitive Guitar players. The CD is put out by the Numero Group and the full name is "N 018 Wayfaring Strangers Guitar Soli". It seems that the guy in charge of the 6th floor of Tower Records is an American Primitive Guitar fan and so there was a large pile of these CDs plus you could listen to them on their stereo there. At any rate, this is a great CD-that is all I can say.
It features 14 artists with one guitar tune each and most of the music is from the 70s. Out of the 14 artists there were two that I was very interested in. One was Daniel Hecht. I have been trying for years to get a copy of his CD "Willow" but have never been successful. I knew that he had quit playing the guitar and was now a successful author but I had no idea why he quit. In the booklet that comes with this CD I read that he came down with psoraisis. I have never heard of this sicknes before but when he played the guitar it took all the skin off of his hands and left them a bloody mess. Needless to say, he gave up the guitar.
The other artist I was interested in was Mark Lang. I have been a long time fan of the Minneapolis based guitarist, Peter Lang. However I did not know that his younger brother, Mark, was also a guitarist.Peter is still playing today but it seems that Mark decided to move out of the music business.
At any rate, if you are a long time fan of American Primitive Guitar, I highly recommend this CD. On the other hand, if you have never heard of American Primitive Guitar, this CD would be a great introduction. It comes with a 40 page booklet that not only tells about each one of the artists but also has articles about American Primitive Guitar and Fingerstyle Guitar plus a list of CDs called "Suggested Listening" which features a good cross section of American Primitive Guitar players. Also the articles mention just about anyone and everyone who is important in the American Primitive Guitar and Fingersyle Guitar world. If you can find this CD, give it a listen.
Let us not forget that violence does not and cannot flourish by itself; it is inevitably intertwined with lying. Between them there is the closest, the most profound and natural bond: nothing screens violence except lies, and the only way lies can can hold out is by violence. Whoever has once announced violence as his method must inevitably choose lies as his principle....The simple act of an ordinary courageous man is not to take part, not to support lies! Let the lie come into the world, even dominate the world, but not through me.
Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Nobel address, 1970
I am now reading Os Guinness' latest book, "The Case For Civility". As I am not done with it yet I cannot give a full report on it but I would like to share one quote of his and comment on that. When I have finished the book I promise to give a full report.
The quote is, "Religious liberty, or freedom of conscience, is a precious, fundamental, and inalienable human right-the right to reach, hold, freely exercise, or change one's beliefs, subject soley to the dictates of conscience and independent of all outside, especially goevernmental, control."
Now, that is a sentence! I am glad that he also added the phrase, "freedom of conscience" because sometimes the phrase, "religious liberty" can be misunderstood. But what religious liberty is all about is freedom to follow your own conscience. I have thought about the importance of our conscience a lot lately. Following God or the leading of the Holy Spirit often comes down to simply following our conscience. Our consceince is the voice of God in our heart that leads us and tells us what is wrong or right.
There are so many other voices out there trying to get our attention-the voice of human approval, the voices of our friends and family, all the things we see and hear on TV and on the Internet, etc. However, when all is said and done, the only voice we are to folllow is the voice of our conscience.
As I often share in church, I am so thankful that at this point in time, there does seem to be true religious liberty in Japan. We are free to meet together on Sunday and to share our faith together. I believe we need to daily thank God for that freedom that we have and to not forget the prime importance of following the voice of our conscience.
When I finishthe book I will write another report.
No news is good news. My chemotherapy treatments are going well. In now have treatments on the 1st Tuesday and the 3rd Tueday every month. The first week usually gets me into bed for a few days but the second week I am usually feeling good enough to climb Mt. Kongo a couple times. Every Saturday you can find me in my office preparing a sermon and on Sundays you can find me preaching. So, I divide my time between sleeping, preaching, and mountain climbing!
On the fourth of March I will have CT scan taken and we will know if the cancer has gotten smaller or not. Please pray for a positive result. PTL
I have always been a big fan of Matsuo Basho. When I visited Tokyo last year I made a point of visiting the site on the Sumida River where his famous hut was located. I had always thought that I like him because he was such a traveler but I have recently come to see that I really like him because of his simple lifestyle lived in his beloved hut by the Sumida River. It was there that he wrote many of his famous "haiku" poems.
The hut was built for him by his students and soon a banana tree was planted outside the hut. Soon, the hut was called the "Basho Hut" or in English the "Banana Hut". Soon, people started calling him Master Basho and that is the nickname that he is now known by throughout the world. Ever since it seems he was interested in the simple life lived in a hut. The original hut was built in 1680 but burned down in 1682. In 1683 a new hut was built for him.
However, the Basho Hut was not the only hut that he lived in and wrote about. In In 1690 he stayed for some time in the "Unreal Hut" near Lake Biwa. In English this hut is also called the "Hut of the Phantom Dwelling" depending on who has translated it. As I grew up near Lake Biwa I am very interested in some day visiting this hut or the site where it was located. Basho wrote an essay about his life there called, "Record of the Hut of the Phantom Dwelling".
In 1691 Basho spent time at yet another hut called the "House of Fallen Persimmons". Here, he wrote "The Saga Diary" and "The Monkey's Cloak" As this site is also located not too far from Osaka I am hoping some day to visit it.
In 1692 the third Basho Hut was built by the Sumida River.
However, it is another Japanese writer that explained more fully the connection between living the Simple Life and having a "hut" to live in. Kamo no Chomei wrote an essay called, "The Record of the Ten-Foot-Square-Hut". Kamo no Chomei lived from 1153 to 1216 and was based in Kyoto. He gives a very direct description of what a "hut" should be like. According to Chomei it should be first of all of course Ten-Foot-Square. Anything bigger and it is too big and can't be called a "hut". He tells us that his hut contained bookshelves for his books,two musical intruments-a koto and a biwa-and his bed of fern fronds. The koto is a Japanese harp while the biwa is more like a lute or a mandolin. At any rate, his idea of the simple life comes down to a room 10 by 10, books, music, and a bed.
Why am I so interested in "huts" and the siimple life? Maybe because I was born in Minnesota. This past Christmas my brother gave me a book called, "Cabins of Minnesota" which I really really enjoyed. In Minnesota we talk about "cabins" rather than "huts". In Japan, the term used is "Yama Goya" which means "Mountain Hut". In Norway they also talk about "huts" and also in Finland the usual term is "hut". But a Minnesota cabin is the same as a Japanese Moutain Hut-the concept is the same.
Well, how do I put this interest in "huts" into practical use in my daily life? Of course on way is to spend time in Japanese "Mountain Huts"-either to rent a log cabin in the mountains for a day and night or for a few days or to accept invitations from friends who actually own "mountain huts" in Japan. We have some good friends-a Japanese pastor and his wife-who own a 10 by 10 mountain hut in Hyoko Prefecture. They often invite us to come and join them for a day of simple living which basically consists of sitting on their deck overlooking the lake for the entire day. They have a stove on the deck so we heat coffee and cook the noon meal there and never have to move. We can enjoy the view and the breeze and freely talk in a way that is hard to do normally.
However, I have a more practical way of living the simple life and that is through my office. My office is just about 10 feet by 10 feet square-Chomei would be proud of me. It contain 2 guitars, a stereo sytem and more than 100 CDs, bookshelves with over 1000 books. a desk, a table, four chairs, and pictures of Japanese mountains on the walls. When I am in my office I feel a great peace and contentment. First thing in the morning I go into my office and spend time reading the Bible and praying and then for the rest of the day it is my place of refuge from a busy and noisy world. This is my concept of living the simple life.
I have always been a big fan of Matsuo Basho. When I visited Tokyo last year I made a point of visiting the site on the Sumida River where his famous hut was located. I had always thought that I like him because he was such a traveler but I have recently come to see that I really like him because of his simple lifestyle lived in his beloved hut by the Sumida River. It was there that he wrote many of his famous "haiku" poems.
The hut was built for him by his students and soon a banana tree was planted outside the hut. Soon, the hut was called the "Basho Hut" or in English the "Banana Hut". Soon, people started calling him Master Basho and that is the nickname that he is now known by throughout the world. Ever since it seems he was interested in the simple life lived in a hut. The original hut was built in 1680 but burned down in 1682. In 1683 a new hut was built for him.
However, the Basho Hut was not the only hut that he lived in and wrote about. In In 1690 he stayed for some time in the "Unreal Hut" near Lake Biwa. In English this hut is also called the "Hut of the Phantom Dwelling" depending on who has translated it. As I grew up near Lake Biwa I am very interested in some day visiting this hut or the site where it was located. Basho wrote an essay about his life there called, "Record of the Hut of the Phantom Dwelling".
In 1691 Basho spent time at yet another hut called the "House of Fallen Persimmons". Here, he wrote "The Saga Diary" and "The Monkey's Cloak" As this site is also located not too far from Osaka I am hoping some day to visit it.
In 1692 the third Basho Hut was built by the Sumida River.
However, it is another Japanese writer that explained more fully the connection between living the Simple Life and having a "hut" to live in. Kamo no Chomei wrote an essay called, "The Record of the Ten-Foot-Square-Hut". Kamo no Chomei lived from 1153 to 1216 and was based in Kyoto. He gives a very direct description of what a "hut" should be like. According to Chomei it should be first of all of course Ten-Foot-Square. Anything bigger and it is too big and can't be called a "hut". He tells us that his hut contained bookshelves for his books,two musical intruments-a koto and a biwa-and his bed of fern fronds. The koto is a Japanese harp while the biwa is more like a lute or a mandolin. At any rate, his idea of the simple life comes down to a room 10 by 10, books, music, and a bed.
Why am I so interested in "huts" and the siimple life? Maybe because I was born in Minnesota. This past Christmas my brother gave me a book called, "Cabins of Minnesota" which I really really enjoyed. In Minnesota we talk about "cabins" rather than "huts". In Japan, the term used is "Yama Goya" which means "Mountain Hut". In Norway they also talk about "huts" and also in Finland the usual term is "hut". But a Minnesota cabin is the same as a Japanese Moutain Hut-the concept is the same.
Well, how do I put this interest in "huts" into practical use in my daily life? Of course on way is to spend time in Japanese "Mountain Huts"-either to rent a log cabin in the mountains for a day and night or for a few days or to accept invitations from friends who actually own "mountain huts" in Japan. We have some good friends-a Japanese pastor and his wife-who own a 10 by 10 mountain hut in Hyoko Prefecture. They often invite us to come and join them for a day of simple living which basically consists of sitting on their deck overlooking the lake for the entire day. They have a stove on the deck so we heat coffee and cook the noon meal there and never have to move. We can enjoy the view and the breeze and freely talk in a way that is hard to do normally.
However, I have a more practical way of living the simple life and that is through my office. My office is just about 10 feet by 10 feet square-Chomei would be proud of me. It contain 2 guitars, a stereo sytem and more than 100 CDs, bookshelves with over 1000 books. a desk, a table, four chairs, and pictures of Japanese mountains on the walls. When I am in my office I feel a great peace and contentment. First thing in the morning I go into my office and spend time reading the Bible and praying and then for the rest of the day it is my place of refuge from a busy and noisy world. This is my concept of living the simple life.
A Happy New Year to you all! I am now about half way through the book, "Divine Healing" by Andrew Murray. I thought I had read most of his books when I was a student at Bethany but I don't recall this one and I can't find any record of Bethany publishing it either. The copy I am now reading is published by CLC.
I was especially challenged by the 19th chapter where Murray speaks about Jesus BEARING our sickness in the same way that He bears our sins. Let me quote a few lines from page 82.
"The human nature of Jesus could not be touched by sickness because it remained holy. We never find in the account of His life any mention of sickness. Participating in all the weaknesses of our human nature-hunger, thirst, fatigue and sleep, because these things are not the consequence of sin-He still had no trace of sickness."
"Thus it is not IN Him but ON Him that we see sickness as well as sin; He took them upon Him and bore them of His own free will."
After reading the chapter I was reading Galatians and was struck by Galatians 4:13.
"As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you."
Paul, being a sinner, like we all are, got sick at times. However, see here Romans 8:28 at work in that God used his sickness to enable him to meet with the Galatians and preach the gospel to them.
So, even though sickness comes upon the himan race because of sin, yet, as Christians we can rejoice that Christ has born not only our sins but also our sickness and that God in His love and power can and will use even sickness for good and for his glory. PTL
If you have a chance, do pick up and read "Divine Healing" by Andrew Murray.
This year we held our Christmas Worship Service on the 23rd of December. It was a wonderful time with around 50 people in attendance. Besides new people there were several people who had not been to our church for many years. After the service we all enjoyed a Christmas feast together. Then, at 4 p.m. we held our Christmas Eve Service. In Japan, the actual dates, December 24 and 25, are usually not considered too important. Most churches hold their various Christmas services at the times most convenient for their members and not based on the calendar.
Our Christmas Eve Service was also well attended with a really good atmosphere from beginning to end. This year, for the first time, I myself had nothing to do with this service because of my recent health problems. As a result I was able to sit back and really enjoy the service in a new way. As I sat in the service my heart was filled with thanksgiving as I realized that our church here had matured to the point that church members could now handle everything without any help from myself or my wife. PTL!
In this service also we saw several new people in attendance. The Christmas season is a wonderful opportunity for evangelism in Japan. During most of the year, attending a Christian church is quite a challenge for new people. However, at Christmas, it seems to suddenly become easy and natural. Christmas is also a great time for personal evangelism as all the Christmas Carols and various Christmas events going on easily lead to the question of the meaning of Christmas which of course leads to the gospel-the good news of Jesus Christ coming to earth as our Savior from sin.
I always wish that the Christmas season would last longer and when Christmas is over I find myself already waiting for the next Christmas season to come along.
I am presently reading "Joshua and the Flow of Biblical History" by Francis Schaeffer. This is I believe one of his "minor" books but I am finding it to be a very good book indeed. Along with his book, "No Little People" in this book we see Schaeffer the preacher rather than Schaeffer the philosopher or apologist or sociologist. However, of course, we see him applying the same concepts that he shares in his other books as he looks at Joshua and Moses and Abraham and other Old Testament characters. As modern Christains we tend to focus on the New Testament but this book is especially good in helping us to see how all the New Testament concepts that we hold have their genesis in the Old Testament. I would urge those of you who are readers of Schaeffer to consider giving this book of his a read-it will challenge you.
Today I was finally physically strong enough to once again climb Mt. Kongo. This was of course a great chance to again use my new snake boots that I bought in Tennessee, The temperature was exactly 0 at the peak of Mt. Kongo and there was light snow cover in places-perfect conditions to make use of knee high warm boots.
Because I am still quite weak physically because of my recent chemo treatments I chose to climb the Sillver Course which I believe is the easiest Mt. Kongo route. It was wonderful to be back in the mountains again. I noticed that the wild boars (inoshishi) had been very busy digging up roots etc. all along the side of the valley.
I also enjoyed stopping in at the rest area near the peak for a cup of hot coffee made using Mt. Kongo natural spring water. Over all I had a really enjoyable day. I am so glad that in spite of the chemo treatments I can still look forward to being strong enough to go climbing at times. PTL
I was finally able to purchase the John Fahey CD, "Yes! Jesus Loves Me". This is John Fahey's only CD that is ALL HYMNS and is a CD that I have wanted to own for a long long time. Starting in 1963 John Fahey closed his albums with a Christian hymn. However, this CD consists of 20 hymns played as only John Fahey can play-a really good listen.
Not many well known guitarists put out albums that are all hymns. The only other such album that I own is "A Closer Walk With Thee" by Martin Simpson. Interestingly, the one hymn that many many guitarists record is "Amazing Grace". For example, the Japanese guitarist, Nakazato Isato" has recorded it on his CD "Standards" while John Fahey has recorded it on his CD "America".
Finally, though this is John Fahey's only CD of regular hymns, he has recorded many Christmas albums of mostly Christams carols. In fact, his best selling album is an album of Christmas carols that he recorded in 1968 called "The New Possiblility". As a result he has recorded numerous other Christmas albums over the years and they all are very good-I recommend them all.
On the 19th of November I was admitted to the Kinki University Hospital and on that day had a simple operation to install an IV port in my upper chest. This was for my chemotherapy. On Tuesday the 20th I had my first chemotherapy treatment and as it was my first, I was kept in the hospital for the next few days. The second and third day of chemotherapy was pretty bad but I was able to go home on the 23rd. From around noon of that day I started to improve and actually was able to enjoy some American Thanksgiving turkey that night! By Sunday I was much better and was able to attend church and was able to enjoy it.
This will probably be the pattern that will be repeated every two weeks so I would request your prayers for strength and of course more than anything else that the chemotherapy may do what it is supposed to do and shrink my cancer. (from now on I will NOT be hospitalized for my treatment)
Thank you for your prayers for Reiko and I and also for our church here-everyone is pulling together and working together in a wonderful spirit of unity. Praise the Lord!
Reiko and I arrived back in Osaka safe and sound on the 26th of October.On the 30th of October we visited the Kinki University Hospital and were able to set up a schedule for chemotherapy treatments. My first treatment will be on the 7th of November and basically I will go in for a treatment every 2 weeks.
Please continue to pray for my health and for our church here. In the midst of this hard time, God has been faithful and has given Reiko and I the strength that we needed every day. PTL We are confident that God will continue to lead and to guide us on a day to day basis.
I was able to buy tickets to return to Japan today. Reiko and I will be flying out of Maryville, Tennessee on the 25th of October and will be arriving in Osaka, Japan on the 26th. We are really looking forward to seeing all our friends and family and church members. It has been a long long summer!
I believe that we are lined up with a good doctor when we get back so after a couple of weeks I should be able to get involved in local chemotherapy treatment. Medically, my condition is still grim so please continue to pray. However, on a day to day basis, I am doing very well and am living a normal life in all ways. I can drive and can walk long distances and have a good appetite and have no pain of any kind. Truely, God is good!
I will continue to post updates as there is news to share. May God bless. Paul
Well, I am finally back in front of this computer screen. On the 27th of September I went into Blount Memorial Hospital for surgery. The surgery went very smoothly and I really experienced no pain during my whole time of hospitalization. That is not to say that I did not experience much dis-comfort-lines and bags and tubes coming out of my body and being heavily drugged all the time. But I was able to make it through ok and was dis-charged from the hospital on the 2nd of October.
I am now recovering at my parents' home in Maryville, Tennessee. My appetite is still small but otherwise I am doing fine. I walk outside every day and am living a normal life.
However, there is still some cancer left in my body that they were not able to remove. Future surgery will not help either. So, I would ask for your prayers that Reiko and I would be guided as to how we should treat this remaining cancer. There are many methods of treatment available and we need great wisdom. We also need wisdom about our timing as to returning to Japan. Please remember us in prayer!
Otherwise, I am looking forward to returning to Japan as soon as possible. I am looking forward to meeting all of you at church and also I am looking forward to climbing Mt. Kongo again!
Thank you once again for your concern and for your prayers for Reiko and I..
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.
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.
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.
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.
I have always wanted a pair of snake boots! However, I have never seen a pair on sale in Japan. I have always thought that they would be the perfect footware for climbing Mt. Kongo in the fall and in the winter. In the fall, there are actually quite a few poisonous snakes around and I have often worried about getting bit. Then, in the winter, the snow is deep enough that a pain of knee high boots would really come in handy. However, none of the local stores stocked snake boots and so I have been waiting my time.
However, yesterday I was able to buy a pair. Here, in Maryville, Tennessee, where I am staying for my medical emergency, I found a store that stocked ONLY boots. And in the back, I found the snake boots that I was looking for. Just about the time my surgery is done and I can head back to Japan will be the time that I can start using my new snake boots to go mountain climbing. So, now I have yet another reason to want to hurry back to Japan as soon as possible!
Today I met with my surgeon and he set up two tests for me. On the 5th of September, he will take a look at my colon using a short fiberscope and so he will know exactly where and what he is to do. Then, on the 7th, I will take a test that will show my doctor whether or not the cancer is only inside my colon or also outside. With this information he will be able to actually set up a time to do the surgery and also what kind of chemotherapy and what kind of radiation therapy to do and also when to do it.
So, the plans for my surgery are going ahead very smoothly. Thank you so much for your prayers and please continue to pray for Reiko and I.
I had my last meeting with my main doctor today. He told me that my recent blood tests and CT scan showed that I had what seemed to be cysts on my liver but that it did not seem to be cancer. On that basis he set things up for me to meet with my surgeon within the next few days. At that time we will set up the actual schedule for my treatment. There will probably be some weeks of chemo and radiation treatment followed by the actual surgery on the lower part of my colon. When that is decided I will file another report.
Otherwise, I have been in good health. I still eat well and am feeling strong and do not have any pain. I have had trouble sleeping at night and would appreciate prayer about that. I would also appreciate prayer for the whole process now that it will go smoothly. And of course I am so thankful that my liver has turned out to be cancer free! PTL
On the 24th of August I had my first meeting with my American doctor. He scheduled me for some blood tests and also for a CT scan on the 27th. On the 28th we will look at the results of these tests and will decide what to do in the future. Please pray that the cancer has not spread out from my colon in any way and that the plans for surgery and any other treatment will go smoothly.
I appreciate all of your prayers so much. Please keep praying!
"The mass media, in summery, are amazingly adroit in supplying new dimensions to the age-old crisis of word and truth. Their indecision about spiritual realities, their deference to moral relativism and spiritual vagabondage, and their obvious accommidation of a materialist and sex-centered view of life are familiar devices for gaining attention and manipulating minds."
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"When truth and word remain as the accepted universe of discourse, then all abberations can be challenged in the name of truth. Today, however, the nature of truth and even the role of words is in dispute."
Carl F. H. Henry in "God, Revelation, and Authority Volume One" God Who Speaks and Shows
On the 20th of August the three boys and Reiko and I said a rainy good bye to Minnesota. At 7am in the morning we left for the Minneapolis Airport and by 10:30 we were in the air heading for Detroit. At Detroit we said good bye to the boys and saw them unto their plane for Osaka. Fourteen hours later they arrived and were met by Mr. N and their big adventure came to an end..
Reiko and I continued on to Tennessee and are now taking it easy at my folks' place. I will post no more American Trip 2007 entries but will post Health Updates. Let us keep in touch and keep on praying.
The three boys and Reiko and Lydia all came back safely from camp yesterday evening. The boys were still full of energy even after 5 days of camp!!! Last night they all did washing and then went to play ping pong before going to bed.
We now only have a few days left of our trip. We will spend the last 2 days here at Bethany. We may do some shopping or we may go to enjoy some local sights or attractions. The boys all tell me that they have really come to like America and don't want to return to Japan so soon! So, I am glad that the trip seems to be a success.
On the 20th, we plan to fly out of Minneapolis and then the boys will fly on to Osaka, while Reiko and I will fly to Tennessee. Please continue to pray for God's guidance and protection on this trip. Thank you.
On the 5th of August, we had our 57th baptism service at our church. We usually have baptisms at Christmas and Easter and sometimes at Pentecost but I believe it was the first time for us to have a baptism in August. As I have shared before, I believe that the baptism of new members into the church is the Critical Event that must be happening in a Christian Church. The Christian members need to be maturing in Christ but at the same time there must be a constant reaching out to people who have not yet believed in Jesus and these people need to be led to faith in Christ and to baptism according to Matthew 28:19.
I was especially blessed by Mr. N's testimony as he shared how God started to work in his life 18 years ago through his aunt who lived in Hawaii. Through his aunt's witness and bringing him to church, she challenged him with the idea of the existence of God. For 18 years he was not able to forget this powerful truth and as a result, a couple years ago, was led to Bethany Church and both he and his wife are now baptized members of the church here
Please pray for Mr. N and his new found faith in Christ and that we will again see a baptism in our church in the near future..
ON AUGUST 6TH REIKO AND I FLEW TO AMERICA WITH 3 JR. HIGH BOYS FROM OUR CHURCH FOR A HOMESTAY AND CAMP PROGRAM IN MINNESOTA. THE HOMESTAY SEGMENT IS NOW DONE AND THE CAMP WILL START ON SUNDAY. REIKO WILL GO TO THE CAMP WHILE I WILL STAY AT BETHANY. ON THE 20TH THE BOYS WILL FLY BACK TO JAPAN WHILE REIKO AND I WILL FLY TO TENNESSEE. PLEASE PRAY FOR THE LAST WEEK OF OUR TRIP.
ON JULY 24TH I WAS DIOGNOSED WITH CANCER OF THE COLON. I PLAN TO HAVE SURGERY AT THE END OF AUGUST OR THE BEGINING OF SEPTEMBER. Ｉ PLAN TO HAVE THE SURGERY IN TENNESSEE. PLEASE PRAY FOR REIKO AND I. PAUL
On Sunday the 29th of July our church welcomed the 88th member to join our church here in Japan. At times like that I always find myself looking back over the years. On October 5th, 1980 we held the first Sunday service here with six people in attendance. Over the years, God has guided 88 people to our church here either to believe in Jesus and be baptized or to join our church as an already practicing Christian. At our service on the 29th, the first two people to join our church here, Mr.and Mrs. K, and their son who was recently baptized here and who also is now a member of our church were in the audience. It has been a wonderful experience to see God guide each individual member here and build up a group of people into a living church.
I would covet your prayers for our church here that God will continue to add to this little flock of believers in Japan.
Yesterday I was invited to speak at the Kyoto New Life Church.This is the fourth church connected with Bethany here in Japan and my heart was filled with thanksgiving as I thought about the fact that in the past 25 years or so four new churches have been born here. In 1980 we held our first service in Osaka with an attendance of 6 people. Some years later, Jon started the New Life Church in Kawachinagano. Some years later again, Willy started the Suzuka Bethany Church. Then, just two years ago, Jon took on the work of pastoring this group in Kyoto who wanted to start a new church. This happened just as Pastor Haruna was getting involved in pastoring the Kawachinagano New Life Church. God's timing is just perfect.
In 1980 there were just 6 people meeting at a Bethany Church in the Kansai area while now on any given Sunday it is more like 100 people gathered in four locations worshiping God and hearing the Word of God proclaimed.
I would request your prayers for these four churches that they might continue to be led by God in all that they do and that new people might continue to come to know and believe in Jesus in these four locations.
Speaking of God in "The Dust of Death" Os says, "To know him as creator is significance, to know him in revelation is clarity of knowledge, to know him as personal is fulfillment, to know him in character is order and values, to know him in grace is freedom, love, joy, peace, and adoration."
Amen!
I just re-read this long long sentence by Os Guinness in hi s book, "Prophetic Untimeliness" and was again challenged by the difficulty of living as a true disciple of Jesus Christ in this day and age.
In its place a new evangelicalism is arriving in which therapeutic self-concern overshadows knowing God, spirituality displaces theology, end-times escapism crowds out day-to-day discipleship, marketing triumphs over missions, references to opinon polls outweigh reliance on biblical exposition, concerns for power and relevance are more obvious than concern for piety and faithfulness, talk of reinventing the church has replaced prayer for revival, and the characteristic evangelical passion for missionary enterprise is overpowered by the all-consuming drive to sustain the muliple busines empires of the booming evangelical subculture.
Amen!
The guitarist I have been listening to a lot these days is Glenn Jones. I have known his name for years but have not been too interested in him as I only knew him as the leader of the Boston based band, Cul de Sac. As I have no interest in bands I never looked into his music. However, I have found that he is as good a representative of the "Takoma School" of guitar music as any. (Takoma School is another word for American Primitive Guitar and is taken from the name of John Fahey's album company.)
The two CDs of Glenn Jones that I would recommend would be "Against Which the Sea Continually Beats" and "This Is the Wind That Blows It Out". The name of the first album is taken from a line written on an old map of Martha's Vineyard from the year 1784. The title of the second album is from a poem written by Frank O'Connor in 1936.
Glenn plays both 6 string and 12 string guitar and all of his music is solo. If you have not listened to his music, please give it a try sometime.
This week Reiko and I saw a very interesting documentary on NHK. It was about the people living on an island in Kyushu called Matsushima. What was remarkable to me was the fact that the entire population of the island was Christian. The inhabitants are descendants of the Christians in Kyushu who had to go into hiding during the 1500s.
One of the most prominent buildings at the port is the church. The headman of the village is also the head elder of the church and basically the whole village gathers at the church on Sundays. The main occupation on Matsushima is fishing but all the men rest on Sunday and observe the Lord's Day. I believe that the Hidden Christians of Japan do not have official ties with the Catholic Church and so it is considered a native religion and the Catholic Church does not send a priest to the church at Matsushima. The head elder leads the worship there.
Up to this time I had heard of whole villages coming to Christ in other countries but this is the first time for me to hear about such a thing happening in Japan. Needless to say, Reiko and I were challenged by the faith of this group of Christians who after over 400 years still kept their faith in God the Father and in Jesus Christ His Son. May God continue to lead and guide and bless this village as they live their daily lives centered on faith in the living God.
Yesterday morning when I was rock climbing I heard a loud hissing. I looked around and saw nothing and tried to continue only to hear it again even louder. When I looked closely I was about to step on a mother nighthawk who was guarding her eggs with her life. No matter how close I came she refused to budge-the eggs or chicks she was guarding were more important to her than her own life.
I at once thought of Jesus dying on the cross and giving up His own life that we might live. I also thought of the present culture we are living in where every day there seems to be news about some mother deserting her child so that she can do whatever selfish thing it is that she wants to do.
I also thought of the importance of knowing our priorities-what is really important and what is not. This little grey bird in front of me did not have any problem with that-she knew her priority was to guard her eggs no matter what.
With lots of things to think about I left the mother nighthawk to her task of guarding her eggs and continued on with my climb. I had come just to get some physical exercise but ended up learning a whole lot of other things. PTL!
Today was a special day on two counts at our church. One, it was Pentecost Sunday and two, we had a baptism. It seems to me that for a church the critical event-the event that must be happening if it is a healthy church-is baptism. Jesus' last command was to go out into all the world and make disciples and baptize them. It was not enough just to make disciples-the disciples had to carry through on their decision to become disciples of Jesus by being baptized. Today, at our church in Sakai, we were able to enjoy such a baptism.
One of the best decisions we ever made as a church was the decision to dig and build our own baptism pool. (see a picture of that event on my wife's blog in this same homepage) Mr. KA took charge of the digging and would not let us stop till we had dug a really deep hole. Then we poured the cement ourselves only to have to get help from a pro later. We then painted it and were ready for business. Kathy from America was the first person to be baptized here. After our first baptism we realized we had not thought about how to get the water out! However, a person in church had come to church in a truck with a pump in the back and he emptied our pool after our first baptism.
Now, more than 50 baptisms later, there is still a special atmosphere at church when someone gets baptized that we just don't have at any other time. One reason of course is that we all get to hear a good testimony of how the person came to believe in Jesus and was led to be baptized. Today we were all blessed by Mrs. A's testimony.
And now I am praying for the next person to be baptized-for the next critical event to happen in our church. PTL
Every year around the middle of May there is a mass exodus of climbers from Mt. Kongo to Mt. Yamato Katsuragi, The reason for that is the mountain azalea. A major part of the main peak is covered by wild azaleas. I don't have official figures but I would guess at least in the thousands and maybe even more than ten thousand wild azalea plants cover the peak and actually turn it red. And so every year, in May, the regular Mt. Kongo climbers take a break and climb Mt. Yamato Katsuragi.
This year I climbed with Mr. K who had not climbed this mountain before. The wating time for the ropeway was one and a half hours as we left the crowd behind and started up the main path to the peak. Halfway up we ran into Mr. KN-a regular Mt. Kongo climber. He told us he had decided to climb BOTH mountains and so at 7:30 in the morning he had climbed Mt. Kongo and then followed the Diamond Trail down to Mizukoshi Pass and then on up to the peak of Mt. Yamato Katsuragi. Mr. K and I did not have that kind of energy and contented ourself with just the one mountain that day.
The azaleas were jstill at their peak and the weather was perfect-not a cloud in the sky. We enjoyed our lunch surrounded by the red flowers and the sounds of hundreds of people talking and taking pictures. After taking a short hike through the middle of the azaleas we headed back down the main trail. The people taking the ropeway down had a 40 minute wait so we were glad to be walking rather than taking the ropeway.
No doubt I will not climb this mountain for another year. However, when the middle of next May comes around I plan to again head this way. Every mountian has its special points-Mt. Kongo with its snow and frozen trees, Mt. Makio with its rock faces, and Mt. Yamato Katsuragi with its azaleas.
I am reminded of 1 Corinthians 12:7 "For the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all." We are each given different gifts and are each special in God's sight. PTL
I am continuing to try and get caught up on the books by Schaeffer that I for one reason or another have not yet read. My latest read is "A Christian Manifesto" published in 1981. What continues to amaze me is how current he always is. During the last month or so I have read quite a number of books published in the late 90s and these books basically say the same thing that Schaeffer i