October 26 and Where in Japan are Bob & Chris

Ichigaya Lutheran Church

Why they are in worship in another church in the East District of the JELC of course! This Sunday, Reformation Sunday they worshipped at Ichgaya Lutheran Church. It is unique because this church worships in the same building that has the offices for the JELC. The worship area is also used by the JELC as a concert hall rented out to the public. The income from the concert hall supplements the financial needs of the JELC. This means the congregation must set up and take down everything needed for worship every Sunday. The altar, lectern and pulpit are all set up and taken down each time the congregation worships. The service was different from others that Bob & Chris have attended in Japan. This was the 1st time they saw a children's sermon as part of the liturgy in a JELC church. It was wonderful. The children even had their own reserved seats for the rest of the service! Another wonderful part of this service was the fine choir of Ichigaya Lutheran Church. They filled the room with the presence of the Holy Spirit when they sang. After worship there was a fine congregational lunch where Bob & Chris were asked to speak briefly. They also met the parents of Pastor Sato, the pastor from the JELC currently at St. Andrews Lutheran Church in Columbia, SC. Take a long look at the picture with this blog. It shows a unque part of the concert hall used by Ichgaya Lutheran Chruch. How many crosses do you see?

Keep praying,

Zen Ben