Where are Bob & Chris in Japan December 21

Worship today was especially alive and good for Bob & Chris. It was warm and welcoming in contrast to the weather that was cold and with an almost constant rain. They were at Murozono Church. It is located near the campus of Luther Gakuin and Luther College. It is a beautiful building that sits up on a hill from the road below. It has a green cast to it. The receiving room and fellowship kitchen area typical of the Japanese Churches is on the first floor. The winding staircase takes you to the second floor and the nave. The facility has an electric stairway lift for the handicapped thus somewhat handicapped accessible. The pastor is a young positive energetic woman; Gotoh Sensei (Rebekah Yuki Gotoh). She is like a hummingbird going from blossom to blossom; but not to take nectar; rather to make sure the blossom (person) was content with their presence. The service was alive with YOUTH. The location was conducive; but the fact is she is doing something or the congregation or more properly the Spirit is doing something such that the youth are coming to worship; both Christian and non Christian! This Sunday the highlight of worship was a Baptism of three adults; two youth and one middle aged man. It was a moving experience for Bob to watch from his chair in the transept. He kept thinking what a joy and privilege to watch three adults join the community of saints. Baptism was followed with Holy Communion and another new experience. The wine was received from a common chalice by SPOON! Each person who wished to receive communion took a small silver spoon from the spoons on a tray as they walked forward; dipped it into the chalice and then received the wine/blood from a spoon. It was a new way to receive the common cup that would never have occurred to Bob if he had not seen it first. It is a very old tradition in the Lutheran churches in this area. It also had the advantage in a congregation where one fourth of the people coming forward were not Baptized of giving one an immediate signal of who was and who was not baptized or who was to receive a blessing or the bread of Holy Communion. The postlude was a hand bell concert by the hand bell choir of Luther Gakuin It was fabulous. The highlight of wonderful bells however was the virtuoso violin by a young person from Luther Gakuin in the concluding work. It was a postlude for the Holiday Season. After worship there was time to relax. Bob & Chris were at a fellowship meal. The meal was a feast, a Japanese version of a South Carolina church “potluck”. It was also a chance to experience more music; more joy; more chances to be with more families and children than they had seen in any church to date. All too soon it was time to leave. Bob and Chris headed back to the cold and rain and eventually to the bus and their “mansion”. They were, however, far too warmed by the day’s worship to notice the weather.

Keep praying,

Zen Ben