Where in Japan are Bob & Chris January 18

Bob & Chris were in the City of Kobe this Sunday where Bob preached at Kobe-Higashi Lutheran Church. The church is beautiful and the people were very warm and gracious. Bob and Chris were thankful to be with the members of this church. Bob preached a message of positive response to the opportunity God gives us in being disciples of Jesus Christ. He felt this was a message from the text of Mark 1:14-20. This was the assigned Gospel text for this Sunday in the lectionary used by the Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church. He preached this message to a congregation of ten worshippers this day. Kobe-Higashi Lutheran Church is still trying to recover from the devastation that was inflicted upon this city and this congregation. Fourteen years ago Kobe, Japan suffered the devastation of a 7.2 magnitude earthquake. The earthquake claimed 6,400 lives, inflicted injury upon 40,000 people and destroyed 100,000 homes. Members of this church before the earthquake who lost homes and had no way of rebuilding in Kobe have long since left the city. The church now struggles to survive. Bob sensed the need to preach that positive message from the text every bit as strongly as he would have if the congregation would have been ten times the size. The leaders and members of Kobe-Higashi Lutheran Church are faithful disciples who received the message with gracious thanks and assured both Bob and Chris that they will continue to share the Gospel and pray for more to receive the gift of grace given in Baptism. In a country where a new member to the Church is most likely a convert to Christianity those lost from a community of faith are not easily replaced. Kobe-Higashi Lutheran Church however continues on in 2009 sharing the Good News and trusting in God.

Keep praying,

Zen Ben