Where in Japan are Bob & Chris? March 5

Bob and Chris have left Ogaki and moved on to Nagoya, Japan until Sunday when they will participate in the ordination of new pastors in the JELC at Tokyo Lutheran Church. Today they attended the World Day of Prayer 2009. The event was at 10:00 am at Hope Lutheran Church in Nagoya. The liturgy, bible studies and background information for the service was prepared by the WDP Committee of Papua New Guinea. In addition to a wonderful liturgy the worship folder for the day had many very interesting antidotes about Papua New Guinea. This included general information about this fascinating country. Papua New Guinea has an immense variety of landscape. It is comprised of more than 600 islands and covers a total area of 474,000 square kilometers. It is the second largest country in the South Pacific. The population of 5.8 million includes 50 % under 18 years of age. There are 800 different languages spoken in the country. In the introduction to the worship folder it stated , “The theme chosen for the World Day of Prayer 2009, ‘In Christ There are Many Members Yet One Body,’ is very appropriate for Papua New Guinea as our country has many languages, cultures, traditions and beliefs. Though we are different in many ways Papua New Guinea continues to experience the spirit of unity in diversity. We would like to acknowledge the work of the churches as we partner with each other. By God’s grace we are able to be united as the body of Christ to fulfill His mission on earth…” The Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea is the companion church to the North Carolina Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Bob and Chris enjoyed being in worship and in prayer with over 200 people at Hope Lutheran Church in Nagoya and in spirit with Christians around the world. At Hope Lutheran Church the congregation included members from the Korean Church of Japan, the Roman Catholic Church, the Salvation Army, the Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church, the United Church of Christ, and the Anglican Church. Two social services agencies were also represented. These were Life Line, a crisis counseling service and Kyofuikia, a nondenominational women’s’ group that deals with domestic violence. The offering of 15,000 Y from the service was given to the Nippon Christian Council. This day in Nagoya Bob and Chris truly felt as it says in the hymn, “We are one in the Spirit we are one in the Lord.”

Keep praying.

Zen Ben