Where in Japan are Bob & Chris January 25 ?

Bob & Chris were in Kyoto on Sunday January 25th where Bob was invited to preach at Kamagawa Lutheran Church in northwest Kyoto. Kamagawa is one of three JELC churches in Kyoto. Bob & Chris will return to Kyoto on February 8 when Bob preaches at Kyoto Lutheran church, also in the northwestern area of Kyoto. Kamagawa is a congregation of average attendance for Japan. Under the leadership of Takatsuka Sensei it is a growing congregation. On this Sunday Takatsuka Sensei and Bob literally shared the same pulpit as Bob preached in English and Takatsuka translated into Japanese. After worship Sunday school for the children of which there were a good number was held in the same area. Bob was invited to give a message to the children. As he often does when speaking to children in Japan Bob began by sharing about children in South Carolina and finished by sharing what they have that is alike; the love of God in Jesus Christ. He used an illustration that he likes; that of candy and the likeness and difference between candy and the love of God for children. A very nice lunch followed the other activities. During lunch Chris enjoyed talking with a young Economics professor who’s wonderful English made the conversation easy. She is soon leaving Japan and going to France where she will continue a study of the impact of fertility rates and labor laws on economic productivity. She has done research in Japan and will take a year to research the same information in France before finishing her work by comparing and contrasting the results of her research in both countries. Bob enjoyed learning about Takatsuka Sense’s background and ministry including about fifteen years in the United States as an exchange pastor from the JELC to the ELCA serving in Huntington Beach California. He shared with Bob the commonalities and differences his ministry in both countries has made evident to him. Among the commonalities was the imperative for churches to aggressively reach out to youth and younger families. He was justifiably proud of the young families that are active at Kamagawa LC. There is a kindergarten next door to the church where he spends a good deal of time during the week. The kindergarten that is a ministry of the church is also growing. Many who attend the church began by having children attend the kindergarten. Bob and Takatsuka Sensei agreed that having a kindergarten and a growing church in Japan was directly related. He suggested to Bob that in his time in the United States he saw a similar link with churches and affiliated preschools. The commitment in the form of a school tells young families of the commitment of the church to them. All too soon the Sunday luncheon and fellowship were over. Bob & Chris were thankful for this Sabbath day and the joy it brought. They were also thankful for an invitation to come back on Thursday and speak to the children of the kindergarten.

Keep praying,

Zen Ben

Where are Bob & Chris in Japan January 23?

Bob & Chris were back in the Kamagasaki section of Osaka, Japan on Friday January 23rd participating in “Night Patrol”. Night patrol is Kibo-no Ie’s weekly practice of moving through the streets, the alley, the covered areas of shops and under bridges to bring aid to the homeless of Kamagasaki. The process happens six days a week. Kibo-no Ie partners with five other faith based Christian groups to tend to the needs of the homeless for survival six of the seven days of the week. Each has a day in the week with only one day not covered. Neither of the traditional religions of Japan participate in this ministry. The Shinto priests are only in evidence at their shrines where people may come to offer petitions buy charms or participate in a rite. Buddhist priests tend to venture out on occasion from temples; but usually the motivation is connected to compensated funerals or follow up rites for the departed. Pastoral care and outreach to the homeless is not within their ministry. Night Patrol began for Bob & Chris at 4:00 pm in the afternoon. This is when the staff, clients and some volunteers make Onegiri to be handed later. Onegiri is a block of rice in the shape of a triangle. It’s shape has Trinitarian implications for Christians; but here it has more to do with packaging than theology. The Onegiri is made by first putting water and salt on one’s hands, filling your hands with some cooked rice, placing some other nutritious item in the center, covering it with more rice and then squeezing the whole package between your hands. Once the package is convincingly compressed it is then tossed in a specific way to bring about a triangular shape. The final properly shaped product is partially covered or wrapped with a piece of Nori or dried seaweed and enclosed in plastic wrap. Bob & Chris made Onegiri with the rest of the group; but did have some difficulty with the tossing and shaping. This may account for them calling the finished product “rice balls” The individual Onegiri is placed in a box and each full box is covered with blankets to maintain the warmth. The Onegiri is later handed out one per person to the homeless on the streets. Each Friday about 120 of these items are distributed For many they are the only food for that day or longer. Either a cup of soup or tea maybe given out to each person as well. The participants in the actual patrol arrive at Kibo-no Ie at 9:00 pm Friday evening. There is a minimum requirement of 20 persons for night patrol. This Friday the total was closer to 25 when the orientation began. Orientation is comprised of a report on the current conditions for the people of Kamagasaki by Pastor Akayama of Kibo-no Ie and a review of the precautions for patrol by Eda san. The risks of the enterprise became very real for Bob & Chris when they saw the last instructions on the paper that was handed out and reviewed. The most telling of these was the last under the heading of “On Returning to Kibo-no Ie” It read. “Be sure to wash you hands and gargle. (to present tuberculosis).”At orientation the group was divided into four teams. Bob & Chris were part of the team led by Pastor Akayama. The groups left Kibo-no Ie for the streets of Kamagasaki by about 10:00 pm. Each group walked a predetermined area. The objectives are to find homeless (that is not hard) and note their numbers and location, to distribute Onegiri and soup or tea as requested, to offer a blanket to those without one, to offer cardboard to those trying to sleep directly on the pavement and to assess and where needed bring some medical attention. The route walked by the team that Bob & Chris were on took until about 12:15 am to complete. They then returned to meet with the other teams in the same room where the orientation was held. Until 1:00 am a process of sharing and reporting took place. When a person is on night patrol the stark realities of Kamagasaki hit almost as hard as the cold and darkness of the night. For Bob & Chris it was another experience in a place concentrated with the “the least of these my brethren.” A thought occurred to Bob among many as the night progressed. “What society has done here and anywhere there are homeless is a collective sin and the ministry of Kibo-no Ie or any ministry that deals with the sin inflicted on them is the beginning of a collective plea for forgiveness. The question that remains is the veracity of a collective repentance.

Keep praying,

Zen Ben

Where I Japan are Bob & Chris January 20 ?

Bob & Chris were back in Kibo-no Ie within the Kamagasaki section of Osaka, Japan on Tuesday, January 20th. They are in the process of reclaiming a room in the center for use as meditation room and chapel. On Tuesday also they participated with clients in ceramics and relaxation classes. At first glance one might wonder what a ceramics class and a relaxation class has to do with Christian outreach to the recovering alcoholics of Kibo-no Ie.
Ceramics class for Bob showed him again that he has almost no artistic talent. When given a piece of clay and told to create an animal from it he felt helpless. Then he remembered some artist or sculpture who used to say that inside each piece of stone is a figure waiting to be released. He decided in the clay was an animal waiting to be released. After a while he thought a seal was waiting to be released. What he created may or may not have been a seal! Chris on the other hand released a fish of unknown species and strange proportion from her clay. For the recovering alcoholic creating an animal reactivates a sense of creativity and imagination that has been consumed by the alcohol that destroyed their past lives. For them the creative process in the class is about recovering parts of their being that have been lost. Relaxation class involved instruction in Zen meditation along with some stretching and pressure point training. Bob and Chris found the multiple fifteen minute meditation sessions relaxing and painful at the same time. In the early stages focusing on silence was relaxing. Sitting in meditation positions however was somewhat painful towards the end of each session. The stretching and pressure points taken from Eastern medical practices were new and exotic. Bob and Chris participated in messaging parts of their feet in order to positively affect internal organs. It seemed especially strange to Bob.For the clients, the recoverying alcoholics of Kibo-no Ie participation in this class has greater therapeutic benefits. It helps to regain what alcohol has previously taken from them. This is the ability to sleep without the aid of a drug. Many alcoholics cannot relax enough to achieve sleep. Relaxation through meditation provides the client with a method to achieve a natural sleep state. Stretching and pressure points is a way for the clients to regain a sense of their own bodies. They relearn how to be in touch with their bodies and in the process how be better stewards of physical health.
Bob and Chris were thankful for being asked to be part of the classes at Kibo-no Ie on Tuesday. Their presence was an affirmation to the clients. For them it brought new understanding of the therapeutic benefits to recovering alcoholics from art and relaxation classes.

Keep praying,

Zen Ben

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

Where are Bob & Chris in Japan January 14

Bob & Chris are now in a very different environment from Kumamoto and the Kyushu District. They have arrived in Osaka to begin a month of serving in the West District. They are serving during the week at Kibo-no Ie in Kamagasaki; a defined town area of day laborers within Osaka. The JELC pastor who serves Kibo-no Ie as well as his parish in Osaka is Rev.Hitoshi Akiyama. From his essay Bob and Chris learned the history of both this ministry and the location. The ministry of Kibo-no Ie began in 1976. It was established by a lay missionary, Elisabeth Strohm. She came to Japan from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Braunschweig Germany. The programs she initiated are intended to provide therapy to those dealing with alcoholism. The model used at Kibo-no Ie is the therapy program of Lukusberg of the ELCB. The location of this ministry is Kamagasaki. This is a town within Osaka of day-laborers. There are between 20,000 and 25,000 thousand day laborers here. They provide the labor when needed for construction, shipbuilding, dock work, and transport business in Japanese industry. This area dates back to the 18th century when the government authorities “adapted a policy to gather flophouses in particular places so that homeless people escaping rural villages would not flow into Osaka”. The Meiji government after deciding to hold the National Exhibition in Imamiya, Osaka in 1922 changed this policy and forced people to move out of the area. The area known as Kamagasaki, however, gradually became a town of day labors beginning at the end of WW II. It is an area that is described as a slum; a depressed area with workers desperate to work for a fair wage in the heavy industries of Japan. As the economy here falters the daily lives of the workers and this area falter with it. Bob and Chris will participate in the various programs of Kibo-no Ie while living at the center. They will meet and work with the leaders, volunteers and clients of this ministry. They will perhaps understand the desperation of those who are used by an economic system as inputs and forgotten as people; especially as age reduces productivity required by the system. For more information on either the Kibo-no Ie or the area of Kamagasaki they suggest you may wish to “Google” either on the internet.

Keep Praying

Zen Ben

Where In Japan are Bob & Chris January 11

This Sunday finds Bob & Chris in the beautiful port city of Fukuoka, Japan. This is the largest city of Kyushu, the island where they have been for the past month in the city of Kumamoto. Today Bob preached and they worshipped at Hakata Church. Bob was especially happy today to have Rev. Andy Ellis help him preach by being the interpreter for the sermon. Andy has served as a missionary in Japan since 1952. Though he is officially retired he still serves in various ways gifting his time and talents in retirement. At one time the cities of Fukuoka and Hakata were separate. Today they have been consolidated as one city, Fukuoka. The church is one of the largest that Bob and Chris have been in during the ministry in Japan. It is over 100 years old. Currently the pastor of this church Nagaoka Sensei is also the President of the Kyushu District of the Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church. He like the four other District Presidents serves a parish in addition to performing the duties required of his office. Worship was followed by a time of fellowship and sharing at a luncheon for Pastor Bob & Chris and congregational leaders. It was prepared by the ladies of Hakata Church. After worship and fellowship at Hakata Church a special treat was added when a church member, Matukuma San invited Bob & Chris to join him and his wife for a tour of the city. This would be their only chance to see some of Fukuoka during their brief visit. They gladly accepted this gracious offer. The tour took them to the Fukuoka Tower where they had a wonderful panoramic view of the city. On Monday Bob & Chris will board the Shinkansen or Bullet train for a one day stay in Hiroshima and a visit to the peace park before arriving in Osaka, Japan on Tuesday. This will be the location of a one month ministry in the West District of the Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church.

Keep praying,

Zen Ben

Where in Japan are Bob & Chris January 8

Bob & Chris are still in Kumamoto City until January 10th. They spent January 8th greeting the pastors and leaders of schools and social ministries in Kumamoto by visiting each one to say a traditional thanks and farewell. After greetings and farewell in the morning they visited the home of Oe Church members Katsura. Here they experienced a treat of Japanese culture; a Tea Ceremony and a private concert on the traditional instruments of Koto and Syakuhachi. The Tea Ceremony was served by Katsura, Yoko in her family home. The home is very traditional in both size and construction. It is surrounded by beautiful gardens on the outside. Inside the rooms are of tatami with traditional art on the walls. The concert was given by Tajima, Ryoko on the Koto and Tajima, Eizan on the Syakuhachi. The Koto is a multiple string instrument played from the floor while the artist kneels. It is constructed of fine wood and ivory. The tone is what a western ear identifies as “Oriental” music. After the concert Ryoko invited Chris to receive a brief lesson and then try a simple piece of music. She enjoyed the opportunity. The Syakuhachi is a flute like instrument made from bamboo. It has no reed. It produces a mystical flute like sound when the player blows at the precise angle required in a slit at the end of the instrument. Before the concert Eizan invited Bob to attempt to make a sound with one of the Syakuhachi that Eizan brought to the concert. After many attempts Bob did produce a single squeak like sound of mystical origin! The Tajima’s concert included two traditional pieces that transported the listeners to the places of the music. Bob and Chris and the others in the Katsura home were transported by the music to springtime in Japan. First they went to the ocean and then to a forest of cherry blossoms as they heard “Spring Ocean” and “Sakura” performed as a duet on Koto and Syakuhachi. It was a wonderful experience of ancient Japanese culture. It was far different from the modern Japanese technology that will transport Bob and Chris to Hiroshima and then Osaka in the next few days; the Shinkansen or Bullet train.

Keep praying,

Zen Ben

Where are Bob & Chris in Japan January 5

Bob & Chris are getting ready to begin the second half of their exchange ministry in the JELC. They are serving in various ways in Kumamoto, Japan until January 9, 2009. They have met, shared and served with many missionaries during the first half of the exchange. These brothers and sisters are inspirational people. After such a short time it would be presumptuous to begin to know what makes them so special; but Bob has thought about some commonalities of these wonderful people as he and Chris have experienced them in Japan.

Missionaries seem to have an overpowering sense of calling to share the Gospel everyday of their lives. This shows itself in their willingness to share in whatever way the Holy Spirit leads them. They may have specific training and talents; but they seem to always be open to share the Gospel by serving in any way that presents itself. Many that Bob and Chris have met first came to Japan with a specific talent and training. After they saw how God wanted them to share the Gospel they learned new talents even if it meant returning to school for additional training or degrees. They literally give their lives. This is especially true of our wonderful long term missionaries. These people are the foundation and the heart of ELCA work in Japan. They provide the experience, guidance and wisdom needed by our J-3 short term missionaries and still appreciated by their partners, the rostered leaders in the JELC.

What Bob and Chris have experienced in the modern missionaries seems to also be true in the ones they have met through study and visits since coming to Japan. Maud Powlas, the legendary advocate for social service in Kumamoto came to evangelize by teaching the Bible. She had little or no background in social services. Yet her response to the Holy Spirit when a mission board voted to give her a social services assignment began Jiai-En Social Services. Today this is a model of excellence known throughout Japan. Hannah Riddell was an Anglican missionary who saw the terrible plight of person’s afflicted with Hansen’s disease. On a chance encounter she experienced lepers begging for mercy as she visited the tomb of Katou Kiyamasa, a historical Japanese war hero. From that encounter she dedicated her life to changing the plight of these people.

Missionaries are very special servants of God. Their spiritual depth and passion to share the Gospel as living servants to the “least of these” has been an inspiration to Bob and Chris. They pray that these few words might convey some of the inspiration to you.

Keep praying,

Zen Ben

Where in Japan are Bob & Chris December 31

Today Bob and Chris were on their way back to Kumamoto from three days off in Kyoto. They had a relaxed and fast travel time on the Shinkansen. This is Japan’s famous bullet train. Bob first rode on this train way back in 1970 when he went from Tokyo to Kyoto as a student. Then it went 125 MPH. Today’s version is even faster. The trains allow one to travel from city center to city center in the comfort of a lazy boy recliner. Upon arriving home it was New Year’s eve and close to midnight. After dropping their bags at the apartment Bob and Chris went to Kumamoto Castle to see what happens on this all important holiday in Japan. At Kumamoto Castle there is a shrine. Throughout Japan people come to the various shrines on New Year’s Eve or during the 1st few days of the New Year. This is one of two times each year when most Japanese (non Christian) will routinely “worship”. On New Year’s Eve there were huge crowds at the shrine next to Kumamoto Castle. They lined up twenty people wide and about 200 yards long waiting for the opportunity to walk up to the shrine and worship; clap twice; bow twice; clap once and bow once. They then go and get a fortune or perhaps some amulet to take home for the coming year. They may tie prayer requests on the prayer wires or trees in the area. Prayers are of an individual nature. They will not be back to the shrine until next year. They will worship again however in August. That is when they go to a Buddhist Temple to honor the dead. Twice a year huge numbers come to the shrine and temple. The rest of the year it is secularism and the discipline of an ancient culture that guides life in Japan. Bob and Chris were impressed with what they witnessed. Despite the huge crowds and the influence of New Year’s evening spirits upon many of the people there was no unruly behavior. There was no pushing and shoving in lines. The people simply waited in line and when invited forward placed their offering in the offering box and paid the proper respects to the shrine. Before Bob and Chris left the area they did take some pictures and partake of some food from the multitude of tent vendors that surround the shrine. Chris had some teriyaki steak on a stick. Bob’s choice was a package of eight seasoned dough balls fried to a golden brown and smothered in sauce and fish fakes with a piece of Octopus inside each one. After an interesting evening they returned to the apartment for rest. One question seemed to come to both of them after reflecting on what they had seen this night. Can people live faithful lives if they worship only twice each year?

Keep praying,

Zen Ben