It discourages outliers...

"The mind-set of the system (that no one has the courage to address even while knowing something was wrong) has spread throughout Japanese society. It discourages outliers [meaning, one that appears to deviate markedly from other members] or risk-takers and kicks out those who challenge existing institutions." from the article, 'Changing Japan's system to handle the unexpected,' Hiromi Murakami, an assistant professor at National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, specializing in industrial policy and state-industry relations.... Read more Changing Japan's system to handle the 'unexpected' | The Japan Times Online

My thoughts: Japan is a culture that does not like to change. This is especially true when it comes to faith in Christ. As Murakami writes, the Japanese society often 'kicks out those who challenge existing institutions.' The Tokugawa Shogunate did 'kick out' the Christians (and foreigners) in the past. This exclusion is still happening now, though in indirect and different ways. I heard a Japanese pastor recently say that 'even now one can be cut of from his family upon faith in Christ.' I was told some months ago of a believer who was told not to contact family members. The Osaka municipal government has now passed a bill coercing all teachers to sing the national anthem, 'Kimigayo,' which is said to sing the praises of the Emperor. Of course, Christians (but not only Christians) opposed to this have been punished in other cases and would be punished again. The saying in Japan is 'the nail that sticks out gets hit.'

Please pray for an climate of 'change' to visit Japan, for the Lord to pour out His Spirit and grace on Japan, for the glory of Christ to be proclaimed, for the greater progress of His church and then, last but not least, for healing of the nation as a whole, even as Japan has been through this triple crisis in northeastern Japan.

Pict: Ishinomaki, Japan was hit by a massive tsunami. Murakami pointed out that it is the culture of merely maintaining the status quo that led to the worsening of the disaster in northeastern Japan.

The cross arising from the rubble

When I served up in northeastern tsunami devastated area of Japan, one of the volunteers spoke of the raising of the cross above the rubble of the Kesenuma First Bible Baptist Church. Read article on ABC News International. Please continue to pray for Japan, give to charitable organizations (including Food for the Hungry) and then as the Lord leads go and serve. There is still great need in this area, especially spiritual and emotional needs.

Clean Volunteers?

What's 'Clean Volunteers'? Simply the children and parents of our school cleaning the grounds. A great way to be a part of our community.

Naho and Hosahna doing their part.

The boys, including Joshua and Shane, helping, I think.

I help cut grass.

A holy nation

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us." 1 Peter 2:9-12

“When Peter calls us a ‘holy nation’,’ he is saying literally, that we are a distinct, unique community- a group of people who have distinct ways of doing nearly everything.” Tim Keller

The covenant....

I am no longer my own, but thine.

Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.

Put me to doing, put me to suffering.

Let me be employed for thee or laid aside for thee,

exalted for thee or brought low for thee.

Let me be full, let me be empty.

Let me have all things, let me have nothing.

I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal.

And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

thou art mine, and I am thine.

So be it.

And the covenant which I have made on earth,

let it be ratified in heaven.

Amen.

John Wesley

What is thy only comfort in life and death?

Question 1. What is thy only comfort in life and death?

Answer: That I with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but belong unto my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ; who, with his precious blood, has fully satisfied for all my sins, and delivered me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me that without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head; yea, that all things must be subservient to my salvation, and therefore, by his Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me sincerely willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto him.

Heidelberg Catechism

Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing...

"Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I care not a straw whether they be clergymen or laymen; such alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of heaven on earth. God does nothing but in answer to prayer."

John Wesley

To the zoo...

May 4th, we went with Jon and family to the Tobe Zoo- about 2 hours from Takase.

Rhino

Hippo

Elephant

Jon's family included his wife Tammy and boys- Jon Luc and Peter. Tammy also invited some friends.

Royal wedding sermon

Listen to the royal wedding sermon by the Bishop of London.

He starts out with a great quote: "Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire." St Catherine of Siena

He later quotes: "Chaucer, the London poet, sums it up in a pithy phrase: 'Whan maistrie [mastery] comth, the God of Love anon, Beteth his wynges, and farewell, he is gon.'

Then explains, "As the reality of God has faded from so many lives in the West, there has been a corresponding inflation of expectations that personal relations alone will supply meaning and happiness in life."

"This is to load our partner with too great a burden. We are all incomplete: we all need the love which is secure, rather than oppressive, we need mutual forgiveness, to thrive." Very true.

Here is my comment: As we experience that all 'gods' do fail, we have the true and living God, the Lord Jesus Christ, on whom we can put all our expectations. From that hope, we enter into the life of our partners to give, love and serve.

Royal wedding: Read the full text of the Bishop of London's sermon

...absolutely different from the world...

"When the church is absolutely different from the world, she invariably attracts it. It is then that the world is made to listen to her message, though it may hate it at first."　Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Jon's family and hotdogs

Jon, my brother, and family stayed with us about 5 days. Sunday he preached a simple message on the gospel. Then after the worship, we had a delicious hotdog meal with the Kimura (Naho's) relatives.

Bin Ladin

“He is an evil man, and he must be stopped, but he is a man, and we should take no pleasure in destroying him. Vengeance is the Lord’s alone... Do not offer the alternative, ‘Should we weep for Osama bin Laden or hold him to account for his genocide and prevent him from carrying out his violent intentions?... The right answer is yes.”

D.A. Carson, concerning bin Laden less than a year after 9/11

Read more: WORLD Magazine | Debating the death | Mindy Belz | May 03, 11

Someone

“First and foremost we are called to Someone, not to something or to somewhere.”　Os Guinness