Penetrating the web

The other day David went for a walk in a local park. Actually one of the most well-known - and beautiful - parks in the Hiragishi area. It does however provide a home for the largest shrine in Hiragishi. Just near the shrine area there is a traditional Japanese garden with perfectly manicured little trees, bright flowers, a pond and a waterfall. It is a very quiet spot - if no one else is there, all that can be heard is the gentle splash coming from the waterfall. It was a reminder of the name of our church - izumi, which means spring. It is an oasis in the heart of the noise-filled, bustling, 'instant-everything' society in which we live. Right across two rocks in front of the waterfall there was a large spider's web glistening in the sunlight. Coming to Japan to share the gospel has been compared to trying to penetrate a spider's web. There are so many strands linked together,different pieces of the web of Japanese thought, customs and lifestyle which make it so hard for the truths of the gospel both to be shared and accepted here. A spring of water; and a spider's web. Our desire is to see many drawn to the izumi; but to do that we need patience, wisdom and the power which only God can give to help us penetrate the web so that more and more people can find their way not just to a shrine, or a peaceful garden, but to the One who created them and wants to give them life in all its fulness.

On a journey

Last Sunday our family were joined by eight Japanese guests at our worship service. It was great to have so many with us. Each is on a faith journey, but each at a different stage. Two were baptised last Christmas. One had been a pastor in Canada. Two have been Christians for some years. One is a young guy who has been a few times and claims quite openly he does not believe in God. One is an older man who is seeking something and perhaps does indeed have some faith of his own. And that is church. It's community. It's a gathering of people of different ages, different personalities and all on a journey. As always we eat together after our service (which begins at 4 in the afternoon) and that always give the opportunity for a relaxed time of conversation, laughter and caring for one another. Our church has the word izumi in its name - that means spring (as in the place from which water springs). Many people around us are thirsting and seeking something, yet don't know where to find it. Our desire is that more and more people in our community find their way to the only community where people's deepest longings and deepest needs can be met - the local church, where they can meet Jesus, be encouraged in fellowship and find the resources to live fruitful lives that in turn draw others to Jesus. That's a big part of what we do as we seek to plant a church from nothing in Hiragishi.

Time to vote

Recently it has been rather noisy in these parts. Vans drive around with loudspeakers on their roof, filled with people wearing white gloves who wave at all those folks who are unfortunate enough to be nearby when the van passes. It's election time! Up and down the country the candidates do their rounds in their vans exhorting people to vote for them. No one really seems to be listening but you can't avoid the noise which resonates around the community, sometimes from early morning till into the evening. Tomorrow sees elections for the Upper House. As usual the two main parties are doing battle, but this time a number of the smaller parties are expected to take seats. Prime Ministers come and go here with great regularity. The last elected PM did not last too long and his successor, Mr Kan, is already finding his popularity ratings falling. Politicians are struggling to come up with answers to the big economic and social issues which Japan faces. Whatever the result tomorrow, maybe nothing much will change. But one thing that will certainly change is that the noisy vans with their white-gloved passengers will be off the roads until the next election - unfortunately they seem to come round rather frequently.

Customer service

There are a lot of set phrases or ways of saying things in Japan. It is a polite society. And saying the right thing is regarded very highly. That extends even to the supermarket checkout. The person on duty will greet you with a word of welcome as you put your basket up. She (or sometimes he) will then empty your basket for you and tell you the price item by item as it is scanned and then placed neatly into another basket. Often this is all done in a kind of high-pitched lilt or singing-kind of voice. You hand over your money (usually cash - very little use of debit cards here) and the checkout assistant confirms the amount you have handed over, then confirms the amount of change before uttering (in the same lilt) a closing greeting to welcome you back for more custom some time. With all these greetings and careful packing, not forgetting the cash transaction, it can tend to take a while to pass through the queue at the checkout. But as the customer is valued so is proper service valued. Self-scanning areas are beginning to appear in a very limited way at Japanese supermarkets - speedy, efficient, but not quite the same service. For a society which is so technologically advanced, it's often interesting to see how many people are employed to give personal service to the customer. A bit more time-consuming perhaps but refreshing at times to have contact with real people rather than a machine.

One big family

Every three years the whole of the OMF team in Japan gets together for Field Conference. It is always a special time and this year's was no exception. Around 200 (including children) gathered at a hot spring hotel in Hokkaido for a time of encouragement, challenge, fellowship and fun. It was a joy to welcome a group from Northern Ireland who led various activities for the children during the week - so good that parents hardly saw their kids all week! The General Director of OMF Patrick Fung gave some powerful Bible messages from Acts. There were times in small groups, times for prayer, times to unwind and the week ended with a memorable time of communion as we were able to focus on what Jesus did for us on the cross and then join together as one to sing a final hymn of praise. One of the focal points of the week was to spend time discussing and praying about the future direction of OMF in Japan. We are the largest mission organisation in Japan and in recent years have been blessed with many new workers. What role should OMF missionaries be playing over the coming years to see God's kingdom expand in Japan? These are exciting days as we look ahead. Yet the challenges are many too. How good to be able to come together for a week to be built up, encouraged and enthused for the tasks that lie ahead.

The dream ends

So Japan are out of the World Cup. The dream of reaching the semi finals is over. It's been fascinating to watch both the unfolding of events in South Africa as well as the reaction at 'home'. The team has performed much better than anyone expected. And had it not been for one penalty miss, they could have been in the quarter finals. One of the enduring images of the Japan campaign is the ever-expressionless face of the manager Okada. Rarely did you see a smile. But he had his game plan carefully worked out and the team functioned as instructed. After last night's defeat as always happens at the end of a match, the manager is interviewed immediately by the Japanese media. He took responsibility - 'I was not strong enough'. Some players were also interviewed and as always were gracious in defeat. All sports people in this country are able to speak competently. Then the team went over to bow in front of their fans and express their thanks. People back in Japan had really got behind the team. It's a shame they are out but the players have done their country proud and will return to a great welcome. And that is more than can be said for some other countries. Amazing to think how far Japan has come in football when the professional league only started here in the 1990s. Team spirit, discipline, technical skill - all very Japanese characteristics and all very much on display by the 2010 Japan team. Well done guys.

Fathers' Day

Yesterday was Fathers' Day in Japan. Unlike Mothers' Day, it falls on the same day as the UK so we manage to remember both. It is well known that many men in Japan work long hours, often leaving home early and getting back late at night. Time for kids to see their dad can be very limited. However, at least in our part of Japan, things seem to be changing; more and more dads are able to spend time with their families in the evenings or at least at the weekends. It's not easy though to leave work before others. And then there may be pressures to spend time with work colleagues even after that. We are getting to know quite a number of dads through Calum's involvement in football. There is a good cameraderie there and great to see many of the dads around. It's always a challenge for churches here to reach men and to see whole families be part of the church family. We are wondering what we can do to reach men. To begin with that will involve building relationships with men on their territory, probably involving sport, leisure, food or any combination. Yesterday we had a man come along to our service. Next week we will have another young guy coming who has already been a few times. But not all men would feel at all comfortable in doing that. We need to be creative in finding ways to make contact with men and gradually be able to share with them the message of the gospel.