GospelRest

Ah, summer in Tokyo. Some say it has been long with typical days in the 90s with 80% + humidity. With Elaine a bit tied down with her foot and John with his busiest summer ever we have stayed in Tokyo most of the time. Fortunately, both of us have not had any physical problems with the heat (except cabin fever). We did have a few glorious vacation days by the lake near Mount Fuji to enjoy the natural air conditioning of the mountains. The weather was excellent and the lake never more inviting. Camping outdoors is also good as we get away from email, phones, computers and TV.

The August cover issue of Time Magazine Asian edition caught my attention: A Clouded Outlook. Over these last few years, we have felt being in Japan that the hope index in Japan has been dangerously eroded. People in Japan are pretty beat down these days. Time observes, “Japan’s political leadership is paralyzed, its corporate elite befuddled, its people agonized about the future.” These are the same people we live and work with everyday.

Decades ago “Japan didn’t need answers; Japan was the answer” as the article said. The Japan which was an envy of the world is not working and becoming loathsome to the Japanese. The global decline in the economy hit Japan twice as hard than the US. Besides the overall economic situation, recently the Prime Minister quit and another one took his place. Last month’s elections proved that people are unhappy with the lack of progress. One of our friends close to some legislators agrees with us that there is not much short of a crisis that will change the situation. Michael Schuman asserts, “And yet no one in Japan is doing very much about it.” In a place with already normal crises of earthquakes and typhoons we are concerned. What will pull Japan out from under this cloud?

The church of Jesus Christ has great opportunities to bring renewed hope to people with the good news. What people are seeking in Japan is the living God that will fill their emptiness and hopelessness. Like us those short-term missionaries that have been recently working in Japan all agree that Japanese are very open right now. What a tremendous time to be in Japan! Not since the end of World War II are the people searching for answers.

Japanese culture is very concerned with saving face and will not quickly advocate risk or the possibility of failure. Radical change and models of church ministry need to be developed. What is even more concerning is that the church in Japan in some areas is equally paralyzed.

Maybe you can be involved in praying, sending, and supporting new church movements throughout Japan. Join us in praying for wisdom that the development of new church movements would be dynamic faith-driven community transforming congregations. These faith-communities can drive the gloomy clouds away and birth new hope and outlook in changed hearts.

For the full Time article see http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2005689,00.html 

THANK YOU FOR PRAYING FOR THE JAPANESE PEOPLE
One of our Intensive Prayer Team members sent us one of his prayers: “Today I pray for the people of Japan. They are steeped in traditions and practices that hold them back from seeking You. I pray that today Japanese people that You love and desire to know your Son would be led by your Spirit to the light of understanding, knowledge and love of Your Son and our Savior Jesus Christ. Your will be done. Amen.”

For more prayer information on Japan, one of our favorite prayer mobilization sites is at the Joshua Project.

In this current age of crisis, we are facing major problems in Japanese homes. Society has a major influence on couples and family sexual morals. Abuse and violence are problems in the home. Our mission is to bring recovery to family relationships and to help families grow in a healthy manner. This society does not create a healthy environment for children. While children are growing, they get caught in the pressure of competitive society and there are many bullying problems at school. These are serious social problems. There are other serious problems, including the use of cell phones and the internet for harming children. Children today are facing these kinds of increasing problems. Adults are at a loss to know how to deal with these problems. We need to review our mission to youth and help children grow up in a healthy manner, cooperating with families and schools. Therefore, we must study the problems at a deeper level and work on cooperating.

* From the Sapporo Declaration of the 5^th Japan Congress of Evangelism

The Tokyo 2010 consultation was a celebration of the 100^th anniversary of the Edinburgh 1910, the first global missions conference. The first conference was historic in many senses and sparks from that first conference continue today. Tokyo 2010 attended from delegates from over 140 countries was modeled after the original Edinburgh conference though this time a majority of the attendees were non-westerners, sending missionaries from anywhere to everywhere.  Tokyo 2010 was the first of four international mission conferences in 2010.  More information including the Tokyo Declaration can be found at www.tokyo2010.org. Thank you for praying for John’s presentation on New Churches in Japan just part of one of 17 seminars one day. From evaluations the seminar was very effective.

In Japan, abuse at home, bullying at school, unemployment problems, drug addiction, and impulsive indiscriminate killings show the increasingly serious problems of society. Moreover, the political right is gaining strength, as can be seen in schools where the national anthem and the national flag are enforced, as well as in the movement to revise the pacifist Constitution. Therefore, mission in Japan is in the midst of severe circumstances. Church members are aging and the number of young people are decreasing. Some pastors are quitting under difficult situations. Some churches have no pastors or are being closed. The influence of cults and the occurrence of various kinds of harassment are intensifying in the church.

* From the Sapporo Declaration of the 5^th Japan Congress of Evangelism

At the recent Tokyo 2010 Global Missions Consultation, a highlight was one highly respected Japanese church leader who had a heartfelt and very open confession, public repentance, and an appeal for forgiveness from nations and people who had suffered during the Pacific War. He did not mince words but spoke more honestly than I have heard from other contexts. Even after 65 years this is still an emotional topic.

Along with his contrition and appeal for forgiveness was an appeal for all Christian groups to work in unity, for us to love our neighbors and be unified in our need of Christ.  For more information see: http://au.christiantoday.com/article/japanese-pastor-repented-for-japans-past-sins-sought-for-unity-in-christ/8246.htm Also there was a reading of the Tokyo 2010 Declaration which was signed by numerous groups which I am represented in Japan, in North America and Missiological Associations.  http://www.tokyo2010.org/conference/Tokyo_2010_Declaration.pdf.

An earlier blog on suicide was at http://www.gospelrest.com/suicide-and-the-japan-economy/

Japan suffers over 30,000 suicides annually for the last 12 years. Also it is estimated that upwards of 10 times that number attempt but do not succeed at suicide. Suicide is viewed with scorn by people throughout society.  Talk about suicide is considered taboo and people are viewed as losers who commit suicide. Those victims of suicide are cut off from help from others. One prominent psychiatrist, Hasami Hirayama, sees the vicious cycle of society pressure and emotional problems as both contributors of suicide. The means of helping people with these problems is not to ostracize them but to care for them compassionately. Japan really needs a change of heart and Christians who have the good news for people should be in the lead in providing answers. Pray and help.

In preparation for our CPI Leaders’ Summit last month on Gospel-centered Leadership I was reading and reviewing books on leadership especially the heart idols that leaders are most susceptible. (Elaine and I developed a list of heart idols that leaders often encounter). Good books have been Spiritual Leadership by Henry and Richard Blackaby (Experiencing God fame).  Other good books have been Dangers, Toils, Snares, The Heart of a Servant Leader on Jack Miller and Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership McIntosh and Rima.

I feel the real danger of the heart is when we are in a leadership position but we have allowed our spiritual and relational authority to erode. Without much heart left and diminishing trust (people notice) we then can only rely on defending our position which develops pride in its many forms and then we become uncaring and callous toward other people. That is when leadership is ugly, even ineffective as all trust has been undermined. Jesus was the best example of leadership and never lost compassion for others in the midst of leadership. He knew how to tell the truth with grace. May we always struggle as leaders and depend on him to keep and deliver us from the “dark side of leadership.”

We sure love living in Machida City Tokyo.  Within 15 minutes of our house are 5 parks well-wooded and lots of nature.  You would not think we live in the world’s largest city.  There are nearly 500,000 people living along with us in Machida (mah-chee-dah)including the creator of Pokemon, Satoshi Tajiri.  For more info see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machida,_Tokyo.