2021
Normal Japanese Animistic Religiosity
11 May 2021: THEOLOGY AND CULTURE
Here is a May 10, 2021, news item that made its rounds throughout Japan. It illustrates the normality of animistic practices that vary from town to town and lie at the heart of both Japanese Shinto and Buddhism.
“A pair of giant straw sandals has been put on display in a town near Tokyo to pray for an end to the coronavirus pandemic. The sandals, over 1.2 meters wide and about five meters long, were installed along a national highway in Nagatoro Town in Saitama Prefecture on Sunday.
A banner praying for the end to the pandemic was set up alongside the sandals, and a Shinto ritual was held. The prefecture's Chichibu region, where the town is located, has a tradition of hanging straw sandals to drive away plagues. The custom, called "fusegi," involves displaying the sandals at the entrance to farmland. It is still handed down in several places. Legend has it that the sandals scare away the god of plagues by showing it that a giant is nearby.
The president of an association which aims to preserve this tradition said members worked together to create the pair of huge and firm sandals to fight the virus.”
Giant sandals displayed to pray for pandemic's end
“A pair of giant straw sandals has been put on display in a town near Tokyo to pray for an end to the coronavirus pandemic. The sandals, over 1.2 meters wide and about five meters long, were installed along a national highway in Nagatoro Town in Saitama Prefecture on Sunday.
A banner praying for the end to the pandemic was set up alongside the sandals, and a Shinto ritual was held. The prefecture's Chichibu region, where the town is located, has a tradition of hanging straw sandals to drive away plagues. The custom, called "fusegi," involves displaying the sandals at the entrance to farmland. It is still handed down in several places. Legend has it that the sandals scare away the god of plagues by showing it that a giant is nearby.
The president of an association which aims to preserve this tradition said members worked together to create the pair of huge and firm sandals to fight the virus.”
Taken from: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210510_10/
Many other news items about Japan and its official perspective on world news via its national news service can be found here:
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/
Laying Plans for Passing the Baton at TMC
15 Mar 2021: TMC | EFCCM - Asia
We have decided it is time to pass the TMC baton.
So TMC’s leadership team has given Dale the green light to recruit someone to lead English language ministries alongside TMC’s Japanese language ministries pastor. We are looking for a missionary or pastor with some ability in the Japanese language and who has a heart for reaching people in Tokyo for Christ, both Japanese and expatriates. Oh yes, and they will need to be financially supported! TMC has only a small stipend for them.
When the Lord leads us to such a person or couple (hopefully by spring 2022 or earlier) we plan to move our primary residence from our apartment in Tokyo to our house in Maine USA. From there we would continue some level of remote/virtual ministry at TMC such as administration and children/ladies ministry—if that is what the church desires.
In addition…
Read More…Tokyo Multicultural Church Ministries
25 Feb 2021: TMC
We are so pleased that in the midst of the pandemic the Lord is sustaining our TMC ministries and raising up a few new ones.
We are thankful for the following language-specific ministries that are providing avenues for Jesus to transform lives:- WORSHIP services on the first and third Sundays of the month are in both English and Japanese, through interpretation. Separate English and Japanese worship services meet on the remaining Sundays.
- CHINESE FELLOWSHIP meets one Sunday afternoon a month for Bible study and fellowship. TMC hopes to eventually add a Chinese Mandarin worship service to our current English and Japanese language worship services.
- SMALL GROUPS meet twice a month to discuss the sermon from that Sunday using discussion questions prepared by the preacher. We currently have one Japanese and two English groups.
- PRAYER MEETINGS are held weekly in English and Japanese. The focus is on praying for one another and TMC. Prayer items from TMC members and attenders are compiled monthly in English.
- BIBLE STUDIES meet three times a week in Japanese and once a week in English.
- CHILDREN enjoy a monthly “Wakuwaku (exciting) Family Time” Bible story and craft in English and Japanese.
- LADIES connect in English through a monthly newsletter that includes a short Bible devotional and one lady’s testimony, as well as through a social media group.
- YOUNG ADULTS gather monthly for games and Bible discussion in English. Young adults are under the age of 40.
Return to Tokyo, then Quarantine
God has been good to us!
We have seen him at work in our life and ministry. On Dec. 26 we completed our six-month US home assignment and returned to Tokyo, arriving on Dec. 27, and then entered a 14-day quarantine. Our travel from Maine to Tokyo was not uneventful but we sensed the Lord’s presence as we jumped over each hurdle. Lord willing, we will very soon once again dive into in-person church planting ministry and leadership.
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