"Worship South" Kids

These are a few of the kids who come with their parents to a monthly English worship gathering we host here at the Kanto Gakuin mission house. We have always called this gathering "Worship South" for the strange reason that, when we started it back in 2005, there was a similar group meeting in central Yokohama--we were the southern group, thus the name. Unfortunately, though, the group in central Yokohama stopped meeting this year. Maybe we ought to change the name of our group, huh?

Every month we have a potluck meal at 5:30, then begin an informal, emergent style worship time at 6:30. One of our teens looks after the kids. 30-35 people usually attend, and we're from all different sorts of church backgrounds (some from no church background at all), so the discussions are always lively and invigorating. We've often used video to start discussions, a big hit being the "NOOMA" series by Rob Bell.

Last month, we had a "Thanksgiving" theme, so the kids made a "Thank You Chain"--each link is a prayer to God and has a "thank you for..." written on it by one of the kids. Of course, as for us parents, these kids themselves are some of the "things" we're most thankful for!

A Safe Place

KGU's Institute for the Study of Christianity and Culture recently sponsored a lecture by a 28-year old author of a book on bullying. The book came out of the author's personal experience of being bullied--an experience that eventually forced him to quit school altogether.

As he shared his experience with over 200 students and teachers, it occurred to me that having a "safe place" is very important for people. The speaker explained that when he tried to tell his parents and teachers about the bullying that was going on, they basically replied, "Are you sure it's not your fault?"

Interestingly, one of the students asked him about whether or not he ever used his school's counseling room. "Well," he said, "a school counseling room is an okay idea, but the fact that you have to go to it reaffirms the notion that you're 'different' and that you have 'problems' to discuss. What I really wanted wasn't a place to go talk about my 'problems,' but just a place where I could be normal with other people--a place where I was accepted for who I was."

This struck me as so true. We all need a place to be fully accepted for the special creations of God that we are--a safe place. Church is supposed to be that kind of place for people, of course, but in a culture like Japan's, where participation in church is not part of mainstream life, "safe places" are sometimes hard to find.

At the Kamariya campus of KGU, I've been holding a "Chaplain's Lunch" every Friday. There's no program--it's just a time for students to gather, eat and chat. Hopefully, it's providing a safe place to some of our students. Heaven knows we all need to find a place like that.

Fellowship group at KGU "Culture Festival"

Last weekend, we had the annual KGU Culture Festival--a fun three days of making and selling food and relaxing with friends.

This year, The Fellowship group on campus decided to do an "American food" theme--with Johnsonville brats, clam chowder, nacho chips and American soft drinks. All went over really well, though nobody seemed to like the root beer!?!

I asked the group after all was said and done, "Well, how much did we make?" "Hmmm...," she said, "I think we broke even." "Yikes! What are we doing this for?!" I thought. Then I remembered that we're in Japan and just doing something together is sometimes the point of it all. That's not such a bad thing....

Oh yeah. Here's something fun--a movie clip of one of the student bands that was playing on the green. The real Japan!

For more pics of The Fellowship's booth at the culture festival, see:

http://www.davidsonjapan.org/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=301

An old friend...

It's nice when folks come back into your life... One of these fellas to the left was in my elective Bible class at KG high school a couple of years ago. After he graduated, I imagined I'd never see him again. But lo and behold--he's come to Kanto Gakuin Church a number of times this summer--interested in learning more about becoming a Christian.

All of us are growing and changing, obviously. As we grow older, questions arise we didn't have before, and options open up to us--mental, emotional, spiritual options. It's great to see people growing--it's a very natural thing. With God's grace, I'll keep growing, myself.

"Elijah" appears...

Did you know there was such a thing as "Japanese Christian HipHop?" Hmmm... I didn't either, until yesterday. "Elijah" came to the Kamariya campus yesterday to give a concert and share his faith story. A good message about the unconditional love of God to the 50 or so students cranned into the small room we use for chapel on this campus.

When I first arrived in Japan, I was interested in the draw of African-American culture here. Gospel music is quite popular and some folks pay up to $20 per session just to practice with gospel choirs around the Tokyo-Yokohama area. Can you imagine that? Someone paying to be in your choir!

Everybody wants to feel free, right?--unrestrained. And in a culture as socially rigid as Japan's, it's tantalizing for folks to be able to "go a little crazy" for a while and let their emotions show. We're all human...