Reflections on the Spoken Word of God

Hokkaido District
The current issue of our Newsletter features the Word of the Lord that stays in our members’
memory.
Biblical Words that Remain in my Heartshould be able to give willingly like this?

ForEiko Noguchi

everything comes from thee, and it is only of thy(Sapporo Chapel, Sapporo)gifts that we give to thee.”(1 Ch 29:14)

The quotation from the Japanese Bible, “But whatam I”, caught my eyes.
Thirty-some years ago, as a freshman atI looked hard at thea uni-

postcard, read the words again and again andversity, I was busy preparing for a nationwide

questioned how I was going to posture myself for

Christian youth meeting. ManyChristian students

the service.

from different denominations across the country

that spending a lot of time in church work or

were supposed to come to the meeting.

Christian students circle activities came from myThe

I realized that I had misunderstood

program included a small group discussion and I

effort.

was to be a sub-leader of one of those groups.

but a gift from God.

I was both nervous and excited. Then one day ISince then, whenever I engage in church work or do

received a postcard.

It was from the leader of myofferings, I recall this Biblical verse and say toSince we had not met before, first there

myself, “it is only of thy gifts that we give to thee.”

was a short greeting. And it was followed by theI no longer remember the entire message of theBiblical passage as follows;

postcard but this Biblical word and the sender’s“But what am I, and what is my people, that wehandwriting still remain firmly in my heart.

group.

2To the contrary, the power was not mine

Reflections on the Spoken Word of God

East District
Biblical Words that have Supported meand I remembered it. But I neither thought of its“Everything is appropriate in its own time.”（Ecc. 3:11)

meaning nor was impacted profoundly. When I wasyoung, I prayed just when I was in trouble.
Later, a lot of things happened to me; going toAyako Nakamura (Matsumoto)college, getting a job, getting married and having achild. I have lived in different places, and had someDo you know there is a districtnamed Ko-shin in the East
District? I was born and raised in this district, at
the foot of Northern Japan Alps.

hard times. Each time, the verse came back to me.
Looking back, I cannot help but think that those
pains and troubles had meaning and that God stood

I first encountered the verse when I first began to

by to lead me, whether I remembered him or not.

go to church as a high school student. At that time I

This feeling is real but I cannot explain it logically.

read the Bible as if it were a story. Accordingly, I

I don’t know if I can leave everything entirely to

was simply impressed by the beauty of the verse

God today, but I do feel secure.

Churches in Transition
God what we should change according to the—Tonan Church—times.

Tonan Church had its seventieth anniversary inOctober last year.

increasingly difficult these days, we want to be

It is a small church located ina residential area of Tokyo.

shown what to do by Jesus.

Every week, people

serviceseniors close to 100, gather and worship together
church school when we had a pre-school group.
Now the graduates of the pre-school group serve
This is atreasure and pride of Tonan church.
Out joy is to see the members attend church as
families of multi-generations linked like a chain.
I have been a member of Tonan Church for 60
years and I look at the commemorative photos
taken over the years, I recognize the faces ofcurrent members as young children.

Now theyattend church with their own family.
We are to write a new history now.

andmake(Yasuko Miyauchi)

There used to be many at theas the teachers of the church school.

With the wholecongregation, we will prioritize observing Sundayof different ages, from a new-born baby to alike a family.

As management of church school is

We will needto respect what we should not change, and ask

3effortsformission.

Reflections on the Spoken Word of God

Tokai District
Biblical Words that have Supported me

was saved, I felt as if God had told me that I had“Always be joyful, always keep on praying.

much left to do.

No matter what happens, always be thankful.”

live till the last day for the sake of people, family

Because my life is given, I wish toand myself, always joyful, continuously praying(I Thess. 5:16-18)

and giving thanks in any circumstances. Thinking
I may contribute best in international friendship

Yasuko Magai (Numazu)

via Japanese culture, I participate in as many
volunteer activities as I can. Sometimes I am too
Praise be the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

busy to go to church but my heart is always by theMy favorite Biblical word? −−− every word in theside of Lord Jesus.

Bible supports and helps me at any time! But theI am grateful from the bottom of my heart that

one above, which was given at the time of myJesus watches over me, encourages me and helps

baptism by my pastor, encourages me daily andme. I pray that I can walk with God today andshows me the way to live.

tomorrow. Amen.

I nearly lost my life, but

was saved. Life was again given by God.

When I

Churches in Transition—Hamana Church―
Our Hamana Church was established in 1953 when
Rev. Lars Ingulsrud started missions. We celebrate our 60th anniversary this year. Its path todate has, however, never been easy. Since 1979,
we have not had our own pastor. Therefore we haveworshiped in the evening for almost 20 years. In2002, the property of the church was sold and thechapel was torn down.
The future was notforeseeable, to say nothing of a church building,and less than ten of us rent a room on the third
floor of a nearby shop to continue Sunday service.
God works wonderfully. Two years later, in 2004,
we had overcome difficulties and received about1000 square meters of land and a brand new chapel.
It was nothing but miracle.
Now, the church is full of teenagers and children.
We still observe Sunday worship with ten or sopeople, but we feel blessed.
“Thank you”.

All we can say is(Setsu Maki)

4

Reflections on the Spoken Word of God

West District
scandal was revealed, it broke up. My family was

Biblical Words that Remain in my Heartimpacted by the trouble but kept praying, andIn everything, as we know, he co-operates for good

finally, by mercy, we were guided to Toyonaka

with those who love God and are called according toChurch.

his purpose.

troubling us might cause difficulties to Toyonaka(Ro 8:28)

At first, I was afraid that the scandal

Church if we changed churches, but Rev. and Mrs.
Akiyama encouraged me so much that we were able
to change churches smoothly.

Yuki Suga (Toyonaka)

I am always

thankful to them for this.
Looking back, I was almost dying when I was
I am shy and retiring by nature and “beingtwenty.

ordinary” had been my best option. Though, whenenergetic. Without the past hardships, however, I

I look back at my 56 years of life, it has been full ofwould probably not have come to know to God.

ups and downs.

have been to different churches, and along the way,

While I was in college, I fell ill and needed to

the words “faith, hope, and love: and the greatest ofwithdraw from school for one year.

In spite of thethese is love” were inscribed deeply in my heart. I

recess my health did not recover fully, so I washave witnessed that God lives and works all thethrown into despair.

Then, my mother died andtime, just like the sun shines in whatever the sky is.

my big sister got married, leaving my father and

Now I can believe that God operates for goodmyself at home.

through these ups and downs.

Partly because of loneliness, I

Now I am close to sixty but feel moreI

started to go to church.

I am anticipating to be shown my assignment by

When I was about twenty years old, I decided toGod who has led me to Toyonaka Church.

live for myself.

year, we rejoiced that Rev. Kokatsu was appointed

I did my utmost to finish college,

Last

got a job and achieved my long-held goal to support

to our church.

myself. But, right after that, I lost my goal andof God.

energy.

Kokatsu, as well as brothers and sisters in faith.

Attracted by a reputation that everybody is full of

Various things still happen at home, at work, andlife, I began to attend a church that emphasized,

in church even after I was guided to the Lutheran“power and healing.” While I read the Bible andchurch. Yet I believe that God will work for the good

associated with the brothers and sisters there, myno matter what, just as he has changed everything

emptiness and pain disappeared.

that has happened in my past for the better.

Fortunately I

met my husband and was blessed with children, too.

I want to work hard together with Rev.

With gratitude

But the church gradually changed and after a5

She works very hard to do the will