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Not in the event that…but it’s half and half

The title phrase comes from a TV advertising campaign promoting people to go have cancer checkups.  In the TV commercial, the husband and wife are playing tennis, and the husband says, “In the event that I develop cancer…”  Then the wife clearly replies by saying, “Not in the event that, but it’s half and half.” 

Today, one out of two people develop cancer, and one out of three die from cancer.  In that sense, it can be said that anyone can get cancer, but the question is, will we be able to calmly cope with it if we are diagnosed with cancer?  Probably not.  And, it is questionable whether cancer may be cured easily.  Even after surgery or ending medicinal treatments, patients must continue checking their progress over a period of several years.  They also must deal with the possibility of recurrence and other matters which may be stressful. 

There are several people around me who are going through this.  They are all receiving treatments and are positively leading their daily lives.  I send my warmest regards to them all.

It is best if no one becomes ill, but we cannot help it as long as we are human.  A famous actress, Kirin Kiki, who passed away recently, had said, “If illness is evil and health is good, life would be no fun.”  I truly feel the same way.  Illness is of course not evil, and it is not of a negative matter in life. 

Jesus said to the blind men “the works of God might be displayed,” and he touched and healed people with leprosy.  Jesus became deeply involved with our illness and gave us encouragement and healing.  I would like to remember that Jesus watches over us. 

It is “not in an event that… but it’s half and half.”  Therefore, let’s get ourselves over to the doctor’s office for a checkup.

The Rt Revd Peter Ichiro Shibusawa

All Saints’ Day

November 1 is called All Saints’ Day, a celebration day to honor the souls of all saints.  It commemorates the souls of all deceased Christians, and it is a day to pray to God.  The following day, November 2, is All Souls’ Day, and in commemoration of all the faithful departed, we pray to God.  November is also said to be All Saints’ Month.    

At church during Sunday services, we always pray to God for all departed souls, but we remember especially in November of those lost ones to have them rest in peace.  It is similar to “obon” in Japan, a Festival of the Dead.

Nobody knows, for certain, about the life after death.  While some people believe that everything will be lost, others believe that the body will be lost but the soul remains.  There’s no evidence in any of these, but since ages ago, it has been believed that the soul lives on after death as many people wish, expect, and hope. 

If there is nothing afterlife or if it is a nihilistic world, we are now desperately living heading towards a nihilistic world without any kind of hope.  Life would be a very empty one.  Furthermore, funerals, grave visits, memorial services, and Christian memorial worships will have no meaning. 

The Bible tells us that the soul of the deceased rests in peace, and before long at the last moment, gives its testimony to God, the creation of life. 

Therefore, we, who are currently alive, pray for the deceased and to God to welcome the soul of the deceased.  At the same time, while we are still alive, we live with hope, praying for guidance and protection, to be able to live a fulfilling life so that God would be happy.  Let us pray for the many souls of the deceased.

Revd Timothy Kimihiro Shimada
Nagano Holy Savior’s Church, New Life Chapel, Inariyama All Saint’s Church

A Unique Existence as One Individual

On September 8, the ordination of Bishop-elect, Revd. Ignacio Osamu Irie, was held, and he was installed as the Bishop of the Diocese of Yokohama.  For this, my duty as bishop in charge has been relieved, and even though it was only a 5 months-term, I am thankful for the valuable experience I have gained.  Bishop Irie is a person deeply involved with the Diocese of Chubu, so I am hoping that some sort of collaboration develops between the Diocese of Chubu and Diocese of Yokohama.  I pray for God’s blessing and guidance on the new start of the Diocese of Yokohama.

On a different note, in late August, I attended the “Bonfire 2018” organized by Gifu Associa. It was the 47th workshop on marriage for the visually impaired.  Many people from all over the country participated from Okinawa in the south to Hokkaido in the north.

The female secretary general of the Gifu Prefectural Society for Visually Impaired Welfare participated as a guest, and I was startled by the words in her greeting.  She especially asked the male participants to “not look for your mother’s substitute in your partner, but as the woman you will be with for the rest of your life.” 

I felt as if I heard a silent voice from the many people who were there, especially from women participants saying “that’ s right.”  I thought I was the only one who had felt this, but I later heard that the Director of Gifu Associa had felt the same way.

It is not important what your gender is, whether you have a disability or not, or even whether you are “productive” or not.  We are all a unique existence as one individual.  Do not place someone else in the figure, but see that person as who he or she is.  Accept one’s uniqueness.  Her greeting made me realize these, once again.

The Rt Revd Peter Ichiro Shibusawa

Would St. Francis Preach Bees?

For about ten years until this March, I served as a managing priest to Fukushima Church in Kiso Town, Nagano Prefecture.  One day, as I was giving a sermon at this church, a small long-legged wasp flew in out of nowhere.  Then, without a doubt, the atmosphere in the church changed completely.  Until then, only my voice giving a sermon echoed silently inside the church, with the congregation listening.  We understood each other even just with an eye contact, and it was a time where we shared the Words.  However, with the appearance of the small bee, everything changed.  From the expression of the people, I could clearly hear the voices of their hearts crying, “Bee! What shall we do? We’re in the middle of a sermon…”  As I heard these silent voices and looked into their eyes, fear close to threat and confusion was evident.  And to the congregation, the bee’s buzzing, which could not have been louder than me, was far greater than my voice during the sermon.  But even I, who was preaching, felt the same as the congregation.  Everything was engulfed by the bee. 

Contemplating between my mission and responsibility to continue talking about the Words, I stopped my sermon and said, “There’s a bee, so let us all step outside.”  As the nervousness was at once removed within the church, one person opened the window, took a newspaper in one’s hand, and guided the small, yet the powerful bee outside.  After the bee was gone, the church retrieved its quiet atmosphere, as it had been prior to the bee appearing, and I restarted my sermon.  However, as I continued with my sermon, I was starting to recollect about an incident at Fukushima Church that had occurred to me when I was a child.

As a matter of fact, Fukushima Church is my mother church, and I had been there with my family since childhood.  I have taken part in the Holy Eucharist there, but taking part meaning I was running around the church, like that bee, spoiling the mood during prayers.  It was just a mess, so I heard.  Then, one day, my mother, who just had it with my behavior, took me outside during the Holy Eucharist, and we stayed outside until the service was over.  Afterwards, my mother said to my grandmother, “My child is so noisy and he’s going to be in the way of everyone’s prayers, so I’m thinking about taking a little break from going to church.”  After hearing this, even I at a young age, knew that this was not looking good.  Then my grandmother said to my mother, “What are you talking about?  No one more than a child is in need of the Words of God.  And the Holy Eucharist is important to children.  So, keep bringing your child to church, and there is no need to take him outside during the communion.”  Hearing my grandmother’s words, my mother was very surprised, yet a little relieved and said “Yes, I guess you’re right.”  As I was looking on to what was happening and from my grandmother’s words, I instantly realized how much the Holy Eucharist is important to my grandmother, my mother, and the people at church.  And above all, for myself even as a child, too.

As I overlapped the figure of myself as a child taken outside the church to the bee that was guided outside, I thought to myself, “If it had been Saint Francis, who was said to have preached to the little birds, would he have preached to that bee?  I bet he would have done it.”

The story of St. Francis calling all creatures even other than humans as brothers and sisters, and loving and respecting them, hence being able to communicate with animals’ hearts, preach to the birds, and convert the wolf, is exceedingly famous.  But when I think back on my grandmother’s words, I feel St. Francis was able to preach them because he understood the heart and words of the birds and wolves. 

“It is absolutely necessary for all creatures to be guided by the words of God.  Creatures are not to be limited only to people, but also to every creature that cannot understand the words of human beings.  If all creatures need to be guided by the words of God, I will even preach to the birds and wolves.  Even if the birds and wolves do not understand the words I speak, the words I speak are that of God.  I believe in the absolute nature of the words of God, and its greatness in power.  If the words are of God they will be understood by all creatures.  And if they are the words of God, the birds and wolves will surely feel something.  That is why I preach to the birds and the wolves.”  So, that’s how he believed it, and that is why he continued to preach to the birds and wolves.  And if the bees were here, he probably would have preached them too. 

It is important that all creatures continue to be within the grace of God and be showered by words of God.  We easily assume that “children do not understand sermons,” “Holy Eucharist is too difficult for children,” or “children might get bored” and as a result, children’s places are outside the church.  Are we not letting the children hear the words of God?  The words of God and the miracles of the sacrament go far beyond our understanding and imagination, reaching the children in a more clear, certain, and unexpected manner.  If the Holy Eucharist is the absolute faith of us adults, it should also be the same for children.  However, there are places other than the Holy Eucharist that are easily prepared for children.  Looking at this I feel, “For whose sake are the children plucked out of the Holy Eucharist?  For children who are bored or for adults who prefer to worship peacefully and quietly?

As Lord Jesus has embraced and blessed the children in the center of adults, we should always have the children be the center of the Holy Eucharist.  I hope it becomes a place where “children should be” and “ought to be.”

Revd Joseph Daisuke Shimohara
St. Matthew’s Cathedral, Nagoya St. John’s Church

On the Other Side of the Voice

There is an opportunity for me to talk to the bride and groom during the orientation held before the wedding ceremony.  I still get nervous until the time the couple arrives.  Through the wedding application form that is provided beforehand, I try to picture the two of them as to who and how they are.  However, that often leads to a stretching of imagination with inaccurate information.  Wedding photographers say they do not want any kind of image or information regarding the couple before the photograph shooting because they prefer to take pictures just the way the two or the family is.  I want to follow that same style, but I tend to think about unnecessary information prior to meeting the couple.  Nevertheless, it is the two who are more nervous than me.

With both of our tension unwinding little by little, and by the end of the wedding rehearsal, I feel relieved to see the happy faces on the couple knowing that they have taken a step forward in their wedding preparation.  I had felt a similar kind of nervousness when I used to go and talk to the patients at hospitals.  Previously, I would visit the hospital rooms almost everyday praying that the patients are not suffering from repeated pain or exhausted from their rehabilitation therapies.  Even if I had visited the patients upon hearing their conditions from the nurse practitioner or had estimated the right timing for visitation, patients would repeatedly refuse to see me, and I would be down about it.  There would be times when I would end up walking past the hospital rooms for not wanting to disturb any meetings or wake up the patients.  I would come to myself with a question thrown at me such as “Are you the chaplain in the hospital?”  Even now, it suddenly occurs to me after the ceremony when the groom says, “My gratitude to the chaplain and all the staff” and then I am made to realize that the groom is talking about me.

I am reminded again at the meaning of my being there in that very moment.  When Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon (Matthew15:21), a Canaanite woman cries out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me!”  To the woman’s voice wanting to have her daughter healed, Jesus answers with words full of racism and harassment such as “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel” and “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs” to turn down her request.  Maybe society was like this in those times.  However, it is the same sad words that I told myself that those were the reasons.  Jesus too was tired, and he might have stashed it away to himself.  The walk of Jesus, was that of solemnness, far greater than that of ours.  His teachings were not understood, and he was not even trusted by his family in his own homeplace of Nazareth.  Is that why he came far out to Jerusalem where there are no lost sheep and in no need of a shepherd?  However, that is when the woman calls out to him, “Lord, Son of David.”  With Jesus as the Savior in this world and people crying out to him, it is likely that Jesus was seeking a long time for this cry.  However, far more than those voices calling for him, Jesus was calling out to us.  Jesus too was calling for us.  In order to have Jesus be our Lord, I want to continue calling for him by saying, “Yes it is, our Lord.”  Jesus is there on the other side waiting for us.

Rev. Matthew Naomichi Yano

Recalling Bishop Mori

The former bishop of the Diocese of Chubu, Rev. Francis Toshiaki Mori, passed away on July 10, 2018.  When I had received notice from the Diocese of Tokyo Management Bishop Katsuichi Hirota, I was so shocked that I asked without even thinking, “Is it true?”  Rev. Mori had felt something wrong with his foot so he had gotten himself over to the orthopedic clinic; this is where he collapsed.  He was taken to the Center Hospital of the National Center for Global Health and Medicine on an ambulance but passed away due to retroperitoneal hemorrhage at the age of 78.

The funeral, as it had already been discussed with his wife, Atsuko, prior to his death, was held with only family members at Mejiro Seikokai on July 12.  I made a visit to see his wife, Atsuko, at a later date and when I gave my prayers then, I was shown the pictures from the funeral.  It was a very simple, yet a neat funeral service, most suited for Bishop Mori. 

During the Bishop’s lifetime, he had said that he didn’t think well about the word “to die,” but rather preferred the expression “be called to.”  I would like to think of his passing away as something far beyond our thoughts and deep within the heart of God.

Bishop Mori had been the Diocesan Bishop from March 1998 to December 2009.  During those years, he played an important role in the missionary and the pastoral care of the diocese such as building of the Diocesan Center of Chubu, the formation of a collaborative relationship between the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Central Philippines, the establishment of Kani Missionary Station (the current Kani Holy Trinity Church), the 90th anniversary memorial service of the diocese establishment, and the reorganization of the group. 

In addition, it was a commemorative decision of Bishop Mori to have ordained the first ever Nippon Sei Ko Kai female priest, Rev. Yoshiko Shibukawa. 

My appreciation towards the works done by Bishop Mori, and I pray for the repose of his soul and may there be comfort to his family.

Being Together…Directly Experiencing Each Other

The Ministry Council was held in Matsushiro in June.  Reverend Osamu Irie (Chairperson of the Diocese of Yokohama Standing Committee, Bishop elected-to-be) and Reverend Ken Katayama (General Secretary of the Diocese of Yokohama) from the Diocese of Yokohama participated in the meeting. 

As I have mentioned about it in this column previously, the Diocese of Chubu was founded after separating from the Diocese of Yokohama.  However, I feel as though there has been a slight lack of relationship between the two.  We have had two joint Minister’s Meetings with the Diocese of Yokohama since I have become a minister.  The first was during the years of Bishop Jyuji Uematsu and Bishop Katsuhiko Iwai, and the meeting was held in June 1981 in Karuizawa.  The second was in November 2007 at Seisen-Ryo in Kiyosato.  This was during the years of Bishop Toshiaki Mori and Bishop Satoru Endo. Having these two clergymen join the Ministry Council, putting aside whether this might or might not lead to an immediate exchange, was a good opportunity.  I believe the two being together with the ministers of Chubu, allowed them to get a feeling of the Diocese of Chubu.  Myself, as the Bishop in Management, had the opportunity to take part in the Diocese of Yokohama Standing Committee Meeting and the Minister’s Meeting which allowed me to directly experience the atmosphere of Yokohama.  I feel it is important to experience directly on site to show understanding in each other.

The World of God is a Quiet One

Jesus, speaking about the world of God, said that it grows even without realizing it.  People do not know how sowed seeds grow in the soil, but similar to their sprouting and bearing fruit, the world of God is neither visible nor hearable, but there is no doubt that it is growing.  It means that the world of God (the work of God) proceeds profoundly and silently. 

The other day, one particular married couple was baptized and practiced confirmation at Church I.  The wife used to be a kindergartener at this church-affiliated school and, for many years, had been interested in Christianity; however, she was hesitant in becoming a Christian because her family was Buddhist.  She has, at this time, made up her mind to become a Christian along with her husband.

After the service, she said it had been a long way until now.  It had taken fifty years since her kindergarten years for her to become baptized.  But the work of God (the world of God) had been with them and lead them to be baptized and receive confirmation.

And recently, the father of Reverend I’s partner S was baptized.  S said to the father, “Dad, you’re now a Christian for you’ve been baptized.”  But the father replied, “Yes, but it hasn’t hit me yet.”  It’s a charming conversation, but once again, the work of God is hidden behind all of this. 

There’s probably not so many who feel a sudden change in becoming a Christian after baptism.  Especially in baptism for infants, there’s probably close to nothing felt by the infants for they are not even aware they have been baptized.  Myself, upon being baptized, remember feeling nervous, but did not actually feel any immediate change or even feel I had become a Christian.  I think the same can be said for most people who experience this. 

Are we not Christians if we don’t actually feel it?  That is not so.  The work of God is profound, silent, but for sure.  It may not be seen, heard, or felt by people.  However, we are, without a doubt, together with God and Jesus through baptism.  We are Christians for sure.  The father of Reverend I’s partner S might not have felt it, but he is a Christian for sure.  The silent work of God goes beyond the sense of people. 

We are not able to understand the whole spirit of God.  There are numerous things that are only understood by God and not by humankind.  But that is fine too.  I believe not understanding everything about God is, on the contrary, a blessing.  What will happen if humankind found out everything about God?  It is a fearful thing when you think about it.  It is enough that God, and only God, knows it. 

The world of God is growing silently but for sure.  As for the couple at Church I, the world of God for fifty years had grown silently.  In the case of the father of Reverend I’s partner, it took far more greater years than this.  Nevertheless, the work of God, without a doubt, is submerged profoundly and silently, and brings us to this baptism and confirmation.  We will look on to the growth of the world of God.

The world of God is growing somewhere, or in a place relatively close to us.  What a joy it is to live our holy lives looking forward to what kind of world God will show us next.

Jesus, speaking about the world of God, said that it grows even without realizing it.  People do not know how sowed seeds grow in the soil, but similar to their sprouting and bearing fruit, the world of God is neither visible nor hearable, but there is no doubt that it is growing.  It means that the world of God (the work of God) proceeds profoundly and silently. 

The other day, one particular married couple was baptized and practiced confirmation at Church I.  The wife used to be a kindergartener at this church-affiliated school and, for many years, had been interested in Christianity; however, she was hesitant in becoming a Christian because her family was Buddhist.  She has, at this time, made up her mind to become a Christian along with her husband.

After the service, she said it had been a long way until now.  It had taken fifty years since her kindergarten years for her to become baptized.  But the work of God (the world of God) had been with them and lead them to be baptized and receive confirmation.

And recently, the father of Reverend I’s partner S was baptized.  S said to the father, “Dad, you’re now a Christian for you’ve been baptized.”  But the father replied, “Yes, but it hasn’t hit me yet.”  It’s a charming conversation, but once again, the work of God is hidden behind all of this. 

There’s probably not so many who feel a sudden change in becoming a Christian after baptism.  Especially in baptism for infants, there’s probably close to nothing felt by the infants for they are not even aware they have been baptized.  Myself, upon being baptized, remember feeling nervous, but did not actually feel any immediate change or even feel I had become a Christian.  I think the same can be said for most people who experience this. 

Are we not Christians if we don’t actually feel it?  That is not so.  The work of God is profound, silent, but for sure.  It may not be seen, heard, or felt by people.  However, we are, without a doubt, together with God and Jesus through baptism.  We are Christians for sure.  The father of Reverend I’s partner S might not have felt it, but he is a Christian for sure.  The silent work of God goes beyond the sense of people. 

We are not able to understand the whole spirit of God.  There are numerous things that are only understood by God and not by humankind.  But that is fine too.  I believe not understanding everything about God is, on the contrary, a blessing.  What will happen if humankind found out everything about God?  It is a fearful thing when you think about it.  It is enough that God, and only God, knows it. 

The world of God is growing silently but for sure.  As for the couple at Church I, the world of God for fifty years had grown silently.  In the case of the father of Reverend I’s partner, it took far more greater years than this.  Nevertheless, the work of God, without a doubt, is submerged profoundly and silently, and brings us to this baptism and confirmation.  We will look on to the growth of the world of God.

The world of God is growing somewhere, or in a place relatively close to us.  What a joy it is to live our holy lives looking forward to what kind of world God will show us next.

The Rt. Rvd. Peter Ichiro Shibusawa

“I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

“In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” The Blessed Trinity may be a little unclear.  It is sometimes called the Holy Trinity within Nippon Sei Ko Kai.  The name, Kani Holy Trinity Church located in Gifu Prefecture, is derived from this.  Churches have believed in God through the development of religious principles.  The Orthodox Church of Japan officially approves of Andrei Rublyov’s icon which shows the three angels visiting Abraham (Genesis) as the only authenticated icon.  Additionally, this religious painting is in the Central Theological College and is still used during meditation.  Augustine expresses in analogy the relationship of the Holy Trinity as the Father the Speaker, the Son the Word, and the Holy Spirit as love through the speaking of the word, “The Theology of the Holy Trinity.”  While the three Persons are distinct, they work together to form unity.  This is the basic line of reasoning in the western theology.  

However, God as three in one and one in three is not the subject of understanding, but is a subject of mysterious belief.  Why this has continued to be kept is because I believe it has been “something felt from experience” rather than “something understood in the mind.”  For instance, we recite the Lord’s prayer.  This represents God of the Holy Trinity.  The Lord’s Prayer is the only prayer which Jesus taught His disciples and also the one He used to pray to God.  The prayer which Jesus the Son, gave to God the Father.  We pray with the Holy Spirit within us.  This is the importance of the Lord’s Prayer.

God loves us unconditionally and this is the basis of our world.  The Father sent us Jesus, the only child, to show us love.  And when we answer “yes” to the unconditional love of Jesus, who was sent by God, only then do we become God’s children.  The awakened Holy Spirit within us moves about actively and by becoming God’s true children, we recite the “Lord’s Prayer.” 

There are hard times and we have ordeals; however, it is the utmost joy of the Holy Spirit within us to answer “yes” when asked by Jesus, “God loves you, do you believe this?”  Isn’t it here where we are able to feel “the three in one” and “the one in three?”  And then we will be able to feel that God is always with us and we are not alone when reciting the Lord’s Prayer.

Revd Joseph Masashi Ishida

A Month of Joy and Sorrow

May was a month of both joy and sorrow.  On May 1, I attended the ordination ceremony of Reverend Nestor Poltic, the third Bishop to the Episcopal Diocese of North Central Philippines, which has a sister relation to our diocese.  The current Prime Bishop Joel Pachao, who was the former Bishop, had resided as bishop for over twenty years; this seemed to have caused a slight uncertainty in the ordination being the first in a while.  However, the excitement seemed to have been much more than that.

Bishop Poltic respectfully stated that he is still in the process of learning even after becoming the bishop.  He hopes to visit Japan someday, and in such opportunity, I hope he will be able to visit places including the church in Kani City to give words of encouragement to the people there.

Actually, I had been worried about Revd. Akira Aizawa’s condition not being well since a few days ago on my visit to the Philippines.  He passed away on May 11, just ten days after my return.  We worked together for over forty years, and he has supported me at services and given me advice since I had become a bishop.  I give my deepest condolences and may his spirit rest in peace. Holy Mass was dedicated upon the 120th Anniversary of Nagano Holy Savior’s Church on May 20.  While giving the service, my thoughts were upon the consecration 120 years ago.  I strongly felt the need to learn from Rev. Waller’s fighting spirit on constructing a cathedral during Meiji Era, when people were still strongly biased against Christians, even in Monzenmachi, a leading area in Japan.  We would also like to express our gratitude to the Holy Mass given with the prominent keyboard performer Genzo Takehisa.