Clay Fowler

Week 3: Fellowship

Note: My apologies for our Week 3 report being late. We have been on the road and on the go! The Week 4 report (next) will contain much of what kept me from sitting down long enough to get this report written.

A cup, a flower, a few books, and something for writing. They seem like such simple tools! But the conversations which arise through this simplicity have been amazing. The Spirit works in ways that we truly are unable to fully grasp. Both of us have been blessed by our time with readers this Summer. From the moment they arrive, we are focused and engaged in conversation and interaction – so much so that we keep forgetting to take pictures with them! In a way, though, even that is an indicator of how impactful these sessions have been. We remain prayerful that the seeds sown in these moments will one day grow to produce a harvest beyond what we think possible.

Family Music Class on Thursday was such a joy. It tends to be a smaller group since many families are busy during the week, but that can lead to a more intimate time together connecting and enjoying. Emily and I are continually reminded just how busy people are here. Each week has been a different mix of who can be here and who must be somewhere else. A sense of consistency can be elusive. God remains faithful, though.

Worship on Sunday was greatly encouraging! There is a Chinese group that meets monthly on Sunday afternoon, but this week they came early for a joint worship service. Brother Lau Kin Fatt (second row, left end, in the picture above) and his wife Chrissy were visiting along with long-time friends from California, Eddie and Tai Young. The Laus minister for a church in Malaysia and have strong connections to several associated with Tachikawa. The sermon was in Chinese with Japanese translation, and the singing was in Japanese, Chinese, and English (at least!), but it was one Spirit throughout. We even had a visitor pop in for service who had recently arrived in Tokyo via hitch-hiking. He had come to the big city to try his luck in the local music scene. Eddie went above and beyond for the Kid’s Worship time by learning “This Little Light of Mine” in Japanese and then helping lead the kids in a couple of verses.

Of course, nothing puts a finishing touch on a combined worship like heading upstairs for a potluck fellowship meal! What a wonderful way to continue the morning’s worship through sharing a meal and getting to grow closer as a family. A great time was had by everyone (even our new hitch-hiking friend!). After everyone had been through the line and were mostly settled, we sang “Happy Birthday” to those celebrating in June. Then we took a moment to recognize anyone who was celebrating an anniversary. Finally, a few of us stood in turn and shared something encouraging. It really is amazing what sense of family is present here.

The Family Music Class from Sunday morning was great fun. It also ends up being a true source of exercise as well! It has been neat seeing the growth that is occurring in these kids. Watching the parents enjoying these times together with their children has been encouraging, too. For the ones who have been coming more often (and continuing from last Summer), it is good to see relationships begin to deepen. It is our prayer that the interaction they have in this space will be positive and meaningful. As they find a sense of community in these classes, we remain hopeful that the Spirit will use these relationships to stir the hearts of those who come. You never know who will recognize the “light on the hill” that we are shining and who might be drawn to its glow.

After the fellowship meal was over, Emily and I packed our bags and headed out for the first of two destinations. Leslie and Sara Taylor, along with their children Cambria, Madeleine, and Boston, are missionaries working with the Matsudo Church of Christ to the northeast of Tokyo. One of our goals for this trip was to find some time to visit with them to discuss some of the more practical considerations of becoming full-time missionaries. They initially worked with Brent and Sandy Rogers in an area southwest of Tokyo before working with Matsudo alongside Steve Carrell. After returning to the states for a little while, the Taylors returned to Matsudo a few years ago where they are leading an exciting and growing ministry. To our pleasant surprise, they suggested that we come over and spend a couple of nights at their house so that we would have plenty of time to get to know each other and chat. What a blessing this time was! I had originally planned to sit down for a more business-like chat over topics like moving our belongings, VISA paperwork, language schools, health insurance, and others. However, by staying over a couple of nights, we were able to simply dwell with this family who welcomed us into their home so freely. God knew that is what we both needed, and the encouragement gained by all of us was profound. We did end up talking about most of our list, but more importantly we sat down to play cards, took walks around the neighborhood, gave space to share about personal struggles and triumphs, and got ourselves out of God’s way. The Taylors are a sweet family and I am excited to watch the Matsudo church as they continue Kingdom work in the days to come.

Normally, these weekly reports cover Wednesday through the following Tuesday, but after visiting the Taylors, Emily and I caught a ride Tuesday morning with Leslie to the Nationwide Minister’s Conference at a mountain lodge in Nagano prefecture. So, I’m ending this report a day early and I’ll pick up Week 3’s Tuesday as part of Week 4’s report. In the meantime, here’s my parting shot for this week. Emily and I regularly go up to the church roof in the evenings. Sometimes we are hoping to catch a glimpse of Mt. Fuji, other times it’s to check out the sunset, and occasionally we just go up looking for a cool breeze. During one recent evening, Emily noticed a bright light in the distance and wondered if it might be Tokyo SkyTree, the tallest structure in Japan and one of the tallest in the world. It is almost 41 km away from Tachikawa (a little over 25 miles) and takes about 90 minutes to reach by express train. Sure enough, the next time we were on the roof in daylight, I was able to get a zoomed in picture that was clear enough to confirm that Emily was right! For reference, I put an inset of an arial shot of SkyTree to compare. Even Nao was amazed that SkyTree is visible from Tachikawa. Crazy!

~ Clay

Clay Fowler

Week 2: Reconnecting

Our second week in Japan has been a busy one. This Sunday was especially full. I preached on the topic of prayer. More than simply making requests of God, prayer is a powerful avenue for deepening our relationship with Him. I even featured prayer in the children’s sermon as a way to talk to God relationally (like using the phone in the picture above). Most of the time, when prayer is seen in Japanese society it is someone who approaches a shrine with some sort of request (a good harvest, success in a business venture, health for a family member, etc.). Many shrines even venerate a diety who “specializes” in answering one particular type of request. So, I wanted to impress on the kids this week that prayer is actually more like the conversations we have with each other. It’s relational.

Like last week, there was a new visitor! He spoke Chinese, so another member sat near him and quietly translated the service to him. There were also some friends visiting from Malaysia and California, too. If I counted correctly, there were people from at least six different countries attending service that morning. I am reminded often of how relatable Christ is no matter our background, language, or culture. I believe Paul refers to something similar when he uses the phrase “mystery of the Gospel.”

Thursday morning we welcomed our first Family Music Class participants. Some of the families are returning from last Summer, but there were some new faces as well. A year makes such a difference at this age! We are grateful for the opportunity to connect and form relationships in such sweet moments, and we are looking forward to future classes when we are joined by those who couldn’t come this week.

Our first Casual Party was held Sunday afternoon and it was a fun time of fellowship! Last Summer we featured a display on Tennessee for the participants to interact with. This Summer we decided to feature my home state – Texas. Some months ago, when Emily and I traveled to see my family, we made a stop at the large visitor’s center in Texarkana and (with their blessing) took a large stack of plastic bags, posters, postcards, and brochures from all across the state. I also introduced the group to Tejano music! Everyone was especially curious about some facts regarding distances and speed limits. 🙂 During the party, we served popcorn, caramel creams, and trail mix along with two flavors of Kool-aid. I also guided everyone through a party game called “Google Translation Mix-up.” I asked everyone to write an amusing sentence about themselves in their native language and then gathered their statements for the game. For each statement, I used Google Lens on my iPad to translate their handwritten sentence from Japanese to English. Then I pointed my iPhone at the iPad and used Google Lens again to translate the English back to Japanese! Sometimes the translation was amazingly accurate. At other times, it resulted in some rather funny mis-translations. A great time was had by all.

To round out the very busy schedule Sunday, we met with two groups for meals. Emily and I joined the Tachikawa servants committee meeting to enjoy a bento lunch together and discuss future mission plans. We are grateful for the hospitality and welcome shown to us by our brothers and sisters here, and we look forward to the possibility of returning next year full-time. Many details are still to be decided, and the next steps in finding full-time support are on the horizon. It is a daunting process, but we are trying our best to listen to the Spirit and trust in God’s timing. If He wants us here, then I’m confident that He will give us the means to accomplish what needs to be done.

For dinner Sunday evening, we were invited to join a meal with the group visiting from Malaysia and California. Sue Ling (pictured behind Emily) and her husband Shuichi (in the red shirt) took us all to a restaurant in the local mall serving traditional Japanese fare. The couple in the back right are from Malaysia where he is a preacher. The couple in the back left are good friends who now live in California. Sue Ling knew them when she also lived in Malaysia. The lady in front of Emily is a Tachikawa regular who spends part of each year in Malaysia as well. It was a good evening getting to know everyone a little bit better.

Tuesday afternoon, we braved the hot conditions and got out to visit a couple of shops that we went to last year. One location (first three pictures above) was a sushi and dango shop that Emily remembers from her childhood. The shop is a simple counter right there facing the curb with a second space behind it for preparing items for sale. The rest of the building behind and above is their home. If you look carefully, you might notice that she is adding up our purchases using an abacus. She was quick! Since most of it was handmade that morning, she urged us to make sure and eat it within a day for it to taste the best. It was delicious! The other location (the fourth picture) is an old-style, traditional sweet shop where we purchased some treats to bring back as gifts (and a couple to enjoy ourselves). The lady running the shop remembered us from last Summer!

Although the last couple of days have been sunny and hot (95°F), we are technically still in the rainy season here in Tokyo. We managed to get out for a nice long walk through the neighborhood and another one down to the local mall before the heat set in. Emily is always on the lookout for interesting things to see, and she snapped some pictures of flowers alongside the road (and an interesting-looking manhole cover). Space is very limited here in the city, so it is common for people to grow flowers in places where everyone can enjoy them. The white hydrangeas above are a good example. Of course, some flowers are “volunteer” plants growing in common spaces or other opportune spots. The beautiful passion flowers above are actually growing up through a hedge that runs along the sidewalk in front of a local civic gymnasium.

It feels like Mt. Fuji has been playing hide and seek these first two weeks. So, for my parting shot(s) this week here are a few snaps of Fuji-san that Emily managed to capture from either the roof of the church building or one of the monorail platforms. You know it is always there, but often it can be hard to see. It’s worth stopping for a moment when you notice it showing. There’s a kid’s sermon in there somewhere, I think!

~ Clay

Clay Fowler

Week 1: Worship and Prep

It has been a good first week. Sunday Worship was really encouraging! The sermon was given by Takuma Tsuneki, who currently lives in Abilene, Texas, where he is doing graduate work in prep for ministry. He spent part of his childhood at Tachikawa and many here still remember him fondly. It was wonderful to see him come full circle and return to deliver the message during worship. The pictures above are from the portion of the morning where the kids receive a mini-sermon tailored just for them before heading upstairs for Children’s Worship during the main sermon. We also got to reconnect with Sue Ling and meet her husband. He often has to work on Sundays, so it was nice to be able to meet him in person. After lunch, we hosted registration meetings for Friends Speak English readers and Family Music Class attendees. The photo above is of a few of the children trying out some of the class materials. They are excited to get started! We have a number of returning families and some new ones, too. Two new English readers also came to meet us and reserve their spots. We are prayerful about these connections and remain hopeful that a few more trickle in soon.

Last week, Noriko took us by car to a neighboring town in order to do some shopping at Costco. Stocking up on grocery items this way helps keep costs down over the six-week trip, and we are grateful for the access. I didn’t take any photos inside because it was a little busy (by American standards). To be honest, it looks pretty much like the Costco stores in the US. Something that does stand out is the giant sloping people-mover. The store occupies the first floor of the building and the upper floors are parking garage. So, there are long moving sidewalks that slope up/down between floors so that you can bring your shopping cart back upstairs to your car. It is about 100 yards long and when the cart detects that you’ve entered the ramp, it automatically locks the wheels so that it doesn’t roll down into the person ahead of you. Pretty cool, I think! We also took the opportunity to eat one of their famous Costco Hot Dogs. After all, if you didn’t get a hot dog, did you really go to Costco?

This week, we took a little time to work on one of our secondary goals this Summer. In anticipation of potentially moving here full-time in the Fall of next year, we wanted to look at some apartments to get a feel for how they are in real life. I’ve been researching apartments online for a while now and most all of the listings come with photos and floor plans. However, it can be hard to get a good feel for the actual size of a typical apartment when it comes to actually standing in the rooms and moving in the space. So, Noriko helped us find a couple of places open for viewing and drove us around for the morning so that we could take a look. This particular apartment is part of a UR housing complex. It is a quasi-government organization that offers low-cost housing without many of the fees associated with private rental companies. We looked at a 3DK (D=dining, K=kitchen, 3=other rooms, in addition to bath & toilet) and came away encouraged at the layout and quality of everything. Two of the rooms had tatami floors (traditional Japanese woven straw mats), which were quite nice. The rent for an apartment like this would be around $600 per month, so quite affordable! After viewing the apartments, we cut through a beautiful park on the way back to the car. The rainy season has begun in many parts of Japan (particularly in the South), but that also means it stays nice and cool.

As a way to say thank you for toting us around all morning, Emily and I treated Noriko to some lunch. I asked her to take us somewhere “yummy” and Marugame Udon did not disappoint! This place is fairly new to this part of town, and they have a unique way of ordering and preparing your food. When you first come in, you are presented with a menu board and a view of one of the staff making udon noodles from scratch right there in the store. Then, as you come around the counter, you give your order to a staff member who makes your bowl right there on the spot. Once you have your main dish, you then pass by a counter full of a la carte toppings, tempura, and onigiri which you can add to make the perfect meal. At the end of the counter, simply check out at the register and you are ready to eat! It was super-quick and extra-tasty. It is always nice to sit down and chat with friends over good food.

Overall, our first week has been one primarily spent in preparation for the weeks to come. We have settled in nicely and had some good time to ourselves getting organized, but we’ve also had several opportunities to connect with people both old and new. Personally, I sometimes feel like it is Week 7 of last year’s trip, but at other times this trip feels a little different, too. I have a better idea of what to expect this time around, and that helps give perspective. We have some great stuff coming up soon! Tomorrow morning is our first Family Music Class and then our first English reader comes in the afternoon. I’ll be preaching this Sunday and we will also host our first Casual Party. As always, thank you for your prayers and encouragement. Thank you also to those who have given financially making it possible for us to be here this Summer. May God receive all of the glory!

For my parting shot this week, I give you McDelivery! There are all sorts of delivery scooters whizzing by here and there, but you can’t mistake where this one comes from!

~ Clay

Clay Fowler

We have arrived!

Just a quick post to let everyone know we have arrived in Tachikawa. Travels went smoothly (if not tiring!) and we woke up this morning to bright sunny skies. We started off right with a leisurely breakfast at Denny’s, and will take most of today to unpack, settle in, and manage the effects of jet-lag.

Thank you to everyone who is praying for our trip! We really feel like we aren’t here by ourselves, but that you all are along for the ride as well. These next six weeks will be great!

~ Clay

<– Return to the Pre-Trip Overview

Clay Fowler

Japan: Here We Come!

We gotta set our clocks early for this one. Monday morning (June 2) we will set out for the airport in Memphis at 4:30am. I’m yawning just thinking about it! We have a 6:30am flight to Detroit, then we will hang around a little over 4 hours before getting on board the flight to Haneda Airport (Tokyo). We should be in the air about two hours for the first leg, and then 13 hours for the big jump across the Pacific. After passing customs, we’ll have a bus ride of about 1.5 hours to get to Tachikawa where we will meet our ride. By the time we arrive, it’ll be Tuesday evening local time. Sounds easy, right?!

We are grateful for all of you who have mentioned you’ll be praying for safe travels. It is through the grace of God that we are able to make such a trip, and we hope that everything we do will ultimately glorify Him alone. We look forward to encountering people and showing them a glimpse of how much God loves them. Thank you to each of you who have helped fund this trip and for those of you who continually pray on our behalf.

The next post should be from the land of the rising sun!

~ Clay

Clay Fowler

Language Spotlight: Ai (Love)

Note: As I continue to learn the Japanese language and culture, these Spotlight posts seek to highlight things I find curious, interesting, and meaningful. The relationship between language and culture runs deep. In fact, there are many points where it gets hard to tell one from the other. “Language is not merely an indifferent mechanism for cataloguing men’s experience but the language itself affects the cataloguing process…. The language system of each culture is a fluid factor in culture; it varies with each generation and serves as clue to its thinking as well as actually coloring and molding this thinking.” In other words, if I am going to learn how to reach Japanese people, I need to understand how Japanese people think. The process of how they think is intimately intwined with the language they use. Unfortunately for us, it goes far beyond simply using “Google Translate” to come up with the right vocabulary. Language embeds the foundational concepts of culture into everyday interaction. So, deeper we go into this wonderful world of language exploration! Much of this information comes from Charles Corwin’s Biblical Encounter with Japanese Culture (Tokyo, 1967).

Whether they are practicing Buddhists or not, Japanese people are deeply influenced by Buddhist thought through fundamental ideas held at the core of Japanese culture and society. This word for love (“ai“) is no different. Buddhism sees a dichotomy between loves that are either “defiled” or “undefiled.” Essentially, the difference boils down to whether the object of a person’s love is desired for selfish or selfless reasons. Desire for fame, wealth, carnal pleasure, or a general lust for life fall into the defiled idea of love in Buddhist thought. Buddhists see these sorts of self-pleasing desires as working against an individual’s progress toward detachment and enlightenment, the primary goals of Buddhist practice. Undefiled love, then, is characterized by selfless compassion for all sentient beings. In practical terms, however, most behavior falls into the first category so Buddhist scholars generally list “ai” among the catalogue of Buddhist sins.

The Christian concept of love is very different. The greek language of the New Testament employs several words that could be translated as love. Eros (sexual love), philia (friendly affection), stergo (family affection), philadelphia (love between brothers and sisters), philanthropia (love for humanity), and agape (love expressed in action). The New Testament writers chose to focus on the word agape and infuse it with additional meaning to present the astounding message that God’s love is above and beyond what humans typically express toward each other. Christ brought a new order, a manifesto of love. He not only declared that this was the supreme criterion in life but by His life and death showed that this love is intrinsic to the very nature of God. This is the endearing, sacrificial, pardoning love of God which moves out to embrace sinful men.

Modern usage of the Japanese “ai” tends to focus more on the ideas of “compassion” or “fondness” rather than what we in the West would consider the deeper meaning of love. Even so, it is not often used. In truth, so many varied concepts of Japanese affection are conveyed by the word “ai” — compassion, desire, eros, regret — that it has become unwieldy for the average Japanese person. Up until the Edo period, the Japanese language developed through Imperial court literature. In such surroundings, the slightest expression of innuendo, the mere glance of the eye, the wave of the hand in guarded moments were keys unlocking unseen vaults of human emotion. Buddhist frowning upon any human endeavor which released craving, desire, or passion furthered this dampening of affections.

Even today the word “ai” ( as in the forthright expression “I love you”) is too outright. Rather, the young suitor will tell his lover “I am fond of you” (anata ga suki desu). This is all she needs to know; he has told all. The kanji character of “heart” in the word fixes it in the mind’s eye as a human emotion springing from man towards a desired object. It expresses desire for possession and at the same time a regretting, since failure to possess or parting is man’s common experience.

What sets Biblical love off from Japanese ai is the contextual use of the Greek agape expressing a Divine love that soars above the human plane. It is a love which manifests itself in determined, one-sided acts of salvation, pardon, adoption, faithfulness toward the unlovely, undeserving, and unfaithful.

Japanese ai is reaching out to possess; Biblical agape is God’s reaching out to redeem.

~ Clay

Clay Fowler

From the Father

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. ~ John 14:1-14

This text is frequently read at funerals, and for good reason.

It contains promises that are profoundly comforting in the face of the death of a loved one. But this text is not only about life after death, this is a text that has everything to do with our lives here and now.

  • The setting is Jesus’ farewell address at his last supper with his disciples.
  • Jesus has washed his disciples’ feet and has explained to them what this means (13:1-20).
  • He has foretold his betrayal by Judas, and Judas has slipped out into the night (13:21-30).
  • He has told his disciples that he will be with them only a little while longer, and that where he is going, they cannot come (13:33).
  • He has also foretold Peter’s imminent denial (13:36-38).

No wonder the disciples are troubled. Their beloved teacher is leaving them, one of their own has turned against them, and the leader among the disciples is said to be on the cusp of a great failure of loyalty. It is as though the ground is shifting beneath their feet.

Jesus responds to the anxiety of his disciples by saying, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me” (14:1). Jesus calls them back to this fundamental relationship of trust and assures them that he is not abandoning them. Rather, he is returning to his Father, which is good news for them.

In speaking of his ascension to the Father, Jesus assures his disciples that this is also their destination. There are many dwellings in his Father’s house, and he goes to prepare a place for them, so that they will be with him and dwell with him in his intimate relationship with the Father (14:2-3).

When Jesus says that they know the way to the place where he is going (14:4), Thomas, like most characters in the Gospel, takes Jesus quite literally. He wants directions, a road map to this place (14:5). Jesus responds by saying that he himself is the way: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (14:6).

Unfortunately, this verse has often been used as a trump card, or worse, as a threat, to tell people that they better get with the program and “accept Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior” in order to be saved. To interpret the verse this way is to rip it from its context and do violence to the spirit of Jesus’ words.

This statement by Jesus is a promise, a word of comfort to his disciples. Jesus himself is all they need; there is no need to panic, no need to search desperately for a secret map. Jesus adds, “If you know me, you will know my Father also” (14:7a).

The conditional phrase in Greek is a condition of fact, meaning that the condition is understood to be true: “If you know me (and you do), you will know my father also.” So that there can be no misunderstanding, Jesus adds, “From now on, you do know him and have seen him” (14:7b).

This time it is Philip who is not quite convinced. “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied” (14:8). Jesus’ response contains perhaps a hint of exasperation: “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (14:9).

Here Jesus echoes an affirmation from the prologue of John’s Gospel: “No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known” (1:18).
This is the whole of Jesus’ earth ministry, to make known the Father, to reveal who God is. Jesus, who has come from the Father and is now returning there, is the fullest revelation of the person and character of God. If we want to know who God is, we need look no further than Jesus. All the words that Jesus has spoken, all the works that he has done, come from God and show us who God is (14:10-11).

This passage has everything to do with life here and now because Jesus entrusts his mission to his disciples. “Very truly I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it” (14:13-14).

Yet here is where Jesus’ promise becomes a little hard to swallow. Greater works than these? Really, Jesus? Greater works than healing the blind and raising the dead? And you will do whatever we ask in your name?

We have all known the pain of praying for healing that did not come, of feeling powerless in the face of disease and death. How can these promises be true?

Perhaps our problem is that in hearing these promises, we expect to do these greater works in the same way that Jesus did them — with miraculous power that instantly solves the problem at hand. Yet even miracles are not guaranteed to produce faith. Many in John’s Gospel who witness the “signs” that Jesus performs have trouble seeing the work of God right before their eyes.

Toward the end of John’s Gospel, Thomas sees the risen Lord and confesses, “My Lord and my God!” (20:28). Jesus responds, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” This is not so much a scolding for Thomas as a blessing for us who have not seen and yet believe, however feeble our believing may seem.

Jesus promises to be with us through the power of the Spirit, to work in and through us to accomplish his purposes in the world. This does not necessarily happen in easily visible, spectacular ways.

Yet wherever there is healing, reconciling, life-giving work happening, this is the work of God. Wherever there is life in abundance, this is Jesus’ presence in our midst.

“No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known” (1:18). Jesus has made known to us the heart of God, and he has entrusted this mission of “making known” to us.

Think about who you interact with every day. Do you see Jesus working there? Maybe you have a friend who is going through some discouraging things right now. Could Jesus be showing you an opportunity to lift them up? Maybe there is someone who everyone seems to overlook, but you have a chance to include them in what you are doing. Might that be Jesus tapping on your shoulder?

Where might we see Jesus’ work and presence in our midst? How might we show others the very heart of God? Ask God to help you recognize how you can show His heart to others.

~ Clay

Clay Fowler

Language Spotlight: Eien (Eternity)

Note: As I continue to learn the Japanese language and culture, these Spotlight posts seek to highlight things I find curious, interesting, and meaningful. The relationship between language and culture runs deep. In fact, there are many points where it gets hard to tell one from the other. “Language is not merely an indifferent mechanism for cataloguing men’s experience but the language itself affects the cataloguing process…. The language system of each culture is a fluid factor in culture; it varies with each generation and serves as clue to its thinking as well as actually coloring and molding this thinking.” In other words, if I am going to learn how to reach Japanese people, I need to understand how Japanese people think. The process of how they think is intimately intwined with the language they use. Unfortunately for us, it goes far beyond simply using “Google Translate” to come up with the right vocabulary. Language embeds the foundational concepts of culture into everyday interaction. So, deeper we go into this wonderful world of language exploration! Much of this information comes from Charles Corwin’s Biblical Encounter with Japanese Culture (Tokyo, 1967).

To those of us raised in the west, Japan can often appear to be very homogeneous. The people are all the same. Their customs are based on long-held and unchanging traditions. There is a lack of diversity (as compared to other places) and the Japanese seem to cherish it. I hear again and again how Japan is monolithic in its tendency to prefer conformist practices and that I need to get used to feeling like an outsider. While there is a strong push in this direction overall, reality is much more nuanced and varied.

The closer one gets to the Japanese, the more these variations become evident. We watch a lot of programming on NHK-World. It is the English-language streaming service produced by Japan’s public broadcaster NHK. Now, I am fully aware that the selection of shows and topics presented are highly curated toward showing a version of Japan that is a little more polished than otherwise experienced. However, even within these parameters one can find a great variety of individual stories, preferences, and experiences. Human nature, after all, didn’t skip the Japanese people. They just show it to the outside world a little differently than other cultures.

Our word for this Language Spotlight is eien, which translates to eternity. As with most of these studies, it isn’t a fully accurate translation though. Japanese concepts of eternity are different than those found in the west. Additionally, this word also highlights one of the rare moments where competing ideas seem to occupy the same space. The kanji for eien consists of two characters: the one for “long” and the one for “far”. There are also echoes of “water” and “river” in the kanji for “long”, which evokes images of a long river that gets ever wider as it progresses downstream.

The Japanese concept of eternity, though, is not really concerned with the length of the river. Rather, it might be better understood as a rock that sits fixed in the riverbed, unmoving and unchanging, while the water continuously swirls around it. Most Japanese people, when referring to eternity aren’t trying to reference a concept related to time. Instead, they are drawing upon the notion of “changelessness”.

Here is where we find our rare occurrence of non-conformity. The concept of changelessness runs directly counter to the key Buddhist teaching of impermance. To Buddhist thought, everything is always changing. Nothing remains constant – even for a moment. How the Japanese hold these two positions together, I still don’t readily understand. One key might be their tendency to identify the divine within nature.

For Christians, eternity is not bound by our current understanding or experience. God is described as eternal because He is not subject to the limits of time. His love is everlasting (Jeremiah 31:3), as is His covenant (Jeremiah 32:40), His righteousness (Isaiah 51:6), His salvation (Isaiah 45:17), and His word (Isaiah 40:8). Zechariah makes clear to us that it is man who is mortal while God is everlasting.

If the ultimate in Japanese thinking is trapped within the confines of our experienced world and so measures eternity through the lens of impermanence, then at best man can only hope for being situated in that riverbed like a stone, unmoving and unchanging, while the waters of life rush around him. On the other hand, the Bible places God and those united to Him by faith in an eternal state. More than just duration or changelessness, it is a transcendent dimension outside of the bounds of time.

It is this other dimension that we look forward to!

~ Clay

Clay Fowler

Faith is a Big Deal to Paul

What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter? If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.

It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless, because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression. Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.

~ Romans 4:1-5, 13-17

In these early chapters of Romans, Paul is working his way through the issue of faith versus works. To help build his case he wants to take a look at Abraham in order to help us see the issue a little clearer. 

The Jews put ALOT of emphasis on Abraham being their Father. They took pride in the fact that they were his descendants, and as such inherited these awesome promises from God. Scholars have pointed out that in many Jewish writings, especially from the first century, it was obvious that the Jews held up Abraham as not just their ancestor but also as a model of faithfulness to the law. 

But Paul wants to draw some lines here. 

He starts by quoting Genesis 15 — “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” A crucial phrase in this verse is “credited to him as righteousness”, but what does that mean? Some interpreters think that this phrase is trying to say that Abraham’s faith WAS a form of righteousness. In other words, Abraham believing God was in some way itself a righteous act. But Paul doesn’t say it that way. He says that Abraham was “credited” with righteousness. Without becoming overly technical, it is a way to say that Abraham is given a righteousness that does not inherently belong to him. When Abraham believed God, God granted him the status of “righteousness”. 

Paul want to make sure we are clear on this, so he continues to explain in detail using the illustration about wages and gifts. This is a little confusing to our ears because of the phrasing that Paul uses, but one commentator laid it out this way:

  • When we “work,” an employer pays us wages not “as a gift” but “as an obligation”.
  • God is a God of grace, who always gives freely and without constraint. He can never be “obligated” to any person. 
  • Therefore, God cannot “credit” human beings anything on the basis of their “works”.

The keys to understanding this correctly are the ideas of “gift” and “justifying the ungodly”. Paul insists throughout all of his letters that God’s grace is a gift. That one is pretty easy to get. This bit about God justifying the ungodly, though. We need to be careful about that one. One way many people have mis-applied this passage is to read that and come away thinking, “oh, I can do whatever I want!” It seems to suggest that Christians are “off the hook” going forward. After all, if Christ has already pleased God in our place, is it really all that important that we continue to please God as well in our day to day?

Paul will actually address that in more detail in Chapter 6, but for right now we just need to remember that you can’t take this snippet of a verse in a vacuum. Paul does argue that God makes us right with Him before we ever stop sinning, but he also says that God “regenerates” us and “sanctifies” us and causes His Spirit to dwell in us as well. God transforms us from within! This is how Paul (the faith guy) can agree with James (the works guy). A genuine Christian will always reveal the inward transformation through outward signs of a new life of obedience. 

In verses 13-17, Paul restates the truth about Abraham’s righteousness. Then he takes it one step further. Remember, most Jews during Paul’s day taught that Abraham’s stature and role meant that he was in effect being obedient to the law of Moses. Paul wants to make clear that this ISN’T the case. First of all, Abraham preceded the law by more than 400 years. Paul will lean into this fact more in Galatians 3, but here in Romans, Paul sticks with the core meaning in the text. The promise to Abraham did not come because anyone obeyed the law, but “through the righteousness that comes by faith.” In other words, the promises of God come because of faith.

And here’s that next step Paul is taking. Paul says the promises apply to ALL of Abraham’s offspring. When God says to Abraham, “I have made you the father of many nations” he meant it in the physical sense. Abraham’s descendants will become Israelites, Ishmaelites, Edomites, Amalekites, Kenizzites, Midianites and Assyrians (among others). But Paul is saying that God meant that Abraham would be the father of many nations in a spiritual sense as well. In that sense, if we have the same faith that Abraham had, we are part of his spiritual offspring. And as part of his offspring, we can participate in the promises of God! So, FAITH IS A BIG DEAL for Paul. 

Here are three big takeaways:

FIRST – Faith is distinct from the law. The law is something you DO. Faith, by contrast, is an ATTITUDE. It is a posture that we take that expresses a willingness to receive the GIFT that God wants to give us. In our world today, we measure everything with some form of achievement. Everything we do in school seems to be either graded, timed, or measured in some fashion. It doesn’t get much better when you get out into the work-world either. What title do you have, how many contracts did you sign, how many deadlines have you met, have you been promoted faster than your co-workers. Even our personal lives are achievement oriented. Do I have the latest electronic device? How many followers do I have on social media? How big is my bank account or how flashy is my car or how many rooms does my house have…. It goes on and on! We are so accustomed to living this sort of life that it can creep into our thinking when it comes to our relationship with God, too. Maybe that relationship has started to become based on what we are doing for Him instead of on what He has done for us.

SECOND – Faith itself has no power. Instead, the power comes from the one in whom we place our faith. Abraham recognized God as the one who has the power to deliver on His promises. It wasn’t Abraham’s faith that had that power, but it was the God in whom that faith believed who does. Sarah was barren. They had no children and they were already getting old and well-past the time when children were to be expected. Yet, God promised Abraham a son and Abraham believed He could do it. And He did. You and I with our faith really don’t have the power. Instead, we look to the power of God to fulfill the promises that He has made.

THIRD – Faith is based on God’s Word. It is not based on the evidence gathered through our senses. Again, Abraham had no reason to think that he would ever have a son – except that God SAID HE WOULD. Even when we don’t see how in the world God is going to pull this off, we remain strong in our faith that He will. Abraham was put to the test a little later when God ordered him to take Isaac (that son that was promised) and offer him as a sacrifice. Even then, Abraham had faith that God could still keep His Word and fulfill the promises. Having passed the test, God rescinds the order and provides a ram to sacrifice instead. Some people have described Faith as “a leap in the dark” but this isn’t really accurate. Abraham didn’t blindly or arbitrarily put his faith in God. Abraham had God’s word to hold on to even when it wasn’t clear how that word was going to work out. We have God’s word written in Scripture. We also have God’s living Word in the person of Jesus. We even have God’s Spirit dwelling inside us and if we listen He will guide our steps. 

Faith can be hard to hold on to. Jesus talks about the Gospel being like seeds scattered. Some lands on good soil and grows. But some lands on rocky ground and the faith that grows initially doesn’t have deep roots and withers away when things get hard. Some lands among thorns and while their faith tries to grow strong, it gets choked out by worries and chasing after worldly things. Some seed lands on the path and is snatched away quickly. So, yes — do the things. Tend your soil. Take out the rocks. Get rid of the thorns and weeds. Do the things you need to in order that your faith has a chance to grow. But remember that ultimately what really matters is who you place that faith in to begin with. 

Receive His gift of grace. 
Recognize that the power belongs to God.
Remember to listen to His Word wherever you find it.

And pray for God to increase your faith.

~ Clay

Clay Fowler

Language Spotlight: Tsumi (Sin)

Note: As I continue to learn the Japanese language and culture, these Spotlight posts seek to highlight things I find curious, interesting, and meaningful. The relationship between language and culture runs deep. In fact, there are many points where it gets hard to tell one from the other. “Language is not merely an indifferent mechanism for cataloguing men’s experience but the language itself affects the cataloguing process…. The language system of each culture is a fluid factor in culture; it varies with each generation and serves as clue to its thinking as well as actually coloring and molding this thinking.” In other words, if I am going to learn how to reach Japanese people, I need to understand how Japanese people think. The process of how they think is intimately intwined with the language they use. Unfortunately for us, it goes far beyond simply using “Google Translate” to come up with the right vocabulary. Language embeds the foundational concepts of culture into everyday interaction. So, deeper we go into this wonderful world of language exploration! Much of this information comes from Charles Corwin’s Biblical Encounter with Japanese Culture (Tokyo, 1967).

Japanese society has a collectivist nature which often gets overlooked by those of us in the United States. It governs nearly every interaction of daily life in Japan and drives many of the internal impulses that make people behave the way they do. The Japanese concept of sin is no different. A New Testament understanding of sin is fundamentally about how an individual has broken an intimate and personal fellowship with God. The fallout of sin includes all of the things we see in a person’s life such as hurt, injustice, and other negative consequences, but the root of the sin always comes back to how the sinner has fallen short of God’s intention for how life should be lived.

When a Japanese person thinks of the word tsumi, however, they tend to merely think about such things as police stations, law courts, crime, and criminals. It is a term that is primarily technical. One does not become a “sinner” until they are convicted by a human court. Sin is seen more in the context of purity than in relation to a Creator. If a moral fault is discovered by another person and brought out into the open, the person at fault is overwhelmed with a sense of shame, but the idea of sin doesn’t really enter the equation yet. Instead, the error of the sinner is seen in light of how and to what degree it disrupts the surrounding community of people. Maintaining social relations and harmony with nature is paramount for maintaining honor in Japanese society, and sin is primarily seen in those terms instead of spiritual ones.

Biblical sin is an interruption of man’s relationship with his Creator. It is all of the ways that people fall short of God’s purpose or break the boundaries God has set, leading to rebellion and a perversion of God’s ways. These perverted ways lead humans further down into a spiral of self-idolization, pride, and moral distortion. Scripture returns again and again to this issue of sin between man and God. No one can escape the inevitability of sin and its damaging effects. Or, as Paul puts it, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23).

This bright spotlight on our human shortcomings is admittedly distasteful and off-putting for many Japanese people. They have spent centuries attempting to reach a pristine concept of humanity living in complete harmony with nature. However, this spotlight on sin also helps to highlight the positive. Christ’s work on the cross accomplished a perfect forgiveness and deliverance from the condition sin places us in. Or as Paul continues in the verse above, “and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24).

One reason for the slow advance of Christian missions in Japan may be traced to an inability to understand and value the redemptive work of the Cross. In order for the Japanese to fully appreciate the gains won by the empty tomb, we first have to back up and help them discover what has been lost through a correct understanding of sin. Man at his very best is still a sinner before a Holy God. If we can help them understand this reality, then we will be able to help them discover and experience the awesome wonder of the Good News!

~ Clay