Our internet connection is about to be turned off, as my sister and bro-in-law are preparing to leave, and along with them, their laptop. Thus, this is the last blog I will be posting until sometime in mid-July when I'm back in Saskatoon. I have been challenged and learning a lot, but it never translated into a blog post nicely. Oh well. Time will continue to fly and I will be back in Canada before I know it.
After riding the spinning tea cups! You can see the boys in school uniforms in the background. Tokyo Disneyland is the theme park with the most yearly visitors in the world! We went early on a school day, and still there were crowds!
A 360 view of a park lookout at Hakone. It was too cloudy to see Fuji-san in the distance, but on a clear day it would've been in the distance across the lake. At the end, please excuse the fast zoom, but that is the European-styled observation tower.
I forget who these wrestlers were, but they were near the end of the day so they were probably Ozeki's, the rank just below the Yokuzuna (grand champion), Asushoru. The idea is to force your opponent to touch the ground inside the ring with anything other than his feet, or force him outside the ring. This is a medium-length match - some are much faster!
Warning: may cause neck soreness. (sorry!)
The best part is the little ceremonial dance at the end. It takes a while for them to all get in, and they're being announced and cheered for individually. These are the higher-ranked professionals, and their skirts are very heavy and expensive gifts from their fan associations, although a little drafty.
The quote of the day, provided by my always-eloquent big sister. Indeed, its been brought. And want an experience it was . . .
The highest level, professional sumo wrestlers, exiting after performing their little ceremonial dance. Cute aprons, but perhaps a little drafty from behind . . .
In the midst of a bout. Our favourite, Kotooshu, is sitting in the lower right corner, in the green thong thing.
Charles Hodge: "The design of redemption is to exhibit the glory of God in such a conspicuous mannor as to fill all hearts with wonder and all lips with praise." Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I am humbled and amazed.
Soli Deo Gloria
Wow. I finally finished taking notes on this sermon by Matt Waymeyer, who was part of a study on the Reformation and it's 5 Solas (Sola Scriptura, Sola Gratia, Sola Fida, Sola Christos and Soli Deo Gloria) done by Grace Community Church's C&C called Crossroads. I was very impressed with the series (some speakers were better than others, but I also especially recommend Rick Holland's introduction), and you can download them at http://www.crossroadsministry.net/crossroads/mp3date.asp?dlyear=2005
A significant theme in the History of the Church has been the question of who gets the glory in the enterprise of salvation. This was one of the major issues in the Reformation, because the Roman Catholic church taught (teaches) that salvation is partly the work of God and partly of man. Like the reformers, the North American church (myself included) needs to recapture the understanding of Soli Deo Gloria (to God alone be the glory).
Today, salvation is distinctively human-centered, ie. God saves sinners to make them happy, to feel good, to fulfill their potential, to enable self-actualization. But the Bible states explicitly and repeatedly that God saves sinners not primarily for their own sake at all, but rather for HIS GLORY! Thus, the purpose of my salvation is so that the God of the universe might put himself on dispaly by using me as a vessel of his infinite mercy and grace. In my North American world view, this strikes me as selfish and errant. My self argues, but doesn't everything revolve around me? God loves ME so much that he died FOR ME. I like the sound of that much better. Waymeyer goes on to state his thesis as "Salvation is ALL God's work, and ALL for His glory." I also thought this a little extreme. What about our free will, our need to seek the Lord while He may be found, to confess and believe . . .
Of course God loves me, otherwise he wouldn't have sent Jesus to die for me. And yes, I must believe in Jesus to be saved, and then continue to chose to obey his leading. But ultimately, it's not about me, it's about God. If I could take any step towards God apart from him, then I should deserve some of the credit, but it is impossible. I would not be able to believe it God did not enable me to do so. And I would not be able to obey in my own strength, which is one of the reasons believers are given the Holy Spirit to indwell and empower them. Anyways, the Bible (OT and NT) is riddled with phrases like "for my glory" and "to the praise of His glory" and such. The passage Maymeyer focuses on is Eph 1:3-14, which is one massive sentance containing 202 greak words. The sentance focuses on each member of the trinity in turn, as well as three aspects of time, (v 4-6 the Father's work of election in the past, v 7-12 the Son's work of redemption in the present, and v 13-14 the Holy Spirit's work of sealing an inheritance that is yet in the future). Beautiful. Thus from start to finish, Salvation is the work of God from election before the foundation of the world (v 4) to the future redemption at the end of the age (v14). Entirely God's work, and thus entirely to be praised. It makes sense that Paul breaks out in v 3 with giving praise to God, and after each section he proclaims it all "to the praise of his glory!" Amazing. I encourage you to mark up this section of your Bible (it's not so clear in NLT, but better in NIV and even clearer in more literal translations).
Anyways, this was just the introduction of his sermon, and he goes on to highlight "6 spiritual blissings that display the glory of God in the salvation of man" including:
- v 3-4 He CHOSE you for salvation (ie. God took the initiative.) It's amazing considering God's and my condition at the time of his choosing, since we tend to make choices based on something inherantly attractive or appealing or reasonable, and that's not how he chose me! There was nothing in me that would warrent God's choice. Charles Splurgen wrote how humbling this realization is, and brokenly states "Lord, I am nothing. I am less than nothing. Why me? Why me?" All praise and glory be to God.
- v 5-6 He adopted you as children. Not only did he chose me for salvation, but he welcomed me (formerly an object of wrath) into his family as his child! It was predestined by the Father, because of his love (motivation) and was enabled by Jesus (through his payment in blood). I was once an enemy and now am a dealy beloved child, none of it because of what I've done, but all due to God. Thus, praise and glory be to God!
I'm out of time, and this is way longer than the short post I intended. Maybe later I'll get around to posting the other 4! Argh, I'm so slow and not consise!
When to my first live Kabuki performance yesterday! It's golden week here so everyone has holidays. All holiday things are swamped, and the normal areas of Tokyo are like a ghost town. Strange. Anyways, that means that there was standing room only in the forth balcony cheap seats. Interesting experience, nevertheless. No cameras allowed, but here is the site of the offical theater, and there is a cute flash presentation explaining kabuki at http://www.shochiku.co.jp/play/kabukiza/theater/index.html
Sorry this isn't an actual link or something more convenient!
On Wednesday we went with a couple to Tscuba-san, a beautiful double-peaked mountain north of Tokyo. A large portion of Tokyo decided to go with us. It was a mite crowded! But we did some climbing, walking, eating, climbing, waiting in lines, road a cable car and a gondola, and were filmed eating soba (a type of noodles) by a film crew! I hope I slurped appropriately! This same crew caught us later and asked the women to pose for pictures, infront of all the crowds! I think it was because we were the only gaijen (foreigners) there. I mean, they were struck by my beauty . . . uh, yeah.
And Spring Grand Sumo Tournament on Tuesday! That's bound to be an eyefull . . .
Still more picts added to the gallery. The pictoral diarhea continues.
My appologies to all serious photographers, people with artistic sensibilities, and all those who are capable of making decisions.
In general, most Japanese have never heard of Easter. Christmas is newly popular as Santa Commercialism continues his conquest. But not Easter, neither Good Friday, nor the Easter bunny . . . This proved somewhat useful as I was able to (nervously and thus prayerfully!) discuss the story of Easter with some of my adult classes. I was also able to do a Christian song about Easter as a close exercise with some of them. Some classes of course went better than others (I don't know how much some of my more basic classes understood). As a well-socialized/indoctrinated Canadian, I did not want to be remotely pushy, which I think is also Biblical in some ways since I am to be ready to give an answer but not throw pearls to the swine (if I'm understanding those verses correctly). But on the other hand, I have (throughout my life) been so non-confrontational and "safe" that I tend to give too little information. This is a sobering thought in Japan when I consider how many people have never heard what God is offering!
There is such fear and dispair here. 70% of Japanese live in fear (of earthquakes, typhoons, losing their jobs . . .) and a best-selling Japanese book is a how to manual on the best ways to commit suicide (apparently jumping infront of a train is one of the worst options, since your family gets a large bill for the clean-up, and all the commuters are delayed . . .). There are so many loveless marriages (not like North America is any better -- at least in Japan the couples stay together until the kids are grown and the husband retires, thus putting a strain on to people who don't like each other to be together more often) and materialism is all-pervasive.
I know that it is not my responsibility to bring people to salvation, but I am to be ready and willing to do what God asks and thus I must also be in step with the Holy Spirit to know what He's asking! Living with my sister and bro-in-law continues to be an education and challenge as I watch their relational ministries, personal disciplines and even their marriage. Sometimes I wonder how many areas can I find in my life that need work. Apparently the list doesn't end. Well, I've rambled enough.
On the way to Hakuba 47, in Nagano, part of the many sites of the '98 Olympics.
My body has finally recovered from my latest attempt at boarding. The gondola lets everyone off at the jump park, and although my coworker wanted to work on his jumps, I wanted to remember how to put my board on! I attempted to navigate down the park to get to another chair lift, at which point he felt the need to say "lets get you out of here before someone gets hurt" or the like. I fully agreed, with jumps and flying bodies all around and I couldn't remember how to turn! Things improved a lot throughout the day, and what I had learned before finally came back. It was a beautiful warm day, and the deep, soft, melting snow made a wonderful cushion for my tumbles and rolls. I was literally soaked through the rented snowpants to my underwear. (Good thing I brought I complete change of clothes, considering I had to ring out my clothes afterwards!) Twas a great (wet) day, especially since I didn't hurt until afterwards.