
As I write this (morning of August 25) we are coming up on one week in Japan. It has been a very productive and enjoyable week. When we stepped out of the airport in Narita, Chiba, Friday August 19, we were greeted with cooler temps than expected. Cooler being in the mid to upper 80’s with 70+% humidity. However, we will take that. Since then the temps have been a bit below average thanks in part to a typhoon which came through Monday and overcast skies.

About thirty-six hours after arriving we were in worship and I shared my first of eight sermons from the Letter to the Hebrews. As you know the letter begins by affirming that Jesus Christ is God’s final and supreme communication with his creation. “In these last days [God] has spoken to us by his Son. Therefore we must pay much closer attention.” (Hebrews 1:2; 2:1, ESV)
We spent most of our first day (Saturday, August 20) here setting up the office and most of Sunday with the Tachikawa church family in study, worship, and fellowship. On Monday typhoon #9 blew through the area doing some damage but brought blue sky and a beautiful sunset that evening. The next day we went to Costco to get “provisions” for our stay. Wednesday we met with the temporary evangelist for the Yokota English speaking congregation and Masa Nonogaki, minister for the Japanese congregation.
The bulk of our time I have been seated at my desk and Josephine, on the couch reading, studying, and writing lessons. By being at Tachikawa for eight Sundays, I must come up with a different sermon each Sunday. Additionally there are classes and lectures which fill in the spaces between the Sundays. Josephine will begin having students for English Bible study today. That will continue for four Thursdays. Here’s my speaking schedule. All will be done in Japanese.
Tachikawa sermons:
- Aug 21: God Has Spoken; We Must Listen – Hebrews 1:1-5; 2:1-4
- Sep 4: Jesus Shared Our Humanity – Hebrews 2:14-18
- Sep 11: Jesus: Faithful as a Son – Hebrews 3:1-6
- Sep 25: Anchor of Hope: God’s Promises – Hebrews 6:13-20
- Oct 2: Better Promises, Better High Priest – Hebrews 7:22-8:7
- Oct 9: Mediator of a New Covenant – Hebrews 9:11-28
- Oct 16: Don’t Forget God’s Benefits – Psalm 103:1-22
- Oct 30: Keep Looking to Jesus – Hebrews 10:19-25; 12:1-17
Ochanomizu Bi-lingual Worship:
- Sep 18: God Has Spoken; We Must Listen – Hebrews 1:1-5; 2:1-4
Ochanomizu Wednesday night class:
- Sep 14: Lord’s Supper – OT Background
- Sep 21: Lord’s Supper – Passover
- Sep 28: Lord’s Supper – Jesus and the Last Supper
- Oct 4: Lord’s Supper – Early Church and Today
Japan School of Evangelism Special Series:
- Sep 15: Problem of Evil/Suffering – Genesis 50:15-21
- Sep 29: Job – Job 1:9
- Oct 6: Original Sin – Ezekiel 18:1-20
JSE Lectureship:
- Sep 19 a.m.: Vision for JSE – 2 Corinthians 5:9; 2 Timothy 2:1-7
- Sep 19 p.m.: JSE’s Beginning – Colossians 1:10-12
Shizuoka Area Wide Retreat:
- Oct 10: Love Is…: Don’t Forget God’s Benefits – Psalm 103:1-22
Hachinohe Church Retreat:
- Oct 22: Jesus’ Last Supper; The Lord’s Supper in the Early Church
- Oct 23: Don’t Forget God’s Benefits – Psalm 103:1-22
Hakone Bible Camp:
- Aug 27: Following Jesus’ Footprints – 1 Peter 2:20-21
Ibaraki Christian University Chapel:
- Oct 18: Freedom to What/Whom – Matthew 11:28-30