I've lived in Japan for 3 years now and have grown older, grayer, balder, and some might even say wiser. But the greatest growth internally for me is clear. Its my understanding of God's relationship with me. If it weren't for my relationship with God, there is no way I would have stayed longer than a year. Honestly, I would have never returned after the earthquake. Yet I feel a strong connection in my walk with God still here in Japan.
It may seem odd because 99% of Japan does not claim to be Christian. In America, it would be hard to travel around and not see a church. Some places feels like there is a church on every corner. Yet here in Japan, there is a distinct absence. To me, its that absence that makes the presence so much more real. Often, I find the relationships that you have to seek and strive for are worth the most. In Japan, churches are not very easy to come by. So as a Christian, you have to be diligent in your search for the right one for you. For me its clear:
It may seem odd because 99% of Japan does not claim to be Christian. In America, it would be hard to travel around and not see a church. Some places feels like there is a church on every corner. Yet here in Japan, there is a distinct absence. To me, its that absence that makes the presence so much more real. Often, I find the relationships that you have to seek and strive for are worth the most. In Japan, churches are not very easy to come by. So as a Christian, you have to be diligent in your search for the right one for you. For me its clear:
- A Genuine heart for God and worship of Him.
- Bible Centered
- A passion and vision to build up its members and positively enrich the worldly community in a way that Jesus would.
Its an interesting change for me. When I sought God as an after thought, my list would have been:
- short and sweet
- later start time
- not too preachy/judgemental
The simple change for me happens when I made the shift from church being a duty, something you gotta do before you fall asleep watching the Detroit Lions break your heart on Sundays, (Good luck Caldwell!) to a true joy. Church has become like a medicine for me. I show up and can feel refreshed. Its easy to make the excuses not to go but when you are actually looking forward to God's presence and worship, church feels less like a chore. All of a sudden you start looking for churches to check out when on vacation. Quick plug: visit The Street City church if you're ever in Wellington.
Now to the point of the post. Church doesn't matter where you meet or whether you have 5 or 500 people in the seat as long as it follows those first 3 steps. Since last January, I made the conscious effort to check out Praise Community Church for a month. I've been here for over 2 years at that point so I had heard of it and checked it out on multiple occasions. Some of my best friends here go there so it made sense to give it a real shot and apply myself there.
One thing that was always evident there is a true heart and warmth for Jesus. 7 nights a week, this place is a Japanese/motown style bar. You walk in and see alcohol and tons of MoTown posters from years ago along with a DJ table. But the feel on Sunday mornings is very different. Its a place of worship. Its a place that welcomes anyone. As you get into church, you tend to forget the surroundings and feel His presence.
Its also a place that dives into the Gospel. Taka, the pastor, thinks through his sermons and develops a message over several weeks. Its not the same old story every week. He also seamlessly blends great real life examples that can bring out the message from the Bible. I often am there and feel like something in the message is speaking directly to me. Sometimes its eerie... One time, I had just talked to a friend about the meaning of a Bible verse the day before(Matthew 6:21) and I thought about it just as I got out of the subway. I waltz in to church late (whoops) and as I settle in awkwardly, that exact verse gets explained. God likes to make my brain explode with "coincidences" haha. The other great truth is that the message would be the same whether 5 or 500 people are there. I think Taka would stand up there and give the same effort if there was just one person besides himself showing up.
It is this heart and drive that makes PCC special. At the heart of the church is an accepting soul that invites anyone to come. One day, a drunk guy even stumbled off the subway and came to church. I actually had to poke him everytime he started snoring so that I could hear the message. The church welcomed him with open arms regardless of his afflictions. PCC also has been plugged into the community in a God centered way to help and share God's love by regularly visiting homeless communities, people that have suffered through the tsunami damage, and English conversation times. These things are done with no strings attached but to simply show God's love to others.
Through these strengths, I have seen both the vision and heart grow in this church so much over the past year. It's becoming a usual occasion to run out of seats on Sundays. I seem to see new faces that continue to return each week. Its been a truly amazing blessing to see this growth. With the growth, I've seen so many people take on leadership roles to take this church even further with God's blessing. I am excited to see the direction for this church which is a strong reason why I stayed for another year!
* I also want to share that there are many other churches doing amazing things for the Sendai community and Japan. I believe that each is unique and has its strengths and a true heart for God.
Please keep the strength of all the churches here in Japan in your prayers.
If you're ever visiting the Sendai area, feel free to visit Praise community church. Heres the Facebook link that tells you when and where: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Praise-Community-Church/184494033495
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