Soggy September

As an American, I was raised to value efficiency. Stock up, and shop for a month's worth of groceries in one trip! Send out emails to the whole group. Lead a large meeting, to be sure everyone is welcome.

English practice with Japanese school friends

In contrast, my neighbors bike to the grocery store daily, to shop for one or two meals. Invitations come in person, with a smile and comment for each friend in turn. News travels from mouth to mouth. Each piece of laundry is hung on the clips to dry, taken down, folded, placed on each tiny body. I am often struck with what feels like staggering inefficiency of daily life.

In our roles of teacher and worship leader, we pray for an amazing lesson, one poignant uplifting song set to draw the congregation toward revival, or to awaken epiphany in our students. Yet, life more often takes a daily, walking pace. Catching a student in the hall to discuss a plagiarized paper. Stopping mid-song to deal with a broken guitar string.

Yet, I think about the life Jesus chose. Traveling on foot, eating long, slow meals, welcoming long, interrupted, rambling conversations and inconvenient relationships. The theme for next week's bible study is the Eternal God. It strikes me, an Eternal God has little need for efficiency, which is a product of those bound by time. God, being outside of time, engages each moment without rush. Eugene Peterson calls it the "long obedience in the same direction." Lamentations says, "Your mercies are new every morning." The Israelites found manna each day, and had to trust for more tomorrow.

Rainbow over our river path!

As we give thanks and petition this month, I am mindful of the need for daily faithfulness. For the need of God's eternal perspective - outside of the tyranny of efficiency, outside of the urgency of time.

1) We're grateful: Plans are underway for a rich and meaningful "school without walls" week for CAJ high school students. Ryan works together with the HS principal to plan this curriculum, spiraling servant leadership and teamwork qualities for each grade level. Please pray for safety and great learning experiences for the students and teachers as they spread out all over campus and all over Japan next week!

2) We're grateful for the group of wonderful Christian moms at our public school. I'm so grateful for the new members, and for my wise and patient co-leader. I'm grateful that my language skills are developing too! Please pray as we meet on Monday to pray through the theme of God as Eternal Father.

3) We're grateful for our local church, Kurume Bible Fellowship and our church plant, Tokyo Life Church. We will go on a retreat this coming weekend as a whole body, to rest, pray and enjoy fellowship. Please pray as our church goes through a re-visioning time, and continues searching for a new pastoral team to lead the congregation as our current pastoral team plans for retirement.