Author: Japanese Congregational Church

Mark 7:14-23

¹⁴Then he called the crowd again and said to them, “Listen to me, all of you, and understand: ¹⁵there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile.” ¹⁷When he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about the parable. ¹⁸He said to them, “Then do you also fail to understand? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile, ¹⁹since it enters, not the heart but the stomach, and goes out into the sewer?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) ²⁰And he said, “It is what comes out of a person that defiles. ²¹For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, ²²adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. ²³All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

After feeding the five thousand, Jesus walks on water and quiets the storm, further showing His followers that He has the power of God. They land in Gennesaret and the people bring their sick to Jesus and Jesus heals them.

Then some Pharisees and some scribes from Jerusalem object to the fact that some of Jesus’ disciples were not following the hand-washing rituals before eating. They ask Jesus why His disciples do not live according to the tradition of the elders.

Jesus responds by telling the people from Jerusalem that they are prioritizing the traditions over the intent of God’s commands. The example Jesus sites is that of Corban – Where people go against God’s command to take care of aging parents by declaring that the money that would have otherwise gone to the parents is instead being offered to God.

 As far as the hand-washing ritual, Jesus declares that people are not defiled by not following that tradition. In fact, nothing that goes into a person can defile them. Instead, what defiles a person are the things that come out of a person. He lists these things in verses 21-22.

After this, Jesus goes to Tyre where He has an encounter with a Syrophoenician woman. She has a daughter that has an unclean spirit and wants Jesus to cast the demon out of her daughter. When Jesus tells her that His first priority is the children of Israel, the woman stresses that even dogs get to eat the crumbs that the children drop. Impressed by the woman’s faith and persistence, Jesus heals the daughter.

This narrative, combined with Mark’s comment in verse 19 that Jesus declared all foods clean, certainly seems to point to a time when the Gentiles will hear and accept the gospel.

Returning to the topic of traditions verses intent of the Lord’s commands, the Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem were practicing formalism to the point where they were losing sight of the intent of God’s commands.

Today, churches are not too focused on religious rituals, but each church does have its own traditions, which were established over the years. It might be over things like how often to have communion; timing and method of baptism; infant baptism versus infant dedication; whether to hold Christmas Eve service; whether to have Christmas morning service; how to celebrate Palm Sunday; whether to have children in the worship service; whether to have, and how often to have – after service meals; requirements for membership (or to have memberships at all); what style of songs to sing and how many; whether or not to recite the Lord’s prayer, or Apostles’ Creed, etc. during services and how often.

There is nothing wrong with tradition, if we remember why we stick to them. When traditions become more important than the intent of why we have them, then we act like those men who came from Jerusalem. We end up majoring on the minor and minoring on the major.

It is easy to believe that there are things all around us that can defile us. There are things that entice us that we know would not be pleasing to God. Each of us has weaknesses of some kind and temptation is all around us.

But there is truth in what Jesus says about what truly defiles us. What defiles us does not come from outside of us. What defiles us comes from the human heart – Evil intentions.

So, what to do about all the temptations around us and on the internet? Paraphrasing Martin Luther, “You can’t stop the birds from flying over your head, but you can stop them from building a nest in your hair”. In other words, we cannot stop temptations from being all around us, but we ought not dwell on them nor act on them.

This is easier said than done, especially if we like some of the sins. We need to confess them as sins and ask for help from the Holy Spirit. We are to be under the influence of the Spirit, rather than under the influence of our sinful nature. It is difficult or impossible to resist our nature, but we are to be new creatures who are equipped to serve the Lord. The Holy Spirit is able to help us and will, as long as we are willing to follow His leading.

As for our traditions, let us enjoy them, but not lose sight of their original intent. When we get overly concerned about maintaining traditions, without honoring the content and purpose of those traditions, we are no different than the religious teachers from Jerusalem who questioned Jesus.

(the above is a summary of the message shared by Pastor Shun Takano during our worship on July 26, 2026.)

Ezekiel 3:1-3

1 And he said to me, “Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the house of Israel.” 2 So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat. 3 Then he said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.” So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.

Jeremiah 15:16

16 When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God Almighty.

Revelation 10:9a

9 So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, “Take it and eat it. 

Scripture is filled with references to food, banquets, and meals that were shared. Jesus himself spends much of his time in ministry eating with others and enjoying conversation around shared meals. In today’s texts we have the unusual metaphor of “scripture AS food” – an image of “ingesting God’s Word” as one would physically partake of food.

Eat this book…

This strange and surprising command appears several times in Scripture: “Eat this book.” When the prophet Ezekiel was called by God, the Lord gave him a scroll and said: “Son of man, eat what you find here; eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” Ezekiel opened his mouth, and God gave him the scroll to eat. Then he said: “So I ate it, and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey.”

God’s Word is not merely something to read or study. It is not simply information for our minds. God’s Word is something we are invited to receive deeply—to take it into our lives, allowing it to become part of who we are.

The prophet Jeremiah expressed the same truth: “When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight.”
Jeremiah did not simply say, “I read your words,” or, “I have considered your words…” He said, “I ate them.” God’s Word became nourishment for his soul.

Many years later, the apostle John received a similar command from an angel in his vision: “Take it and eat it.”
Again, the message is clear: God’s Word must move from the outside to the inside. It must become part of us.

Jesus understood that human beings need more than physical food. When Satan tempted Him in the wilderness, Jesus answered: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4)

Jesus was not saying that physical bread is unnecessary. He fed the hungry and cared for people’s physical needs. But He reminded us that we have a deeper hunger—a hunger in our souls. That is why Jesus declared: “I am the Bread of Life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry.” (John 6:35)

Jesus does not merely give us bread. Jesus Himself is our bread. He is the nourishment our souls need. Think about a meal prepared before us. We can admire it. We can study the recipe. We can talk about how wonderful it looks. But unless we eat it, it cannot give us strength. The same is true of God’s Word. We can own many Bibles. We can listen to sermons. We can study Scripture. But God’s Word changes us when we receive it deeply and allow it to enter our lives.

Today, may we hear God’s invitation to “eat” more fully of His word. There are MANY ways that we can be nourished through the Book, through the Word of God:

Hearing, studying, meditating, singing, and memorizing….could all be ways that we are “nourished” by God’s word.

Today we sang God’s word when we sang the words of  Matthew 4: “Man does not live by bread alone….but by every word that proceeds from God’s mouth.” We read God’s word as we looked at these three passages together. We studied and meditated on these same words. And we considered the fact that Christ Himself…told us “I Am the Bread of Life.” So we’re reminded that along with the book, the physical Bible, the visual Word of God, we also have a relationship with the Logos, the WORD – which was from the beginning.

“Take and eat.”

Receive His Word. Receive His promise. Receive Christ, the Bread of Life.

(the above is a summary of the message shared during our worship on July 12, 2026.)

Mark 6:30-44

³⁰The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. ³¹He said to them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. ³²And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. ³³Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. ³⁴As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. ³⁵When it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now very late; ³⁶send them away so that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy something for themselves to eat.” ³⁷But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” They said to him, “Are we to go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread, and give it to them to eat?” ³⁸And he said to them, “How many loaves have you? Go and see.” When they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” ³⁹Then he ordered them to get all the people to sit down in groups on the green grass. ⁴⁰So they sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties. ⁴¹Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and he divided the two fish among them all. ⁴²And all ate and were filled; ⁴³and they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. ⁴⁴Those who had eaten the loaves numbered five thousand men.

Jesus goes back home and even though He impressed people with His wise teachings in the synagogue he is rejected because they knew that He was just a son of a carpenter.

Jesus then sends the Twelve on a mission and they do great work, casting out demons and healing the sick.

Meanwhile, John the Baptist is beheaded.

We now come to this morning’s passage. The Twelve return from the successful mission trip and Jesus wants to give them rest. There are so many people coming and going that the Twelve do not have time to eat. So, Jesus gets everyone on a boat and goes to a deserted place so that they could have some peace and rest. But the people follow them and soon there is a great crowd around them.

Although they are there to rest, Jesus begins to teach them many things. It gets late and the disciples suggest to Jesus that He should send the crowd away so that they could find food to eat. Five thousand men would mean that the crowd could be twenty thousand or more and yet, Jesus tells His disciples that they should give them something to eat. The disciples know that this is impossible and tell Jesus.

Jesus tells the disciples to see how much food they can find. They come back with five loaves and two fish. Jesus has them sit down in groups of hundreds and fifties, blesses the food and has His disciples pass it out. Everyone eats until they are full, and they collect twelve baskets of broken pieces of bread and fish.

What can we take away from this?

First, we see that Jesus prioritized God’s work over planned rest. He took his disciples to a deserted place so that they could have some rest and quiet. When the crowd showed up, instead of sending them away or telling them that they are unavailable, they minister to those who need to hear Jesus’ words.

In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus says these words – ²⁸“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.   ²⁹Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.   ³⁰For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.Jesus is saying that if you are tired and burdened from doing Kingdom work, He will lighten it for you. Unlike how many people like to interpret this passage, He is not saying that if we are tired, we can stop doing Kingdom work. Instead, we are invited to take His yoke. A yoke is a tool to get work done, not a tool for resting. We see Jesus living this principle out in feeding the five thousand.

Second, we see how the Kingdom work is accomplished in this world. Jesus does not directly feed the crowd. He provides the power and the miracle, but the ones who pass out the food are the disciples. Likewise, the Lord will provide His love and power for us, so that we can carry out His work.

Third, we see that God’s powers are immense and go far beyond what we can imagine or hope for. There is no earthly way to feed such a crowd with five loaves and two fish, and yet, it was accomplished and with some leftovers.

But this does not imply that God will always provide much more than needed so that we can enjoy the leftovers. Twelve baskets full of leftovers seem like a large amount of food, and it would be for two people or for this congregation. However, when we realize that there might have been twenty thousand people, twelve baskets full would not be very much. More often, God provides exactly what is needed.

So, from this passage, we can be reminded that God’s power and love are immense, and that we have been saved so that we can do the Kingdom work – To witness to the world that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of the World and that through Him, we can have eternal life. We are also reminded that there are many people around us that need salvation and that it can be tiring ministering to them, but we need to prioritize their needs over our own needs. The Lord will provide the rest we need, if we do His bidding.

The Lord fed a huge crowd with five loaves and two fish, with some tired disciples doing the work. He can certainly use us to spread His salvation to the unsaved.

(the above is a summary of the message shared by Pastor Shun Takano during our worship on July 5, 2026.)

Mark 5:1-20

¹They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. ²And when he had stepped out of the boat, immediately a man out of the tombs with an unclean spirit met him. ³He lived among the tombs; and no one could restrain him any more, even with a chain; ⁴for he had often been restrained with shackles and chains, but the chains he wrenched apart, and the shackles he broke in pieces; and no one had the strength to subdue him. ⁵Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always howling and bruising himself with stones. ⁶When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and bowed down before him; ⁷and he shouted at the top of his voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” ⁸For he had said to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” ⁹Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” ¹⁰He begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. ¹¹Now there on the hillside a great herd of swine was feeding; ¹²and the unclean spirits begged him, “Send us into the swine; let us enter them.” ¹³So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and were drowned in the sea.

¹⁴The swineherds ran off and told it in the city and in the country. Then people came to see what it was that had happened. ¹⁵They came to Jesus and saw the demoniac sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the legion; and they were afraid. ¹⁶Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. ¹⁷Then they began to beg Jesus^£ to leave their neighborhood. ¹⁸As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed by demons begged him that he might be with him. ¹⁹But Jesus refused, and said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy he has shown you.” ²⁰And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed.

Jesus and His disciples cross the sea to the other side of Galilee – Verse 20 identifies the city as Decapolis, a gentile city.

This healing narrative is a little different than the others in that no one, including the demon-possessed, asks for this man to be healed. He is obviously not right in his mind and is demonstrating super-human strength.

When the man sees Jesus from a distance, he recognizes Jesus as the Son of God and comes running to Him and bows down. He seems to know that Jesus has the power over them and requests for Jesus not to torment him.

Jesus asks for the demon’s name, and the demon tells Him that he is many — A legion (four to six thousand). He asks Jesus for two things – To not send them out of the country, and instead, send them into the herd of swine. Jesus obliges, and the herd runs into the sea and drowns.

 The towns’ people heard about it and came to see what had happened. They saw the formerly demon-possessed man sitting quietly, fully clothed, and in his right mind, and they were afraid. They also were troubled by the economic cost of the pigs drowning and beg Jesus to leave their neighborhood.

The formerly demon-possessed man begs to accompany Jesus, but Jesus refuses and tells him to go home and tell the people what the Lord did for him. The man obeys and begins to proclaim what Jesus had done for him in Decapolis, and everyone is amazed.

There are several things that we can glean from this passage.

When the man was possessed, he could not stand to be with Jesus. After he was healed, he wanted to spend his life with Jesus. After the herd of pigs ran into the sea and drowned, the towns’ people came to Jesus, but they wanted Him to go away. We must acknowledge that when we encounter people who will not come to church or refuse to hear the gospel, the enemy might be at work. There may be a spiritual element, and we should pray accordingly. Before we share the gospel, it may be a good idea to pray that if the enemy is at work to interfere with the gospel that their power would be bound in Jesus’ name.

It must have been encouraging to Mark’s audience that Jesus had the power to overcome the enemy. They were living in a time when they could be executed for their faith. They probably knew believers who had been tortured and killed for their faith. They probably sensed that the enemy was at work.

In today’s world, it seems that the enemy is at work. This passage is a good reminder to us and an encouragement that God’s power is far greater than Satan’s and for us not to lose hope or confidence in God.

We saw earlier when Jesus called the apostles, they were to leave everything and follow Him. When this man was healed of his demon-possession, he wanted to leave everything and follow Jesus. Instead, Jesus told him to go home and tell everyone how much the Lord had done for him. And the man did. It is significant that this is the first gentile mission that is recorded in Mark. This man was most likely a gentile, and the people he would be proclaiming about Jesus would also be gentiles.

We all know people who are not believers, and sometimes we just are at a loss as to how to witness to them about Jesus. What Jesus told the man is a good one – To tell everyone how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy He has shown you.

Sometimes what is needed is a logical explanation about mankind’s sins, how we cannot help ourselves, and that the only thing we can do for God to count us as righteous is the accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

 At other times, what people need to hear are all the wonderful things that God has done for us.

Each one of us has a different calling from God. Not everyone is called to be a pastor or preacher. But everyone is to be a witness for Jesus to those who are near to us as well as those who are far from us.

In some way, we need to let the world know how much the Lord has done for us and what mercy He has shown us. We need to tell them.

(the above is a summary of the message shared by Pastor Shun Takano during our worship on June 28, 2026.)

Mark 4:10-13

¹⁰And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. ¹¹And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, ¹²so that “they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.” ¹³And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?

Jesus teaches using the parable of the sower. His followers were not quite understanding the meaning of the parable, so Jesus explains it to them. Then He follows this up by telling them about a lamp under a bushel basket, the parable of the growing seed, and the parable of the mustard seed.

In this morning’s passage, Jesus gives His explanation of why He is teaching using parables.

On the surface, one could interpret Jesus as saying that the secret of the kingdom of God is purposely kept away from unbelievers so that they are blocked from being forgiven and saved. We know this is not the case, since if it were so, none of us would have been able to become a believer.

Let us look at what Jesus teaches in this chapter.

The parable of the sower is a famous one. It describes how the word of God is spoken to all sorts of people. The result is that some reject it, some receive it initially… but do not stick with it, and some receive it and become fruitful Christians.

The message is to sow the seeds, regardless of the condition of the ground and do not be surprised that some will reject the gospel. When we sow, we should not concern ourselves with the end results. When we are commanded to sow, we sow – And leave the outcome to God.

Verses 21-22 – ²¹He said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under the bushel basket, or under the bed, and not on the lampstand? ²²For there is nothing hidden, except to be disclosed; nor is anything secret, except to come to light.” 

This tells us that just as a lamp is meant to provide light and not kept hidden, Jesus’ teachings are also meant to be understood, even though in the beginning it might sound like nonsense.

Verses 23-25 – “²³Let anyone with ears to hear listen!” ²⁴And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear; the measure you give will be the measure you get, and still more will be given you. ²⁵For to those who have, more will be given; and from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.”

This tells us that we need to pay attention to Jesus’ words and we will gain more knowledge each time we hear it. But if one stops listening to His words, then we go back to not understanding.

Jesus then tells the parable of the growing seed. Just like when we plant seeds, we don’t know which one will eventually produce something good. We also do not know exactly why or how they grow. Likewise, we cannot know exactly how the gospel will grow or not grow for each person to whom we witness.

Jesus finishes up this series of teachings with the parable of the mustard seed. The message here is that from insignificant beginnings, there can come oversized results for the kingdom of God.

So, what is the secret of the kingdom of God that Jesus has given to believers, including us?

The secret becomes obvious to believers but is puzzling to non-believers. Paul writes at the start of his first letter to the Corinthians – “¹⁸For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. . . ²²For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom,   ²³but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,   ²⁴but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”

For us who believe, the cross of Christ is the power of God that saves us. But for those who do not believe it sounds like nonsense. Jews were looking for a Messiah that would establish His eternal kingdom, so a Messiah who dies is a stumbling block. For the non-Jews, the idea that someone could come back from the dead, as well as the idea that our sins could be cleansed by someone dying for us seems like foolishness.

Even though the gospel of Jesus Christ is hard to understand for non-believers, it is God’s desire to shine the light on them and not keep them in the darkness. Our job as believers, is to continue to preach and witness for salvation through Jesus. We are not to worry about the outcome, knowing that the darkness may not be lifted immediately, or at all.

We also are not to take credit for people coming to Christ, since that is the power of God that saves. We are the sower but only God can save. And when we are feeling insignificant or wonder if our efforts are too small, remember that even a small mustard seed can grow to house the nests of birds.

Jesus makes it clear that we have been entrusted with the secret of the kingdom of God. We are not to keep it a secret. We are not to keep the light of Christ underneath a bushel basket.

We were all in darkness at one point. There was a time that when people told us about Jesus, we thought it was all nonsense. But people who have been given the secret of the kingdom of God kept sharing with us, even though we rejected it many times. Somewhere down the line, the seed took hold and sprouted.

It is our turn to be a fruitful Christian and start sharing the secret by sowing the seed – Whether we think the soil is good or bad, whether we think the time is inconvenient, sow the seed. That is our mission and our work in appreciation for the salvation that has been given to us.

(the above is a summary of the message shared by Pastor Shun Takano during our worship on June 14, 2026.)

Ecclesiastes 3:11

11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

Our text today is both short….and well-loved. The author, and “teacher” is Solomon, the third king of Israel. As you know, he was known for his wisdom, which he had received from God because he asked for it.  He is also the writer of Proverbs, the book that directly precedes this one.

In Ecclesiastes, King Solomon reflects on the futility of all human endeavor. The writing seems very negative and dour. No matter how hard we try, the finish is always the same…we die. The righteous often are put down, the unrighteous often seemingly get by with sin.

Wealth…… the more you have the more you want. No satisfaction.

Power….. it seems to corrupt.

Wisdom…. the more you get, the more miserable (sorrowful) you seem to get.

Fun….. temporary, but not satisfactory

The writer concludes that all is vanity, meaningless, useless.

However, his conclusion is drawn on the assumption that we are talking about “under the sun”, what we can see and experience by our own senses, i.e., life without God. When we include God in the equation, the writer seems to draw different conclusions.  And today we want to look at a beautiful verse in chapter 3. Verse 11.

1. God has made everything beautiful in its time.

Will all things become beautiful in God’s time? If we wait?

• We can think of an easy example from nature: we plant a seed in the ground, the sun shines, the rain provides water; we wait – and yes, in time a beautiful flower appears and grows!
• Or, we might consider a more difficult situation. A loved one of ours is diagnosed with cancer…and dies. Will this situation become beautiful in time? Is that what we should expect? Well, not exactly. Here we recognize that while the sickness itself, or the result of that sickness (the death of our loved one) may never be beautiful, yet – we may through that tragedy experience a growth in our faith, or endurance, or dependence on God – and all of these results would be beautiful!
• Or what about a more extreme example – our present world – filled with war and hate, murder, and greed. Do these become beautiful? No, of course not! But again, God works in his time and way…to bring beauty into our lives, even through these sinful and wicked ways of humanity. War and hate will never be beautiful. But they will NEVER be the final word. They cannot stop God’s saving grace, working in our lives. 

This is really a statement of faith isn’t it? Whatever God does, or whatever God allows in our life will turn out to be beautiful and to our benefit. This means that trials as well as joys, sickness as well as health, poverty as well as wealth、wars as well as peace…all of these can be used by God to bless us and direct us. 

It reminds us of Paul’s words in Romans 8:28:

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

2. He has placed eternity in our hearts.

This is where we are different from other creatures. A dog can lie before the fire, warm and content. We humans would soon become restless. We are always seeking for the meaning of life. Is there more than this??  God has allowed us to imagine a life beyond death. In fact, God has made us to long for…and envision such a life. We will never truly rest and be satisfied until we rest in God, find our identity in Him.

In John 11 Jesus says these words:

25 “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

Do we believe this? We are promised eternal life!

Let us invest our time and efforts in that which remains for all eternity. What would that look like for you this week?

3. We cannot understand the greatness of all God is doing.

And Solomon concludes with this: There is always a mystery about God. We accept His will by faith. No matter how much we try to define God, or put him in a box, there is an unknowable portion. How could it be otherwise? We in our finite and limited minds will never fully comprehend all the beauty and greatness of God.

So let us claim the truths of this beautiful passage!

All things are beautiful in God’s time.

We all have eternity in our hearts. Strengthen those things that remain!

We cannot understand perfectly or confine God. His plans are bigger than us!

(the above is a summary of the message shared during our worship on June 7, 2026.)

Today is Trinity Sunday in the Christian calendar. Although the word “trinity” does not appear in Scripture, the concept of God as plural, while remaining ONE….appears throughout. The beautiful benedictions that we close our worship with each week include Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But what can we learn from this mystery – three in one – that would encourage our own faith? Here are a few ideas:

1. God is Dynamic — Always Moving Toward Us

Paul’s blessing is active: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.” The Trinity is not static or distant. God is always moving toward humanity.

• The Father sends the Son
• The Son comes near us in grace and truth and lives among us.
• The Spirit dwells among us, teaching, reminding, empowering

Sometimes we imagine God as still and silent, arms folded, waiting for us to figure life out. But the Trinity reveals a God who is always reaching, giving, speaking, comforting, restoring.

Even in scripture, the members of the Trinity are constantly interacting—at Jesus’ baptism (where God speaks, the Holy Spirit descends as a dove, the Son is baptized and loved), in the Upper Room discourse (where Jesus prays to his Father, and promises the Holy Spirit’s arrival) and many other instances. God is alive, relational, and active.

If God is dynamic, faith cannot merely be stagnant belief. We are invited into an ongoing relationship.

2. God is Diverse — Unity Without Sameness

The Father is not the Son. The Son is not the Spirit. Yet they are one. The Trinity reminds us that difference is not division. In a fractured world, we often think unity means sameness: “Think like me, worship like me, vote like me.”

But God’s own being suggests something deeper: A perfect unity with beautiful distinction.

“At the center of the universe is not loneliness or competition—but harmony.” The Trinity tells us diversity is not a problem to overcome. It may be part of God’s own fingerprint upon creation.

“A healthy church does not erase difference. It learns how to belong to one another.” I see this clearly at JCC!

3. God is Communal — Relationship Is at the Heart of Life

The Holy Spirit is described here as fellowship or communion. The Trinity means that relationship is not something God invented later.

God has always existed in relationship.

Before creation, there was already love, delight, communion. That means relationship is not secondary to life—it is central to life. We are made for connection because we come from a relational God.

“At the center of everything is not power, but relationship.”

People wonder:
“Do I matter?”
“Why do relationships hurt?”
“Why do I long for connection?”

Because we are made in the image of a communal God.

4. God is Loving — Love Is God’s Native Language

Notice Paul’s words:

• Grace of Jesus
• Love of God
• Fellowship of the Spirit

All three are relational gifts. The Trinity teaches that love is not merely something God does.

Love is who God is.

Before there were humans to love, the Father loved the Son in the Spirit. Love is older than creation.

“The deepest truth about reality is not chaos, fear, or survival. The deepest truth is love.”

Our weekly benediction is not merely a formal ending. It is a weekly reminder:

“You are being sent into the world surrounded by the grace of Christ, held in the Father’s love, and accompanied by the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.”

“The Trinity is not a math problem to solve. It is an invitation to know the heart of God.
A God who is dynamic, always reaching toward us.
A God who is diverse, yet beautifully one.
A God who is communal, drawing us into fellowship.
A God who is loving from all eternity.
And every Sunday, as the benediction is spoken, God reminds us: This life is lived inside that love.”

(the above is a summary of the message shared during our worship on May 31, 2026.)

Mark 3:20-30

²⁰And the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. ²¹When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, “He has gone out of his mind.” ²²And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons.” ²³And he called them to him, and spoke to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? ²⁴If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. ²⁵And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. ²⁶And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come. ²⁷But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered. ²⁸“Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; ²⁹but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”—³⁰for they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.”

After healing the man with a withered hand, Jesus went around healing others and driving out unclean spirits. He then chose twelve of His followers as apostles and returned to Galilee.

Jesus’ family heard some people say He had gone out of His mind. They worried about Him and wanted to take Him home. Scribes from Jerusalem were saying that the healing power that Jesus was displaying was not from God but from Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.

Jesus responds by pointing out the illogic of Satan driving out his own demons. He also states that people will be forgiven for their sins, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never be forgiven.

Every time a scriptural reference comes up about the unforgiveable sin, people are curious to know what that might be.

Both Matthew and Luke also speak of this. In both cases, like in Mark, Jesus states this after the religious leaders claim that Jesus is driving out demons by the power of Satan.

So, have you wondered if you have committed the unforgivable sin? The good news is that if you are concerned about it, then you probably do not have to worry about it. The specific example of this sin described in the gospels is attributing God’s work to Satan. In other words, rejecting the good works of God.

According to Acts 1:8, the Holy Spirit will give us power to be witnesses for Christ in near and far places. To spread the good news of Jesus Christ, we first must accept it as truth and then devote ourselves to spreading it.

To sin against the Holy Spirit would be to NOT believe that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and not believe that by accepting Him as Lord and Savior, our sins will be forgiven and that we will be given eternal life. In other words, if we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of the world and through Him, we can have eternal life, then we are not guilty of the unforgivable sin.

To not believe in the work of Jesus is the unforgivable sin. That would be deliberately rejecting God’s truth and grace, even when we recognize it. That is a state of hardened, final rejection of God.

There is no other way to be forgiven except by the power of the Holy Spirit. By the Power of the Spirit, we can accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

Also, it does not appear that if we commit this sin once, then it is all over. Jesus’ family thought that Jesus was not quite right in the head, as He preached the kingdom of God. To regard God’s work as something else is no different than what the scribes were doing. And yet, we know that at least some of His family came to believe that Jesus was the Messiah. It appears that the unforgivable sin is only unforgivable if one continues to deny Jesus until the end. Just like one of the thieves on the cross was saved at the very end of his life, there is always hope available until the end of one’s life.

In his book titled, “The Great Divorce”, C. S. Lewis has the guide George MacDonald explain who will end up in hell and who will end up with God. He says, “There are only two kinds of people in the end: Those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, in the end, ‘thy will be done.’

Let us all not commit the unforgivable sin and have God say to us, “Thy will be done.”

The important takeaway from this passage is not to try to define the unforgivable sin, and certainly not try to determine who had committed such a sin. The key verses are 28 and 29. The good news is v. 28 – “Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter.” But to reject that, then v. 29 comes into play – “but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin.”

So even though this terrifying concept of an unforgivable sin was raised in this morning’s passage, it is not something we were unaware of. No matter what sin we commit, whether we consider it small or large, is enough for us to be headed towards eternity without God. However, God loves us and sent Jesus to die on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins, so that we can be forgiven. All we have to do is accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, even if it is late in our lives. But if we do not accept this forgiveness and keep rejecting until the end of our lives, then we are not forgiven.

How tragic that would be, since Jesus had already paid for our sins.

For us who have been forgiven, we should live our lives in appreciation. We should also show love to those who have not been forgiven yet and tell them of the gospel of Jesus Christ so that they will not die in their unforgiven state.

(the above is a summary of the message shared by Pastor Shun Takano during our worship on May 24, 2026.)

Mark 2:23 – 3:6

²³One sabbath he was going through the grainfields; and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. ²⁴The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?” ²⁵And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need of food? ²⁶He entered the house of God, when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and he gave some to his companions.” ²⁷Then he said to them, “The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath; ²⁸so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.”

¹Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand. ²They watched him to see whether he would cure him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him. ³And he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Come forward.” ⁴Then he said to them, “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. ⁵He looked around at them with anger; he was grieved at their hardness of heart and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. ⁶The Pharisees went out and immediately conspired with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.

The first thing Jesus does is to call His first disciples – two pairs of brothers — Simon and Andrew, and James and John. Jesus simply tells them to follow Him, and they immediately leave everything and follow Him.

They go to Capernaum and they enter a synagogue on the sabbath. Jesus teaches and people are amazed. There is a man with an unclean spirit and Jesus commands the spirit to come out, and the man is made clean. People are amazed at this show of power. Jesus’ fame starts to spread.

Jesus then heals Simon’s mother-in-law, and by sundown, crowds are forming who want healings and exorcisms.

Jesus travels throughout Galilee preaching the good news, driving out demons, and healing, including a leper. His fame continues to grow.

Jesus then returns to Capernaum – He is using Capernaum as His base of operations. He heals a paralytic as well saying to the man that his sins are forgiven. Scribes are present, apparently being curious about this Jesus that everyone is talking about, and they take offense to what Jesus said, considering it as blaspheming.

Jesus then calls Levi to follow Him, and Levi gets up and follows, just like the others who were called. Scribes, who saw Jesus dining and fellowshipping with tax collectors and sinners were critical of Jesus.

Then we come to this morning’s passage. It includes two occasions that the Pharisees and scribes consider as breaking the Sabbath Law. The first is that Jesus’ followers were plucking heads of grain while they walked through the grainfields. The second is that Jesus heals a man with a withered hand.

 What law is Jesus and His followers breaking, according to the scribes and Pharisees? The fourth of the Ten Commandments says, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work.” This is also reiterated in Exodus 34:21 and Deuteronomy 5:12-15.

But was it an over-reaction on the part of the scribes and Pharisees that they started to seek ways to destroy Jesus? If we look at Exodus 31:14-15, it turns out that the religious leaders were following the law in their minds – “¹⁴You shall keep the sabbath, because it is holy for you; everyone who profanes it shall be put to death; whoever does any work on it shall be cut off from among the people. ¹⁵Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the LORD; whoever does any work on the sabbath day shall be put to death.”

We can see that the punishment for working on the Sabbath was death, as it was clearly written in the Torah. What was up for interpretation was whether what Jesus and His followers did constitute “work”. Was plucking grain and healing work? The scribes and Pharisees believed that they were work, while Jesus did not.

For ordinary people to know how to live their lives lawfully, Mishnah and Talmud were developed. They explain to the people how to apply God’s laws in their daily lives, since people have the tendency to interpret laws to their liking. They were traditionally passed down orally and later written down – The Mishnah around 200 CE and the Talmud around 500 CE.

Interestingly, “plucking” and “healing” were not explicitly classified as “work”. However, among the 39 explicitly stated categories of “work”, harvesting was listed. It seems logical that one could interpret what Jesus followers did as “harvesting”. Although “healing” was not listed among “work”, it was discouraged, since healing often could require work, such as grinding to make medicine.

The acts themselves were not unlawful. Farmers were commanded to leave grain on stalks when they harvest, so that people in need could eat what was left. Healing was also not unlawful – In fact, saving lives when it was possible was required, even on a Sabbath. But according to how the scribes interpreted God’s laws, they deemed that what Jesus and His followers did was considered unlawful to perform on a Sabbath.

The irony here is that Jesus, being the Son of God, was more qualified than any human or group of humans to interpret God’s laws correctly. Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath. This is obvious to us, since we have the completed New Testament and that we live in the age after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, and we also have the Holy Spirit to help us understand all of this.

But these scribes and Pharisees are interpreting Jesus’ actions on Sabbaths as unlawful, which disqualifies Him as being the Messiah, even though Jesus is displaying great power. The way great crowds are being affected by Jesus worries them and they feel a responsibility to stop this powerful man.

It is important to note that Jesus was not going around breaking Sabbath laws just to make a statement – He was interpreting the Sabbath laws. The scribes were following the traditional interpretation of the Sabbath laws. The two sides had different approaches to interpreting these laws. The Pharisees’ approach emphasized precise legal boundaries – They tried to define what actions counted as violations. Jesus’ approach was to emphasize mercy, need and purpose of the laws.

John 8 had a story about the adulterous woman who people wanted to stone and Jesus ends up sparing her. The Old Testament laws had about twenty-five offenses that were deemed as capital and the punishment was death. Adultery was one of them. This highlights what Jesus’ mission is all about. We all have sinned and per God’s laws, we deserve death. In order to give us a chance to be saved, Jesus died on the cross and took the punishment we deserved. By accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are assured of eternal life.

In return for the assurance of eternal life, we are to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. We often think and feel like the scribes and Pharisees. When we see people living sinful lives, we focus on their sins. Instead, we need to extend God’s love to them so that they too can be forgiven for their sins.

(the above is a summary of the message shared by Pastor Shun Takano at our worship of May 10, 2026.)

Luke 18:35-43

One day a man goes to a doctor with an obvious issue—a badly broken arm, clearly visible. Everyone in the waiting room can see what’s wrong. However, when he finally sits down, the doctor doesn’t immediately say, “Let’s fix your arm.”

Instead, he asks, “What brings you in today?”

It feels almost unnecessary… surely the doctor can see what his problem is.

But then the man answers: “Honestly, the arm hurts—but what’s scaring me is that I can’t work, and I don’t know how I’m going to provide for my family.”

The doctor knew about the arm. But the question uncovered the deeper need.

In our text for today, Jesus knew the man was blind. Everyone knew. But by asking, “What do you want me to do for you?” He gave the man a voice—and revealed faith, not just need.

• Jesus and his disciples are traveling to Jerusalem and pass by Jericho.
• A blind beggar is sitting on the side of the road.
• He wonders what’s happening? He hears that Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.
• He begins to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
• The crowd tries to shut him up….but he keeps crying out.
• Jesus hears him and stops. “Bring him to me” Jesus says.
• When he comes close Jesus asks him “What do you want me to do for you?”
• “I want to see” says the man. “Receive your sight” says Jesus “your faith has healed you.”

Jesus knows the beggar is blind. Everyone knows. But Jesus doesn’t assume anything. He shows the man dignity and respect by asking him the question.

Have you ever cried out to God before?

• In a loud voice? Like the beggar?
• Or maybe in a quiet voice, whispering?
• In desperation?

Close your eyes…..and imagine that Jesus is asking you that question: “[Your Name], what is it that you want me to do for you?”

• Don’t worry about a right answer.
• Don’t worry what the proper church answer might be.
• But today, how would you actually answer that, if Jesus asked you?
• Like a good doctor, Jesus knows what we need the most. But he’s interested in our answer. He shows us dignity and respect. He wants to hear our requests.

But of course, we have a problem don’t we?

• In today’s story, Jesus healed this man right away.
• Does he always answer your requests right away?
• No, we’re aware that God doesn’t always work that way. In fact, rarely!
• But what we can know with confidence is that he ALWAYS hears our prayers. He has NOT forgotten us.

Let me end with two Bible verses that may help us.

• In Revelation 3:20:　“Look, I stand at the door of your heart knocking…If you hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in, and eat with you, and you with me.” Jesus offers himself / offers fellowship / offers us his presence
• Philippians 4:6-7:  “Don’t be anxious about anything. But through prayer, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace which passes all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”  Jesus offers us the peace of God.

Listen! Do you hear his voice? Let him in. Tell him what you need today! And in the meantime, receive his presence and his peace.

They are yours for the asking…..  Amen

(the above is a summary of the message shared during worship on May 3, 2026.)