Author: Japanese Congregational Church

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John 8:12

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” 

What do we know about light?

• Behaves both as a wave and a particle
• If we focus on visible light, the basic colors are red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue and violet
• Speed of light in a vacuum is 186,282 miles per second

But the scientific facts about light are interesting but do not shed any light as to what Jesus is saying in our passage. If we go back to Genesis, we see that on the first day of creation, God created light to separate the light from darkness. Most people listening to Jesus would have this simple dual concept of light and dark.

What Jesus tells them is that He is the light of the world, and that whoever follows Him will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.

From this, we can glean that without Jesus, we are walking in darkness, and that we lack the light that will give us life. Since all the hearers were alive, we know that Jesus was not talking about physical life, but spiritual life. Before we become followers of Jesus, even though we are physically alive, we are spiritually dead. For followers of Jesus, when life on earth ends, we have eternal life with Jesus and other followers. For those who do not follow Jesus, when life on earth ends, they will have eternity away from the Lord.

When we do not have Jesus’ light we are in spiritual darkness. We have no idea as to how to live nor what happens to us when we physically die. Many have guessed throughout the ages. Many have been confused by Satan and believe things that are contrary to the truth. This is why there are so many different religions and so many different philosophies for how to live our lives.

There are those who believe that when this life is over, then one is born again. What they are reborn as depends on how well or poorly they lived their previous lives.

There are those who believe that there is a heaven and a hell and if their good deeds outweigh their bad deeds, they get to go to heaven.

There are those who believe that humans start out as purely spiritual and the ones who are good will be given physical bodies. And those who follow the teachings of their church, they will one day become gods of their own universe.

There are those who believe that they will be deemed righteous if they follow all the laws of their religion. Their sins and oversights can be cleansed by a priest who offer animal sacrifices on their behalf. And one day, a savior will appear that will establish an eternal kingdom with those who have been faithful to their laws.

There are also those who believe that they are given one life and once it is over, they are extinguished.

There are many other beliefs besides these. And they are all incorrect because they do not have the light that gives life, and the truth is dark to them.

Today, we have the twenty-seven books of the New Testament. The four gospels tell us about the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. The book of Acts tells us about the Holy Spirit and how He worked with Jesus’ followers to establish the church of Jesus Christ and how it spread. There are twenty-one letters that teach us about the truth and how to live as one living in the light of Jesus. Revelation tells us about how the end of this age will come and the glorious future that awaits the believers.

Importantly, we have been given the Holy Spirit, who comes to dwell in us when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. The Holy Spirit will guide, teach, explain the truth and how to live for the Lord, just like He did for those who started the church as well as write the words that became our New Testament.

Through these teachings, we know that:

• We are all born with a sinful nature
• We cannot be made righteous by any acts that we perform
• Jesus came as fully God and fully man – The only man with no sin who is worthy to take the penalty for humanity’s sins
• Jesus took the punishment we deserve and died, but was resurrected
• Anyone who repents and accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior will be saved
• We are only given one life to live, and where and with whom we spend eternity depends on whether we believe or not
• Until our physical death, our task in life is to be witnesses to the world that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the savior of the world, and the Holy Spirit will empower us to do so

For those of us who consider Jesus as our Lord, we are called to reflect the true light of the world – Jesus Christ – Like a mirror and shine His light into the dark places around us.

For those who have not yet accepted Jesus Christ into your hearts, do so now, and you will no longer walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.

(the above is a summary of the message shared by Pastor Shun Takano during our worship on August 10, 2025.)

Luke 12:13-21

13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” 15 Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” 16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. 17 He thought to himself, `What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ 18 “Then he said, `This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”‘ 20 “But God said to him, `You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ 21 “This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.”

A rich farmer has a bumper crop. Since his barns are too small to hold the harvest, he decides to build bigger ones. He tells himself smugly, “Now that I have lots of stuff that will last for many years, I can relax – eat, drink, and be merry.” But the story comes to an abrupt finish when his life suddenly ends; or, as the story states it, when God demands his life of him. “So it is”, Jesus concludes,“with everyone who stores up possessions for themsleves – but is not rich toward God.”

Why was this rich farmer called a FOOL by God? After all…

• He was clearly a successful farmer
• His land produced abundantly
• He built large barns so he could store his excess grain and goods for the future
• He had a good retirement plan

By most common standards, he would be considered a WISE man.

• He wasn’t a fool for being successful.
• He wasn’t a fool for planning and saving for the future.
• He wasn’t even a fool for hoping to enjoy his retirement with food and drink and dancing. God is pleased to bless us with good gifts!

However, by a different standard….God’s standard….he was considered a complete fool. Why?

Foolishness in God’s sight:

1 He believed that he controlled his life

• He felt that if he succeeded in farming and saved amply for the future that he could secure a comfortable retirement. But what about sickness, tragedy, forces beyond our control?
• Or as Jesus once put it, the number of hairs on our head, or the number of days of our lives…are not items that we can control!
• He learns the hard way that “You can’t take it with you.” Ecc. 2:18-19   “I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. 19 And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the work into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless.”

2 He believed that his life was his own, instead of a gift of God

• In this account, the rich farmer only talks to himself.
• He seems unaware of God’s part in his success…no gratitude.
• He seems unaware of his many workers and their help in his success.
• He seems unaware that God may require much of him, since he has been given much.
• He is unaware that his life belongs to God.
• He lives only for himself.

How can we be wise? How can we secure our future?

• Like the rich farmer, we are tempted to think that having large amounts of money and possessions stored up will make us secure.
• Sooner or later, however, we learn that no amount of wealth or property can secure our lives.
• No amount of wealth can protect us from a genetically inherited disease, for instance, or from a tragic accident. No amount of wealth can keep our relationships healthy and our families from falling apart.
• In fact, wealth and property can easily drive a wedge between family members, as in the case of the brothers fighting over their inheritance at the beginning of this text.
• In fact, Jesus repeatedly warns that wealth can get in the way of our relationship with God. “Take care!” he says. “Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions” (Luke 12:15).

True wealth toward God:

• Right priorities: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God. (A relationship with God)”
• How are we investing our lives? (our time, talent, and treasure?)
• Understand that all that we have is God’s. We are only stewards.
  • NOT “earned and owned”….but “gift….and to be shared”
• Because all that we are and all that we have belongs to God, our future is secure beyond all measure when we recognize this, and trust our heavenly Father to provide all we need.

Jesus’ words at the end of Luke 12 are both encouraging and most appropriate: “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32).

(the above is a summary and outline of the message shared during our worship on August 3, 2025.)

John 6:25-40

²⁵When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” ²⁶Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. ²⁷Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.” ²⁸Then they said to him, “What must we do to perform the works of God?” ²⁹Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” ³⁰So they said to him, “What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? ³¹Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” ³²Then Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. ³³For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” ³⁴They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” ³⁵Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. ³⁶But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. ³⁷Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will never drive away; ³⁸for I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. ³⁹And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. ⁴⁰This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the last day.”

Jesus continues to draw large crowds, and He feeds the crowd of five thousand with five loaves of bread and two fish. Miraculously, everyone eats as much as they want, and there are still twelve baskets of leftovers. The people are convinced that He is the Messiah, and they want to make Him king by force, so He withdraws to the mountain by Himself.

The disciples get into a boat and start to sail to the other side. The wind starts to blow, and the sea gets rough, and three or four miles out, they see Jesus walking on the sea. As soon as Jesus enters the boat, they miraculously reach the other side.

When the crowd notice that Jesus and the disciples are gone, they too get into boats and go to Capernaum looking for them.

The feeding of the five thousand, Jesus walking on water, and Jesus declaring that He is the bread of life – It is natural to consider all these events separately. Especially since we probably tend to remember the miraculous feeding and the walking on water from the other gospels, rather than John’s version. But John makes it clear that he wants us to see the connection between the feeding and the bread of life statement.

In the beginning of this chapter, John informs us that the festival of the Passover is near. People would already be thinking about Moses, the ten plagues of Egypt, the crossing of the Red Sea, the covenant with Yahweh on Mount Sinai, and the forty years of wandering, when the LORD fed the people with manna, the bread from heaven.

Then Jesus miraculously feeds the five thousand with bread. Because of this miracle of bread, the people are convinced that Jesus is the Messiah, and that is the reason that they follow Him to Capernaum. Jesus had set the stage for the crowd to hear that He is the bread of life.

Jesus starts off by telling the crowd that He knows they followed Him because of the miracle of the loaves. Then He tells them that there is a more important thing then food that perishes that He can give them – Something that will last for eternity.

The crowd reminds Jesus that Moses gave their ancestors manna – What sign will Jesus provide them? Jesus tells the people that it was not Moses who gave their ancestors the manna, but it was God the Father. And the same God is sending Jesus to give eternal life to the world. Jesus then declares that He is the bread of life.

Jesus says that He will never drive away those who come to Him. This means that regardless of what sins you have committed, you can go to Him and He will accept you. Even if you stumble, as long as you go back to Him, He will not drive you away.

Jesus says that He came down from heaven. He is no mere human. He is fully God. Unlike sinful human leaders, Jesus is sinless and is one hundred percent God. That is why He was able to go to the cross for our sake, and for the forgiveness of our sins. That is why we can trust Him – He will not abandon us, nor drive us away, no matter what.

Jesus says that He will lose nothing that the Father has given Him but raise it up on the last day. This means that no matter what happens to us in this life, if we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are assured that at the end of this age, we will be resurrected and will spend eternity with the Lord and other believers. He says this clearly in verse 40 – “This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the last day.”

Then Jesus goes on to talk about how it is necessary for people to eat His flesh and drink His blood to have eternal life. For us living in the age where the New Testament has been completed and we have been taught about communion, this does not sound too strange. However, for people living at the time Jesus said this, they were perplexed and alarmed by the image of eating His flesh and drinking His blood. Verse 66 tells us that many of His disciples turned back and no longer went about with Him.

Jesus then asks the twelve whether they also want to stop following Him, to which Peter responds in vv. 68-69 – “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. ⁶⁹We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”

This is a great reminder for us, when things get tough and we see so many around us that will not follow Jesus. Jesus has the words of eternal life. Those words have been given to us, not only to hold onto, but to share with those who do not know Him. Let us continue to declare to all around us that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of the world.

In Acts 20, Paul addresses the elders of the church of Ephesus for what he believes is the last time, he can tell them that he has completed his responsibilities to the people – That he did not shrink from declaring to them the whole purpose of God. Let us be reminded that we have a responsibility to be like Paul and declare to the people we encounter the whole purpose of God.

(the above is a summary of the message shared by Pastor Shun Takano during our worship of July 13, 2025.)

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. I Thessalonians 5:16-18

We’re just finishing our July 4^th weekend. We thank God for his many blessings to us as a nation. But in our current national moment – one marked by division, outrage, confusion, and fear – many of us are asking: What can I do? For followers of Jesus, one of the oldest and most powerful answers is also one of the hardest: we pray.

But even that can feel like a daunting assignment. How do we pray for a country in turmoil? Where do we begin when we’re unsure how to speak to God about politics, injustice, or our fellow citizens?

Last week I listened to a podcast from a journalist named David French, who is a Christian, a lawyer, and a columnist for the New York Times. He shared some important thoughts about how he prays for America in these troubled times. Today, I thought it might be helpful to share some of those main points.

He lists 5 major areas of prayer. Today, we’ll look briefly at the first two. Then, in a later message we’ll look at the final three.

1 PRAY FOR PEACE / Immediate Calm

Eph. 4:3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

We begin at the surface level, and with the visible fractures that dominate the news: protests, social unrest, culture wars, and online shouting matches. Our first instinct may be to “pick a side,” but instead we need to begin with a simple, powerful plea: “God, grant us peace.”

Not “peace-as-avoidance” or “peace-at-any-cost” or pretending the problems don’t exist. Instead, when we pray for God’s peace in these situations, we are begging that God would still angry crowds, lower the volume of voices, calm emotions, and help us avoid violence. We pray this for ALL – the protestors, law enforcement officials, political leaders, and vulnerable communities.

Prayer

“Lord, restrain our hands and our words. Break the cycle of outrage and vengeance. Let peace descend upon me, my neighborhood, my local government, and my state. Let this peace begin with me.”

2 PRAY FOR LONG-TERM JUSTICE

Micah 6:8  He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?”

Peace, as vital as it is, cannot stand without justice. “If you’re praying for peace without praying for justice, you’re only applying a bandage to a deeper wound.” Justice isn’t only about headlines. It’s about systems, structures, and laws. It’s also about the daily choices we make – who we listen to, whose pain we validate, whose voices we believe?

We must pray for holistic justice – not justice rooted in the political party we think is “most right” but justice rooted in God’s vision for shalom. Justice requires empathy. It requires truth. And it rarely aligns perfectly with any political tribe.

Prayer:

God of truth and righteousness, awaken us to the injustices that persist around us. May our laws reflect your mercy. May our systems uplift the weak. And may we not turn away from what is hard or uncomfortable. Open my eyes further to true shalom and reveal to me my unique role in your bigger restoration of all things.

—————————————————————————————————-

Praying for our nation at this time is not always easy. As mentioned above, it can be frustrating and confusing at times. But let’s stay faithful in our prayers! Praying for peace (immediate calm) in difficult situations, and praying for long-term justice…. are just the first two ways that David French suggests that we pray. In another message, we’ll look at the final three: Praying for Grace, Praying for Repentance, and Praying for Reconciliation. In the meantime, I recommend that you listen to the entire podcast for yourself. It’s around 45 minutes in length….but well worth your time.

David French’s “Five Best Ways to Pray For America”

(the above is a summary…and a few important quotes…..from the message shared during our worship on July 6, 2025.)

Psalm 98:1-9

1 Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. 2 The LORD has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations. 3 He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. 4 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; 5 make music to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, 6 with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn– shout for joy before the LORD, the King. 7 Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. 8 Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy; 9 let them sing before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.

Sing to the Lord a New Song!

Last November we looked together at Psalm 146 and considered the question “Is Now a Good Time to Praise?” Then again, in May, we looked together at Psalm 30 and asked ourselves “How can we be joyful and dance when the world around us seems in such crisis?!” Today, we look together at Psalm 98, which is also a song of great joy.

What kind of mood does this Psalmist have? The imagery is incredibly joyful:

• shout for joy!
• shout with a loud voice
• sing with joy
• sing songs of praise
• with the harp and flute
• the sea, and all that is in it!
• the earth , and all
• rivers, clap your hands!
• mountains, sing for joy

But what if I don’t feel thankful today? What if I don’t feel like singing?

What if God seems far away today?  What if my life is filled with sorrow? What if I lost all my family in last year’s tsunami or fire, along with my job and home? Even if I understand the importance and power of praising God, how can I really do that in a NEW way each day???

Psalm 98 gives us a couple of powerful lessons and hints for answering these very real and important questions:

1. Remembering what God has done for us in the PAST gives us reason to praise Him today.

1 Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. 2 The LORD has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations. 3 He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

For the Psalmist, it’s clear that remembering God’s work on Israel’s behalf in the past is key here: leading Israel out of Egypt and into a promised land; remembering how the law was given through Moses; remembering all the miracles along the way, throughout 40 years of wandering in the wilderness.

For Christians, it may be recalling the cross, resurrection, and Jesus’ promise to ALWAYS be with us.

And of course most powerful of all might be a recollection of our own personal experiences of how God has worked on our behalf – last year, last week, or earlier today! Remembering the past is an important part of our praise today.

2. Believing in the promises of what God will do for us in the FUTURE, gives us reason to praise Him today.

9 let them sing before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.

Judgment may seem frightening, but to the righteous person, it is a thing of great HOPE. Finally, this crooked, unjust, unequal, unfair world will be put right. God will finally make things correct. Slaves, untouchables, those who are persecuted, weak, politically left out, who have no voice – all of these people will look forward to a day of judgment. For them, it represents a good thing!

Many other biblical passages point to our hope for the future as well. Two favorites:

Jer. 29:11

“For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord”

Rev. 21:4-5

4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” 5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

Considering all of God’s promises for our future gives us reason to praise God today! God, help us to remember the past, and hope for the future, as we live our lives in praise today!

(the above is a summary of the message shared during worship on June 29, 2025.)

John 5:25-29

²⁵“Very truly, I tell you, the hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. ²⁶For just as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself; ²⁷and he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. ²⁸Do not be astonished at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice ²⁹and will come out—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.”

Just before this section, Jesus spoke words that will help us to understand. In vv. 22-24, Jesus said, ²²“The Father judges no one but has given all judgment to the Son, ²³so that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. ²⁴Very truly, I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and does not come under judgment, but has passed from death to life.”

The fact that Jesus speaks of people in their graves, or physically dead in v. 28, tells us that He is speaking of those who are spiritually dead in v. 25. Ever since humanity’s fall into sin with Adam, everyone has been born spiritually dead. Now with the arrival of the Messiah, we, who were dead spiritually can be made alive by listening to the voice of the Son of God.

Paul teaches the same thing in Ephesians 2:4-5 ⁴“But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us ⁵even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.“

Then in vv. 26-27, Jesus states that God the Father has given him authority to execute judgement. Further He says that the reason for this is because Jesus is the Son of Man. It is interesting that He alludes to Himself as the “Son of God” in v. 25, but here, He uses “Son of Man”.

There are two possible meanings to this. “Son of Man” could be a reference to Jesus’ being born a human, as well as being the Son of God. Since Jesus is 100% divine and 100% human, He understands both sides and is uniquely qualified to execute judgment.

Or the “Son of Man” could be a direct reference to Daniel 7:13-14 ¹³“I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. ¹⁴And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.”

Either way, the one who will judge humanity at the end of this age is Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Jesus then tells us that the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice and will come out. Those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.

After Jesus was resurrected, He stayed with His follower for forty days to teach and train them before being lifted to heaven. We know that salvation is not dependent on doing good or bad works. It is through faith – To accept Jesus Christ as one’s lord and savior. So, He is saying that those who have accepted Him will come out of their graves to the resurrection of life, while those who did not accept Him will come out of their graves to the resurrection of condemnation.

We who have been saved can look forward to when Jesus returns and we go to our eternal place where we will live with the Lord and other believers in a wonderful place full of light and joy, where there will be no tears and hurts.

But today’s sobering passage reminds us that everyone will be resurrected into eternity. Ones who died not accepting Jesus Christ will be resurrected to eternity of condemnation, apart from God and light and joy. Passages like 2 Thessalonians 1:9, Matthew 25:41 and Revelations 20:14-15 describe what this eternity of condemnation will be like.

There are too many people that are headed to a dark eternity – Many that are close to us. They still have time to accept Jesus, and it is our role to be witnesses for Jesus, so that their eternal destination might change from dark to light.

Now is the time that salvation is available to all. As Jesus said, “the hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.” We are the ones who can makes sure that the people who are spiritually dead can hear the voice of the Son of God, before it is too late for them.

(the above is a summary of the message shared by Pastor Shun Takano during our worship of June 22, 2025.)

Acts 2:1-21

1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. 5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs–we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” 13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine. ” 14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17 “`In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. 20 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. 21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

In the Fall of 1984 I left Japan to return to the U.S. in order to enter seminary. My travels took me from Japan, to Hong Kong, to mainland China, to Thailand, and then to Nepal. In all, I was on the road from the beginning of September to around the middle of December. During most of that time, I never spoke much English with anybody. I had many days where I was actually traveling alone. I was constantly in a sea of other languages: Chinese, Thai, Nepalese. Sign language…and something close to Pictionary – was how I communicated.

My final trip was between Kathmandu and London, via stops in New Delhi, Tashkent, and Moscow. I can remember clearly –  landing at Heathrow Airport and going through customs. The British customs agent greeted me with a smile, inquired about my intended stay, and after looking at my passport…sent me off with a cheery “have a wonderful visit!”  I can remember be startled. I had NEVER been in England, yet I understood everything this man said to me. True, he spoke in English – the shared language of our countries – but nevertheless England and the United States had had separate histories for 3-4 centuries. And I had just spent 90 days surrounded by languages that weren’t my own, understanding very little of what was said. So when I heard this British man speak to me in my own language – I honestly felt like I had just returned home!

In the Pentecost story that we just read together, we see this same phenomenon played out. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we see the gathered disciples receive the power to speak in over 15 different languages. But not just ANY languages – the specific languages of the devout Jews from every nation who were in Jerusalem, either as immigrants, or as travelers to the festival. (verse 5)

What would it have felt like for these Jews from all over the world, to hear their mother tongues spoken clearly…maybe for the first time in years! Do you think they might have felt a little bit like I did, dropping down in London, and feeling at home…..though I had never been there before. All because I heard my own mother tongue / language so clearly spoken and so easy for me to understand!!

This gift of the Holy Spirit that marks the birth of the church is a gift expressly for those outside the Jesus movement, those who had lived displaced in a language-world not their own. We cannot miss this! It is a spiritual gift given not for the disciples themselves, but for the outsiders listening. God’s gift reaches outward to those outside of this immediate circle of Jesus followers.

But this language gift of the Spirit seemed crazy. Some people in the crowd sneered. (verse 13) But Peter tells them “No! we aren’t drunk…. This miracle is the fulfillment of the OT prophet Joel, who said: “God’s spirit will be poured out on ALL flesh – that means young and old, women and men, slave and free, everyone! And “it’s happening NOW!”

This was very challenging to the religious tradition at that time….and it’s a challenge and discomfort for many churches today as well! The indwelling of the  Holy Spirit caused an outpouring of proclamation. Again, this gift was NOT primarily for the disciples, for the Jesus Community – it was for those OUTSIDE the community. It was so that those who had NEVER heard this good news, could hear it clearly in their own language.

It seems that one mark of the Holy Spirit’s gifting is that it empowers us to connect to others. That’s our sermon title for today. “The power to connect to others.”

Hear Jesus’ words in Acts 1:8   “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

So how about right here at JCC? What language would you speak in your neighborhood? In this community?, if you were filled with the Holy Spirit? How might those outside your congregation hear their mother tongue and be welcomed home?

I want you to think about that. What is the mother-tongue of those outside our congregation? It could be a specific language like Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai, Ethiopian, etc. Or it might be a form of communication – like emojis, or texting, or digital images…or maybe it’s the language of science or music? Can we pray and ask the Holy Spirit to gift us with these necessary languages in order that we may connect with others??!!

The gift of the Holy Spirit is to fill us with power, in order to connect with others. In order to speak their languages so that they will feel heard, and loved….and so that they, too, can feel at home in the church, in Christ’s body. May it be so at JCC!

(credit for this main sermon point goes to Professor Amy Oden, a teacher in Oklahoma City; the above is a summary of the message shared during worship on June 8, 2025)

John 4:7-26

⁷A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” 
⁸(His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.) ⁹The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?” (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.) ¹⁰Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” ¹¹The woman said to him, “Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? ¹²Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?” ¹³Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, ¹⁴but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.” ¹⁵The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.” ¹⁶Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come back.” ¹⁷The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’; ¹⁸for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true!” ¹⁹The woman said to him, “Sir, I see that you are a prophet. ²⁰Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.” ²¹Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. ²²You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. ²³But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. ²⁴God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” ²⁵The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us.” ²⁶Jesus said to her, “I am he, the one who is speaking to you.”

The strained relationship between Jews and Samaritans came to a head after the death of Solomon. Rehoboam, son of Solomon became king and refused to ease the heavy taxation, and so the northern tribes rebelled, made Jeroboam king, and became the northern kingdom of Israel with Samaria as their capitol. This was prophesied by Ahijah, who foretold that Jeroboam would rule over ten of the twelve tribes of Israel, as a judgment against Solomon’s idolatry. Israel split into two kingdoms around 930 BCE. Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines, many of them gentiles. He allowed them to keep their religions, and this led to his idolatry.

Jeroboam did not want his people to keep going to Jerusalem to worship the LORD, so he set up two worship centers in Bethel and Dan. Then in mid-5^th century BCE during Persian rule, the Israelites who were not exiled were allowed to build a temple on Mount Gerizim. Then three hundred years later, Alexander the Great rebuilt the temple for them.

The Jews regarded the temple on Mount Gerizim as an affront to the LORD and in 110 BCE, invaded Samaria and destroyed it. This added to the hatred between the Samaritans and the Jews.

Under Roman rule, there really was no country called Israel. Just Roman provinces – Galilee to the north, then Samaria, then Judea, and Idumea. If one wanted to go from Galilee to Judea, or from Judea to Galilee, one would have to go through Samaria. Many Jews went around Samaria, but Jesus was going straight through.

So, when Jesus, a Jew, speaks to the woman of Samaria at the well and asks her for a drink of water, she is surprised, since Jewish men usually wanted nothing to do with Samaritan women and would not touch anything a Samaritan woman would touch.

Jesus tells her that He can give her water that would give her eternal life. He lets her know that He knows all about her and her relationships with six men. He also declares that the time is coming when true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, and it will not require going to either the Samaritan place of worship, nor the Jewish place of worship.

When the woman tells Jesus that she knows that the Messiah is coming, Jesus reveals to her that He is that Messiah.

The woman tells everyone in town that she thinks she met the Messiah – One that knew everything about her. Curious, the people ask Jesus to stay, so that they can talk with Him. Jesus ends up staying for two days, and through His teachings, many believe that He is the Savior of the world.

It is interesting to note that John points out that there were two types of people who believed. Some believed because of what the woman told them. There were also those who did not believe because of what the woman told them but believed after hearing Jesus. What the woman told them was not enough for them to believe, but it was enough to raise their curiosity to dig further. And when they did and spent time with Jesus, they believed.

What the woman did after her encounter with Jesus resulted in many believing in Jesus. Directly or indirectly, people believed because of what the woman did.

All Christians have gained eternal life because we had encounters with Jesus. None of us met Jesus face to face, but we encountered Him through either people telling us about Him or through reading the Bible. And someone was praying for us, that as we encountered Him, our hearts and spirits would be touched by Him.

Let this morning’s passage remind us that we are under obligation to tell others about our encounter with Jesus. Some may come to believe because of this but they may not. But it is possible that because of what we tell them, their curiosity leads them to seek further. We are not able to take them to Jesus to listen to His words, but His words are recorded in the gospels, and we can encourage them to read the gospels or listen to audio versions or attend a church service or Bible study.

The woman also reminds us that an effective way of witnessing for Christ is not to discuss theology or compare religions but simply share what the Lord has done for us.

So, with much prayer and help from the Holy Spirit, let us go about telling people about Jesus Christ – How He is the Son of God and the Savior of the World, and through Him and only Him, can we receive salvation.

(the above is a summary of the message shared by Pastor Shun Takano at our worship of June 1, 2025.)