Monthly Archives: June 2007

Mentioned at a BBQ!

Shutting out the Sun is a book on the current demise of Japan.  Here is the description from the author’s website – www.shuttingoutthesun.com/

• The world’s second wealthiest country, Japan once seemed poised to overtake America. But its failure to recover from the economic collapse of the early 1990s was unprecedented, and today it confronts an array of disturbing social trends. Japan has the highest suicide rate and lowest birthrate of all industrialized countries and a rising incidence of untreated cases of depression. Even more troubling are the more than one million young men who shut themselves in their rooms ("hikikomori"), withdrawing from society, and the growing numbers of "parasite singles," the name given to single women who refuse to leave home, marry, or bear children.

Don Love, missionary to Japan, had been reading the book and brought it to our attention.  In fact, his teenage sons had also been reading it.  They will return to Japan in a few weeks and see this phenomenon up close and personal.

Interestingly, the author, Michael Sielenziger (a secular Jew), has some commendation for Christianity as the solution to some of the ills of Japanese society. 

Some days are just perfect for a BBQ.  Last night was one of them!

Our seamless link partner, Don Love, and his two sons, Andrew and Jonathan joined us.  They have been living in Calgary this past year and are preparing to return to Japan shortly. 

We sat and chatted, ate hamburgers and hot dogs, and when time came to leave weren’t quite ready.

Don gave us an overview of Japan that was contemporary — both hopeful and scary.  Japan has come to the point of imploding from materialism.  Family units are breaking down and the generation gap is evident.  Into this the good news that Jesus can make a difference really does make a difference!!

Meadow Lake is a beautiful town.  Right on the edge of lake country.  Trees and golf courses in lush green array.  I even loved the fact that I was probably outnumbered as an ethnic "White Caucasian!"

While there and in  the midst of meetings the following thoughts came to me.

1.  In a Calvin and Hobbes comic, Calvin says to Hobbes something to the effect — "The reason I thinkk there are intelligent beings in our universe is that none of them have tried to contact us!"  We do seem to have done a great job of messing things up — interestingly God has contacted us!

2.  Bach is reported to have said — "The purpose of music is to bring glory to God and recreation to the human soul."  We use music for a lot of other things, but maybe we would be better served to restrict its usage?

3.  "To be healed is not so much about being able to "do more things" for God, but about bringing glory to God."  I tend to think that it would be nice to get healed so I can throw myself back into all the stuff I think I should be doing.  Maybe it would be more important to see how God can use this, than to prove to others than I am a superman able to do everything!

A while ago I became a member.

The group was called SPN.  At first the letters denoted – Strategic Planning Network.  The idea was to work out where churches could be started. 

The group morphed into a regional pastors network.  The acronym RPN wasn’t quite right, but that was the idea.  We met for support and to consider furthering outreach in the area.

Now we are called are back to SPN.  Now the meaning is "Senior Pastor’s Network." 

That’s where I will be the next two days.  In Meadown Lake.  Lake country of Saskatchewan!  Work and pleasure!!