Church hymns

One of my favorite things about singing hymns in my church in Japan is that every once in a while, they’re a song we sing at home too.

日本の教会に賛美はヒムを歌う。アメリカに時々同じヒムを歌う。

Today we sang “All Creatures” which I didn’t realize was a hymn. I love the words to this song though.

今日は「ものみなこぞりて」を歌った。その歌はヒムが知らなかったけど、この歌の言葉が好き。

When searching for a version to share, I found the Japanese version, too. So here's both!

探す時に英語のと日本語の見つけた！

English 英語

Japanese　日本語

Photo Challenge Day 31

March 31: Sky (Last day of this photo challenge)

The sky was gorgeous today, so there are two pictures: morning and evening.

Shot on my way to church this morning. I love these mountains. Every time I drive this route, I want to stop and photograph them.

Shot on my way home from church this afternoon. I feel similarly about the mountains on this route (they are likely the same mountains, just from a slightly different angle).

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On top of Easter Sunday today, we had a baptism. What’s really amazing about M’s story is that she met Jesus while she was in Africa for a short time. Somehow God provided a translator and someone to mentor her when she came back to Japan.

Here she is getting baptized. Along the bottom are all the other people taking pictures.

Because it was Easter, Sisters Gospel Choir (my church’s Gospel Choir) sang a couple of songs for us. It’s always fun to hear praise songs in English!

Then we started prep for Easter Lunch. It was potluck, so everyone brought something.

Here are a few of the teens and a couple of the little ones at church.

The sanctuary transformed from place to listen to the teaching to party room.

These girls are getting their contributions ready.

She’s making yakisoba – a church tradition for the Easter and Christmas potlucks.

A few more of the teens at church. The one in the green is one who I talk to almost every week. The other two I haven’t talked to very much.

Part of the line up of food. Doesn’t it look good? Also, my friend Maki makes things other than rice in her rice cooker too! There was soup in the rice cooker at the bottom of the picture.

A couple of the super sweet ladies at church. The one on the right lived in the UK for a while and she sometimes translates for me.

Cake!

Maki, the other person who takes lots of photos at church gatherings (actually, she probably takes more).

A fun conversation.

These ladies are trying to decide how to display this cake.

The yakisoba prep.

Two of my favorite kids. They are constantly sitting on me, pulling me along to play or doing my hair.

He is risen!

Decorating for Christmas

Last Sunday, my church started decorating for Christmas. We started by taking the tree out and starting to try to piece it together.







It slowly got put together, each piece needing to go in a specific place, like a puzzle.



Streamers were hung from the wood panels above the windows.



Hanging garlands and making funny faces over a window.



Putting the star on top of the tree, it was always my favorite part as a child.



Another silly-faced pose . . . no wonder I get along with this church so well.



L hanging streamers.



More garland hanging, along the wood trim.



A cute smile, rather than a funny face.



Another cute smile. This is one of the little girls I claim as my church little sisters. She’s about the same age as my actual little sister.



Another one of said church sisters.







And another funny pose. Christmas-bell-boy?



Then of course, I had to get decorated here’s one of our hair.



And one of our faces.



A photo as shot by the one in the blue turtleneck.



The three of us with L sneaking in.



After all the Christmas decorations were taken out of my hair, I was given a very Japanese style hair-do.



It was loads of fun working with everyone to decorate our church for Christmas. Unfortunately with all the hair antics, I missed out on getting a shot of the outcome. I’ll try to get one next time.

Rhythm

Today, the pastor at church chose to speak on Numbers 28-29. I wasn’t particularly excited. At first glance, this is one of the chapters where the Lord is telling the Israelites how to do sacrifices and various ceremonies. BORING! Or so I thought.

She said (well it was translated) that the Lord wanted to teach the Israelites to have a rhythm. She gave the example of a rhythm of going to bed early and getting up early, which she established as a child. Something may happen to cause her to stay up late or sleep in occasionally, but life is better when she has a rhythm.

In this passage, the Lord was trying to teach them to have rhythms that took place daily, weekly (Sabbath), monthly and festivals. Each had its purpose. Daily, to connect with the Lord and hear his purpose for our lives. Weekly, to have fellowship with other believers. Festivals to remember what he has done in our lives.

In what ways do I have rhythms that take place daily, weekly and less frequently? I can easily look at the way I spend my time and see that the daily and weekly rhythms are in my life (devotions, church and a skype Bible study are easy to see).

What about less frequently (monthly). How do I make a rhythm in my life for remembering what the Lord has done in my life? How does that look in your life? How can I build that into my life in a real way, so it actually grows me and helps me realize more and more how amazing the Lord is?