Kumamoto Newsletter, September 2020

An update from Faith sponsored missionaries in Japan, Patrick and Jackie Bencke

On July 31^st, Patrick and I celebrated our 21^st wedding anniversary.  Patrick and I met in 1997 during our missionary training in Chicago.   He was on his way to Japan with ELCA, I was on my way to Kenya with the Episcopal Church. 

Back in those days, the training was ecumenical, and the gatherings of trainees were very large.  One evening, a few of us – Patrick and I included – went to a ‘local establishment’ in the evening.  That’s where we met for the first time.  We were all asking one another questions about our destinations, and I remember so clearly when Patrick said he was returning to Japan, I thought, “Japan?? How is it that missionaries are needed in Japan, one of the economic powerhouses of the world?” I had an image in my mind that missionaries only went to economically impoverished places to serve.  An unwritten prerequisite for a “mission destination” was that you couldn’t drink the local water.  

In the 23 years that have passed since that thought cruised through my mind, I’ve had many opportunities to noodle that question of “mission destination” around.  Experience, diverse encounters with the Word and with other wise servants who have seen the mission field evolve, and a good dose of humility have shoved many of my immature ideas out of the way and opened more emotional and spiritual real estate in my heart and mind for what I believe is a more authentic narrative of what God wants for the world.  I read this passage recently:

“Today’s best thinkers are rediscovering the fact that we are relational to our core — storied beings whose narratives are meant to reflect God’s master narrative.” God’s grand narrative is more powerful and compelling than anything we could conceive on our own, and ultimately our calling is not to go and do a hard thing in a hard place, but first and foremost to a relationship with God and sanctification by him. The story about our vocation, our stewardship of the gifts God has given us, should only be secondary to that calling. This can only help us have a narrative identity that is more oriented to growth and collaboration; that holds space for other stories allowing us to be more generous with how we lead and follow.” -Chuck DeGroat

This year has been so incredibly hard for every single person on this planet, I think.  Every person’s individual story is, I believe, tethered together by this awful COVID-19 pandemic. Leading and following have somehow been enmeshed into some kind of blurry existence of simply showing up, be it on Zoom, webinars, Blackboard or Moodle, or some other kind of transient, virtual form of existence.  Our very humanity is being challenged.   Suffering is happening at some level wherever our eyes turn, especially if our eyes are turning toward our news feeds and Doomscrolling ends up eating up chunks of our day that are normally spent doing something more pleasant.  I am certainly guilty of this.  

Kumamoto is in the midst of flooding that is just mind-boggling.  Even now, as I sit and type, the rain is pouring down and we are expected to get a foot of rain over the next ½ day. Entire communities are flooded or buried under the mud and debris of landslides.  There aren’t enough volunteers to help dig people out.   And even if people from other areas wanted to come (which they do), they are not allowed to because of the domestic travel restrictions that are in place that do not allow volunteers to cross prefectural borders due to COVID-19.  I’m finding it hard not to succumb to apathy.   What can one person do, after all, when the needs are so deep, and the path to Emmaus to accompany my neighbor is flooded, or covered with debris, or blocked by legalities, or too expensive to manage, or whatever the obstacle….

But then, I turn my eyes away from my iphone, and quit Doomscrolling, and instead, I turn my eyes toward one of my favorite psalms:  Psalm 91, the psalm that forms the basis for the beloved hymn On Eagle’s Wings.  The link I am sharing is for an entire (10 minute) KLC chapel worship service.  I provided a translation sketch.

~ Prelude ~

"Let's sing the first verse of Hymn 265. Please stand.”

~ Hymn ~

"Today's Bible passage is Psalm 91, verses 1-16.”  

~Psalm 91

”Please sit down. Today is a music service by the chapel committee members.”

~ Handbells play “On Eagle’s Wings”

“Let us pray.

God of grace, today we're going to start a new day with the beautiful tone of the handbells.

May each of us be protected and guided by God's great depth, like the thoughts in this song and the words of the Bible we heard earlier. Please follow and guide us through our daily lives. Through the words of the Bible, we learned through the promises of the Word that God protects us day and night.

In our region and the world in the life the threat of the new coronavirus is imminent, but please give us peace of mind and the power necessary so that we can first look at the learning and work given to us. And listen to this prayer so that you can deliver the right help for the people of the region and the people of the world who live in anxiety. Remember each and every one of us who will be alive in God's work today. I pray this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Please stand for the benediction. The Lord bless you and protect you. The Lord shine on you with his face and bless you. The Lord turn his face to you and give you peace. Amen, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.”