Slow is Fast

Take 8 recent college graduates who are praying for a way to share Christ with students in Japan but aren't given official permission to live there and add 1 teammate soon to finish a semester of ministry in Tokyo. We were prepared for a stunningly efficient public transportation system, astronomical prices for rent and food, a bewildering linguistic environment (most of us), Biblically disinterested students who keep to themselves and some of the densest urban living possible on the planet.

Given our expectations and prayerful preparations, where would you have considered reassigning us?

Through Cru staff, who were incredibly helpful in the transition process, we believe God's will for the remaining six months is that we live and work here on the big island of Hawaii. True, it's a great contrast with where we were headed before: a mere 43,000 laid-back inhabitants who often embrace others when meeting them; full domestic cell phone and postal services; car-dominated roads with few reliable buses; and an abundance of the Lord's glorious creation from beaches to rain forests. But there are also great opportunities ahead.

Yes, Hawaii is part of America since it was annexed in 1898. Yet the culture here, particularly on this island, is strongly tied to the traditions of the native Hawaiians as well as Japanese immigrants. This doesn't just mean that living in this non-touristy small town will involve culture shock, but also that students who here surrender their lives to Jesus may head to serve in Asian countries rather than the mainland given their cultural affinity to the former. In a strange way, then, coming here may be a bigger step in reaching Japan (if, as we think, it's the Lord's will) than if we had been able to go directly ourselves. We are at least praying that this will prove true.

The realization of this dream, though, will have to wait until students return to UH Hilo the second week of January. For now, we are mostly accustomed to the time difference, PST + 2 hours, and attempting to get used to the incessant bouts of rain--anywhere from 5 minutes to 5 hours in duration. (Just to put things in perspective from the averages: 90% of days in a year are at least partially cloudy here, with 278 days on which a total of 126.3 inches of rain fall.) Since students have yet to return, we are locking down the logistics that the transition left undetermined: where will we live? And how will we get to campus?

The staff couple here has been super helpful, even letting us housesit during this period of transition as long as we feed their animals. That said, the days tend to flow like molasses: little to do which, given the island mentality of those managing apartments etc., takes lots of time--so different than the hurry-hurry lifestyle I've adopted in the Bay Area. I have to remind myself that part of this process of waiting (still) is being used by the Lord to grow us in patience and ground us in His love & a shared team mentality (best born out of frustrating and trying times!) so we can be maximally effective together come January.

The title of this post is a maxim one of the staff, a Hilo native, quoted to us in our re-briefing. Things do indeed run at a different pace here, but to best minister to the locals we must adapt and speak into this context. After all, didn't our Savior do the same in His earthly sojourn?

Book Review #5: Artemis Fowl

Fifth in a series of 8. The book for this review is courtesy of Kimiyo Brown: Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl.

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Children are too often sentimentalized, I think. They are complicated, imaginative and clearly sinful beings, their shifting personality gaining shape underneath a time-sensitive ration of cuteness. I dearly love playing with them--OK, most of them--and am intrigued at the thought that (to my knowledge) Jesus is the only major religious leader who is reported as socializing with them. But kids can also behave very badly, especially under the influence of bad examples, and a recent superhero movie titled with an expletive made headlines for a particularly profane 11-year-old character.

A good fictional portrayal of children, therefore, should not be sentimentalized (and even a cursory glance at Jane Eyre or most any story by Dickens reveals was not such a temptation in past centuries as now). Leaning the opposite direction, however, not only breeds cynicism but also sets a low standard for any observing children. It bears asking, then, if Colfer's portrayal of this book's titular protagonist--a 12-year-old prodigy seeking to step into the criminal shoes of his gangster father by robbing fairy gold--walks this fine line of reality or not.

In my observation, the answer is no. Artemis is clearly not meant to be a role model, but he is also short on redeeming qualities save his melodramatic habit of becoming the winner by staying intellectually ahead of his opponents. The one wrinkle in his cool facade is affection for his mother, living in a world colored by dementia and grief. Apart from the fairy costuming, this is a genre thriller for kids, with the requisite cast of one-note characters behind the scenes, high degree of violence and grey-shaded morality in its numerous double-crossing twists. What sets this tale apart for me is its notes of sarcastic humor, which add a level of sophistication and interest to both the characters and the plot (though I could have done without the appearance of a poop joke at a key plot point).

If this is part of the future of kid's literature, I would have to say it's more influenced by televised & filmed sources than written ones, as almost all of the material hinged on the actions and not the thoughts of the characters; to my thinking, this is tantamount to ignoring the medium's greatest strength and reminiscent of the later episodes in the Harry Potter series. I know it's not exactly fair to criticize the wandering nature of the plot and its several loose ends by the conclusion, as this is the first in a series and is not attempting to be conclusive. However, I didn't feel compelled enough by what I found here to want to further acquaint myself with either the fairy world or the overly static characters.

SUMMARY

Appreciated the sly notes of humor

Disliked the inverted morality and occasionally aimless plot

I would recommend this book to less impressionable readers (preferably adults) who want a mental break

Disclaimer: This book contains one scene of graphic violence and several other fights.

Bend in Plans

My 'year abroad' has thus far been a giant exercise in trusting the sovereignty of the risen Christ Jesus over all things, including my emotions, bank account and exact location on this planet.

We have heard official word from the Japanese government: our visa papers were denied. There is as yet no explanation, but though eventually it would be nice, my team is learning to rest in the fact that the Lord has made His will clear through the bureaucracy.

Our leaders made the decision not to appeal their ruling for several reasons: 1) God calls us to submit to and obey government leaders so long as they do not command sin or forbid what He commands (Romans 13:1-2); 2) it's late in the year and better that we get on campus somewhere; 3) it's doubtful that the Japanese government, which doesn't respond favorably to what they may consider meddling, would reverse the decision; and 4) there are few options for sidestepping this barrier, all of which would involve going behind the backs of the authorities--which is far from a Christlike testimony.

Does it challenge my faith that through financial provision and personal leading, it was clear that He wanted us to go to Japan but the plan has changed? Somewhat. God is free to do what He wants; He is the Creator and I am not. And since I was called to serve with Cru this year not of my own will, but (in part) because I needed to be directly reminded that ministry is His work and not mine, this wrinkle in the mix comes as a further confirmation of His desire in molding my heart through these various circumstances.

If I could have chosen, I would be in Tokyo right now, meeting up with friends old and new, savoring the cuisine I became accustomed to (even with high prices for daily groceries and a dearth of fruit & vegetables given my budget) and telling more people about Who Jesus really is--the Creator of all there is--and why believing hearts have a reason to commemorate His coming to earth. But that would not be walking in faithfulness to the doors He has opened; it would seem spiritual, but in reality be a selfish escape to my own dreams. Ministry without Christ's presence and direction is truly pointless.

We are being redirected to the University of Hawaii, Hilo for the remaining six months of our missionary term. I look forward to updating you on this blog, despite its title, of our coming adventures of faith as we follow our great God and Savior on this new island.

Book Review #4: The Little Prince

Fourth in a series of 8. The book for this review is courtesy of Sarah EuDaly: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's The Little Prince.

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If life is a game, it is mostly mental. Witness the way people hang onto scraps of information, whether political headlines, sports statistics or celebrity gossip, and use it to give their everyday existence meaning. Observe the immediate absorption of young children in games with minimal or no props to aid their creativity. Think about how challenging it would be to sit alone in an isolation chamber without immediately setting your mind racing to a million memories or fantasies.

Airmail pilot Saint-Exupéry survived an experience far more extreme than that last hypothetical plunge into sensory vacuum: a 1935 crash landing in the Sahara desert, with only a day's worth of water. He and his navigator reportedly stopped sweating after a few days and experienced severe hallucinations before being rescued by a Bedoin. Out of that crucible of physical fatigue and mental exhaustion sprang a beloved classic of world literature.

Though it's regarded as a kid's book, much of The Little Prince is aimed squarely at adults who "never understand anything by themselves" and fixate on figures and statistics rather than the essential qualities of things, who are unable to see by the light of imagination. Children may chuckle at the buffoonish caricatures of wasted lives on various planets or coo over the Prince's devotion to his rose, but teachable older readers will drink a fuller draught of Saint-Exupéry's sarcasm and romance.

The story of the the Prince's quest throughout the universe is artfully inset within the desert dialogue between the Prince & the pilot narrator. The author's drawings are a key part of the story, though in my opinion there are a few too many of them for a book on imagination. Overall, though, it is hard to find a fault with a book which includes the following definition: "...Since it is beautiful, it is truly useful." Its depth and magic far exceed its slim size and have helped broaden my own imaginings. This volume would be well paired with Chesterton's Orthodoxy, which I highly recommend for its deeper look into the theological implications of fairy tales.

SUMMARY

Appreciated the poignant, often profound meditations on true value and imagination

Disliked the profusion of illustrations, some of which were more distracting than helpful

I would recommend this book to children at heart.

Disclaimer: This book will stick in your memory if you've read it right--casual reading is discouraged.

Emotions in Limbo

Some of you may be wondering how it feels to be daily setting Cru's record for the longest visa delay. I could turn the question around and ask how it feels while you are waiting for Christ's second coming, but that isn't a direct answer--though hopefully it is convicting.

What's a more immediate illustration of what being in visa limbo feels like? Here are a few snapshots from today:

It's having two of my pastor's adorable little daughters sitting in my lap, playing with my shirt and offering me Play-Doh cookies, then remembering that I can't commit to doing kid's ministry because I could be gone any Sunday now.

It's overhearing the Christmas choir practicing in the sanctuary and wanting to join them, but knowing that I can't when Incarnation Day outreaches are perhaps the year's biggest assignment for my Tokyo team.

It's being somewhat embarrassed to admit to a friend that I don't have solid Thanksgiving plans, and probably won't be able to say for such if I'll be there until a week prior (and not 100% even then).

It's having to ask another friend for their car keys so I can drive someone needing a ride to the BART station, because I've divested myself of the automobile.

It's seeing planning happen for various long-term ministries and wanting to be part of things beyond prayer, but learning to say 'no.'

In short, it's a waxing & waning form of tension. Thanks to the dear friends & family I have in Oakland, Granite Bay, Auburn and Sacramento, it has been much more bearable than in the first few weeks. When deep in conversation with them, I almost forget that I'm 'supposed' to be somewhere else.

It is truly odd to hope almost against hope that you won't see your 'til-now favorite people in the world and make memories with them during the holidays. What makes it less odd is remembering that God is in control and His Fatherly care & timing are best. And because of His Lordship in all things, I am truly supposed to be here for now--my desires notwithstanding. They need to learn to yield to Him in faith, and His promises will hold true at last.

Rest: Witness to the World

The previous two posts focused on God's command and our gospel-based obligation to rest. Now I'd like to highlight a third function of rest: its testimony to those who have not rested their trust on Jesus that life under His Lordship is different.

This is quite appropriate in connection with Japanese evangelism, as in the testimony of the famous author 三浦綾子 [Miura Ayako]. She has been called "the Japanese C.S. Lewis," as she's written both bestselling fiction with Christian themes and reflective essays on the Bible. The verses that she describes as first impressing her were those of Jesus: "Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)

Submitting to Christ, though it does involve work in obeying Him, is here described in clear contrast to the burdensome work of slavery to sin and self. Though Miura-san may not have initially thought of herself as a slave to sin, she realized that Jesus was clearly promising a different life--and doing so with the authority to grant it to those who obeyed His word.

Here are three facets of the lightness of His yoke, which all stand in clear contrast to life apart from Christ.

1) "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

"So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

"Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." (Matthew 6:25-34)

This passage, familiar to many in the church, is more revolutionary than we think. A life free from temporal anxiety? Yes, if you are resting in the confidence that God your Savior is also able to provide everything you need as you go about doing His will. Jesus uses humor in comparing his followers to plants & birds, which are clearly taken care of by their Creator, and dismissing the need to fret over the future. A similar lightheartedness can be enjoyed by those who have taken His yoke upon them (repented of their sins and trusted in His death & resurrection on their behalf) and are stepping out in faith that He has done all the work for them to be saved and restored into the image of their Creator.

2) "Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" (1 John 5:1-5)

Earlier in 1 John, the "disciple Jesus loved" (as he referred to himself in his account of Christ's earthly life, so enamored was he with his Savior's nearly unbelievable care for him) said that the clear commandment of God was to love one another, even as Jesus loved us. This command, like the other commands God gives us, is described as "not burdensome"--leading rather to rest.

When we obey God's revealed will in the Bible, we experience life as it was meant to be lived. Though our own corrupt hearts tempt us with thoughts of sin, though there is a spiritual realm that is partially in rebellion against God and influences events unseen by us, though others assume that we should all go our own independent way, these things can be "overcome" by faith--resting in the truth God has spoken about His only Son. Living by the Creator God's guidelines not only leads the believer into experiential rest, but also demonstrates to the world that God's commands can shape a visibly different life.

3) "Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For each one shall bear his own load." (Galatians 6:1-5)

Paul, writing by the Holy Spirit, commands brothers and sisters in the faith to help each other in difficulties. If we are not overburdened with our own sins and worries through faith in Christ Jesus, we are free to share someone else's trials--some of which are far too large to be dealt with alone--as we continue confessing sin and obeying Him in daily life ("his own load").

This also challenges the very individualistic view of rest many people hold, having been raised in cultures where rest is equated with doing leisure activities, often solo. Rest in Christ is both individual, as no one can escape the necessity of personally repenting and having faith in God through Him, and corporate, in that we are able to spur one another on to love and good works as His return draws ever closer (Hebrews 10:24-25).

I hope this mini-series has provoked new thoughts for you on how God defines rest and blesses His people with it in Jesus. Feel free to comment below, but I pray most of all that you engage with the truth of His word in this matter.

Book Review #3: Once A Runner

Third in a series of 8. The book for this review is courtesy of Albert Li: John L. Parker Jr.'s Once a Runner.

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I have an affinity to running. This doesn't mean I am one, at least not in the athletic sense. I habitually run for exercise, but I have only once run a 5K--and that because I had Cru friends running that same race with me, not for a competitive time. Some of my good Bay Area friends take it seriously, though, and one of my best friends helps coach a Sacramento track team, so in their wake I've begun to step up my involvement. A book that promised further inspiration? Why, sure.

The book concerns one Quenton Cassidy, mile runner at Southeastern U in the Vietnam-protest era. He is the track team's captain and enjoys all the perks of living fraternity-style with the team (while describing house in-jokes, Parker occasionally lost me in obscure prose). His left-wing views and relaxed attitude toward life are juxtaposed with the stodgy conservatism of the athletic department's leaderships, but the real contrast is one of dedication. The football team captain is painted as a flabby, nepotistic cad; Cassidy as a lean, stoic competitor.

His drive attracts the eye of graduate student and Olympic medalist Bruce Denton, who mentors him through the "Trial of Miles": daily long, repetitive jogs. Denton's encouragement becomes more individual when Cassidy runs afoul of the athletic department by offering him the chance to live as a jogging hermit and train obsessively while he still has a shot at record-setting glory.

The book's clear strength is its grasp on Cassidy's mental game, culled from the author's personal experience as a 4:06 miler in his youth. Some of the expressions were beyond my grasp, but the import was clear: dedication to the uttermost, to the point that it becomes routine. Parker apparently sees this as an almost animal drive, and repeated metaphors attempt to drive this point home, so much so that I wondered whether this was an indirect case for mankind's macro-evolution from beasts. But the skillfully handled relationships, particularly those among runners, humanize the zeal and sometimes affected prose. As in real life, it's the camaraderie that proves the most compelling case for athletic endeavors.


SUMMARY

Appreciated the psychological description of competition-grade athletic training and well-written bonds of friendship.

Disliked the extreme subtlety of certain chapters and overuse of animal imagery.

I would recommend this book to people who are at least sympathetic to sports, enjoy introspective writing and are either experienced readers or willing to read large chunks at a time.

Disclaimer: This book contains strong profanity and sexual immorality.

Rest: The Christian's Prerogative

God is clearly honored when His people rest. But we can wonder: isn't this a secondary matter next to the important work of seeing people otherwise hell-bound, as we once were, rescued through faith in Jesus as their Savior? Can rest wait for heaven?

The answer, surprisingly, is no. Not if we correctly understand the gospel itself.

The author of the letter to the Hebrews (anonymous, parallel with many of the Old Testament books) put matters this way:

"...Since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard. For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said:

'So I swore in My wrath,
"They shall not enter My rest,"'

although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: 'And God rested on the seventh day from all His works'; and again in this place: 'They shall not enter My rest.'" (Hebrews 4:1-5)

Earlier the author quoted Psalm 95, in which the objects of wrath are the Israelites who turned back from the Land of Promise despite God's assurances that they would be victorious over apparent obstacles. They are the object lesson of God's word "not being mixed with faith"--their turning back showed their lack of trust in His promises. Faith alone makes the Bible's words truly profitable (though they are beautiful literature in their own right), both now and forever, as it opens up a relationship with the Creator of everything.

Next, the point is made that believing in God's word is entry to His rest. God is resting? Yes; the word choice in Psalm 95:11 there isn't arbitrary. The author backs up to Genesis 2:2, showing that God has finished everything He started in creation.

Do you believe that simple verse--that God is done with His work?

I'm not implying that He isn't active in the world. But He isn't laboring for anything now. When Jesus said on the cross, "It is finished [paid in full]," He wasn't kidding. In an eternal sense, the Lord's work is done, and the gospel--Christ the Creator voluntarily taking the place of sinful rebels who deserved death, paying in full their debt of punishment before God the Father on the cross--brings this idea of rest from creation into completion of His eternal plan of rescue.

So God is at rest, and trusting Him through Jesus means in some sense that we "enter that rest."

"Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience, again He designates a certain day, saying in David, 'Today,' after such a long time, as it has been said:

'Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts.'

"For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience." (Hebrews 4:6-11)

The author points out that when David wrote Psalm 95, sitting in the land of Canaan from which those faithless Israelites fled (leaving Joshua's generation that victory), he chose the present tense under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. God through David was speaking of a rest greater than the one which Joshua accomplished in entering the Promised Land, a rest which Canaan itself foreshadowed.

If you haven't read Hebrews in full, I highly recommend taking an hour or two to do so--no need to rush. A recurring theme, seen in the phrase "remains therefore a rest," is that the promises of God are fulfilled in Jesus in a superior fashion to the lesser fulfillments of the old covenant under Moses.

This rest which is better than Joshua's means that the believer "has ceased from his work" like God. This is only possible through faith in Jesus, Who alone truly obeyed the Father while on earth. Our attempts at making ourselves impressive to God are lethally flawed--His loyalty never faltered, though we can see it tested to the uttermost in Gethsemane and upon the cross-wood.

Let us cease striving and, by faith in the completed work of Christ, be grateful to God. For from now on, anything He gives us the heart, strength and mind to do for Him is the overflow of His love for us, not the cause of it. We need not earn His approval--we labor from it. Resting at least once a week is a tangible reminder that none of our earthly efforts are ultimately required for salvation or anything else--only the free grace and provision of our heavenly Father.

That's an attitude which the world cannot produce or mimic. Walk in this freedom with me!

Book Review #2: Poison Study

This is the second of an 8-part series, and the book behind today's review is courtesy of Nikki Maldonado: Maria Snyder's Poison Study.

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The story starts in media res. Teenage Yelena, condemned to death by the new military government for pleading guilty to murdering the son of a top general, is granted a fresh lease on life with a new career: food taster of the Commander. Just to ensure that she doesn't run away, the Commander's right-hand assassin Valek slips her a dose of poison that will cause an excruciating death if she doesn't report every morning for a dose of the antidote--an artful leash. Almost as painful as the memories that drove Yelena to murder.

Admittedly, the prose has the artistic appeal of cardboard, as shown in sentences such as "I dodged ineffectively, hampered by the rope tied to my wrist, which anchored me to a post in the center of the room." Still, the story's set-up is clever: a haunted yet strong-willed anti-heroine struggling to overcome the confines of her situation. Additionally, Snyder plants not only doubts about the trustworthiness of her new friends but also details about the regime change, allowing the reader to question initial opinions about whose side Yelena should be on.

As the book progresses, we learn more and more about this world's use of magic, which sounds very close to occult practices of mind control and floating-soul experiences. Demonic arts are still repugnant to me even when secularized (no offhand references to God here, only "fate"), especially as I hope to see Christ's victory in the cross over such powers in Japan in the months ahead. The morality of the characters is also never seriously examined, suggesting instead that violence and sex are more than excusable in extreme situations. From a purely literary standpoint, I wish I could say that these failings and the stiffness of the writing was made somewhat tolerable by a thrilling climax and fitting denouement--but alas. The pacing of the story weakens as the story's focus switches from medieval-fantasy elements to a lust-mance, while the ending offers too many pat solutions to complex plot issues--the logic is apparently: 'resist your demons once and they flee'--and is too abrupt, though it is the start of a series.

Admittedly, my standard for the young-woman-resisting-government-with-hidden-talent genre is high after reading the excellent Hunger Games trilogy earlier this summer, which is much better written. Snyder does a good job realistically depicting a girl's response to abuse and danger, but in my opinion she only imprisons Yelena further in decidedly dark content and second-rate wording.

SUMMARY

Appreciated the political & plot intrigue and conceptual courage

Disliked the New Age elements of mind control & magic, wooden prose and collapse of plot potential in the final act

Though it has an interesting beginning, I would not recommend this book.

Disclaimer--Poison Study includes mild profanity, strong violence, sexual immorality and disturbing scenes.

Rest: God's Prescription

Writing about rest, coming from a can-do culture with a let-things-slide personality and heading to the nation that gave the world a term for "death through overexertion"*, requires some labor. It is akin to describing the joys of playing music to someone who has never picked up an instrument and has no vocabulary or apparent use for the idea.

Yet in the handful of years I have been seeking to actively take Sabbath rests one day a week (generally Sunday), I know that rest is not only Biblical but extremely blessed. May this short refresher (ha!) of a review encourage you to more deeply depend on and glorify God.

Why do we rest? There are two variants of the same command given to God's people in the journey to Israel.

"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it."
(Exodus 20.8-11)

"Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day."
(Deuteronomy 5.12-15)

The similarities predominate: it's God's will that His people keep this day holy; it's not merely for their own benefit but also that of their family, dependents (employees perhaps comes closest in modern terminology) and livestock.

But the rationale differs. The original command from the Lord on Mt. Sinai points back to the creation order that He set in motion--we were created to reflect God's ownership of all things and imitate Him in this rhythm. The repetition by Moses in one of his farewell addresses is equally of the Holy Spirit, pointing back to the redemption from Egypt. In that country, the Hebrews were given over to continual, unbroken labor; now and in the new land God is giving them, they are to remember that His rescue of them means that their identity isn't defined by their work, but His buying of them through a definite act of salvation.

My question to us: Is what we call 'rest' merely an interruption of activity? The Lord clearly intends that our down time would remember Him: His creative power, displayed from the beginning until now, and our redemptive history.

In future posts until we get word that our visa paperwork is on the way, I hope to explore this topic a bit more. At the very least it will help me think a little more clearly on the subject once the ministry floodgates open overseas.


*過労死 or karōshi; I knew someone out there would also care for this parenthetical detail

P.S. The idea of keeping the Sabbath weekly as not only feasible but desirable for a college student came from a conversation I had with Lisa Chu (now Ro) and was further encouraged by the Fulton family.

Book Review #1: As I Lay Dying

This is the first of an 8-part series, begun as a team bonding exercise. I resolved to read one book beloved by each of my teammates as a way of getting to know them better and discovering new, good literature.

The book behind today's review is courtesy of Amy Ledin: William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying.

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It's one of the most challenging books I have ever read. Bear in mind that I have a generally fast reading speed in English and am accustomed to cruising through books of Harry Potter length in 2 days or less. However, Faulkner deliberately toys with language, not merely to obfuscate the plot's direction (though it is tempting to believe this sometimes!) but rather to present the thoughts of his characters in a far more compelling manner than a simple summary of their ideas could ever do.

The book details the plight of the Bundren family, which is almost elemental in its tragedy: matriarch Adie slowly fades from life and her husband and children seek to bury her in her county of birth, as she requested long before. The real story, though, lies in the interaction between the characters as each tells their perspective in idiosyncratically narrated, non-numbered chapters. Key to this are the feuds between the siblings--as Amy pointed out to me after I'd finished reading, main narrator Darl constantly describes the actions of his hot-blooded younger brother Jewel, usually with an eye toward putting him in his place. Occasional narration by outsiders to the family keep at bay the natural inclination to take this sad clan at face value, showing just how pathetic they appear.

This unique structure forces the reader to read between the lines and infer what has happened to horrify or upset each of the characters. Faulkner repeatedly takes simple events, usually bad decisions, and describes them in ways that draw out their pathos and suggest the futility of man to overcome his own inhumanity and petty problems. Fire on one character's clothes, for instance, is described as flowers of sparks blossoming into holes in the fabric--beautiful in the abstract, awful in practical effect. At times the work bears hints of the despair that surfaces more clearly in some of Faulkner's other novels.

Though quite a bit of effort, in my opinion all the confusion and disparate opinions coalesce brilliantly in the powerful final chapter. I don't dare spoil it, and if I did it would have nowhere near its impact without explanation--not unlike a joke's punchline. This wisecrack, though, is not meant to draw forth laughter.

SUMMARY

Appreciated the deft characterization through narration style as well as viewpoint, descriptive power, tour-de-force of an ending

Disliked the pace of the story, which occasionally plodded along; the clearly evil hearts of the characters, though true to life in this respect;

I would recommend this book to adventurous, experienced readers looking for a change of literary perspective, with both a strong stomach for tragedy and quite a bit of free time.

Disclaimer--As I Lay Dying includes sexual immorality and disturbing situations, even though described in cryptic ways

"Hurry Up and Wait On the Lord"

Thank you, Petra, for that great turn of phrase (from their song "More Power to Ya"). It's something I am learning to appreciate as it loses its humor in the matter of our team's visas.

Right now, my two least-favorite questions in the world are:

"So when are you leaving?"

"Any news on your visa yet?"

There are two main reasons why I dislike them. I hear them constantly, in almost every conversation, and I know in my head that friends ask because they care. However, when coupled with reason #2--my utter lack of knowledge and mild resulting frustration with the whole situation--I am put in the position of having no easy answer besides a shrug or head-shake on something that is clearly important to me. Feeling powerless, even when I know the reasons are bureaucratic and clearly out of my hands, still stinks.

I also don't like these questions because they suggest that my life and my trip are inextricable. The undertone, which I realize is only in my head, is that my time in the current liminal state is being wasted or at least not worth similar inquiry.

I wonder if other missionaries struggle with this problem: people from their home area only asking about ministry business instead of interacting with them as they would with friends back home and also asking a few questions to draw them out about their specialized role in the Body of Christ. Perhaps that kind of situation is simply another way we overly elevate those in full-time ministry work above 'regular' folk even though God clearly states through Paul that leadership in different areas is to equip all the saints to do ministry together, with no status differentiation (Ephesians 4:7-16).

Thank God for those of you who have encouraged me to take things step by step and invest this time in spiritual preparation balanced with physical & psychological rest. I have been able to do so, if with fewer immediate results than I might wish.

And don't worry; when I know the answers I will share them loud & clear. Our social networking technologies, while a Godsend for long-distance communication, have accustomed us (at least me) to thinking about people more as tidbits of data and factoids than whole beings created in the image of our Creator. In this respect, then, they curse us by trivializing authentic relationships--or at the very least carry the threat of doing so.

Yet while I realize this and don't like it, I know that personal data is important. I also know that I don't know squat about the current visa progress and that in God's timing that's quite all right.

"Many seek the ruler's favor,

But justice for man comes from the Lord."

(Proverbs 29:27)

If that's the case, then let's ask Him for it!

Prayer for Japan: Sins of Saul (Feb. 2011)

Dear prayer family,

Thank you for your continued prayer support and concern regarding my calling to Japan! Not only am I blessed by your care, but it's a critical part of the spiritual battle for the glory of God there in the souls of Japanese--the "air war," as my pastor once called it.

In keeping with the pattern of providing topical prayer needs, this month we'll focus on perhaps the two greatest obstacles in the Japanese heart to true repentance & faith. Both are exemplified in the pitiful life of Israel's first king Saul.

The first sin is pride, which is linked to the second: witchcraft/demonic involvement.

--

...Samuel said, “When you were little in your own eyes, were you not head of the tribes of Israel? And did not the LORD anoint you king over Israel? Now the LORD sent you on a mission, and said, ‘Go, and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’ Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD? Why did you swoop down on the spoil, and do evil in the sight of the LORD?”

And Saul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and gone on the mission on which the LORD sent me, and brought back Agag king of Amalek; I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the plunder, sheep and oxen, the best of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal.”

So Samuel said:

"Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
As in obeying the voice of the LORD?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams.

"For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft,
And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,
He also has rejected you from being king." (1 Samuel 15:17-23)

--

So Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he had committed against the LORD, because he did not keep the word of the LORD, and also because he consulted a medium for guidance. But he did not inquire of the LORD; therefore He killed him, and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse. (1 Chronicles 10:13-14)

--

1. Please pray that the Lord would break down the national pride of the Japanese. Not only must every material import, from McDonald's to electronics, be adapted to their tastes, but outside ideas and beliefs must also 'fit' with what already exists rather than be accepted on their own merits. In addition, there has been no apologizing for the war crimes and imperialism of the 20th century. May Japanese believers lead their country and people in humility, especially in seeking to bless other Asian people groups.

2. Please pray that individual pride would be brought low. There is considerable personal cost to truly follow Christ in this society; believers are often alone in their families and religion that goes beyond annual rituals is frowned upon as abnormal. May the gospel be preached and listeners humbled to repent & believe!

3. Please pray that fleshly pride would be confessed and repented of in the church. Japan is in desperate need of bold, holy and pure groups of believers...but the few congregations are more known for division and legalism than heart transformation by the Holy Spirit and submission to the Lord's revealed will in Scripture. May love and unity in the truth prevail.

4. Please pray against the rampant spiritual deception. Fortune-tellers and palm-readers at street stands near train stations in the evening are perhaps the most obvious indicator, but the enemy of souls is having a real field day deluding this land. From Western cults (Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons) to a slew of so-called "new religions" mixing a bit of 'Christianity' into Buddhist and New Age techniques, there are thousands of counterfeits. Pray that those bound by these lies would be freed by the truth of the true Jesus--just as in 2 Corinthians 4:3-6.

5. Please pray for Christians to renounce all ways of darkness. In a land where most can still think "To be Japanese is to go to a [Buddhist] temple on New Year's Day," compromise is a daily temptation. This--not marriage, as commonly supposed--is the actual context for 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, good verses to pray for the Body here as well.

6. Please pray for Jesus's victory over all demonic powers in the cross (Colossians 2:15) to be powerfully displayed.

7. Please pray for me to give up my attempts to earn God's or man's approval and rest in the grace given through Christ's life, death and resurrection--that as I do so, He would open up doors in the Nagoya area for ministry soon.


Your brother in Jesus ("humble in heart"--Matthew 11:29 NIV),

Kylan

Prayer for Japan #2: Children (January 2011)

Dear sinners made sons of the Most High in His only Son,

May a deeper sense of His mercy (Exodus 33:15-19) stir your heart to think of and praise our Lord today.

Thank you for your prayers! God has been showing answers in many ways, and one which some have heard is that while at a friend's wedding in the country town of Turlock, I made the acquaintance of a minister involved in training church planters. I told him that I was passionate about raising up new churches, was asked where and replied "Japan."

"Where in Japan?"

"Nagoya," I said, preparing to explain its location.

He then told me that he is training several pastors there already! Our God is so faithful to bring about His will before we even know what's going on.

Now as to my prayer requests:

1. The greater Nagoya area has over 8.7 million people (denser than 3500/square mile) and, as I mentioned last letter, the highest concentration of cities & large towns without churches in all Japan. Please continue to pray for not only more believers but holy and bold believers to be multiplied in this area, then gathered into worshipping congregations that are taught the rightly-divided Word of truth.

2. For the low number of Japanese children. The nation is at a crisis point given that its birthrate is one of the world's lowest, some factors being the prevalence of abortion (no Godly understanding of life's worth), the rising age of marriage (lack of family cohesion) and the tendency to see kids as a burden on time and finances (materialism and selfishness). Please pray that these spiritual barriers, so contrary to Genesis 1:25-31, would be broken down and the hearts of parents turned toward their children.

3. For the great opportunity afforded by children's ministry. Many of us know about the "10/40 window" of unreached people groups, but a new buzzword is the "10-14 window": the age range in which most believers either first believed or truly believed with understanding (myself included). Salvation is of the Lord and His grace alone, so please beg Him to have mercy on the current generation of Japanese kids: that they would be in contact with believers and hear the gospel; that many, hearing, would believe; that the enemy's strongholds of worldly pleasures, peer approval and despair (suicides by middle-schoolers sadden but no longer shock) would be broken; that new young believers would be effectively discipled.

4. For the kids of missionaries and believers. Many pastor's kids are more influenced by the school clubs where they spend the majority of their time and cultural values than the Word. Pray for them to repent and have their own faith in Jesus, as well as for their witness to and example among their peers. Pray for their parents to be filled with His love, wisdom and Godly counsel, and for many kids to spend their lives serving the Lord in Japan.

5. For orphans and kids from broken families. There is a near-total lack of cultural altruism, as the people you help belong to your club or social circle, and as a result adoption and care of neglected children is rare. There is apparently only one orphanage in the entire country with entirely Christian staff, as the others don't have enough believers (or those with the desired qualifications) to fill positions. Cults and social groups have stepped into the void, so please pray for the salvation of these kids as well as the church to truly serve the orphan & widow (James 1:27).

6. For my further preparation in repentance and faith, deepening in real love of the Lord and mortification of the flesh daily.

Your brother in Jesus,

Kylan

Prayer for Japan #1 (December 2010)

Dear spiritual family,

Greetings from east Oakland! I pray that you are growing in obedient separation to Jesus and wonder at our Triune God.

It’s been over 3 months since I finished my church internship at ReGeneration, during which the Lord confirmed my calling as a missionary to Japan. It grieves me to know that over 400,000 Japanese live in 20 towns in or around the city of Nagoya—none of which has believers gathering in it! (Last I heard, there were more Jehovah's Witnesses--a mission field!--nationwide than professing evangelical Christians.)

Through the Perspectives course on world missions, I caught the vision for local church planting: trusting God to save [Japanese] people, training them in simple and reproducible Christian living, then appointing elders and departing in order to let them be sustained by the Holy Spirit. My heart is to become part of a mostly national team devoted to such work in this least-churched region of Japan in or shortly after July 2011.

What will it take? Being broken of my own pride and cowardice in personal witness—how else can I minister to a people who have yet to apologize for their actions in greater Asia during World War II and do not see themselves as needing to repent & find forgiveness? Being placed in a team—how else can the fullness of Christ’s body be seen and the Biblical model for sowing together ( ) be replicated?

And, most germane to you, dear reader: it will take being lifted up in prayer—only God can do these things, and when He answers it will be clear that His is the glory for accomplishing them!

1) Please pray for me to be broken in humility at my own sinfulness and totally dependent on the will & grace of the Lord—which will as a side effect produce boldness, I think

2) Please ask that God would be glorified in and Christ preached to the greater Nagoya area’s 400,000+ people in towns & cities without a church body

3) Please ask God to provide laborers, especially from within Japan, for this region and task

4) Please ask the Lord to give me wisdom for obtaining necessary or helpful personal things: a visa, contact with church planting mentor(s), experience in evangelism and other ministries, understanding of the Japanese language & culture

If you have any Scripture, advice, or questions, please let me know! I am so grateful I can send this to you and appreciate in advance your faithful prayers. Feel free to forward it to others who will also pray.


Your brother in Him Who was broken for us,

Kylan