Hi everyone,
Thank you for your prayers! The past few weeks were on the busy side, as we had music and preaching ministries at two different churches. Then I took a solo trip to Tokyo. I also caught a cold somewhere along the way, so maybe my body was trying to tell it was time to slow down!
The trip to Tokyo was primarily for a meeting with church and mission leaders we partner with. But while I was there (and in the same building in fact!) a local ministry was holding an arts conference, so I took in a few sessions of that while I was there.
In one there was a screening of an indy film that was directed by a Japanese Christian, followed by a Q&A time with the director. It was an encouraging example of a Believer creatively engaging with the secular culture.
Other sessions were about contextualization and worship. Here’s one quote someone shared that stood out to me: “I think that the deepest motive for mission is simply the desire to be with Jesus where he is.” (Lesslie Newbigin)
It’s a good reminder that when we go to work somewhere for Jesus, he’s already there. It’s a reminder to check our motives, too. It’s a reminder that everything we do in missions is for and with him — an act of worship.
Thanks again for praying for Yoko and I as we worship God through our ministries in Japan. Please pray for us as we take some time away from Japan during June and July to reconnect with partners and churches in Canada. We begin our journey next week and look forward to seeing some of you soon!
– Robin (and Yoko)
PS: In case you missed…