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More God in Stories, Please

It bothers me when God does not inhabit contemporary fictional universes. This drought of profound fictitious deities prompted questions I'm still mulling over. * What should match up between reality and a good story? * How wise is it to separate a fictional universe from reality? In today’s stories,

Articles of the Week

This week, some of the most thought-provoking and faith-inspiring articles I read were on extraterrestrial life, failure, gentle parenting, and raising readers. Ah, the existential extraterrestrial question. "Are we alone in the universe?" Stand to Reason explains we are statistically and positionally the only intelligent life in the

Surprised by Holy Hacker News

Seeing a thoughtful, Bible-inspired post today was encouraging in a place where I never thought I would find one.

Noise

Let’s suppose distraction noise used to be low intensity and low powered on old radio speakers. Now, factors like the rise of the smartphone, invasion of the attention economy, and the dawn of AI-juiced distraction networks have changed the noise distribution system considerably.

Recommendations in Autumn (again)

It's autumn again! Someone recently explained to me that autumn and fall are regional language preferences, with Americans generally preferring fall and friends using British English preferring autumn. Hisashiburi (Long time no see) There have been too many fascinating books and encouraging podcasts so far in 2024 for

Autumn

It's getting dark around 4:30 pm these days in Japan- and it's nearly wintertime. Our faithful 5 pm neighborhood chime now follows the sunset. Chimes in the dark aren't nearly as fun as they are faithful. Total daylight (in the Northern Hemisphere) will

On the daily: a paradigm shift

What are the things that we build into our schedules every day?

Successful church small groups have one thing in common

A growing plant in your home means it's healthy; it's the same with your small group. Of course, plants all grow at different rates based on their surroundings and environmental factors. With God's grace working for His Kingdom, growing a plant might actually be

On Fairness and Wages (A Challenging Parable from Jesus)

What would you consider to be the most challenging parable that Jesus taught? There are so many great ones to consider in the Gospels. This teaching has long fascinated me; here are some insights for you on one of Jesus' delightfully subversive teachings. The Parable of the Laborers in

Aspect #4 and Aliens

Happy New Year, everyone! Praying that all of you have a healthy year. I'm also trying out a new format—more bullet points. Whatever way 2023 shakes out, it won't involve advanced species from distant planets coming to earth, but it's fun to think

'22 in Review

Time flies; it’s been another great year to see God’s grace at work in Kawasaki City, Tama Ward. Our Sunday services and recovery group programs took significant steps forward this year. Thanks for helping us take these critical steps toward spiritual renewal and recovery in Noborito, Japan. While

Giving Christmas

Thank you so much for helping us give the Gospel this Christmas. In many ways! You help our volunteer team and me to share Jesus' love through our online Choose Life counseling chats through chooselife.jp One high school student this week told us they found peace knowing Jesus

Thanksgiving Thoughts

It occurred to me that we have a Thanksgiving Day, but not a "Praisegiving" day. Trying the "Praisegiving" concept out in my imagination turned out to be a radically different day. I imagined people going around communicating the things they admire to others in their communities.

An Outside Perspective on Marriage and Parenting

Marriage and Parenting are the 2nd and 3rd most important of the 12 aspects of life. They say that the most crucial life decision outside your decision to follow Jesus is who (and if) you choose to marry. As a single man, I am curious to know how much I

Do you know The 12 Aspects of Life? Here's #1

We recently took a Christian counseling course expounding the 12 essential aspects of life. The twelve are a list of life's critical elements ranked by order of importance and impact. Do you think you can name them all without looking? The 12 Aspects of Life 1. Spiritual 2.

The plot thickens

After doing all the work to make this site look fantastic and import my past blog catalog, something was still missing.

Japan is open for travel soon!

Just yesterday, on Thursday, September 22nd, current Prime Minister Kishida announced Japan would resume visa-free travel from October 11th, 2022! It's wildly welcome news after 2 1/2 years of waiting, waiting, and wondering. (At least, for those not already living here.) You can read the whole Japan

This one was tough to write

Writing this email was difficult. Capturing an email that seemed good share was challenging this time around. It's my 3rd-ish email draft, in addition to some rough video footage of my "day-to-day" Japan life lately. I hoped to send this out earlier, but the stories and

A testimony too good not to share

Again, thank you so much for your prayer and financial support. Your partnership makes testimonies like these possible. This testimony is fresh from the Life Group that we started in March 2021. This first Life Group is expected to finish their program towards the end of 2022. We are excited

A brief history of the Japanese church

Thanks to your support and prayer, over 20 participants were able to focus on deepening their relationship with Jesus last weekend. The Holy Spirit came to do His work, and our Encounter retreat was a smashing success! Many were grateful for the opportunity to laser-focus on God, leaving the distractions

The most practical post I could think of

Here's a practical list from my day-to-day that might add a bit of "better" to yours. So, these aren't affiliate links. They're the helpful cogs of my real life lately. “[God] Your love makes everything better.” 🎶 -Chris Renzema Sublime Bible Time (with

A Moral Multiverse

Longer emails and longer meetings aren't always better. (But they aren't *always* worse either.) Our Japan team is in the process of revising our meeting and project management rhythms. Thanks for all your support in advancing Jesus's Kingdom in Kawasaki! Sometimes, missions looks like

The Headlines

April headlines for you from my corner of Japan-land: At home, I swapped Japanese-language anime episodes for documentaries on the lives of Christian men and women. * T’was a good choice. * The father of the modern, global tourism industry was a Christian businessman in the UK named Thomas Cook. Through

Challenges and Upgrades

Hope the sky is blue and the sun is shining for you these days! For me, this Sunday ended up being a more difficult day emotionally than I expected. Stress from several minor challenges added up: * An outreach to elderly English learners at the Tama city hall fell through (due

An occupational hazard

It was a rude awakening at 11:30 last night. Jarring, shaking, the building was swaying. A bottle of vitamins tumbled off my desk and crashed onto the floor. Two or three people were shouting something just outside our building. The largest earthquake I've experienced in seven years

Scripture Songs and a Choose Life Update

It's snowing right now in Japan, the second time this winter. It's a blessing our winters are mild here. Commuter train and other public transport companies can keep their tight schedules on time (often to the minute) with little interference from snow each year. Just found

Celebrating Life in Japan!

おはようございます！(Good morning! Hopefully, that's relevant to you. 🤔) 2022. Writing it down just to cement the muscle memory of it. ２０２２。二〇二二 Here is a fun fact for you. Japanese characters take up more horizontal space and more memory when typed out on your computer. Actually, they'

Spirit Empowered Living

During my undergraduate studies at ORU, there was an infamous class called Spirit-Empowered Living. It was a required course for all the undergrad students. You couldn't help but hear the stories coming out of the class. At the time, Dr. Mark Rutland was teaching the course and leading

Kingdom Authority and Servant Leadership

If everything required to be an effective, Godly leader were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written. Brave men and women have been vying to capture the "Winning Leadership Formula" for millennia. All domineering dictators,

Support for 2022

What are your highlights this year?

These are the highlights.

Happy Gratitude Day

Thanksgiving, thankfulness, gratitude, and gratefulness *is* the name of the game this week. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV Prayerfully, it’s getting easier for us to overlook Black

Ever been bumped off a flight?

Praise God, it's good to be home. It's almost been 10 days since my arrival in Japan, but who's counting. Still looking forward to my exodus from post-travel quarantine in two days. A site could save your future flight. Skiplagged resurrected my nearly-canceled Oct

Faith Food

Encouraging In a word, this is the laser-point summary of my three-week trip in the US. Many friends continue to pursue Jesus, pushing towards spiritual maturity and the service of others. Japan certainly isn't the only mission field. I'm delighted to hear the hearts of fellow

Freedom at Haneda

Sitting in a library... I mean, the completely vacant Haneda Airport might make you think about freedom. Especially release from mandatory masks and extra covid testing someday. 🤞🏻 Near our beloved Tama river and Tokyo Bay, this 5-star airport, boasting some of the best customer service and ambiance in the world,

Chats with People in a Dark Place

Today my friend Masayoshi asked me, "What is it like talking with people who say they are considering suicide?" Well, it's not what most people would expect. Of course, each conversation grows out of a different context and attitude towards the world. People find themselves at

The Problem with Western Missionaries

You may be surprised to hear of my unashamed love for Christian hip-hop. Hip-hop records like "Andy Mineo and Wordsplayed Present Magic & Bird," "Good Religion," and "Fly Exam" remind me of dear seasons in Japan. These songs keep me tied to the states.

Seth's Uncensored Opinion on the Tokyo 2020 Olympics

If you haven't checked out Google's doodle for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics yet, click on their themed image! Behind the pixel art is a Japanese culture-inspired Olympic role-playing game. Created in Tokyo with love by animation studio STUDIO 4°C. Here's the summary: your

29 lessons learned by 29

In no particular order, here are 29 life lessons for my last 29 years: 1. Jesus is always faithful to provide for us. 2. A grateful attitude is not optional. 3. Exercise is important. 4. Life is the longest thing we'll ever do on Earth. 5. Following God&

You Lead Too! How to lead well.

You are a leader. Does that surprise you? It's true. It's true because leadership is influence. Being a leader is not a title you receive or a job position. It's also not some mystical ability that only some special people have. You may currently

Difficulty

It's hard to pray when you're worried. But it's hard to be worried when you pray. What are your favorite quotes?

Seth's Start to 2021: Progress and Planting!

T'was 10:30 pm on Saturday, February 13th. Invading the dark walls and floorboards, a long quake kept me awake in bed. Earthquake seconds at high magnitude feel like minutes are crawling by with each tremor. In a word, powerlessness. "What do you do now that the

Do we struggle with imaginary problems?

Sometimes, a recurring dilemma pops up in my mind. Not a fun thought to toss around, it's this: "How would I respond in the case the martyrdom was required of me?" More on that in a minute. Morning Micro Lectures This train of thought stopped by

Happy Humble Birthday Jesus: A Christmas Poem

"Know this birth and our Hero’s clan First dawning day lights up the Man A lowly servant, baby boy Christmas’ faith and hope and joy Eternity in two small hands We meet the Son of God who plans Fully predicted, have no doubt Goodness He grows, evil shut

Now We're Reaching English Speakers!

Guess what. We started our Paz English Club outreach again! 🙌🏻 The poster advertisements in our coffee shop make our reboot official, as of this week. Believe it or not. English speakers in Japan can be easy to engage with the Gospel in church services. Rather, those who really are motivated

3 Friends to Be Thankful For

Focused on my computer, admiring one of my myriad Japanese study tools... my phone went off. *bleep**beep**beeep* Then my computer joined in a timed beeping chorus as well. *bleep**beep**beeep**bleep**beep**beeep* Now, it's real. 😅 Finally, seeing the caller's name appear on

3 Favorite Books from 2020 – Have You Read Any of These?

Right in the thick of in it, I’m preparing for full-time missions work in Japan. 🇯🇵 Life’s been fast paced, white-knuckle even in my transition from teaching. It’s definitely a unique mix of exhilaration and a ton of prayer! One thing that God is using to anchor me

Good News > Challenging Times > Pressing Towards the Goal

Hey friend! Hope you’re thriving and surviving this time-warp of a year. Our perception of time is a strange gift indeed. The many conversations I’ve shared this month about our work in Japan and our fight against suicide have been life-giving. If I haven’t gotten a chance

My Weighty Sunday Meeting with a Choose Life Friend

Exasperated, spouting machine-gun fire speech, our latest Sunday afternoon guest at Paz Coffee Shop was pouring out her heart to us. Powerfully intelligent, very capable in English, her high-level recollection of recent local incidents in Roppongi and remembrance of other events left her teary eyed and visibly shaken. Things were

Lessons From Children

From inexperienced novice instructor to head teacher, students have been a life-changing part of my adventure in Japan. Here are some key reflections and takeaways: * Prepare to encounter and encourage brilliance. * Silliness overcomes language barriers. * When students understand your heart to see them succeed, they will learn more. * Teaching is

He's Working

"Did I tell you what happened in Australia?" mentioned my new friend Jonathan. He's a friendly bi-lingual Japanese guy who moved in about a month ago. After nodding my head, he continued. Feeling a sense from the Holy Spirit that he had something powerful to share,

How to Keep Your Friends Out of Church

Offhand, there are five or six friends in Japan that come to mind. Things didn't work out. After a series of good conversations, rounds of Badminton, or delicious dinners, they moved on. Evangelistic efforts didn't produce lasting fruit. Friendship was there. But a compelling reason to

Why Can't the Japanese People Find Freedom in the Gospel?

Believe it or not, in Japan, Gospel knowledge of Jesus is readily available. So to speak. Nearly every member of Japanese society can read. Searching for truth in books, or on YouTube is definitely an option. Amazon.co.jp sells Japanese Bibles, in multiple Japanese translations. Christian bookstores in Tokyo

"You're a Foreigner"

Let's suppose someone said this to you. Not in an accusing or rude manner, but as a true statement. "Foreigner" is not really on anyone’s top ten list of words to put on their own resume. The i-before-e-except-after-c concept even breaks down for this word.

Major Missed Opportunities

Currently, on Intercom, our text-based chat platform we have tracked over 3000 conversations! Our fellow volunteers have been serving really faithfully. Praise God for their hard work. We finished redesigning our Choose Life website a few months ago. 🙌 Our next goal is upgrading our entire communication platform. This means transitioning

So, You're an Anti-suicide Advocate?

Yes! But what does that mean? Firstly, in Jesus’ all-powerful name, I defy the call of despair and death in Japan. He is hope in the face of suicidal spiritual attacks (Eph 6:12). Jesus is the founder and leader of the Choose Life project. He offered a new birth

Street Prayers

Praying as you go, you take along your trusted translator. Preparing to talk with your new friend, you hear, “Don’t worry about it.” Confirming, yeah, the Holy Spirit is a pretty cool person. I didn’t have much experience in this area. Street evangelism wasn’t something I tried

Tokyo Train Stations, Tapioca Tea, Trash Cans, and "The Dark Side"

In Japan, if you were to go out on the street and start sleuthing to find where the most people converge on any given day, you likely wouldn't have to walk very far from where you exited the train. It's the hub, the nexus, the center

Communicating Something I Wish I Did Differently

A dream and a whisper definitely pushed me overseas. It drove me out of my hometown, away from precious family and friends too. The call to adventure is occasionally expensive, but the invitation to follow Jesus is undoubtedly costly. Friend, it was worth it! Thank you, Jesus, for challenges and

Future Vision 2020 - Seth's Personal Goals (#1 and #2)

It's an eventful year for Japan, 2020. It's an important year for Paz Church. It's a very significant year for me. God is calling Japan, our local church, and myself to step up in exciting new ways. Well, the extra English and foreign language

Future Vision 2020 - Seth's Personal Goals (#3 and #4)

If you’re anything like me, goal-setting can be a bit of a mixed bag. I’ve met people who eagerly conceptualize their top goals and jot them down. Others stress about not satisfying these challenges, so they intentionally avoid writing them down. Meeting a goal is phenomenal. Avoiding needless

Life. In Japan? Part 2

Paz Coffee Shop is my second home on Saturday and absolute favorite spot for a matcha latte. Find me here on many mornings during the rest of the week too! It's the semi-permanent resting place of my former board game collection (may it never rest in peace). And

Life, in Japan? Part 1

This is the train in Japan. A very convenient, very efficient and timely mode of transport. Japan boasts the five busiest train stations in the world! Clearly, the train is a large part of everyday life here. The top three busiest world train stations are as follows: Shinjuku Station, Shibuya