A Pair of 50s

The year 2007 saw two very different churches, both of which are connected to my life, celebrate their 50th anniversaries. My home church, the Georgetown Christian Reformed Church celebrated early in the year and Miyakojima Kyoukai (都島教会) celebrated late in the year. I received a commemoration book from GCRC in December not long before I received a commemoration book from 都島教会. There are pictures of me in both books and every time I happen to see myself it scares me. For 都島教会 everybody had to write an essay. I wrote in English because my Japanese is not very good, and a capable church member translated it into Japanese for the book. (See below if you are interested.)
The differences between the two congregations are striking. Urban Japan and not so urban Canada. Worship style. GCRC with a congregation that is ten times the size of 都島教会. The similarities of the commemorations are also striking, historical photographs of the church buildings and former pastors. Photos of the congregation and congregation life as it changed under God's direction over the years. Memories. Most striking is God's faithfulness to both of these congregations over the 50 years.
Soli Deo Gloria.


Communion.
Christ commanded us to “Take eat” and “Drink this”. As Christians we do this regularly in many different ways. The church in which I grew up, the Georgetown Christian Reformed Church, did communion only four times a year. That seems to be almost not at all, but it was a very special occasion, not to be missed and not to be trifled with. By the time I began to take communion the church leaders saw fit to change the frequency to once a month. When I came to Japan, and started to attend 都島教会、Communion became a weekly event for me and I was able to see another side of the Lord’s Supper.
In 1993 I spent two weeks helping with some construction in the Dominican Republic. While I was there I visited the San Mateo church in Sabana-Grande-de-Boya, a small town in comparison to Georgetown, which is very small in comparison to Osaka. During the service we were invited to partake of the Lord’s Supper as guests of the congregation. Sitting on rudimentary benches, the bread was passed to each participant. Then in small glasses, only some of which matched, the wine was served. When half of the congregation had received their wine, there were no more glasses. The first half took and drank, while the second half looked on. Then the glasses were efficiently gathered and washed in the baptismal basin, which was sitting ready for a baptism later in the service. The freshly washed glasses were refilled and I too was able to participate. The entire service was done in Spanish, and I don’t speak any Spanish. When I came to Japan, the entire service was done in Japanese, and I didn’t speak any Japanese. But. I was able to partake of communion, and it continued to be meaningful. Communion is tangible, I see it, I feel it, I taste it. And as certain as I am of these physical things, I am also certain of Christ’s body and blood having been given for me.
Participating in communion in these different circumstances, has demonstrated to me in a concrete way how the body of Christ crosses borders and time. Every week as we take communion together, we join Christians from a myriad of different times and places, as far back as the twelve with Jesus, and as far away as Canada and the Dominican Republic.

聖餐式
キリストが私たちに「これを食べなさい」「これを飲みなさい」とお命じになりました。だから私たちはクリスチャンとして聖餐式をさまざまなやり方で、決まってきちんとやっているのです。
私が育った教会　（改革キリスト教会）はー年に4回しか聖餐式がありませんでした。それは、全然ダメのように見えますが、しかしそれは非常に特別の儀式であり、見逃してはならないもので、いい加減に軽んじることの出来ないものでした。私が聖餐式を始める頃までには、教会の指導者たちはその回数を月に一回するのが妥当だと思うようになりました。私が日本に来て、都島教会に出席し始めてからは、聖餐式が毎週になり、私は聖餐式の新たな面を見ることが出来ました。
1993年に、私は2週間程ドミニカ共和国で健築工事の手伝いをしたことがあり、その時ジョージタウンと比べると小さい町でしたがサバナ・グランデ・デ・ボヤという大阪の町に比べると、とてもとても小さい町の聖マテオ教会に行きました。礼拝では私たちはその教会の客として主の聖餐に参加するよう招かれました。長イスに座っているとパンが一人ひとりの参加者に渡され、ぶどう酒が配られました。会衆の半分がぶどう酒をもらった時に、グラスの数が足りらなくなり、前半の人々が頂いている間、後半の人々は眺めちました。それから
グラスがてきぱきと集められ、礼拝の後半で行われる洗礼のために準備されちた洗礼盤の中できれいに洗われて、新たにぶどう酒がそそがれ、私も主の聖餐に預らることが出来ました。全ての礼拝はスペイン語でされましたが、私はスペイン語が全く解りません。日本に来た時も礼拝は日本語でされ、やはり全くわかりませんでした。しかし私は聖餐式に預かることができました。そしてそのことは、引き続き意味のあることでした。
聖餐式というのは、実体的なものであります。私はそれを目で見ることが出来、触れることができ、味わうことが出来ます。そしてこれらの物質を確実に認識できると全く同じように、私は私に与えられたキリストの「身体」と「血」を確実に認識出来るのです。このように、さまざま違った環境で、聖餐式に参加することによって私はキリストの身体が国境と時を越えて行く様を具体的に証明されるのを見たのです。私たちは、毎週聖餐式に参加するとき、おびただし数の別の時代と別の場所のきりスチャンたちの群れと一緒になります。すなわち、イエス様の12人の弟子たちとも、カナダやドミニカ共和国の人々とも一緒になるのです。

Many thanks to 荒木紀子さん (Mrs. Araki Noriko) for the translation.