"Searching for Sunday" Lenten Devotional Series: GRACE ("megumi" - grace in Japanese)

Friday, February 26

GRACE  ("megumi" - grace in Japanese)

When I received the confirmation to teach at a teacher-training college in Japan I began an in-depth-study of the religions of that country as well as the role of the Church among the Japanese people.  Most pledge themselves to Shinto, the way of the gods, and to Buddhism.  

My first experience with the community church was on a Sunday morning about four weeks after arriving at the college.  I was apprehensive and my heart was vibrating more rapidly.  How would I be received as I knew few words in Japanese?  Would my bow be appropriate? Would they overlook my foreign face?  I arrived at the small church building and stepped into the entrance to see shoes everywhere.  I was then greeted by a gracious lady with a very deep bow.  I saw in her eyes the reflection of her thoughts: "How do I greet her as she has the face of a stranger (foreigner)?  "Why is she here?"  Her Japanese was quick but I felt acceptance as I bowed and used the greetings I had learned.  Soon the service began and I felt totally and utterly alone.  As the service progressed two senior ladies moved to sit with me and to share the hymnal which I could not read. The message dealt with "grace" Suddenly, I felt grace flowing between us and binding me to them.  I was alone but not really as I had found a Sunday home filled with God's grace.  I was experiencing the binding force of salvation's eternal grace.  As long as I attended there they loved me with that "Amazing Grace." Through them I learned I needed a Bible and a hymnal for the services.  They taught me about their traditions, their customs, and forgave my horrible mistakes in Japanese.  They even asked me to pray and to speak during some of their services.

Some Sunday mornings when I enter the doors of Trinity I have an overwhelming desire to leave my shoes at the door, place my feet in slippers, enter the sanctuary with my Bible and hymnal and hear "megumi" once again.  Grace was shared with me in a Japanese country church and now it is shared with me at Trinity.  It is the binding link among God's people around the word.

            By Grace we are saved!

            By Grace we are accepted!

            By Grace we are loved!     

  Julia Williams

Saying Grace

From Rev. Jasper Peters, Associate Pastor

Growing up, my family would always say grace before a meal. My father would say the same thing before each meal. Every so often, the children would be invited to say a rudimentary prayer, but often we would just be there to listen. I never understood why it was called grace.

My first week away at college, I realized I could now begin to figure out who I would be, independent of family traditions. I considered whether it was necessary to continue saying a formulaic prayer before I ate. It was honestly difficult to make this decision in the middle of a college dining hall. While sitting at a table of 18 and 19-year-olds, I stopped talking, closed my eyes, and I took a moment to think.

I thought about all the things that had happened in my life that had brought me to that moment at that table. I acknowledged all the things that might have gone differently in my life, preventing me from sitting at that table. Then I thought about the sacrifices of plants and animals that made the meal possible at all. Something had to die so that I might live. How could all this even be possible? All of a sudden, the word “grace” made a lot more sense.

I decided then and there that praying before a meal would be something I did going forward, not because I had been taught to do so, but rather because I decided to do so on my own. I don’t always say the same words, but rather I sit there quietly, calming down enough to realize that I didn’t earn what I have, but rather it is a massive and meaningful gift. After a few days, several of my new friends took notice of my 10-15 second pre-meal silent ritual. Some of them stared as if they were confused. A few others complimented me, thinking I must be some sort of monk-in-training. In reality, I simply had a lot for which I was thankful.