전후 70 년을 기억하며 (주교회 작성) 진리와 평화의 근원이신 전능하신 하느님, 아시아 태평양전쟁 종결로부터 70 년을 맞이한 우리들은 모든 희생자의 영혼을 당신의 자비의 손에 맡기며 기도드립니다. 또한 지금도 아픔과 고통 속에 있는 사람들을 기억하며 주님의 평안이 그들과 함께하기를 기도드립니다. 그리고 우리들이 과거사을 외면하지 않고, 지상의 평화를 위협하고 당신의 형상따라 창조된 한사람 한사람의 생명과 존엄성을 빼앗는 모든 전쟁과 폭력에 대해 눈을 뜨고 목소리를 내며 당신의 평화의 도구가 될 수 있도록 지혜와 용기를 주소서. 아버지와 성령과 함께 일체로서 영원히 살아서 지배하고 계시는 주 예수 그리스도의 이름으로 기도하나이다. 아멘
A prayer to mark the 70th anniversary of the ending of the Asia-Pacific War Almighty God, source of peace and truth, as we mark the 70th anniversary of the ending of the Asia-Pacific War, we commend the souls of all victims into your compassionate hands. We also remember before you all those who even now suffer and are in pain and we pray that the peace of the Lord will be with them. Give us the courage and wisdom not to turn from our past, but to open our eyes to, and speak out against, all wars and violence that threaten peace on earth and steal the lives and dignity of people, all created by you, in your image. Give us the courage and wisdom to be vessels of your peace. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen
These prayers may be used to commemorate the third anniversary of the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake and Tsunami at commemoration services on 11th March, at Sunday services on 9th March 2014, or thereafter
Merciful God, our Father in Heaven, we mourn the many people who have lost their lives in the Great Earthquake of Eastern Japan. Lord, in your great mercy, please let them rest in peace. We also pray that those who are grieving over the loss of loved ones may, by your strength, and with your loving solace be able to continue with their lives.
With your loving hand, please support and protect those who have been scattered by the disaster; those who have lost their homes; the sick and injured, and those in a position of weakness, especially the disabled, the elderly, and foreigners.
Comfort the unhappy, distressed, and lonely and those who at the point of losing hope, and give them the courage and desire to live. We ask that the shelter they require is given to those who have been obliged to evacuate and are forced to live in uncomfortable conditions. Please also guide and sustain the people working towards the restoration of the disaster area, especially those who are engaged in dangerous work,（ , , ）.
With one accord we pray that we can find you, the consoling Lord, who is always with us.
We offer this prayer in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.
(Written by the Worship Committee and approved by the Bishops Committee April 2011)
In Commemoration of the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake and Tsunami
These prayers may be used to commemorate the third anniversary of the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake and Tsunami at commemoration services on 11th March, at Sunday services on 9th March 2014, or thereafter.
Most merciful and compassionate Lord, we remember before you the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, which took place (____)* years ago. We pray that you will sustain those in the affected areas; those living in places of refuge; especially those who suffer because of the various hardships they experience in Japanese society; and those who have lost hope in the future. (We particularly pray for ____) *In March 2014, the word ‘three’ may be inserted here.
We remember before you those who have lost their livelihoods due to the nuclear accident, as well as the damage that has been done to the natural environment. We ask you to protect those forced to live far from their homes; those engaged in dangerous work; and their families. Please lead in the ways of righteousness those in positions of responsibility in government and society.
Help us always to remember those suffering in these situations. We ask you to strengthen the work of the NSKK project “Let’s Walk Together Part II” and lead all of us, so that we may join together in body and spirit and continue to walk together with those who suffer.
Lord, source of all life, we ask you to gather in your loving arms all victims of the Great Japan Eastern Earthquake and Tsunami; and victims of war and natural disaster all over the world. Grant them eternal peace.
In the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Responsive prayers
Officiant: Most merciful and compassionate Lord, we remember before you the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, which took place (____)* years ago. We pray that you will sustain those in the affected areas; those living in places of refuge; especially those who suffer because of the various hardships they experience in Japanese society; and those who have lost hope in the future. (We particularly pray for ____) *In March 2014, the word ‘three’ may be inserted here.
Congregation: Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Officiant: We remember before you those who have lost their livelihoods due to the nuclear accident, as well as the damage that has been done to the natural environment. We ask you to protect those forced to live far from their homes; those engaged in dangerous work; and their families. Please lead in the ways of righteousness those in positions of responsibility in government and society.
Congregation: Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Officiant: Help us always to remember those suffering in these situations. We ask you to strengthen the work of the NSKK project “Let’s Walk Together Part II” and lead all of us, so that we may join together in body and spirit and continue to walk together with those who suffer.
Congregation: Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Officiant: Lord, source of all life, we ask you to gather in your loving arms all victims of the Great Japan Eastern Earthquake and Tsunami; and victims of war and natural disaster all over the world. Grant them eternal peace.
Congregation: In the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.
1859년 6월, 미국성공회 선교사로 후일 주교가 된 채닝 무어 윌리암즈 사제가 나가사키에 상륙하여, 한달 전에 이 곳에 들어온 존 리긴스 사제와 합류하여 일본 선교의 첫발을 내딛은 이래, 150년째 되는 해를 우리는 맞이하고 있습니다. 윌리암즈 주교의 일본 상륙에 앞서13년 전, 영국 해군의 류큐(지금의 오키나와) 전도회에서 파견된 버나드 쟌 베텔하임 의사가 오키나와에 상륙하여 기독교 선교와 의료활동을 전개했고, 류큐어역 성서를 남겼습니다. 지금 우리가 축하하는 150년은 일본성공회의 조직적인 복음 선교로 이어지는 윌리암즈 주교의 상륙을 기점으로 하고 있으나, 그에 앞서 베텔하임의 활동이 있었던 점, 그리고 윌리암즈 주교의 주위에 일본 전도의 중요성을 인식하고 진력한 분들이 있었음을 잊을 수 없습니다. 마침내 영국복음전도협회(SPG)와 영국교회전도협회(CMS), 미국성공회의 해외전도국, 이어 카나다의 선교사들이 일본에서 활동을 개시하여, 일본성공회에는 가톨릭적이면서 동시에 복음주의적인 폭넓은 전통과 관습이 전해졌습니다. 1887년에는 일본인 스스로의 자립교회 형성을 위해 애쓴 선교사들의 통찰과 노력으로 일본성공회 제1회 총회가 오오사카에서 개 최되었습니다. 아직 기독교에 대한 이해가 부족하고 편견이 강했던 당시의 사회 속에서 교 회의 설립은 물론 유아보육, 교육, 의료, 사회복지 사업 등 여러 분야에 걸쳐 일본성공회는 각지에서 선구적인 활동을 개시했습니다. 우리는 오늘날까지 이어지는 그와 같은 초창기 활 동을 감당하신 모든 해외 선교사들과 일본인 교역자, 신도들에 대해 진심으로 감사를 드립 니다 . 윌리암즈 주교의 상륙으로부터 약 50년후 1910년의 ‘한일합방’으로 상징되는 바와 같이, 그 이후의 일본은 군국주의 국가를 향해 돌진해 갔습니다. 압도적인 시대의 흐름 속에 놓 였다고는 하지만, 교회는 국가의 전쟁, 특히 아시아 여러 나라에 대한 일본의 침략과 식민 지화에 대해 기독교의 신앙과 복음에 입각한 명확한 이해와 자세를 가지고 발언하지 못했고, 또한 1941년에 공포, 시행된 종교법인법에 따라 성공회 자체의 교회 일치가 흔들리기도 했습니다. 당시 교회 관계자들의 고충을 생각하지만, 우리는 이와 같은 역사를 계속 기억 해가지 않으면 안됩니다. 1945년 패전을 맞아 ‘불탄 폐허’로부터 부흥하는 시대에 긴 군국주의의 중압으로부터 해 방된 사람들의 마음을 기독교가 끌어들임으로, 다시금 구미문화의 창구로서의 역할을 교회가 수행한 시기도 있었습니다. 그러나 이어 고도 경제성장이라 불리는 물질중심의 대량 소비 사회가 도래하는 가운데, 교회의 존재 의의도 크게 변화되어 왔습니다. 1963년 카나다의 토론토에서 열린 세계성공회대회(Pan Anglican Congress)에서 세계성공회 각 교회 간의 상호 책임과 상호 의존(MRI, Mutual Responsibility & Interdependence)이라는 생각이 제기되어, 1970년대까지 일본의 선교 사역에 크게 공헌해 온 해외 성공회의 선 교사들이 대부분 본국으로 돌아갔습니다. 일본성공회는 관구로서도 각 교구로서도 더 이상 해외 교회로부터 ‘도움받는’ 교회가 아니라, 세계성공회 안에서 상호적인 책임을 수행하고 정신적, 재정적으로 자립해야 할 시대를 맞이한 것입니다. 동시에 세계적인 사회 상황의 변 화와 교회의 선교관의 변화의 영향을 받아, 일본성공회도 새로운 교회상을 추구해 왔습니다. 그런 가운데 새 기도서 (1990년)와 새 성가집(2006년)이 발행되었고, 또한 신학적인 입장의 차이는 있지만 그것을 존중하면서 일본성공회는 여성의 사제 안수를 받아들이는 결단을 하였습니다 (1998년). 또한 우리는 태평양 전쟁에 이르는 역사 속에서 일본의 침략과 식민지화로 피해를 받고, 나중에는 일본의 경제 발전으로 다시금 경제적 지배를 받게 된 여러 나라의 사람들과 회 개로써 화해와 공생의 관계를 깊이하고자 소망해 왔습니다. 특별히 일본이 한반도를 침략한 역사에 대한 반성과 사죄를 충분히 하지 못하고 있던 때 부터, 대한성공회는 같은 신앙을 나눈 형제 자매로써 일본의 불충분한 역사인식과 잘못을 지적하면서, 동시에 개인, 교회, 관구 등 다양한 차원에서 교류의 문호를 열어 주었습니다. 2004년에는 후쿠오카에서 한일성공회 선교 협동20주년 기념대회가 개최되었고, 특히 2007년 이래 일본에서의 복음 선교의 소명을 받은 대한성공회의 교역자들이 양 관구의 협정에 의거하여 일본 각지에서 봉사하게 되어, 현재 10명이 넘는 선교협동자를 맞이했습니다. 필리핀이나 파푸아 뉴기니 등 전쟁 중 에 일본군에 의해 피해를 받은 나라들에 대해서도, 일본성공회는 화해와 한 분이신 주님 안에서의 관계 회복을 추구해 왔고, 동시에 각 나라로부터 많은 풍성한 신앙적 경험을 받았습니다. 1972년에 27년간 본토로부터 분리되어 고난의 길을 걸어 온 오키나와가 일본에 반환되고 오키나와 교구가 일본성공회의 지체로 더해졌지만, 지금껏 미군 기지의 중압으로 고통받고 있는 오키나와를 통해 드러난 평화의 과제를 우리들이 진지하게 받아들이고, 주님의 평화를 실현하기 위해 일할 것이 요청되고 있습니다. 오늘 선교 150주년을 맞은 일본성공회는, 선교사들에 의해 주어진 선교와 전도의 커다란 에너지를 충분히 계승치 못하고, 일본 사회에서 살아가는 자로서 신앙의 표현을 아직 충분히 찾아내지 못했다고 보여집니다. 신도와 교역자의 감소, 회중 전체의 고령화 등 단시일에 해결하기 힘든 문제들을 안고 있고, 각지에 사제가 없는 가운데 몇명의 신도가 주일 예배를 지키는 교회도 많이 있습니다. 그 분들의 열심어린 봉사에 감사드리며 주님의 특별한 축복을 기도드립니다. 그러나 이런 상황 속에서도 젊은 분들의 열심으로 전국 청년대회를 위시한 활발한 모임이 각지에서 계속되어 왔습니다. 오순절 성령강림의 사건을 통해 베드로는 구약성서 요엘서의 말씀을 인용해서 ‘너희 아들 딸들은 예언을 하고, 젊은이들은 계시의 영상을 보며, 늙은이들은 꿈을 꾸리라’고 선언했습니다. 또 성바우로는 디모데에게 ‘기회가 좋든지 나쁘든지’ 말씀을 읽고 가르치며 계속 일할 것을 권면하고 있습니다. 지금 우리는 지난 150년 동안 주어진 커다란 은혜를 돌이켜 보면서, 이루어 온 것, 하려고 했으나 하지 못한 일, 그리고 미처 의식하지 못한 채 지내온 많은 것들을 생각하게 됩니다. 예배가 리터지(liturgia, 사람들의 사역)이라 일컬어지듯, 교회는 ‘하느님 백성’의 공동체입니다. 그리스도의 복음과 사랑을 전하는 도구로 부름받은 우리는, 어디에 있든지 교회의 예배로 모이고, 말씀과 성찬으로 양육되어 세상으로 파견되어 나아갑니다. 신도의 활동과 참여는 성직자의 활동과 마찬가지로 중요하며, 교회는 자기 자신을 위해서가 아니라, 특히 사회 속에서 작은 존재로 되어 버린 이들 속에서 하느님의 임재와 역사를 발견하고 봉사할 사명을 지니고 있습니다. 이러한 활동은 성공회만이 아니라 교파를 초월한 교회간의 대화와 선교 협력을 통해 이루어지는 것이기도 합니다. 일본성공회는 작은 공동체이지만, 커다란 아픔과 분열을 겪고 있는 이 세계 속에서 평화와 화해의 메시지를 스스로의 회개와 더불어 전해 나갈 것을 전 세계의 성공회 (Anglican Communion)로부터 기대받고 있습니다. 동시에 2008년의 람베스 회의가 보여준 바와 같이, 다양한 은총을 지니는 세계성공회의 가족들과 함께 걸으며, 함께 나누는 자세, 그리고 서로의 다양한 다른 경험을 정중히 경청하는 자세야말로 21세기 교회의 중요한 모습이라고 믿습니다. 선교 개시 150주년을 맞이하는 일본성공회의 모든 교회와 모든 활동 위에 성령의 축복과 인도하심이 더욱 풍성하길 기도합니다. ‘깊은 곳으로 배를 저어 가 그물을 치라’고 명하신 주 예수의 말씀을 가슴에 새기면서, 큰 감사로 축하하며, 동시에 새로운 결의로 151년을 향해 배를 저어 나갑시다. ‘예수께서는 말씀을 마치시고 시몬에게 “깊은 데로 가서 그물을 쳐 고기를 잡아라” 하셨다. 시몬은 “선생님, 저희가 밤새도록 애썼지만 한 마리도 못 잡았습니다. 그러나 선생님께서 말 씀하시니 그물을 치겠습니다” 하고 대답하였다.’ (루가복음 5장 4, 5절) 2009년 5월 31일 성령강림일 일 본 성 공 회 주 교 회 홋카이도교구 토호쿠교구 키타칸토교구 토쿄교구 요코하마교구 츄부교구 쿄토교구 오오사카교구 코베교구 큐슈교구 오키나와교구 나타나엘 요한 즈룹바벨 베드로 로렌스 프란시스 스테반 사무엘 안드레 가브리엘 다윗 우에마츠 마코토 주교(수좌주교) 카토 히로미치 주교 히로타 카츠이치 주교 우에다 진타로 주교 미나베 유타카 주교 모리 토시아키 주교 코치 타카시 주교 오오니시 오사무 주교 나카무라 유타카 주교 이가라시 쇼지 주교 타니 쇼지 주교
† 일본성공회 선교150주년 특별기도 이 세상을 사랑하시고, 모든 사람의 구원과 일치를 위해 성자 예수 그리스도를 보내신 주 하느님, 우리들은 지금 일본성공회의 선교 150주년을 기념하며, 하느님께 감사와 찬양을 드립니다. 또한 하느님께서 보내주신 많은 선교사들과, 오늘에 이르기까지 각자의 땅에서 역사를 이어 온 모든 신자와 성직자들에게도 감사를 드립니다. 당신의 능력으로 살아오면서도, 때로 교회는 연약해서 잘못을 범하고, 이 세상의 힘에 밀려 휩쓸린 적도 있었습니다. 회개와 더불어, 새로운 마음으로 깊은 바다로 노저어 나가는 우리 교회에 힘을 더하시고 인도해 주시옵소서. 분쟁과 분열, 불화로 얼룩진 세상 한 복판에서, 우리 교회를 사랑과 성령으로 채워 주셔서, 당신의 평화와 화해의 사역에 쓰임받는 도구가 되게 하소서. 성부와 성령과 더불어 한 몸이시고 영원히 살아 다스리시는 우리 주 예수 그리스도의 이름으로 기도드립니다. 아멘
Pastoral Letter of the House of Bishops on the 150th Anniversary of the Nippon Sei Ko Kai (NSKK, Anglican Church in Japan)
Beginnings of the Anglican Mission in Japan In June 1859, the Revd Channing Moore Williams, missionary priest and later missionary bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, landed at Nagasaki in southwestern Japan. Williams joined the Revd John Riggins, who had docked at Nagasaki one month earlier, and the Anglican mission in Japan began. This year marks the 150th anniversary of that beginning.
Thirteen years before Williams' arrival, Dr. Bernard Jean Bettelheim arrived in Ryukyu (now called Okinawa), having been deployed by the British-based Ryukyu (Loochoo) Naval Mission. With his wife, Dr. Bettelheim devoted himself to Christian evangelisation and medical work in Okinawa, as well as rendering the Bible into the local Ryukyu language.
Although the Nippon Sei Ko Kai (NSKK) traces its formal origins to the evangelisation initiated by Williams' arrival, we cannot forget the prior work of Bettelheim, or the efforts of many others who worked tirelessly alongside Williams, recognising the importance of spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Japan.
Eventually, other missionaries arrived and began working in Japan. Particularly active were the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel and the Christian Missionary Society, from England, the Department of Foreign Missions of the Episcopal Church in the United States, and, later, missionaries from the Anglican Church of Canada. These missionaries helped establish a rich and broadly catholic and evangelical tradition within the NSKK.
The common vision of the missionaries was always the formation of an independent Japanese church supported by Japanese Anglicans. Owing to their insights and efforts, the first General Synod of the NSKK was held in Osaka in 1887. Now formally organised, the NSKK began pioneering work throughout Japan, in an environment of still considerable misunderstanding and prejudice against Christianity. In addition to planting churches, the NSSK was active in the fields of preschool child-care, secondary education, medicine, and social welfare. This work continues to this day, thanks to the efforts of the overseas missionaries as well as countless Japanese clergy and lay people. We express our heartfelt gratitude for their dedication.
A Regrettable and Troubled Era in Japan and in the Church Roughly fifty years after Williams' arrival, Japan began a marked turn towards becoming a militaristic nation, as symbolised by the forced annexation of Korea by Japan in 1910. The flow of events during this period was indeed overwhelming, as Japan engaged in armed conflict and undertook a program of occupying and colonising neighbouring Asian countries. The church, lacking a clear understanding of the Christian faith and the Gospel, proved unable to speak out against these events. Moreover, the unity of the NSKK itself was shaken by the disparate reactions to the government's attempt to force all Protestant churches together into a single umbrella organisation. Even as we are mindful of the hardships faced by our brothers and sisters in the church during that period, we must also continue to remember this painful history.
After Japan's defeat in 1945, the country entered a period of rebuilding "from the ashes." Free at last from long years of oppression under a militaristic government, there was a period when Christianity attracted the hearts of many Japanese people, and the Church once again found a role as a means of contact with Western culture. However, as the nation rallied the populace toward accelerated economic growth, and with the emergence of a materialistic consumer society, the identity of the church, too, underwent a dramatic transformation. Growing Into Maturity as a Province The Pan-Anglican Congress held in 1963 in Toronto, Canada proposed to the Anglican world the idea of the "mutual responsibility and interdependence" of the various Anglican churches worldwide. By 1970, missionaries from overseas Anglican churches, who had contributed so much to the work of evangelisation in Japan, had nearly all returned to their home countries. The NSKK, both as a province and at the parish level, was no longer a "receiving church" dependent on overseas support, but rather was called to bear mutual responsibility and become a spiritually, administratively and financially independent church among many in the global Anglican Communion.
At the same time, influenced by ongoing changes in the world social order as well as in thinking about mission, the NSKK searched for a renewed ecclesiological shape. A new Prayer Book (1990) and Hymnal (2006) arose out of this quest. Also during this period, while respecting the differences in theological convictions, the NSKK also recognised the ordination of women to the priesthood (1998).
Turning Toward Reconciliation With Our Neighbours At the same time, the NSKK began to look back over the events leading up to the Asia-Pacific War. We especially felt called to repent and seek reconciliation and deeper engagement with our neighbours in countries throughout Asia who had first suffered under Japanese occupation and colonisation, and then been made subject to economic control under Japan's post-war development.
We were especially blessed by our fellow Anglicans in the Anglican Church in Korea (ACK), who opened their hearts to us even before Japan had come to terms with and apologised for its role in the colonisation of the Korean peninsula. As brothers and sisters sharing the same faith, even as the ACK drew our attention to the inadequacies and errors of Japan's historical awareness, they also opened the door to exchanges between individuals, churches, dioceses, and at the provincial level. A celebration marking the 20th anniversary of joint Japanese-Korean Anglican missionary work was held in Fukuoka, Japan in 2004. Since 2007, through an inter-provincial agreement, clergy from the Anglican Church in Korea who sense a calling to evangelism in Japan are now serving in areas throughout this country. We have welcomed over 10 such missioners to date.
With regard to the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, and other countries which also suffered under Japanese wartime occupation, the NSKK has sought reconciliation and a restoration of our bonds under the same Lord. At the same time, we have been blessed by the wealth of faith-filled experiences of our brothers and sisters in these countries.
In 1972, after walking a path of suffering separated from the Japanese mainland for 27 years, Okinawa was returned to Japanese control, and the Diocese of Okinawa became part of the NSKK. Even now, though, the Okinawan people continue to suffer under the intense strain of the presence of U.S. military bases. We take seriously the challenges to peace pointed up by their struggle, and are keenly aware of being called to work toward realising the peace that is in Jesus Christ.
Disappointments and Signs of Hope As we mark this 150th year of an Anglican presence in Japan, in many ways it seems that we have failed to adequately sustain the tremendous energy that the missionaries first brought to mission and evangelisation in this country. It seems we have not yet been able to give adequate expression to our faith as those who live in Japanese society. We face declines in the numbers of both lay members and clergy, and our congregations as a whole are ageing―problems which cannot be solved overnight. Throughout the country, the lack of priests has meant that at many churches, Sunday worship has continued to be carried out by a small number of lay people. We give thanks for the dedicated service of these people, and ask for the Lord's special blessing on them.
And yet, in the midst of these conditions, there have continued to be enthusiastic, energetic gatherings of young people in this church, both locally and at National Youth Conferences. On this day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descended, Peter drew on the words of the prophet Joel, lifting up his voice and saying: "Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams" (Acts 2:17).
As well, we heed St. Paul's words to Timothy to "be ready in season and out of season" (2 Timothy 4:2) as we continue seeking to read the Scriptures, to teach, and to work.
The Shape of the Church Going Forward As we have looked back over the great blessings God has bestowed on the NSKK over the past 150 years, we have reflected on what this church has accomplished, on what we intended but failed to do, and on many things we simply did not consider.
Just as worship is called "the work of the people" (leitourgia), the church is above all the community of the people of God. We are called to be instruments carrying the Good News and the love of Christ to the world. As such, wherever we might be, we are gathered together in worship, nourished by the Word and the Eucharist, and sent out into society. The work of the laity is therefore equally as important as that of the clergy. The church does not exist only for its own sake, but is also called to seek the presence and action of God in the world, particularly among the least in society, and to serve the world. This work is carried out not only within the NSKK, but also in dialogue and mission collaboration with churches in other traditions.
Even though the NSKK is a small flock, in the midst of a world experiencing deep pain and division, the rest of the Anglican Communion looks to us to continue proclaiming a message of peace and reconciliation, grounded in our own repentance. At the same time, as we saw at the 2008 Lambeth Conference, we believe God is asking us to walk together with the worldwide Anglican family, with all its diverse gifts. We must be willing to share with one another, willing to take the time to listen to one another's different experiences. We believe this is the shape our church must take in the 21st century.
As we mark the 150th anniversary of the NSKK, we ask the blessing and guidance of the Holy Spirit over this whole church, and over all the ministries connected with this church. Our Lord Jesus said "put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." Taking His words to heart, and with tremendous gratitude, it is our desire to celebrate this important milestone, and renew our commitment to mission as we "put out into the deep" of the next 150 years.
"And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, 'Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.' And Simon answered, 'Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.'" (Luke 5:4-5)
Feast of Pentecost May 31, 2009
The House of Bishops of the Nippon Sei Ko Kai The Most Revd Nathaniel Makoto Uematsu, Bishop of Hokkaido and Primate The Rt Revd John Hiromichi Kato, Bishop of Tohoku The Rt Revd Zerubabbel Katsuichi Hirota, Bishop of Kita-Kanto The Rt Revd Peter Jintaro Ueda, Bishop of Tokyo The Rt Revd Laurence Yutaka Minabe, Bishop of Yokohama The Rt Revd Francis Toshiaki Mori, Bishop of Chubu The Rt Revd Stephen Takashi Kochi, Bishop of Kyoto The Rt Revd Samuel Osamu Ohnishi, Bishop of Osaka The Rt Revd Andrew Yutaka Nakamura, Bishop of Kobe The Rt Revd Gabriel Shoji Igarashi, Bishop of Kyushu The Rt Revd David Shoji Tani, Bishop of Okinawa
A Collect for the 150th Anniversary of the Nippon Sei Ko Kai Lord God, you loved this world and sent your Son Jesus Christ for the salvation and the unity of all people: We give thanks to you as we celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the Nippon Sei Ko Kai. We give you thanks also for the many missionaries you sent to this country, and for all the lay people and clergy over the years who have served the mission of the church throughout Japan. Although the church receives its life and its strength from you, at times we have been weak. We have erred. We have been swept along by the powers of this world. Strengthen and guide our churches as we repent and renew our determination to put out into the deep. In the midst of a world caught up in conflict, division and strife, fill our churches with your love and with the power of the Holy Spirit, and make us instruments of your peace and reconciliation, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever Amen
