(From Journal: October 28, 2001 11:33 PM)
Well, today was my first day of actual ministry. How would I describe it? Maybe I should first describe what ÅgministryÅh was done today. Starting at seven oÅfclock at night, we held a Bible Challenge at the Kaminoyama church in which anybody who was uncertain about anything in the Bible would have their needs met and questions answered. A very seeker oriented program, I think started up by Kristy Evans the last associate who was just here. And as she was leaving, this ministry opportunity was just placed in my lap to begin as soon as I was ready to begin. Truly an unexpected, great opportunity like the opportunity to lead an English Bible study at the Yamagata Medical School.
So anyway, what happened? It was a no show. The people in attendance were myself, Pastor Ito (who I needed as a translator), and Ryoko, his wife, who came later for prayer and moral support. After an hour and a half of waiting in the sanctuary we decided to call it quits and go home. To say that it was a blow to my ego is an understatement. Not to say that I was demoralized, because we left in good spirits, optimistic of the future meetings. But today was the day that I finally realized why IÅfm here. Previous to today, I was totally unaware of the spiritual state of this place. Sure, I knew about the spiritual oppression that kept the Japanese from accepting Christ. Sure, I knew about the disheartening population religious breakdown percentages. And so, in those senses I ÅgknewÅh about the spiritual state of Japan. But everything up to this point has been presented with an up-swing. Programs were already set up. More importantly, people were starting to seek. In essence, it wasnÅft necessary for me to be here. Japan was presented as a bountiful harvest that had already begun. The work of missionaries of the past have done the job of jump starting the movement to completion. I took the mentality of doing ministry in America here to Japan. How does this play itself out? Well, the measure of logistical failure is a good example. A turn out of five people to an outreach event in an American church would constitute relative failure. ÅgSomething went wrong,Åh we would say. ÅgMaybe there wasnÅft enough publicity,Åh ÅgMaybe we didnÅft pray hard enough,Åh and down the list of logistical issues we would go. In all my years of ministry (few as they are), never have I witnessed a complete no show for an outreach event. There were plenty of times when we wouldnÅft see any fruit from an event, but we would always come away with the assurance that at least one seed had been planted, and that the Gospel was expressed to one who did not believe. Even for a low turn out event, weÅfd come away assuring ourselves that numbers donÅft matter and that Ågeven if one person was touched by the presentation of the Gospel,Åh that it was worth it all. But what happens at a no show? IÅfve never had to think about such things.