December Chimes

Dear Centenarians,

The strong winds that have blown forcefully across the southland in recent days bring to mind two passages I have come across in my recent readings:

            “When the wind changes direction, there are those who build walls and those who build windmills.” Chinese proverb, taken from Hot, Flat and Crowded, by Thomas L. Friedman.

            “The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone that is born of the Spirit.”  John 3:8

Throughout this year, we have felt powerful winds blowing throughout the congregation which continue to move us forward as we anticipate a new year: winds of change; winds of new and challenging ministry opportunities, winds of transformation and renewal.

I am thankful that you, the Centenary congregation, have chosen to be “windmills” that move with the winds, rather than “walls” that seek to block them. Your attitude reflects the biblical people who moved and followed God throughout the Bible, and God’s people today who are not afraid to move with the winds of the Holy Spirit that reveal new and (sometimes) risky opportunities for ministry.

As the winds of time move us out of this year and into a new one, I thank you for all that we have accomplished in the name and ministry of Jesus Christ.

Let us continue, with the confidence of God’s people, to be the “windmills” that take advantage of the changing winds, and use them in advancing the ministry of Jesus Christ in the many new and exciting challenges that await us!

Grace and Peace,

Reverend Mark M. Nakagawa

November Chimes

Dear Centenarians,

During my recent trip to Nagoya, Japan, I had the opportunity to tour the historic Nagoya

Castle which was constructed in 1610.

This castle is important in the overall history of Japan, as it was built by the famous

feudal lord Tokugawa Ieyasu, the one who unified Japan through deft political and military maneuvering.

It was also built during a time when Christians in Japan were present among the Buddhists and Shintoists, in Nagoya and surrounding communities primarily to the south and east.

One historical account of the times says that the famed military general Oda Nobunaga granted a request by Christian foreigners to build a church, against the desires of local Buddhist priests. 

Nobunaga’s reason for allowing this to take place was rather clever and quite logical: since Buddhism first came to Japan from a foreign land, these other foreigners with their strange religion ought to be given a chance to prove that their doctrine is valuable.

Here in the Little Tokyo community, there are seven houses of worship representing the Buddhist and Christian faiths all within blocks of each other. Using the parlance of today, we model interfaith and ecumenical relationships that other communities speak of and strive to attain.

While our beliefs and doctrines may differ from each other (and even within our respective traditions!), we strive to co-exist in ways that complement and support each other’s presence.

It is a model of religious community that has its roots in feudal Japan, and that is

Increasingly relevant in a time that is distinguished by its diversity and plurality in

within our community.

Grace and Peace,

Reverend Mark M. Nakagawa

October's Message

Dear Centenarians,

This month I will travel to Nagoya, Japan, representing the Nisei Week Foundation as its President.

Together with the Nisei Week Festival Queen and Court, plus chaperones, we will represent the Little Tokyo community as part of the Los Angeles- Nagoya Sister City Association relationship. This is an exchange that takes place each year between these two organizations; the delegation from Nagoya was present during the Nisei Week festivities in August.

 In a sense, both groups serve in the role of  ‘ambassador’ when we visit each other’s cities. We carry the spirit of goodwill and friendship to continue and strengthen this important relationship.

This month’s visit to Nagoya will be made more important due to the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami earlier this year, and with the recent typhoon that swept through the Nagoya area.

From a faith standpoint, there is a similar dynamic that applies to you and I as Christians in our relationship with the broader world and its people. The Apostle Paul summed it up succinctly in the book of 2 Corinthians:

            “So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us;

            we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”

Paul wrote these words to a church that was experiencing strife among its members. Mistrust, unethical behavior, and lack of faith were among the problems that plagued the congregation.

Using an analogy from civic and governmental life, Paul reminds the Corinthian church members of who they represent (“re-present”) as the Church of Jesus Christ, and what their role is at its members. They are to be ambassadors for Christ, bringing the message of reconciliation to a fractured church, and with it the spirit of healing and hope.

Paul certainly had first-hand knowledge of this role, as he traveled across Asia Minor spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ as its chief evangelist and ambassador.  His model is our model in the contemporary world in which we live, which isn’t that far different than the diverse and pluralistic world he encountered throughout his travels.

Believe it or not, you are an Ambassador; an ambassador for Jesus Christ wherever and everywhere you go.  Remember this always, in your continued journey of faith as disciples of our Lord!

Grace and Peace,

Reverend Mark M. Nakagawa

September's Message

Dear Centenarians,

I recently had the pleasant opportunity of meeting a young man from Nigeria.

Ironically we met while I was traveling in another city, and he happens to live

in downtown L.A., not far from Centenary. He moved into the area three months ago, due

to a new job assignment that he was given by his company.

When I mentioned that I was the pastor of this church, he shared with me that he grew up

in his native country attending a Methodist Church. He came to this country to study at

the University of Nebraska, and while he lived in that community he also worshipped at a

United Methodist Church.

He went on to share with me that is fondest memories of going to church were from his

Sunday School days, and how he remembered his parents making sure that he and his

siblings attended the church Sunday School every week. This discipline has carried over

to his college and young adult days, and he stated that he hopes to worship with us once

he gets settled here in the downtown area.

This young man’s experience is like my own and that of many people who I’ve met

throughout my life in the church; their fondest experiences and memories of going to

church stem from their Sunday School times. More often than not, they also include a

Sunday School teacher or mentor who had a direct influence on them.

Meeting this young man was coincidental to this month, as we will celebrate our Sunday

School teachers and other Christian Education leaders in worship on Sept. 18^th. While

Sunday School is the foundation of all Christian Education, we have a multitude of

ongoing learning opportunities in the life of the church, and this year our Rally Sunday

will acknowledge all of them.

I hope this young man will be with us on Rally Sunday to witness the Sunday School that

was so formative in his life. I hope you will be here, too, to celebrate and thank all of our

teachers and leaders in Christian Education, who insure that all of our students both

younger and older are taught the important lessons of Christian faith that keep the church

alive and important in this day and age.

Grace and Peace,

 

Reverend Mark M. Nakagawa

August Message

Dear Centenarians:

Right now, the 71^st Annual Nisei Week Foundation Japanese Festival is in full swing.

As you know, I have had the privilege of being the foundation President this year. When I accepted the invitation and challenge of this task, I did so with the attitude that it was really an extension of Centenary’s public ministry in the Little Tokyo area; our church serves as the focal point of the Grand Parade each year, and our members are directly involved in its planning and production each year.

However, I have come to realize that this is only a starting point, as Centenary in fact has a deep history with this festival. Most immediately, I recall my high school and college days some 30 or so years ago when the Centenary Methodist Youth Fellowship operated game and food booths at the former Nisei Week carnival that was held on San Pedro Street.

Centenary also lays claim to at least three former Nisei Week Queens, the most recent one being crowned just two years ago. I’ve also recently learned that first Nisei Week Queen that was crowned following the Japanese American internment camps was a Centenary member, and she continues to be with us today.  I also am aware that a good number of Centenary members over the years have had a hand in keeping the Nisei Week office running year-round, and the organization as well.

These important truths which I’ve learned during this year have impressed upon me the continuing public ministry that Centenary has come to be known for throughout its glorious history. What’s more, it’s a ministry that continues to carry on in these exciting times of generational transition, with newer members contributing their gifts and abilities in expanding it.

Centenary’s public ministries to the community continue a rich legacy, and it is one that has come home to me in a very real way this year in my role as Nisei Week Foundation President. I am thankful to be included in it, and look forward to other exciting and richly rewarding experiences as we do ministry together!

 

Grace and Peace,

 

Reverend Mark M. Nakagawa

June 2011

Dear Centenarians,

I have just finished teaching a four-week session for our Los Angeles District Lay Speakers' School. This was my third time teaching in this annual series, and an exciting part of this session was having three high-school youths from the same church as students.

The class which I taught was on Christian Stewardship. I have to say that I was a bit surprised that three youths would spend a Monday night taking a course with this title, since a course on "Youth Ministry" was also offered on the same night, the NBA playoffs were also in full swing! Yet, I was also enthused that they, as young people, would in fact take such a course as this one!

I hope that they learned something vital and useful in the course, along with the adults who were also students in the class. I certainly learned from all of them, and I gained new insights on stewardship which I plan on using in ministry.

June is the month when students of  graduate from school and move on in their lives, but that doesn't mean they stop learning. A wise student knows that one never stops learning; learning is a lifelong process that enables one to continue to grow and appreciate all that life has to offer. That principle is also true of Christian faith, and I have experienced growth in my own faith, throughout my vocation as a pastor, from church members of all ages and life stages.  

During the summer months, take some time to deepen your learning experiences. Open the book that has been sitting on the shelf, which you've been yearning to begin reading for awhile. Explore a new topic or interest that you've always thought about but have just never gotten around to beginning. Come to church on one of our "Breakfast @ Centenary" Sundays to learn about a specific topic you may not have known beforehand, and enjoy a delicious meal at the same time!

The summer months are usually seen as a time to relax and recharge. I encourage you to use them also as a time to grow and experience something new in your life and faith!

Grace and Peace,

Rev. Mark M. Nakagawa

May's Article

Dear Centenarians,

While I was driving into the downtown area one morning, a local public radio station aired a brief commercial that publicized one of its sponsors: “brought to you by the United Methodist Church, working to combat the threat of malaria around the world.”

I was pleasantly surprised to hear those words, as they referred to the efforts of our denomination's United Methodist Committee On Relief (U.M.C.O.R.) in this area. This agency has also been busy working with our United Methodist missionaries in Japan, helping to fund the recovery efforts in areas that were devastated by the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.

As I write this column, U.M.C.O.R. is also at work providing disaster relief funds in the areas of the southeastern U.S. that have been devastated by the recent tornadoes that destroyed communities and neighborhoods not unlike the damage done in Japan.

It is fashionable nowadays for so called church growth experts to portray mainline Protestant church denominations (such as the United Methodist Church) as "old line" and dying out. Comparisons are often made with newer, independent churches and para-church organizations which emphasize numerical growth to the exclusion of outreach and mission, especially to people who don't look or live like they do.

It is in this regard that the United Methodist Church makes known the presence of Jesus Christ in the midst of hardship and human suffering, wherever it occurs throughout the world. While you and I may not be able to physically stand with people in northeast Japan or the southeastern part of the U.S., we make the living Christ known to them through our gifts that provide much-needed aid and comfort at the most critical times.

In this season of Easter, let us strive to make real the presence of our resurrected Lord visible in our lives, in ways that will touch other lives. Whether it's through combating the effects of malaria in a far off land, giving disaster relief funds here at home, or simply praying for a friend, neighbor or family member, we live to make the life and spirit of Jesus Christ a reality for all.

Grace and Peace,

Reverend Mark M. Nakagawa

April Message

Dear Centenarians,

At the start of Lent last month, I had anticipated a spiritual journey similar to most others during this liturgical (worship) season. That is, a season which is characterized by slowing down a bit, taking a step back and centering myself spiritually. The reason that  Purple is the traditional color of Lent owes itself, in part, to its somber hue and tone.

This Lenten season has been anything but slow and centering! It has been a spiritual journey with many twists and turns, in directions that I could have never foreseen or predicted.

Geographically, it has included two trips to the Central Valley (in the span of three weeks). Emotionally and spiritually, a host of funeral services here at home and the tragic events in northeastern Japan have weighed heavily on me.  Current events taking place elsewhere around the world challenge the desires of people to attain peace and justice in their lives.

At the same time, this is the type of journey that often characterizes the human experience, and which the Psalmist speaks of in the most well-known verse of scripture, Psalm 23.  Through one's wandering the depth of valley lows, going through shadows of death, being confronted by our enemies, facing temptions from evil. Psalm 23 describes the breadth and depth of human experience in its fullest.

It also describes God guiding, sustaining and life-giving presence as we travel on our journeys of life and faith. Like a faithful shepherd who watches over the flock, the Psalmist speaks of God who faithfully watches over us, the sheep, as we travel through life both individually and collectively as the congregation of the faithful.

As we continue our spiritual journeys on the way to Good Friday and Easter, we do so not knowing what the next challenges in our lives will be, but in the full faith in God as the One who guides us through our deepest valleys, and with the assurance that God will never fail or forsake us.

  

Grace and Peace,

  

Reverend Mark M. Nakagawa 

Pastor's Message

Dear Centenarians,

The National Japanese American Clergy Caucus met earlier this month at our sister church in Clovis, CA. During our three day retreat, we also had the opportunity to visit sister congregations in the nearby Central Valley communities of Dinuba and Reedley.

By "sister" congregations, I mean that they are historically Japanese-American congregations in culture and ethnicity, like Centenary. At the same time, they are also experiencing generational and cultural transitions in their life-cycles, also like Centenary. I find it interesting that in our historical and contemporary situations, we are "connected" in our experiences, to use a well-worn Methodist phrase.

This connection came home to me in a very real way when we visited these congregations. In Clovis, I reconnected with a retired pastor who I hadn't seen in a number of years. As we talked, he shared that his cousin is one of our long-time Centenary members. At the Reedley church, the sister-in-law of another Centenary member was one of the second-generation Nisei congregation members who helped put out a fabulous lunch spread for our group. Although this was the first time we met each other, and also the first time I'd ever visited that church, I could easily sense a shared connectedness between us and our congregations.

We now enter the season of Lent,  which started on Ash Wednesday,  a forty-day period in which we "connect" and, in some sense, "re-connect" with God and the spiritual aspects of our lives in preparation for Easter.

It is no accident that Lent occurs in the earlier part of the year. The early church reformers intentionally sought to emphasize one's growth in Christian faith. Hence, "lent" comes from an old-English word ("lenchten") which means to "lengthen" or become longer.  The season of Lent gives us the opportunity to slow down a bit, get off the treadmill of life, and deepen our awareness of God along with the importance of having a spiritual base in life.

Throughout the next forty days, let us take a few moments each day to say a prayer, read a bit of scripture, reflect on what really matters in life, or whatever else enables you to connect deeply with God. I know that in my own personal life, just a small amount of time devoted each day to this discipline adds immensely to it.

I also know that it will do the same for you.

Grace and Peace,

Reverend Mark M. Nakagawa

February Message

Dear Centenarians,

What a "Super Sunday" we experienced at Centenary on Feb. 6th!

The morning worship was guided by the Gospel lesson from Matthew 5, wherein Jesus says, "You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored?...."

Our worship was followed by a "Souper Bowl Sunday" lunch that showcased 15 delicious homemade soups made by our youth and their parents. It was evident to this connoisseur that there were more seasonings than just salt used in these soups, as they each had a distinctive, dynamic and tasty flavor!

An exciting Super Bowl game capped off the afternoon for those who watched it on the Centenary "wide-screen" in the social hall. The fellowship also included more than a few snacks that certainly retained (and exceeded) their salty taste!

Now, you don't need to be "into" the Super Bowl, or even football, to see where I'm going with this. The Christian life is meant to be lived in a way that brings out meaning and purpose. Jesus tells his followers that at this very moment they are salt – cleansing, preserving, adding flavor to everything they do.

In the same way that salt (or any spice) adds a certain 'kick' to a recipe, so also are we as Christians called to add that same 'kick' to our living and the lives of others around us.

The good news of Jesus is that he came to give life ("bios") to those who listen and are willing to follow him. When we are willing to live out our faith in this way, life becomes an exciting journey that has meaning and purpose. It's the difference between eating something bland and tasteless, as opposed to eating something with flavor and zest.

"You are the salt of the earth," Jesus said. Let's live our lives in ways that preserve the goodness of God's creation, while at the same time creating new flavor and meaning which reveal the Gospel of Jesus as life-giving and life-affirming to all.

Grace and Peace,

Reverend Mark M. Nakagawa

January 2011

Dear Centenarians,

I begin my first column of the year with two images that have revealed themselves to me early on.

The first image is of water, specifically the torrential rains that have poured down on us! During one of the heavier storms we had here in Los Angeles, the story of Noah's Ark and the proverbial "40 days and 40 nights" came to my mind. As a new year's theme, I reflected that these rains were cleansing us to start the year anew and afresh, in the same way that the rains of Noah's time cleansed the earth so that all forms of life could begin anew and afresh.

The second image comes from the lunar calendar, which tells us that this is the year of the hare, or rabbit. Among its other abilities, the rabbit is able to leap over obstacles as it makes its way forward. I believe this is a great way to think about the new year, as life always presents its share of obstacles for us to overcome. This is true for us as individuals and especially  for Centenary as a congregation.

A final image that resonates with the first two (I know I said I had two, but that was a minute ago) is that  of a star.....Not just any star, but the one that guided the Magi (or "wise people") to the manger upon the birth of Jesus. According the story (found in Matthew 2), upon departing from the manger those wise people left for their own country "by another road." Whatever they experienced at the manger while being basked in the star's light, it resulted in a new, changed condition for them afterwards.

As we begin a new year together, I offer these images to you so that you can think of ways in which newness will be a part of your life throughout this year.

And, I offer them to you in the spirit of Jesus Christ, the One who represents a new covenant from God, and of whom the scriptures tell us is the One "who makes all things new."

Happy New Year!

Grace and Peace,

Reverend Mark M. Nakagawa