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
