Getting Jewish Evangelism on the Agenda
of the Local Japanese Church
By Pastor Charles Klingensmith, Wakayama Lutheran Church, Japan
Of Japan's population of 120 million, less than one percent is Christian; probably less than half of that attends church regularly or at all. Many churches have lacked pastors for years, and most churches lack financial means to expand their work from the present minimal level. Japanese evangelism has been in a rut for the past several decades. As for the Jewish population of Japan, it has been estimated at anywhere from 700 to 2000 permanent foreign residents, but this does not include people who are here temporarily, English teachers, businessmen, club hostesses, entertainers, Israeli backpackers, and others. The Japanese themselves are almost wholly unaware that there are Jewish people here. This is the context for the work of LCJE Japan. With Japanese evangelism itself so sluggish, and little understanding of Jewish people here, how do we get Jewish evangelism on the agenda of the Japanese church?
For LCJE Japan is convinced that Jewish evangelism must be on the agenda of the Japanese church. Yet this is not obvious to Japanese Christians. Even for those leaders and opinion makers who do not accept either replacement theology or two covenant theology, there are too few people to do too much work among Japanese, and outside a few major cities there aren't really any Jewish people to whom to offer the Messiah of Israel. Nevertheless LCJE Japan has a burden to bring Messiah's people to the attention of all Japanese churches, and recently has started efforts to work in areas of the country outside the metropolitan areas of Tokyo and Osaka. On February 27 LCJE Japan came to Wakayama Lutheran Church to hold an "LCJE Japan Sunday" to ask both prayers and funds for the work. Wakayama City is in one of Japan's major agricultural, forestry, and fishing regions. Wakayama is also a center of Japanese Buddhism. This was LCJE Japan's first effort at leading a Sunday morning service here. We found the following points useful in presenting Jewish evangelism:
1. Messianic music is a great introduction to Jewish evangelism. In the past year, I've been introducing easy to remember messianic music in Japanese translations. Making the same music "in your heart to the Lord" (Eph. 5:19) as Jewish believers in Jesus establishes intimacy from the very start, and readied the congregation to hear LCJE Japan's appeal. Under the able direction of Makoto and Mizue Takase, LCJE Japan workers, the congregation sang only messianic music, and many began through music to understand what it means when Romans says the gospel is "for the Jew first." The Takases were both professional musicians, trained in Vienna in violin and piano, before they were saved. They left the world of classical music to consecrate themselves to LCJE Japan work, and their testimony is powerful. Sunday afternoon they provided a free concert for the local non-Christian community, and gave a moving witness to Jesus' salvation. Two birds with one stone.We in LCJE Japan hope to bring the same message to other churches here, but we need your prayers: for co-workers, for more giving, for a greater heart for Jewish evangelism.
2. Emphasize the word picture in Romans 11, branches grafted in to the trunk. There is really no need to be too theological about Jewish evangelism. Paul's word picture is vivid. The congregation read together, slowly and prayerfully, Romans 11: 11-21. Many people have commented that for the first time they understood the mechanics (so to speak) of how Japanese can call on the Jewish Jesus, and use the Old Testament and Psalms as their own possession. Now such Japanese are wondering how they themselves can offer Messiah to His people.
3. Pray Romans 15:27 in preparation. Japanese Christians are gentiles of gentiles, and a congregation of 75 people contributed over 53,000 yen cash (in addition to the offering and monthly pledges for the church at the same time) to LCJE Japan.
Charles Klingensmith
[email protected]