Pray with Japan, October 3, 2021

Lectionary Selection: Mark 10-2-16

Prayers for Japan

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them.” He also promised, “for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” Gracious and loving God, we pray for all of our partners in Japan who work with children and for the sake of future generations. We pray for the Minority Center in Tokyo which looks out for the needs of immigrant and minority children, for Sato-san and his friends from EIWAN who tend to the special needs of children born to cross-cultural families. We pray for the inter-religious leaders who have their eye on protecting the safety of unborn generations. We also pray for all Christian mission-related schools who provide a nurturing learning environment for the young people in their care. Help the church to be a sign of hope such that children living in Japan may inherit the promise of the kingdom of God. May the blessing of Jesus be upon the young and vulnerable.

Mission Stewardship Moment from Japan

In March 2020, over 200 Japanese religious leaders (Buddhist, Christian and Shinto) filed the “Interfaith Class Action Lawsuit Against the Nuclear Fuel Cycle” calling for termination of the Rokkasho Nuclear Processing Plant built under the premise that depleted uranium can be reprocessed to generate a consistent source of energy. This lawsuit is like no other because all plaintiffs are making their claims on religious and moral grounds. They argue that their respective traditions call for them to learn from past wisdom and to assure that the moral tradition is passed on to future generations. They claim that the nuclear industry is a high-risk, unsustainable, and immoral industry because by its very nature it infringes on the space and time of others. We know that the safe space of rural communities is placed at risk for the sake of urban energy needs. We also see that the safe time of future generations will be compromised because of the amount of nuclear waste produced by this generation. The judge might ask “How can you make any claims about future generations who have not yet been born?” The plaintiffs answer, we have the right to live in the peace of knowing that our generation will not be the last. They also argue on moral grounds against dependence on an industry which causes all of us to be the victimizers of the space and time of others.

Prayer and Mission Moment by Jeffrey Mensendiek

Mission Partners in Japan

More about Japan

Global Ministries Mission Co-worker in Japan
Jeffrey Mensendiek serves with J.F. Oberlin University in Tokyo, Japan. His appointment is made possible by your gifts to Disciples Mission Fund, Our Church’s Wider Mission, and your special gifts.